Food, Drink & Hospitality Week 2026

Last week, Emma and Ollie from Troncmaster Solutions spent time at Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, incorporating 'Hotel, Restaurants & Catering', 'The Pub Show' and 'Hospitality Tech360 (HT360)', one of the UK’s key events for operators, suppliers, and industry professionals. It offered a useful snapshot of where hospitality is heading and what businesses are prioritising right now.

Walking the floor, it was clear that innovation is moving quickly. From smarter POS systems and integrated workforce tools to new approaches in sustainability and customer experience, the focus is firmly on efficiency. Operators are looking for ways to streamline operations while still delivering the level of service that keeps guests coming back.

What stood out just as much as the technology was the conversation around people. Staffing, retention, and fairness are still front of mind across the sector. Many of the discussions Emma and Ollie had reflected a growing awareness that how teams are treated behind the scenes has a direct impact on performance on the floor.

That’s where tronc schemes are becoming increasingly important.

With the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act now in force and further developments expected, tip management is no longer something businesses can afford to treat casually. There is a clear shift towards transparency, compliance, and fairness in how tips and service charges are distributed.

Operators want to be confident they are doing things properly, not just to meet legal requirements, but to build trust with their teams.

The show reinforced that tronc is no longer a niche topic. It is part of a wider move towards better governance and more structured, accountable ways of running hospitality businesses. Done well, a tronc scheme can support staff retention, improve morale, and ensure that tips are handled in a way that stands up to scrutiny.

Emma and Ollie came away with a strong sense that the industry is adapting, but also that there is still a lot of uncertainty around best practice. As expectations rise from both regulators and employees, having a clear, compliant tronc structure in place is becoming less of an option and more of a necessity.

Events like the Food, Drink & Hospitality Week are a useful reminder that while trends and tools evolve, the fundamentals still matter. Fairness, clarity, and good management remain at the core of a successful operation. And right now, tronc sits firmly within that conversation.

Have a discussion with Emma or Ollie about implementing a tronc scheme for your hospitality business.

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