JJ Foodservice Connect 2026 event considers The New Food Landscape

JJ Foodservice’s ‘JJ Connect 2026’ event brought hundreds of existing suppliers and prospective partners together to explore ‘The New Food Landscape’.

Held in London, the event combined industry insight with ‘Speed Connecting’ meetings.

This year, JJ’s buying team invited twice as many ‘Future Partners’ as in 2025, opening up opportunities across dairy, soft drinks, bakery, packaging, fish, meat and more.

Sezer Ozkul, chief product officer at JJ Foodservice, said: “Our buying team had productive conversations across a broad range of categories, and follow-up discussions are already under way.

“Speed Connecting gives us a great opportunity to meet new suppliers face to face, discover new products and identify opportunities that could add real value for our customers.”

JJ’s Kaan Hendekli revealed plans for a new pallet project and confirmed that the wholesaler remains on track to reach 20 branches by 2031.

The conference also saw JJ Foodservice chief operating officer Kaan Hendekli reveal plans for a new pallet project, designed to increase inter-trading with other wholesalers, with an initial focus on fellow Unitas members and frozen and chilled products.

Hendekli also updated delegates on JJ Foodservice’s branch expansion plans, confirming that the wholesaler remains on track to reach 20 branches by 2031. Nottingham has recently opened, with Ipswich set to follow by the end of 2026.

“The market is changing fast, and we’re ready to move with it,” said Hendekli. “We’re staying nimble, listening to our partners and acting to stay ahead of the curve. Our mission has never been to be the biggest, it’s to be the best.”

Other speakers explored the forces reshaping foodservice, from changing consumer behaviour and GLP-1 weight-loss drugs to artificial intelligence and the convergence of grocery and foodservice.

The programme included British adventurer Mark Agnew on confronting ‘your polar bear’; Simon Stenning, founder of Future Foodservice, on ‘Tomorrow’s World’; and Omar El-Haj, head of marketing at JJ Foodservice, on practical applications of AI for brands.