Cathy Moseley | Founder, Boundless

Friday 15 February

12.45 - 13:15 | Theatre 1

Diary of a small business owner

Cathy Moseley is a passionate entrepreneur who began Boundless in an effort to challenge current snacking trends and provide an alternative and unique treat using unconventional flavours. 

Before Boundless, Cathy ran a street food business and craved healthier snacks to keep her buzzing throughout the day. With a gluten intolerance Cathy always struggled to find snacks suitable for her diet.

Using her street food recipes and knowledge of traditional cooking methods, Boundless was born. Packed with flavour, Boundless activated nuts and seeds pack an energy boost high in protein and fibre for those always on the go. 

Cathy will be speaking on the "Diary of a small business owner" at The National Franchise Exhibition on Friday 15 February. Book free tickets here.

Hannah McCollum | Founder, ChicP

Saturday 16 February

13.15 - 13:45 | Theatre 1

Growing my own business

Hannah McCollum is driven by a passion to change people’s attitudes to food preparation, consumption and waste and strives to encourage people to think differently about the way they eat. A chef turned entrepreneur, Hannah launched her company, ChicP, supporting British farmers by creating a variety of houmous made from their surplus, imperfect vegetables.

It all started when she was appalled by the waste she was witnessing in her career in the catering industry, Hannah was inspired to take vegetables that would otherwise end up in the bin and turn them into tasty, healthy houmous. She set up ChicP in 2015, heading to New Covent Garden Market in London every week to gather vegetables that were deemed too low-grade to sell to the public.

Three years on, ChicP is using surplus vegetables to make a variety of delicious houmous flavours which are stocked by the likes of Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Ocado. Hannah’s hard work has seen her win the Trailblazer award at Food Vision 2017 and earned her a place as a finalist at The YBF (Young British Foodies) Awards 2017.

Hannah will be talking on "Growing her own business" at The National Franchise Exhibition on Saturday 16 February. Book free tickets here.

Opening times:

Friday 4 October | 10:00 - 17:00
Saturday 5 October | 10:00 - 16:00

Venue:

National Exhibition Centre (NEC)
Hall 3
Birmingham
B40 1NT

Car:

You’ll find the NEC clearly signposted from all motorways and major routes including the M42, M40 and M6 - just pop B40 1NT in your sat nav. When you arrive at the NEC, don’t follow the satnav anymore, look out for the show name you're visiting on the signs. Then, simply jump on our free shuttle bus or walk along the signposted footpaths.
 
Also, save money and pay for parking in advance. With pre-pay online parking, not only will you save money, spend less time queuing and have more time at the show, but you’ll also benefit from exclusive food and drink offers at the venue during your visit.
Read more here.

Train:

Getting to the NEC by train is easy as it's is located a five-minute walk away from Birmingham International Railway Station.

Direct services run all day, however if you’re travelling from further afield you may need to catch a connecting train at Birmingham New Street, which is less than a 15-minute journey away.
 
Or take advantage of exclusive discounts with NEC PLUS. Get 20% off Virgin Train advance fares on your visit to the NEC. Virgin West Coast Mainline trains run regularly to the on-site rail station Birmingham International, so you can arrive fresh, relaxed and show ready. Read more here.

Bus:

Over 120 National Express and Megabus coach services run daily across the UK to Birmingham Airport.

From Birmingham Airport you can get to the NEC via the free air-rail link, which takes just 90 seconds and runs every two minutes.

Jumping on a bus in the West Midlands area? There are numerous options that will get you to the NEC. Check out the Network West Midland link here to plan your journey: NetworkWestMidlands.com

Air:

Simply take the free and fast air-rail link to Birmingham International Railway Station located at the upper level of Terminal 1. The train runs every two minutes and only takes 90 seconds. When you arrive just head straight through to the NEC.

Bicycle and on foot:

The best and safest way to get to us by your own steam is to use the shared cycle footpath route to Birmingham International Railway Station and then the NEC is a short walk from there, it should take you about 10 minutes.

Accommodation:

To reserve accommodation, please contact our official booking agents Ellis Salsby on +44 (0)1562 829 939 or visit www.ellis-salsby.co.uk.

Ticket prices:

Tickets are free if booked online in advance here

If you wish to attend on the day and do not book in advance, tickets will cost £15 on the door. FREE tickets can be booked online up until the close of the exhibition. 

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