The occasion calendar
The UK F&B occasion calendar
The moments that decide whether a month of posting works: seasonal and national dates, festivals, and the food micro-days that fill a content calendar. Each page carries the lead time, the angle, and a campaign you can start from.
Coming up
National Afternoon Tea Week
signature tiered sets, 'scone first or jam first' content and gifting vouchers
10 August 2026
start by 31 July 2026 · food micro-occasion
Back to school (UK)
parent mornings and kids menus as term restarts
24 August 2026
start by 3 August 2026 · fixed date
Summer Bank Holiday
final summer long weekend — festival-style specials, garden parties and sharing plates
31 August 2026
start by 17 August 2026 · fixed date
London Fashion Week (SS27)
show-week crowds around Soho and the Strand
18 September 2026
start by 19 August 2026 · festival
Halloween
themed cocktails, spooky bakes and family fright-night bookings
31 October 2026
start by 17 October 2026 · fixed date
Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes)
toffee apples, mulled cider, hot dogs and warming sharing boards for the firework crowd
5 November 2026
start by 26 October 2026 · fixed date
Diwali
festive sharing thalis, mithai boxes and lights-themed decor for the festival of lights
8 November 2026
start by 25 October 2026 · lunar date (approximate)
Black Friday
gift-voucher bonuses and shopper-refuel deals
27 November 2026
start by 6 November 2026 · fixed date
Christmas Day
festive set menus and party bookings — the biggest F&B revenue window; open bookings by October
25 December 2026
start by 25 November 2026 · fixed date
Boxing Day
leftovers-reinvented specials and recovery brunches for the post-Christmas crowd
26 December 2026
start by 5 December 2026 · fixed date
New Year's Eve
ticketed set menus, countdown packages and premium bar deals; sell tickets weeks ahead
31 December 2026
start by 1 December 2026 · fixed date
Earlier this year
New Year's Day
new year, fresh start — healthy bowls, Dry-January mocktails and 'first booking of the year' offers
1 January 2026
start by 18 December 2025 · fixed date
Burns Night
haggis, neeps & tatties suppers with whisky pairings and a Scottish set menu
25 January 2026
start by 15 January 2026 · festival
British Yorkshire Pudding Day
hero the Sunday roast with a giant-Yorkie money shot
1 February 2026
start by 25 January 2026 · food micro-occasion
Valentine's Day
date-night set menus and two-for-one desserts, plus 'Galentine's' group tables
14 February 2026
start by 24 January 2026 · fixed date
Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse)
prosperity dishes, dumpling specials and red-and-gold table settings
17 February 2026
start by 3 February 2026 · lunar date (approximate)
Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday)
sweet vs savoury pancake stacks and a 'flip-your-own' social clip
17 February 2026
start by 7 February 2026 · lunar date (approximate)
St David's Day
Wales' day — cawl, Welsh cakes and leek specials
1 March 2026
start by 22 February 2026 · festival
Mothering Sunday (UK Mother's Day)
the UK Mother's Day (NOT the US May date) — bottomless brunch and afternoon tea; it sells out
15 March 2026
start by 22 February 2026 · lunar date (approximate)
St Patrick's Day
Guinness pours, Irish stew and live-music nights; a reliable midweek footfall spike
17 March 2026
start by 7 March 2026 · festival
Good Friday
bank-holiday fish-focused specials and family long-weekend covers
3 April 2026
start by 20 March 2026 · fixed date
Easter Monday
Easter weekend close — family roasts, chocolate desserts and kids-eat-free to fill the Monday
6 April 2026
start by 23 March 2026 · fixed date
National Tea Day
afternoon-tea sets, loose-leaf flights and a 'perfect brew' reel for cafes
21 April 2026
start by 14 April 2026 · food micro-occasion
St George's Day
England's day — British classics: pie and mash, cask ales and a proper Sunday roast
23 April 2026
start by 16 April 2026 · festival
UK wedding season opens
wedding and function catering enquiries through to September
1 May 2026
start by 1 April 2026 · festival
Early May Bank Holiday
first long weekend of summer — beer gardens, brunch and al-fresco booking pushes
4 May 2026
start by 20 April 2026 · fixed date
Spring Bank Holiday
late-May bank holiday plus half-term — family menus, BBQ boards and outdoor seating
25 May 2026
start by 11 May 2026 · fixed date
National Fish & Chip Day
chippy-tea deals and a battered-cod hero shot; huge organic reach for the day
5 June 2026
start by 26 May 2026 · food micro-occasion
Royal Ascot
race-day screenings, strawberries and long-lunch bookings, 16 to 20 June
16 June 2026
start by 26 May 2026 · festival
Father's Day
steak-and-stout menus, 'dad eats free' and grill boards; book early, tables sell out
21 June 2026
start by 31 May 2026 · fixed date
Wimbledon (fortnight opens)
strawberries & cream, Pimm's jugs and screening the finals across the fortnight
29 June 2026
start by 15 June 2026 · festival