Lockhart Catering Equipment, part of the Bunzl Catering & Hospitality Division has confirmed the return of its hugely successful Catering Innovation Show, which debuted last year. This years’ edition will take place on Monday 5^th October 2026 at London’s Business Design Centre in Islington and will bring together leading names in the catering equipment industry, as well as hosting the first public Compass Chef of the Year competition since 2019. The competition theatre will contain 10 workstations for chefs competing in the event, with the Compass team present to judge and crown the overall winner.

Mark Lombard, Managing Director at Lockhart Catering Equipment, comments on what sets Lockhart’s exhibition apart from other industry events:

“Exhibitions are an integral part of the foodservice industry, and operators are eager for something fresh and exciting. The Catering Innovation Show 2025 brought together over 60 leading exhibitors, selling out 3,000 registrations and drawing over 1,100 attendees for a day packed with inspiration and connection.

This year, we’re set to build on that. We’re excited to be hosting the Compass junior and senior Chef of the Year competitions, which are really impactful events on the trade show scene. This will be the first time the event has happened in public since before Covid, so we’re aiming to emulate what used to be at The Restaurant Show and take that to the next level. We’ve got an exciting line up of world-renowned chefs providing demonstrations for our live theatre, run by Staff Canteen, and stimulating debates on all things impacting foodservice in 2026. We’re excited to share more details in the coming weeks.”