Dr Bhavnita Patel is a Sector Lead for AgriFood at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), supporting food and drink manufacturers to adopt technologies that improve productivity, efficiency and growth. Before joining MTC, she spent over a decade in R&D roles with leading manufacturers including Mondelez International and PepsiCo. Drawing on both her industry experience and MTC's independent, technology-agnostic approach, Bhavnita works with businesses to evaluate opportunities, de-risk investment decisions and turn innovation into practical commercial outcomes.

Chris is a Director in Walker Morris LLP's Regulatory and Compliance Team. Formerly Head of Legal at the Food Standards Agency, Chris's experience spans all aspects of food and animal feed law and he specialises in helping businesses navigate the complex and ever-changing demands of food and animal feed regulation.

With more than 40 years of experience in the catering industry, David brings a depth of expertise that has shaped a distinguished career, culminating in his role as Head of Buying at Bidfood.

He began his career in a commercial position at Mitchells & Butlers, where he developed strong foundations within the hospitality sector. In December 2005, David joined Bidfood as a Senior Buyer and quickly progressed to Head of Buying, leading a high-performing team of Buyers and Category Managers, supported by a wider team. Today, David oversees significant purchasing spend across frozen, chilled and ambient categories, managing a portfolio of more than 5,000 core product lines. He places strong emphasis on relationships, maintaining close partnerships with leading suppliers. These collaborations help drive innovation, value and sustained category growth across Bidfood’s extensive range.

Alongside his commercial responsibilities, David is a passionate advocate for supplier development. He champions Bidfood’s SME scheme, The Open Doors Programme, which launched in October 2023, to support emerging food and drink businesses in accessing the foodservice market.

Working closely with Development Chefs and sales teams, David plays a central role in shaping Bidfood’s product strategy and customer offering.

Iain Mortimer is Group Technical Manager at apetito and brings more than 30 years of experience in food safety, quality assurance, and technical compliance across a broad range of food manufacturing sectors.

Throughout a distinguished career, Iain has worked extensively with industry associations, third-party certification bodies, the Food Standards Agency, and DEFRA, contributing to the development of guidance, standards, and regulatory frameworks on a variety of food safety and quality topics. Recognised as a respected technical leader, Iain is passionate about driving continuous improvement and delivering excellence in food safety, quality, and compliance.

Alongside extensive professional expertise, Iain offers a personal perspective on food hypersensitivity management through supporting three daughters with coeliac disease. This combination of industry leadership and lived experience provides a unique insight into the importance of robust food safety systems and consumer trust.

For Iain, advancing food safety and quality is more than a professional responsibility—it is a long-standing commitment and passion.

Matthew has over 20 years’ experience in the world of product development and innovation. He is currently Brand & Futures Innovation Director at leading food manufacturer The Compleat Food Group. This role combines health strategy, futures innovation projects and delivering the innovation plans for the Group’s brands including Vadasz, Squeaky Bean and Wall’s Pastry.

He joined The Compleat Food Group through the acquisition of Winterbotham Darby, where he worked for seven years as Head of Inspiration and Product Development. When The Compleat Food Group formed in 2021, he became the Group’s first Director of Product Development and Innovation. Prior to this, he spent 10 successful years working at M&S, across many different categories in a variety of product development roles.

When he is not talking about food, developing products or dreaming about the next big thing, you will find him cooking for friends and family, eating out or exercising to stay fit. His favourite product (today) is the Vadasz Smacked Cucumbers.