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Vindustrious drives London Wine Fair into ‘new chapter’ for 2026

06 March 2026 By Sophie Arundel

Four months after her management buyout, Hannah Tovey tells db all about growth plans for London Wine Fair, from returning exhibitors to an expanded Signature Serve and a new BREW//LDN co-location.

Four months on from acquiring the London Wine Fair through her newly formed company, Vindustrious, Hannah Tovey is firmly in expansion mode. Having led a management buyout of the show from the Hemming Group in October 2025, Tovey is now steering the long-running trade event as an independent business for the first time.

A seasoned drinks industry professional who has run the fair since 2017, Tovey retained the full team post-acquisition, ensuring continuity while unlocking what she describes as greater agility and access to investment. With the 2026 edition set to take place at Olympia from 18–20 May, bookings are already tracking ahead of last year, and several major names are returning to the floor.

Below, Tovey speaks to db about the first months under Vindustrious, new initiatives including Host Nation and BREW//LDN, and why she believes London Wine Fair remains a must-attend for UK drinks buyers.

Q&A

Four months on from the acquisition, what has surprised you most about running London Wine Fair under Vindustrious (either positively or in terms of unexpected challenges?)

When the opportunity came up to take ownership of London Wine Fair, for me it was a no brainer. I have run the event since 2017, and attended the last 25 editions, as a visitor or exhibitor; it has always had a pivotal role within the industry’s calendar. In many ways, the day-to-day running of the event is much the same; the full team has been retained, which has been invaluable for continuity and has meant the transition has been very smooth. That said, the autonomy the acquisition has given has opened up new opportunities which are presenting some real positives. I think the biggest surprise has been the universal outpouring of support from the drinks industry. Some of this support has converted into commitments to exhibit, which has been extremely gratifying.

With London Wine Fair and Signature Serve now just weeks away from opening their doors in 2026, how would you describe the current ‘state of play’? And where has the team been focusing its energy behind the scenes?

2026 will be a new chapter for the show, with the focus firmly on diversification and growth. The state of play is extremely positive, and we are 13% up on bookings YOY. Since the Vindustrious acquisition, we have had several wine companies take the decision to return to London Wine Fair. 2026 will see significant names taking stands on the main Trading Floor after an absence, including: Chile’s Luis Felipe Edwards; Seckford Agencies; and North South Wines with a bigger stand. In terms of generics, Bordeaux, Virginia and Washington are returning after an absence, and Friuli is taking a stand for the first time. Other generics are investing in Pop-Up stands, with Business France; Wines of South Africa; and Wines of Germany confirmed, along with Defined Wine, which will bring more than 30 English wine producers.

Two areas are a specific focus for 2026: Host Nation and Signature Serve. Host Nation is our brand new initiative which shines a spotlight on a specific country or region as the centrepiece of London Wine Fair. For the first year, the focus will be on British producers, including English and Welsh wine. The original English Wine stand sold out, this dedicated space has now doubled in size, with 85% of this already allocated; expectations are that more than 150 UK producers will sign up in time for May, exceeding the original target; a ten fold increase on 2025, indicating both optimism and growth within this category. Several prominent English wine producers have come on board since the Vindustrious acquisition, including: 1276 Wines; Balfour; Bolney; Chapel Down; Everflyht; Flint Vineyards; Hattingley Valley; Roebuck; Sandridge Barton; and Williams Family Wine. These join other leading wine producers, including Gusbourne – coming to the fair for the first time – and Simpsons, along with 30 producers from Defined Wines, which will host a Pop-Up Tasting on the middle day. The Newt in Somerset, will bring their acclaimed Cyders to the show for the first time. The range comprises both traditional and contemporary cyders, made from 100% apple juice sourced from 70 different varieties from their estate orchard. Loxwood Meadworks will return for their fourth year showcasing their 2023 vintage honey wine. On the spirits side, Highgate-based Sacred Spirits has confirmed, along with Beckford’s Rums from Bath; Brixton Spirits; and Scotland’s Frontline Spirits.

There has also been a big focus on Signature Serve, the area of the show dedicated to spirits and mixers, which we launched in 2025. We have invested in doubling the size, on account of demand from year one exhibitors, new companies looking to come on board and the overwhelmingly positive visitor feedback. O’Donnell Moonshine is increasing their space by 500% and several new companies have signed, including: Pernod Ricard; Sacred Spirits; Casoni; Claxton’s Spirits; Foreva Farmers, with their range of premium, sustainable mixers; No & Flow Brands; Pillars Brewery; and Veda Mushroom.

One of the big advantages you’ve spoken about is greater agility and access to investment. Can you give an example of a decision or initiative that’s been accelerated specifically because the fair is now independent?

The acquisition coming mid-cycle has meant that some of the changes we are looking to implement won’t be in place for this show, but we have been able to be more flexible onboarding new initiatives, such as Host Nation; expanding the Drinks Buyers Awards (previously Wine Buyers Awards) to be more inclusive to our spirits and No & Low related audiences.

We have also just announced a significant co-location deal; this is a landmark partnership with BREW//LDN which marks the introduction of a dedicated space for craft beer and cider for the first time. This new feature will further cement London Wine Fair’s reputation as the UK’s leading event for drinks professionals, very much reflecting evolving consumer trends and the increasing convergence of wine, spirits, beer, and cider in terms of buying responsibilities. The artisanal nature of these exhibitors will complement our wine and spirits exhibitors and provide an additional draw for our visitor audience. The inaugural BREW//LDN section will accommodate up to 50 exhibitors and we are delighted that more than 50% of the space is already allocated. Breweries and cideries who have confirmed to date span both UK and international producers and include: ABK Beer; Arbor Ales; Attic Brew Co; Big Hug Brewing; Bunta Beer Co; Chance Cider; Cold Town Beer; Freedom Brewery; GoodH Brewing Co; Gravity Theory Cider; Lonkero; Lost in Town Brewery; Napton Cidery; Prime Time Lager; Red Fin Cider; Seven Bro7hers Brewery; Showerings Cider; Tap Social; and Twice Brewed Brewhouse.

Looking ahead to 2026, are there any new features, refinements or longer-term initiatives that you feel best reflect this ‘new era’ for London Wine Fair – even if they’re still evolving?

The expansion of spirits is significant for us; increasingly, wine buying roles incorporate a spirits buying remit and vice versa, so servicing this audience – more than 2,000 of our visitors typically purchase spirits – was vital. Year one launched to great success, and 2026 will see Signature Serve become a really significant space within the show. The Low & No category continues to see major growth; it’s a sector we have championed over the last five years, and we are excited about expanding this section of the show in 2026 as well.

One area of London Wine Fair which is unrivalled is its content, spanning Industry Briefings, Masterclasses, educative workshops and panels. We are building two more dedicated theatre spaces this year to meet demand from both our exhibitor and visitor audience.

We are immensely proud of the positive feedback to our inaugural Host Nation initiative. Whilst British drinks have – appropriately – been in the spotlight in year one, we will be announcing the 2027 Host Nation region at the show, and anticipation is already building.

Our Icon Tasting will return – now in its third year – following the Judgement of London in 2024 and Battle of the Bubbles in 2025. The 2026 iteration was unveiled at the Preview Party in late February as The Greatest Chardonnay Showdown and has been designed to showcase the very best in premium wines, attracting a top notch audience of judges, spanning Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and industry legends.

And for the second year, we’re proud to be partnering with expert sustainability consultancy, Impact Focus, to bring greater rigour, transparency and practical action to the LWF’s sustainability approach, from impact measurement through to identifying meaningful areas for improvement across the event. As a central meeting point for the trade, LWF has a unique responsibility not only to reduce its own footprint, but also to facilitate more constructive, industry-wide conversations around sustainability.

Visitor registration is now open! What would you say to buyers and industry professionals who may be weighing up which shows to prioritise this year? What will make London Wine Fair 2026 worth their time?

We understand that the industry has a packed calendar. But, London Wine Fair is the only event of its scale with a specific relevance to the UK drinks market. For drinks buyers, key decision makers, retail managers, sommeliers and bartenders, this is an opportunity to see multiple producers under one roof, to be the first to taste new launches, debate the challenges the drinks industry is facing and to network with new and old acquaintances. In that sense, it really is unrivalled and it’s why so many of our visitors make the event their number one priority.

The 2026 event will also be – for many – the first opportunity to experience the newly developed Olympia site as well. After a £1.3billion, seven year development, the venue will now be a world class exhibition venue, with two premium on-site hotels and more than 25 new onsite restaurants and bars opening in time for LWF 2026.

The 2026 London Wine Fair will take place at Olympia from 18th to 20th May.

Visitor registration is now open. www.londonwinefair.com | @londonwinefair