BCB London celebrates a successful second event in London

BCB London - the largest trade fair in the UK for the international bar and beverage industry - returned to Tobacco Dock on 11 and 12 May 2026 for its second edition, bringing the sector together for two days of education, live competition, product discovery and industry connection. 

3,237 visitors and more than 100 exhibitors from across 20 countries attended Tobacco Dock over the two day festival. With world-class drinks, an industry-leading education programme and a competition-standard Pouring Contest, there was plenty to experience at BCB London, and organisers, RX, have announced that the show will return in May 2027.

A high calibre line-up of speakers delivered a series of interactive workshops and masterclasses, covering the latest industry trends and topics. The programme was curated by the BCB London Education Board spearheaded by BCB Director of Education, Elliot Ball and joined by BCB London Brand Ambassador, Jack Sotti, and fellow board members La’Mel Clarke and Maria Kotorravdis, alongside Camille Vidal, BCB’s Low-and-No ambassador.

Key themes discussed at the event included seasonality and sustainability in drinks, the continued journey of low-and-no in the drinks sphere for the British Isles, including the rise of mid strength and functional drinking. Conversations surrounding sustainability moved from beyond the glass into the topic of company culture. Speakers included Laura Willoughby, Sim Edwards, Ahsoka Wallace, Jared Brown and Alex Lawrence Milia. 

Dan I’Anson, Commercial Director of Everleaf, said: "BCB London has been really interesting for us. We do believe that you get out of a trade show what you put in. BCB London is where all the buyers in the industry come together and look at new trends and discuss new ideas, but unless you turn up with something interesting, it can be a waste of time.

At this year’s show I’ve really enjoyed meeting a variety of people from all parts of the industry, from food and beverage directors to bar backs to bartenders, to waiters and waitresses. Everyone’s here looking for new stuff and getting excited about driving the industry forwards, and that energy is hard to beat.

A particular highlight for me this year is that, as the low-and-no movement is not really an afterthought for most operators anymore, and that’s changing every year, it has a lot of focus, care and attention at BCB London. Now it feels like it’s one of the main themes of conversation and the biggest growth opportunities for operators."

Jono Mayes, National Advocacy Manager at Campri, said: “BCB is always a brilliant 'coming together' of the industry. It attracts all of the thought leaders - you get bartenders from the best bars, you get people who are coming from the drinks world who don’t often get the chance to come together, and what BCB does really well is the blend of education and brands being able to showcase their products.

The variety of the talks going on and the different formats within the education programme this year has been a huge highlight. It’s also really exciting to see a dedicated flair bartending area and for that to have a platform is fantastic.

Quite often with bar shows it can be very geeky, and that’s great,  of course you do want the opportunity deep dive into specific topics. But to also be able to go and see something striking, fun, performative and engaging such as flair bartending featuring in more depth. it’s a really brilliant asset to what BCB London is offering. BCB London have absolutely nailed combining education with entertainment this year. It's very exciting to see how it will continue to grow over the years."