Lunch! is the UK’s trade show for the café, coffee shop and food-to-go sector, held every September at ExCeL London. Since 2026 it has been part of the London Food & Drink Festival, alongside The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show, The Natural & Organic Food Show and The Artisan Food & Drink Show. Together they bring around 15,000 visitors and 600+ exhibitors to one hall, with seven stages of content.
The lunch! audience is buyers from cafés, coffee shops, sandwich bars, food-to-go chains, contract caterers, delis and wholesalers. They come to taste, compare and find what’s going on next season’s menu or into next month’s chiller.
Your stand here is a tasting counter, a shop window and a sales desk at the same time. Both shell scheme and space only plots are available, from small presences to large feature builds. Planning a space only stand? Working with exhibition stand contractors who know ExCeL stops being optional.
The buyers at lunch! decide with their mouths first and their spreadsheets second. They want to taste it, see how it looks in the pack and picture it in their chiller or on their counter. Then they ask about price, shelf life and supply. A brochure doesn’t get you on the menu. A sample might.
Food that looks as good on the stand as it will in store, under lighting that does it justice. A sampling counter that serves quickly without blocking the aisle. Product shown the way it’s sold, in grab-and-go packs, a chiller or on a café counter, with the commercial detail close to hand for the buyers who stop.
We design and build exhibition stands for lunch!, from bespoke stand design to shell scheme and space only packages. We’ve built at lunch! before, and we know what this floor needs. Two busy days, 600+ exhibitors across four shows and buyers who taste before they talk. Stands that can’t serve samples quickly, or make food look good, lose the queue to the stand next door.
So we build stands that work like a café. Sampling counters are made by our own joinery team, to the standard we build real retail interiors, and we can build your coffee machines, ovens and fridges into them, with the prep space, hand-wash, power and water they need planned in from day one. Lighting is chosen to make food look as good as it tastes, and the queue sits beside your product story, not across the aisle. Storage behind the counter keeps stock and packaging out of sight. Then we review what worked, so next September’s stand serves even better.
We don’t build stands. We build the story your brand tells on the show floor. Every material, layout and lighting choice serves the narrative.
Heat mapping and visitor tracking available on request, plus a post-show review on every project. We prove what worked, not just what looked good.
LITE, READY and CUSTOM. Three clear ways to exhibit, three clear price points. You always know exactly what you’re getting, before you commit.
Your win is our win. We review the results together, and we’re genuinely invested in your next show being even better than the last.
Designed, made and installed by one in-house team in Lincolnshire. You’ll see 3D visuals before anything is built, and one project manager runs your stand from brief to debrief.
Everything you need to look the part, sorted.
Branded, professional, and ready to go.
The smart entry point.
from
£2,995
The clever way to exhibit.
A reusable backbone with Rocket-X craft on top, and it gets cheaper every show.
from
£8,995
Your story, built from scratch by the people who tell it best.
No limits, no compromises.
The full Rocket-X.
custom
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ExCeL runs a tight operation, and most of what your stand needs, from power and water to internet and hanging signs, is ordered through the venue in advance. We handle the logistics and the orders. Here’s what’s worth knowing for your stand and your team.
Piped services, utilities and rigging are provided by ExCeL itself. For sampling counters, sinks and coffee machines, we order them early and spec the loads properly.
Two days of sampling means a lot of fresh product. We can build fridge space and storage into the stand, so your team can restock without leaving it.
Shared Wi-Fi struggles with a hall full of devices. We order a dedicated line with your stand for demos, screens and card payments, and test it before doors open.
A sign above your stand is the easiest way to be spotted across a busy hall. ExCeL’s own team rigs it and it needs ordering early, so we can design it in from the start.
Power, water, internet and rigging all come through ExCeL, and late orders usually cost more. We spec everything with your stand and order it well before the deadlines.
Parking is paid once the show opens. Custom House (Elizabeth line and DLR) is right by the entrance, so it’s the easiest way in for your team.
Two days, 600+ exhibitors and buyers who’ve come hungry. Here’s how to make the most of it, from first plan to next year’s booking.
Know who you want tasting. A quick question at the counter separates the buyer who can list you from the passer-by who’s just hungry.
Put your product story, pack shots and price points beside the queue, and keep it off the aisle. People waiting are people reading.
Grab-and-go packs in a chiller, drinks on a café counter. Buyers want to picture it in their own store.
Sinks, fridges, coffee machines and ovens all need power, water and hygiene planning. Book them with the venue weeks ahead, not on build day.
Buyers plan new menus and ranges months ahead. Chase every lead within the week, while they still remember the taste.
Many shows sell next year’s space before this one ends. Rebook, tell us your plot, and we can start on next year’s stand straight away. When we debrief the show, we’ll know what worked this time, so we can make your next stand work harder and give you better return on investment.
We build exhibitions to work harder over time. By reusing and refining crafted elements across multiple shows, we reduce waste, retain what works, and make every next build more efficient than the last. Show one makes an impact. Show two builds on it. That’s how exhibiting should work.
We build with reuse in mind from the start. That means fewer one-use builds, less waste, and exhibition stands designed to work harder over time. We use FSC- and PEFC-certified timber wherever possible and make smarter material choices at every stage. Because sustainability should be built in, not added on.
Got more questions? Check out our FAQs page or just get in touch. We’re always ready to help.
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