Spalding to host Festival of Fresh - a major event for the UK fruit and vegetable industry

Major supermarket buyers, importers, wholesalers, and suppliers will be attending the UK fruit and vegetable industry’s summer festival.

Spalding will be hosting the the Festival of Fresh 2025, which has been organised by Fresh Produce Journal (FPJ), tomorrow (Thursday, June 5).

The popular open-air event brings together the biggest names in the business, with more than 200 visitors already registered.

This year, the festival is being held in Pinchbeck by logistics specialist FreshLinc in partnership with Worldwide Fruit, a major UK supplier of apples, pears, avocados and stonefruit.

“Never before has Festival of Fresh attracted such an array of top-level retail buyers and industry executives,” commented Chris White, managing director of FPJ publisher Fruitnet Media International.

On the festival’s Inspiration Stage, big-name speakers from across the fresh produce industry come together to network, discover new innovations, and discuss the hottest topics in UK fruit and vegetable supply.

Interviewees and presenters include Ocado’s trading manager for produce, industry leaders, major retail suppliers, seasonal labour experts, the Punjabi family farm behind an exciting new docuseries, retail analysts, tech pioneers, marketing specialists, and wholesale kingpins.

Martha Springham of Ocado, NFU president Tom Bradshaw, G’s chairman John Shopshire, and Worldwide Fruit boss Steve Maxwell are all on the line-up.

The open-air festival also includes a fascinating expo where you can check out a range of innovative products and services; the presentation of this year’s Festival of Fresh Awards; and exclusive tours of Worldwide Fruit’s cutting-edge packhouse.

As part of the 45-minute tour, representatives from various tech providers will be on hand to show visitors how their respective packhouse technologies work.

On top of all this content, visitors can enjoy delicious lunch options, ice cream, coffee and other refreshments, as well as some festival folk music during and after the lunch break.

Organisers add that there will be plenty of opportunities for visitors to meet, network and do business with wide-ranging exhibitors – and all other delegates – throughout the day.

Tickets can be bought online or on the door. The event runs from 8.30am to 3.30pm.