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Future of Food Festival returns to West End with first spring edition and expanded sustainability focus

Future of Food Festival returns to West End with first spring edition and expanded sustainability focus
Future of Food Festival returns to West End with first spring edition and expanded sustainability focus

London’s Regent Street and St James’s will host the Future of Food Festival this May, marking the event’s first-ever spring edition with an expanded programme of chef collaborations, immersive dining experiences and sustainability-focused events across the West End.

This latest iteration will bring together some of the capital’s most prominent culinary figures across a series of ticketed events hosted at venues including Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, Hotel Café Royal, Fortnum & Mason and SMEG London. The programme is designed to highlight sustainability, seasonal produce and forward-thinking approaches to food culture.

Among the headline events is a collaborative dinner on Wednesday 20th May at Hotel Café Royal, where two Michelin-starred chef Alex Dilling will join forces with Green Michelin-starred and one Michelin-starred chef Merlin Labron-Johnson for a four-course menu priced at £140 per person. On 19th May, Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill will partner with Fallow – winners of the 2025 London Oyster Championships – for a four-course dinner celebrating seasonal British seafood. Also on 19th May, regenerative grower Poppy Okotcha will host a foraging dinner at Fortnum & Mason’s Food & Drink Studio, where guests will be introduced to responsible foraging techniques before sitting down to a menu developed in collaboration with Fortnum’s chefs.

The festival’s charitable strand will see chef Helen Graham host a feel-good supper club at SMEG London on 13th May in partnership with London-based food redistribution charity The Felix Project. The three-course menu will be prepared using surplus seasonal ingredients, with all ticket proceeds going directly to the charity. A second supper club, led by chef Bettina Campolucci Bordi, will follow in the same format.

New for 2026, the St James’s Food Fair will take place on Saturday 16th May from noon till 7pm, transforming St James’s Market into a free-to-attend open-air occasion featuring live chef demonstrations, tastings and stalls from independent food producers and specialist brands.

Beyond the ticketed programme, the festival will run month-long offers and exclusive menus throughout May at participating restaurants and retailers across both destinations. Heddon Street Kitchen, Maison François, Wiltons and Temaki are among the restaurants offering limited-edition set menus and seasonal specials, while brands including SMEG and Biogena will offer in-store discounts to festival visitors. Mastercard returns as the festival’s preferred payment partner for 2026, providing exclusive cardholder rewards at participating venues and retailers throughout the month.

The festival’s organisers have positioned the spring timing as a deliberate shift, using the season’s produce and themes to shape the overall programme. The event spans both Regent Street and St James’s – two of central London’s most established dining and retail destinations – and is expected to draw significant interest from food enthusiasts across the city.

Tickets for all events are on sale now, with organisers advising early booking given anticipated demand. 

Food Desk

The Future of Food Festival takes place from 12th until 24th May 2026. For further information or to book tickets, visit Regent Street’s website here.

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