Record numbers of exhibitors and visitors gather at FHA 2018

Tens of thousands of foodservice professionals from across the world have gathered in Singapore for the 40th edition of FHA

On Tuesday, Asia’s largest trade event for the food and hospitality sector opened its doors to what is expected to be record numbers of attendees. More than 78,000 visitors are expected to gather over the four-day show and this year they will find 3,500 exhibitors, making the 2018 edition the largest to date.

FHA is also Singapore’s longest-running food and hospitality trade event, having grown from occupying a small hotel car park in 1978. Consistent growth has meant that the show this year for the first time is spread across two venues: Singapore Expo and Suntec Singapore.

Industry recognition

“This 40th edition of FHA is extremely special to us. The sheer increase in space, support of stalwart exhibitors and growing interest from attendees are testaments to FHA’s four-decade transformational journey. Today, we are irrevocably recognised by the industry for being always on the forefront of latest innovation for the industry,” event director Rod Lameyse, said at the opening of the show.

FCSI has solid representation at FHA and is managing a busy booth with a packed seminar programme, featuring professional and allied members of FCSI speaking on a range of topics, from 3D food printing to planning a sustainable menu.

Interest from manufacturers and consultants

FCSI Europe, Africa, Middle East (EAME) chairman Remko van der Graaff FCSI, who is in Singapore and visiting FHA for the first time, says the show is of much interest to European visitors.

“We have had a good time and already been meeting a lot of people from all over the world,” he says. “This is a very interesting market for manufacturers and consultants from EAME because people here in Asia want quality products and manufacturers in Italy, Germany and France focus on good quality.”

He is enjoying working alongside colleagues from FCSI Asia Pacific. “It is very interesting for us to see how they do things in this part of the world,” he says.

Tina Nielsen

More than 150 competitors raced against the clock and each other in 25 food and drink categories at the prestigious annual event organised by The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO)

The 25th silver anniversary The University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) competitions took place at The University of Warwick on the 26-28 March, in front of 400 industry heavyweights.

More than 150 competitors raced against the clock and each other in 25 food and drink categories at the prestigious annual event organised by TUCO. Competitions included Barista and bar skill challenges, a chef’s challenge, a campus speed cook challenge, cook and serve challenge, Salon Culinaire, and new for 2018, the Hotel, Operations, Tactics and Strategy (HOTS) business challenge.

Great atmosphere

Matt White, Chair of TUCO said: “I was delighted to see the support and great atmosphere across the competitions. The talent and skills shown by all of the competitors was fantastic. The event provides university caterers the opportunity to showcase their skills not just to the judges but also to a live audience. This three day extravaganza, really does deliver an extraordinary breadth and range of hospitality skills. Congratulations to all of the winners.”

The event launched with four learning and development seminars. The first of which on the power of social media, the second on discovering the four secrets to create nutritious plant-based food, the third was a masterclass on butchery and the fourth was the launch of TUCO’s brand new carbon calculator.

High standards

The first day of competitions saw the Barista competitors battle it out in the Barista skills competition. Each competitor had to produce and present their specialty coffee to a row of four judges. Gold winner was was awarded to Teodora Petkova, catering assistant from Cardiff University.
Dana-Maria Danut, Barista skills judge said: “We are looking for a barista that is able to engage us, not only through drinks but with customer service too. We’re looking for somebody that sets the standard very high and strives for that. I did it last year, so I know how stressful it can be. The standards are really high.”

For the HOTS business challenge, competitors took their places working in teams to manage a simulated hotel. They competed against the computer, to see which management performance was best overall. The competition took place over two days, with Samantha Emmott, Kevin Keohane, Alexis Moreau and Michaela Booth being crowned the winners.

Amazing experience

The majority of the challenges took place in the live theatre, which included the Campus Speed Cook challenge won by Kim Barnish, sous chef at Keele University, and the bar competition won by Jack Wallis, Royal Holloway University of London. Gold winner Jack said: “It was an amazing experience and even more amazing to win. I’m a bit speechless. The pressure was on and it was really exciting to be part of it. This is nothing like any other event.”

Matthew Hurst, Bar competition judge commented: “We’re after fantastic flavour, excellent knowledge and technique. We want to see an excellent looking cocktail, in terms of the final piece and the garnish. We also want to see how the drink is presented to us in terms of customer service and how they care about it. And finally, the aroma. We want some interesting choices with the spirits and liquors to deliver those things. The competition has been good. The hardest cocktail to make, the beer and cider cocktail, some have been great, some poor, some have been fabulous. There’s been a real mixed bag.”

Excellent results

The six teams competing in the Cook and Serve challenge delivered excellent results with Gary Smith, Richard Bakaity, Diana Comisescu, from Royal Holloway University of London bringing home gold.

Alan Whatley, Cook and Serve judge noted: “We look for something that excites us as chefs. Something we haven’t seen before. It doesn’t have to be a complete reinvention of the wheel, but we like to see that people have sat down and thought about what they are doing so that it’s not only going to excite us but it’s going to excite customers.”

A gala dinner, hosted by Peter Hancock, gathered all competitors and TUCO members to celebrate the winners and all who took part.

TUCO award winners 2018:

Bar competition: Jack Wallis, Royal Holloway, University of London
Bar competition, best signature cocktail: David Cooper, The University of Kent
Barista skills: Teodora Petkova, Cardiff University
Barista skills, best signature drink: Anna Wojcik, The University of Edinburgh
Chef’s Challenge: Richard Taylor, Giovanni DiVito, University College Birmingham
Chef’s Challenge best hygiene: Victoria Whitmarsh, Adrian Phillips, The University of Plymouth
Chefs’ Challenge highly commended menu: Aaron Tong, Adam Thur, University of York
Cook and serve: Gary Smith, Richard Bakaity, Diana Comisescu, Royal Holloway, University of London
Cook and serve, best food: Rian Devaney, Ross Wilson, Irena Magdalewicz, The University of Edinburgh
Cook and serve, best service: Gary Smith, Richard Bakaity, Diana Comisescu, Royal Holloway, University of London
HOTS Business challenge: Samantha Emmott, Kevin Keohane, Alexis Moreau and Michaela Booth
Speed Cook Challenge: Kim Barnish, Keele University
Salon Culinaire afternoon tea, gold and best in salon: Ben Slater, University of Sheffield
Salon Culinaire restaurant plated dessert: Gold Robert Blackwell, University of Cambridge
Salon Culinaire cookie challenge: Silver best in class Dave Quinn, University of Chester
Salon Culinaire cupcake challenge: Silver best in class Ravikkanth Kanthiya, Royal Holloway University of London.
Salon Culinaire Bread display: Bronze best in class Dave Quinn, University of Chester
Salon Culinaire Coffee shop style sponge cake: Bronze best in class Rob Eddington, Oxford Said Business School
Salon Culinaire Decorative exhibit: Bronze best in class Rachel Meikle, University of Edinburgh
Salon Culinaire Novelty decorated cake: Bronze best in class Dayana-Dawn Simpson, University of Huddersfield

Pictured: Cook and serve challenge Gold winner, Gary Smith, Richard Bakaity, Diana Comisescu, Royal Holloway, University of London

The Michelin guide announced new two-star restaurants and recognised outstanding talent at the gala event in the Hungarian capital, reports Tina Nielsen

Marking the end of the announcements of the 2018 Michelin guides, the event to celebrate the publication of the guide to the Main Cities of Europe was a star-studded night, which saw more than 120 chefs from across Europe gather in Budapest.

Chefs including Elena Arzak from San Sebastian’s Arzak, Guy Savoy from his eponymous restaurant in Paris and Mark Birchall from Moor Hall in the UK, made their way to the Castle Garden Bazaar in the Hungarian capital for the gala event celebrating the most recent additions to the guide.

True ambassadors

The Michelin Guide Main Cities of Europe covers 36 cities in 20 countries and recommends a total of 2,108 restaurants.

“Chefs are the true ambassadors of cities, regions and countries across Europe,” said Alexandre Taisne, CEO of Michelin Food and Drink. “Our promise is that wherever the best chefs are in the world we’ll find them.”

It was a proud night for the host country as chef Ádám Mészáros from Onyx restaurant in Budapest became the first in Hungary to clinch two stars. Onyx has been open since 2007 and was awarded the first star in 2011.

Praising the “home-grown” talent of the chef, Michelin international director Michael Ellis said, “Onyx is a most elegant dining experience. On the plate there is refinement, maturity and every dish is bursting with originality.”

Other new awards in the Hungarian capital saw a Bib Gourmand – a distinction which recognises good quality cooking at a good price – awarded to stand a Michelin Plate awarded to Olimpia.

Vienna’s restaurant scene was richly rewarded too, as the evening saw two stars awarded to an ecstatic Konstantin Filippou, from the eponymous restaurant. He joins a select group of just over 400 restaurants in the world to hold two stars.

Four new restaurants were awarded one star in Vienna: Blue Mustard, Das Loft, Pramerl & the Wolf, and Shiki. Croatia, a recent addition to the Michelin, received a star for two restaurants: 360 in Dubrovnik and Pelegrini in Sibenik.

As well as Michelin stars, the Bib Gourmand is also very popular. In total 59 Bib Gourmand have been added to the Michelin guide Main Cities of Europe 2018, bringing the total to 295.

Special awards

For the occasion Michelin introduced to very special awards – one for the young chef of the year and the other for mentor of the year. Introducing the five nominees for the young chef of the year award, Ellis acknowledged the need to energise young people. “We want to encourage young people around the world to choose a career in the kitchen,” he said. “The mentor award is to recognise those professional chefs who help the younger entrants in the kitchen to become better and learn.”

Niall Keating from the Dining Room at Whatley Manor, UK, was the judges’ choice to take the award for best young chef. The 26-year-old was awarded a star in the UK & Ireland Michelin Guide 2018 and was praised here in Budapest.

“Young, particularly talented and promising, we felt Niall Keating was a very good choice,” said Ellis. “His personality and already very rich and varied experience both in Great Britain and internationally won us over.”

The European chef mentor award saw nominees from five countries vying for the honour; ultimately won by Christian Constant of Le Violon d’Ingres in Paris, which has one star in the Michelin Guide France. “A charismatic chef with a brilliant career, Christian Constant enthusiastically passes on his know-how and love of beautiful produce, training and has inspired a whole generation of chefs that now head their own teams. His passion, generosity, and openness are qualities worthy of our admiration,” said Ellis.

Constant put his success down to “rigour, hard work, devotion and passion. As chefs we have to give and receive; I like to pass on knowledge and to be a part of a team,” he said.

Published in English, the Michelin Guide Main Cities of Europe is aimed primarily at business travellers who regularly journey throughout Europe, but it is also ideal for leisure guests wishing to discover Europe’s most romantic and culturally stimulating cities. It will be available to buy from 16 April 2018.

Tina Nielsen

Industry professionals from across the foodservice sector got together for the 2018 edition of Internorga when it was held in Hamburg, Germany

More than 1,300 exhibitors and 95,000 visitors gathered in Hamburg, Germany, for the 2018 edition of Internorga, the international trade show for the hotel, restaurant, catering, baking and confectionery industry. A fixture in the calendar of foodservice professionals from all parts of the industry – from Germany and beyond –  Internorga played host to a broad spread of exhibitors from 9-13 March.

New products

Alongside the regular trade exhibition, separate forums took place, including the international foodservice forum which had a focus on future consumer trends and included speakers such as Stavrola Ekoutsidou of Ikea Food Deutschland, who talked about how the furniture giant has implemented a foodservice element with great success.

This year visitors were met by new areas, including the newcomers’ area. “This area is interesting to all parts of the industry, whether you are a restaurant, hotel or caterer, because they are new products and new companies who want to get into the hospitality market and who have new and interesting products,” says  Claudia Johannsen, business unit director for Hamburg Messe and Congress.

“The visitors nowawadys do not come just for the products or to see new concepts, they want to see trends – what is going on in the industry, meet each other and have a modern young show. That is the reason we have added a lot of new exhibitions and awards over the past ten years.”

A good example of this is the craft spirit lounge, which debuted at the show this year after organisers noticed that craft spirits had followed the trend for craft beer, which is in its fourth year at Internorga. “I think these things have added value for visitors when they are deciding to come to Internorga,” she says.

The rise of digital

While Internorga is a show for foodservice in the broadest sense of the word, covering everything from small restaurants and larger chains to equipment manufacturers and large foodservice companies such as Nestle and Unilever, Johannsen points to one factor that unifies the diverse group of exhibitors.

“Digitalisation is the major trend,” she explains. “The Internet of things (IoT), not only in cash registers and similar equipment, but also in the technical halls. The machines communicate with cooks and cost control and with each other – this is a big trend. You can see it all over the kitchen equipment exhibition.”

She points to the spread of this into the hotel sector. Smart phones allowing clients to pre-order, apps that recognise customers when they approach the hotel and greet them.

“A lot of people don’t understand what digitalisation means for their business and at the show we have seen a lot of solutions that can explain it,” says Johannsen.

She expects the digital element to have a continued and strong presence at future trade shows in Hamburg. Her large extended network of industry contacts ensures Internorga will remain among the leading foodservice shows in Europe and she is keen to attract a wider and large group of visitors in the future. “We are not a niche exhibition, so we have all parts of the out-of-home market and we are seeing some market segments have an increased presence in the industry; hotels and retail are an increasing part,” she says.

Tina Nielsen

Restaurant group scoops gongs for Casual Dining Group of the Year award, while its Grand Pacific venue, in Manchester, also wins for ‘Best Designed Bar’ and ‘New Casual Dining Concept of the Year’ awards

The UK’s foremost casual dining restaurants and pubs were revealed on Wednesday 21 February at the Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards 2018, hosted at the Marriott London Grosvenor Square, at the culmintaion of the first day of the Casual Dining show. More than 400 industry professionals attended the awards, including executives from PizzaExpress, Azzurri Group, Casual Dining Group, Mitchells & Butlers, Novus Leisure, Crowne Plaza, Redcomb Pubs, Charles Wells, Dishoom, Faucet Inn, Hubbox, MEATliquor and Red’s True Barbecue.

Living Ventures, wagamama, Bistrot Pierre, Brewhouse & Kitchen, Loungers, The Alchemist, Flat Iron, GBK, and The New World Trading Co (NWTC) were among the operators who received awards. Judges for the  awards included Bob Ivell, chairman of Mitchells & Butlers; Karen Forrester, CEO of TGI Fridays UK; ‘industry legend’ Ian Neill; Mark Fox, former CEO of Bill’s; Joycelyn Neve, MD of Seafood Pub Co; Brian Keeley-Whiting, owner of Whiting & Hammond; and Kate Nicholls, chief executive of The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers.

Hotly-contested

It proved to be a memorable evening for Cheshire-based Living Ventures, which celebrates its 25-year anniversary this year, The Group won three awards, including the new and hotly-contested, Casual Dining Group of the Year award. Living Ventures’s Grand Pacific, in Manchester, also won for the ‘Best Designed Bar’ and ‘New Casual Dining Concept of the Year’ awards.

Asian food chain wagamama retained its Large Multi-Site Restaurant Brand of the Year award. The Malt House in London also successfully defended its Independent Pub of the Year award this year.

“We’re so honoured to scoop this award for the second year,” says Paul Merrett, chef-director at The Jolly Fine Pub Group. “Last year’s win not only boosted our marketing campaign, it also had a terrific motivational impact on the whole team.  A casual dining award in my sector, is the trophy we all want to win and I’m super proud of the guys at The Malt House in Fulham

Trailblazers

Chris Hill, CEO of The New World Trading Co, received the 2018 Trailblazer of the Year award – the sole category nominated only by the judges. Hill said he was ‘humbled and stunned’ to win and dedicated the award to his “incredible” team.

“NWTC is an exceptional company that does things a little differently and we have had amazing success to date. We have an exciting time ahead and I feel lucky to do what I do, with a team of incredible people around me. To be recognised in this way is testament to the ethos of all in NWTC and I can’t wait to share this success with them,” he says.

ASK Italian, Las Iguanas and Pho were also highly commended in various categories.

“The Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards are the most important annual celebration of the very best in the business,” says Chris Brazier, group event director at Diversified Communications UK, organiser of the awards and Casual Dining show.

“Once again the sheer quality of this year’s awards finalists – over 80 restaurant and pub operators from across the country – was exceptional. Standing out from the crowd is no mean feat in such a hugely competitive sector. But our 2018 award winners and highly commended recipients do just that. From the big names to the smaller independent operators, they have been singled out for their continuing commitment to driving innovation, inspiring creativity and delivering an all-round incredible casual dining experience. Congratulations again to each of our fantastic winners,” says Brazier.

The 2018 award results in full:

Trailblazer of the Year – sponsored by Lamb Weston

Winner: Chris Hill, CEO, The New World Trading Co.

New Casual Dining Concept of the Year – sponsored by Reynolds

Winner: Grand Pacific

Best New Pub / Bar Site – sponsored by Ribena Sparkling

Winner: The Alchemist, MediaCity UK, Manchester

Best New Restaurant Site – sponsored by Fentimans

Winner: Bistrot Pierre, Mumbles, Swansea

Small Employer of the Year (under 20 sites) – sponsored by amber energy

Winner: Yummy Pub Co.

Large Employer of the Year (20+ sites) – sponsored by Boutinot

Winner: Loungers

Menu Innovation Award – sponsored by Essential Cuisine

Winner: Haché

Highly Commended: ASK Italian

Marketing Campaign of the Year – sponsored by Casual Dining

Winner: Pizza Pilgrims – ‘Pizza Box Art Gallery – Shoreditch’

Highly Commended: Las Iguanas – ‘Iggy and Friends’

Best Designed Pub/Bar of the Year – sponsored by Commercial Kitchen

Winner: Grand Pacific, Manchester (designed by Michelle Derbyshire)

Best Designed Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year (under 20 sites) – sponsored by London Design Fair

Winner: Fancy Crab, London (designed by DesignLSM)

Best Designed Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year (20+ sites) – sponsored by Procure4

Winner: GBK, Southport (designed by Moreno Masey)

Independent Pub of the Year (under 5 sites) – sponsored by Budweiser Budvar UK

Winner: The Malt House, London

Independent Restaurant of the Year (under 5 sites) – sponsored by Access

Winner: KuPP (various locations)

Multi-Site Pub Operator of the Year – sponsored by McCain Foodservice

Winner: Brewhouse and Kitchen

Small Multi-Site Restaurant Brand of the Year (5-19 sites) – sponsored by Wing Yip

Winner: Flat Iron

Large Multi-Site Restaurant Brand of the Year (20+ sites) – sponsored by Coca-Cola European Partners

Winner: wagamama

Highly commended: Pho

Casual Dining Group of the Year – sponsored by Carlsberg

Winner: Living Ventures

About Casual Dining 2018

Keynote Theatre speakers and panelists at Casual Dining 2018 included Zoe Bowley, UK & Ireland MD of PizzaExpress; Brian Trollip, operations director at Dishoom; Nick Collins, CEO of Loungers; Luisa Fernandez, marketing director at Yo!; Paul Merrett, chef director and owner of Jolly Fine Pub Group; Chris Knights, group executive chef at Young’s & Geronimo Pubs; Antony Bennett, head of food at Loungers; Glenn Evans, head of food development at Las Iguanas, La Tasca and La Vina; chef/restaurant consultant Jay Morjaria; Christian Rose, MD of All Star Lanes; Jeremy Simmonds, co- founder & MD of Competitive Socialising; Simon Woplin, F&B operations manager at Picturehouse Cinemas; and Mike Berry, head of content at Fleet Street Communications.

Further details:

For further information, please visit www.casualdiningshow.co.uk.

The leading European trade fair for hotels, restaurants, bakery and confectionery will this year boast three major meetings featuring leading academics, practitioners and consultants, reports Michael Jones

INTERNORGA 2018, held on 9-13 March in Hamburg, Germany, will this year once again also host a unique conference programme, with a standout line-up of international speakers. As well as the standard trade fair exhibition, where 96,000 visitors and 1,300 exhibitors will tread the halls of Hamburg Messe, the show will see three significant industry events featuring leading academics, operators and FCSI-member consultants, who will give exclusive insights into their fields of expertise.

The International Foodservice Forum

First up, the INTERNORGA event series will open one day prior to the show on 8 March with, what show organisers Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, term “Europe’s biggest conference for professional foodservice” – the International Foodservice Forum. The theme of the conference is ‘Think ahead – get ahead! Professional foodservice 2018+: consumer trends, market potentials, success factors’ and it will be held at the Mehr! Theater am Grossmarkt. Presentors include Stavrola Ekoutsidou of Ikea Food Deutschland, who will demonstrate how the Swedish furniture giant has succeeded in implementing food as a customer pull factor, and a strategic element for success. Ekoutsidou will also discuss the sustainability, using the example of the new global benchmark store in Düsseldorf-Kaarst. Mirko Silz, CEO of the fast growing food service chain L’Osteria, and Jan Knikker, a Dutch architect and expert on change management, will also address how urban lifestyles create a new relationship between shopping, eating and home furnishings. The session will be chaired by Boris Tomic, editor-in-chief of Foodservice, and Axel Weber, Axel Weber & Partner, Bochum.

The German Catering Congress

On Monday 12 March, The German Catering Congress Current will focus on the theme ‘The future builds on the past” learning and action – success factors in practice’. Marcell Jansen of restaurant start-up concept, Ben Green, will address how the traditional lunch break is increasingly outmoded and why catering companies must adjust to flexible working styles. Horst M. Kafurke of innogy Gastronomie GmbH will look at how corporate outlets can show catering companies how to respond to changes in eating and consumer behaviour as they move towards eating on the go. Dr. Volker Busch, a psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist at Regensburg University will also speak on the rising demands of “a new world of work” and how catering companies can respond to it.

The Forum School Catering

The Forum School Catering will focus on vegetarians in 2018. This is, say the Forum’s organiser’s, still a neglected area within German schools. Speakers include Petra Hottenroth, of Berlin’s new School Meals Quality Inspectorate and brain researcher Dr. Henning Beck, Carola Petrone, an author known as the ‘Organic Mum’, who is convinced children need the best possible nutrition for their growth. Tickets for the International Foodservice Forum, the German Catering Congress and the Forum School Catering are now available at http://www.internorga.com/en/conference-programme/.

Hotel trends at INTERNORGA

At the main INTERNORGA show itself, the theme of travel will loom large, particularly within Halls B5 and B7, which will showcase a wide range of ideas for hotels big and small, and  individual properties. “Individuality, authenticity and storytelling are the key concepts for the hotel of the future,” says Corinna Kretschmar-Joehnk, interior architect and CEO of JOI-Design, one of Europe’s leading interior architecture and design studios. “Hotel guests are getting more sophisticated. They can look at any number of hotels online and compare them with one another. That makes it all the more important for hotels to offer their guests something new, and to stand out clearly from the rest of the market,” she says.

“INTERNORGA is Germany’s only international trade fair for the HORECA industry and gives hoteliers a unique showcase to explore current trends under one roof. From customised design and décor to digital solutions and new trend beverages for the bar, hotel operators can find a tremendous range of offerings for their own hotel,” says Claudia Johannsen, business unit director at Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH.

Hand-crafted expertise

The Craft Spirit Lounge (Hall B4 (upper floor) is a new area at INTERNORGA this year and will look at all things hand-made in beverages. Capitalising on the popular Craft Beer Arena at INTERNORGA 2017, the newly developed concept is all about artisan spirits, expanding INTERNORGA’s coverage of ‘hand-crafted’. It will, say the organisers, provides “a relaxed environment with the perfect atmosphere for connoisseurs to savour new products and indulge their passion for strong drink”. Producers of classic distilled products such as gin, whisky, rum, fruit brandies and vodka will present their products here in a unique setting close to the Newcomers’ Area and Craft Beer Arena.

Johannsen is delighted with this expansion of exhibitor areas. “The Craft Spirit Lounge is a highly specialised area inviting visitors to explore, and showcasing a variety of distillery products at one location. Hand-crafted spirits such as gin, rum and also schnapps are a big trend and give restaurants and hotels ideal opportunities to offer their own customers something new. We see great potential in the new exhibitor area, becoming another popular highlight like the Newcomers’ Area and the Craft Beer Arena,” she says.

Best of the rest

Elsewhere, the Food Truck Village (Central Entrance Forecourt) is back again in 2018, showcasing not only tasty snacks, but also hosting a ‘Truckers Talk” giving useful know-how from mobile catering practice.

The Pink Cube (B2, ground floor) is INTERNORGA’s trend centre for foodservices and bakeries, and will feature Karin Tischer, a trend researcher much in demand throughout Europe, and publisher of food & more magazine. Tischer will give an overview of the most popular food trends worldwide, and will present exciting products and trailblazing concepts.

Café FUTURE live (Foyer East, ground floor), is the hospitality lounge and for professional foodservice, and will include creative culinary tasters, “a cool and relaxed atmosphere, genuine hospitality” and talks with three well-known industry personalities, about the future of the foodservice world: Jürgen Thamm, regional director continental Europe, Compass Group, and Vapiano CEO Jochen Halfmann, plus a surprise guest). For three days, it will be held at 12pm each day.  

Further details:

INTERNOGA 2018 is offering free entrance for members of FCSI EAME. Register now by emailing: FCSI@internorga.com and using the subject line ‘Internorga – FCSI’.

Michael Jones

Asia’s largest business event for food and hospitality industries returns 23% bigger than previous years, reports Tina Nielsen

Food&HotelAsia (FHA) will also play host to 25% more exhibitors when it opens its doors later this year. Showcasing everything from halal food and speciality equipment to furnishing and the latest technologies to disrupt the wider sector, exhibitors will take over the biennial trade show, expanded to two venues for the first time.

Since its inception as FoodAsia and HotelAsia in a car park in 1978, the mega trade show has developed and evolved at a pace. In 2018, it will be split across two venues, Singapore Expo and Suntec Singapore, where 40,000 exhibitors will congregate from over 70 countries and regions around he world. Additionally, 68 international groups have cofirmed attendance, Armenia and Qatar among the new countries to feature alongside members from 22 trade associations and government agencies who will attend for the first time too.

Increased attendance

At the 2018 edition, 78,000 trade attendees are expected, including exhibiting staff, trade visitors, conference speakers and delegates, judges and competitiors and members of the media. This represents an increase of almost 9,000 attendees on the 2016 show.

Rodolphe Lameyse, project director, food & hospitality, UBM SES, said FHA’s growth reflects the changing landscapes of the F&B and hospitality industries in Singapore and the region over the decades. “Having FHA2018 span two of the largest exhibition venues in Singapore proves just how much the event has grown since 1978,” he says.

“In today’s disrupted economy, innovation and internationalisation will serve as the main drivers reshaping Asia’s food and hospitality industries. Against this backdrop we will continue to strengthen our partnerships with all our stakeholders, together explore new ways to create value to support the industries and strive towards many more years of performance excellence.”

Speciality zones

FHA is billed as more than a trade show and for good reason too; with a vast number of opportunities to network and learn from industry colleagues, speciality zones and the competitions that take place across the show, allowing visitors to to learn about the changes that are making an impact on the hospitality and F&B industries.

Speakers including chef Dave Pynt; Clara Ming Pi FCSI, board director with Foodservice Consultants Society International; and Willem van Emden, regional director, food and beverage for Marriott International, will appear at the FHA2018 International Conference, which runs 24-27 April and will feature talks on everything from central kitchen to revenue management.

Further details:

FHA 2018 will take place 21-27 April. Bakery & Pastry, FoodAsia, HospitalityStyleAsia, HospitalityTechnology and SpecialityCoffee&Tea will be located at Singapore Expo while HotelAsia2018 will take place at Suntec Singapore.
www.foodhotelasia.com

Tina Nielsen

Intergastra in Stuttgart, Germany, delivered big crowds, Millennials in numbers and quality leads for exhibitors. Michael Jones reports from the show

One of the more striking observations of the profile of the approximate 100,000 visitors attending Intergastra 2018 this year was the sheer quantity of young people among the crowds. Everywhere one seemed to look across the 115,000 m² of halls of Messe Stuttgart, students and Generation Z/Millennial foodservice professionals blended seamlessly with the Gen Xers and Baby Boomers perhaps more typically associated with major food shows.

Energy and enthusiasm

The youth were here in numbers and the show was all the more buoyed by their energy and enthusiasm for the industry, which served to make the focus of FCSI’s roundtable at the show, ‘Working with Millennials’, all the more apposite and timely.

The roundtable, which featured experienced German consultants Hildegard Dorn-Petersen FCSI, Martin Rahmann FCSI (the new president of FCSI Worldwide), Bettina von Massenbach FCSI and Erhard Trotter FCSI, as well as celebrated investor and restaurateur Philipp Ghadri (The Bird) also represented young professionals through award-winning young chef Marcus Beran, Marius Zürcher and Maike Nuyken of Dutch start-up 1520 and Anna Hammer and Patrick Dehner of show organisers Landesmesse Stuttgart.

Taking place on Tuesday 6 February, the penultimate day of the show, the roundtable addressed the challenges operators face in attracting Millennials as customers, but perhaps more importantly the huge opportunities the demographic can present to the sector when they are engaged with effectively.

It was an enlightening and insightful event, the full write-up of which will be in the Q2 (May 2018) print edition of Foodservice Consultant magazine.

Relevant brands

Taking place every two years, and organised by Landesmesse Stuttgart GmbH, Intergastra is considered one of the most important international trade fairs in Europe for the gastronomy and hospitality sector and, with approximately 1,400 exhibitors in attendance, is the largest meeting event for the industry in Germany. The show, this year held between 3-7 February, focuses on foodservice and kitchens, equipment and ambience, beverages, hotels, coffee and ice cream.

“Intergastra is such an important show for the hotel and gastronomy industry because you can find all relevant brands in one place,” says Dehner, project manager business development for Landesmesse Stuttgart.

“Every two years Stuttgart turns into the industry’s meeting place where innovations in the field of hotel and gastronomy are launched and presented.

“My personal highlight is Newcome@Intergastra, a cool and stylish start-up area where you can find and even taste products that cannot be found on the market yet. From a professional point of view I am amazed how digitization and the internet of things (IoT) have reached the industry, for example connected coffee machines that are ready for smart and predictive maintenance,” says Dehner.

Dehner’s colleague Anna Hammer agrees the Newcome@Intergastra area in the food hall was a highlight this year. “I really find it interesting to observe upcoming trends and young start-ups that present their new products on our platform,” she says.

“Intergastra is very important for Messe Stuttgart because it is one of our biggest and most successful shows. Gastronomy is interesting to a huge amount of people. There are especially a lot of young visitors who have a leading role for us in order to attract Millennials and make them familiar with the trade fair concept,” says Hammer.

Special charm

For Hildegard Dorn-Petersen FCSI, Intergastra is an important show because it offers “a wide selection of exhibitors in the hospitality industry in a well-structured location. I have met a lot of interesting people. In addition, this fair has a very special charm – the setting of halls around the park-like courtyard, the large glass surfaces that let in the sun, and the people. The exhibition team, from top down, are always in a good mood, even on busy trade fair days,” she says.

For Dorn-Petersen, the event’s ‘Night of the Stars’ Gala in Stuttgart’s Daimler Museum “was a great event, but the roundtable, which brought me sustainable insights, was the absolute highlight for me.”

Consultant Bettina van Massenbach FCSI feels Intergastra offers “the opportunity to meet relevant experts throughout the industry and to exchange latest developments”. For von Massenbach, there were several highlights from the show, including seeing “fantastic new organic products” and discovering that concerted efforts from the industry to improve “the attractiveness of the hospitality sector” to young people are now bearing fruit and “showing the first results” in making it easier to hire Millennials.

Positivity

The show was a success for exhibitors too, who, certainly from our anecdotal evidence, felt the show combined a high quantity of footfall with quality leads.

“Intergastra has grown and the new hall concept with kitchen equipment in halls 1, 3 and 5 underlines the importance of equipment. Additionally, the supporting programme attracted many visitors and rounded off a perfect trade show for us as exhibitors,” says Claudia Bußmann, marketing manager for Eloma GmbH, who was delighted with the Eloma booth’s “pole position in hall 3” which was able to showcase an “open, emotional and friendly design”.

“We love the opportunity to meet regional end-customers and dealers, both partners and potential new ones from Southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria, especially because Intergastra is a bi-annual show. The set up and the conception of the show was very positive, as well as seeing new and known faces,” she says.

Michael Jones

Pictured: Martin Rahmann, Anna Hammer, Erhard Trotter, Hildegard Dorn-Petersen, Maike Nuyken, Patrick Dehner, Marius Zürcher, Marcus Beran, Bettina von Massenbach, Philipp Ghadri and Michael Jones

Business leaders gathered at global law firm Linklaters’ headquarters to discuss awareness, understanding and implementation of the United Nation’s sustainable development goals, reports Thomas Lawrence

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) were agreed in 2015, giving signatories a 15-year deadline to meet a range of targets on poverty, hunger and climate change. The event, held on 1 February in London, pulled together leading lights from the worlds of politics, marketing and development to offer input on how far the goals are being met and the road ahead.

It was an evening of insightful talks, a lively panel and audience interaction, topped off with canapés and wine.

The speakers

The keynote speech came from Mary Creagh MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee. Her oversight of issues surrounding sustainability across government and the wider country reflected how far there is to go in implementing the SDGs. Creagh’s committee has found a vast majority of government departments are ignoring the goals altogether.

Creagh noted a decrease in spending on investment in green energy and a “doughnut shaped hole” in the UK’s policy on sustainability, with grand proclamations at international conferences belied by a distinct lack of action at home. However, she left on an optimistic note, declaring policymakers are “never more intent than now to adopt the radical agenda” embodied by the SDGs. The Brexit vote, she argued, highlighted underlying problems in Britain’s social fabric that fulfilment of the SDGs would help to tackle.

Piers Bradford took to the stage to discuss his work as managing director of Project Everyone, a campaign initiated by filmmaker Richard Curtis to spread awareness of the goals. His was an illuminating talk on efforts to popularise the SDGs and the hurdles his organisation has faced. Bradford encouraged business leaders to get an SDG specific board meeting in the timetable – “share these with shareholders and stakeholders, share these with employees and show commitment to the goals by slapping branding on your materials”.

He conceded his campaign objective of making everyone in the world aware of the goals was likely to fail. But Project Everyone’s efforts to emphasise the “Global Goals” by making them more digestible and offering free resources to schools will, he hopes, inspire a new generation.

COO of PwC’s Global Sustainability Network, Louise Scott began her talk by asking delegates who were aware of the SDGs for a show of hands. Although met with a positive response, the hand waving withered when she followed up by asking who specifically had relevant action plans in place.

Here, said Scott, was the problem. Business leaders know UN agreement around the goals means regulation is in the offing (with plastic bag taxes in the UK an early example). It’s also clear that tackling the goals can lead to improved business performance with lower costs of equity and debt. Nevertheless, PwC has found 61% of firms are failing to meaningfully engage with the SDGs. Scott left delegates with a 3 point plan to take away: identify stakeholder preferences, identify local needs and target key areas for improvement.

Political and commercial awareness

TA panel session entitled “Legal Sustainability Alliance Introduction and Panel Discussion” saw Creagh, Bradford and Scott joined by Leilani Weier and Matt Sparkes of Linklaters to discuss the best way to embed the sustainability agenda in the public discourse.

Creagh and Scott suggested governments must be prepared to carry the torch of sustainability. They pointed out Colombia as a case in point, where policymakers are clamping down on poverty and violent crime. The country is now leading the way in implementing the SDGs among Latin American nations.

Bradford said his priority was spreading awareness among businesses to ensure they play a foundational role in driving sustainability, with Weier saying Linklaters were scrutinising their highest risk suppliers but warning there was no “silver bullet” for ensuring they put sustainability at the forefront of their operations. It was Steve Malkin’s rallying cry that best captured the feeling around getting on with implementing the SDGs: “Just start!”, he exclaimed.

Despite the jovial atmosphere, the event’s speeches and panel were underpinned by a sense of urgency. As Mary Creagh noted, “climate change will take $43trn off the global economy by 2030, while sustainable businesses will be worth $12trn by contrast in the same period”. The SDGs may have the veneer of ethical grandstanding, but the welfare of businesses and the environment depends on it. Foodservice consultants should take note.

Thomas Lawrence

Last week foodservice equipment manufacturers and reps gathered at the Naples Grande Beach Resort in Naples, Florida, for four days of learning and networking at MAFSI 2018, reports Tina Nielsen

More than 600 delegates turned out for MAFSI 2018, among them 200 manufacturers and 340 reps. As MAFSI president Chris Jeens pointed out, this was the largest conference ever for the association.

The theme of the conference, ‘Compete in HD’, was explained by Jeens, a partner of WD College in Ontario, as “Cutting through the noise to achieve a clearer picture”. This central point was approached from every possible angle to show how foodservice equipment professionals can gain advantage and grow in an ever changing industry.

Executive director Alison Cody and associate executive director Tom Jedlowski prepared a varied and busy schedule with high quality speakers and much to be learnt.

Challenges, but opportunities

The overall message from keynote speakers was a positive one. Marketing coach and speaker Terry Brock kicked off the conference with a session looking at the biggest trends in technology currently happening and about to happen. His message to delegates? “Yes, there are challenges but with challenges come opportunities.” He urged them to embrace the changes that are already happening, but to remember to bring people with them on the journey.

Futurist and best-selling author Daniel Burrus, had a similar message: look ahead for opportunities, find out what is coming next and take advantage of it. “Are you the disruptor or the disrupted?” he asked.

Amazon Business spoke to a packed room about the opportunities to partner with the internet giant and explained how the business side of Amazon works while consultant Curt Steinhorst gave an entertaining speech on how to reach customers in an age of constant distractions and unlimited access to technology.

Focus on education

Across the three full days attendees could choose from a wealth of sessions: keynote speakers discussing disruptive trends to big picture economic outlook. Additionally there were more than 50 break-out sessions taking place in between the main sessions. The concourse was packed with manufacturers showing off their equipment and many looking for reps. This year’s conference saw a record number of hot line tables; several European manufacturers attended for the first time, looking to expand into the US market.

Throughout the programme tech terms were discussed, some more familiar than others – the use of drones, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D printing – but they all have in common that they are likely to have an impact on the foodservice world in the near future.

The conference programme theme reflected feedback from members. “When we asked members in each of the territories about their concerns, technology was the main one,” said conference co-chair Sandra Hamilton. “The educational aspect is the main driver of the MAFSI conference and we had phenomenal feedback this year. Delegates came out of every session having learnt something new.”

Strengthening relationships

Consolidation and collaboration were just two topics that were discussed around the conference. Factors including an ageing workforce across the industry is likely to lead to more consolidation in foodservice. This at least was the view of Eric Norman FCSI, vice president of Clevenger Associates, who held three discussion sessions with James Camacho FCSI of Camacho Associates. “You will see companies starting to get much bigger,” he said.

Collaboration was another buzz word with many companies and professionals starting to see that working together is good for business. This spirit is reflected in the strengthening relationships between the five families of foodservice (MAFSI, FCSI, NAFEM, FEDA, CFESA). Jeens explained increased collaboration in the last three years have led to the latter three organising a joint conference for the end of March this year.

While the record visitor numbers is likely to reflect an increase in the MAFSI general membership numbers, but there is no doubt that delegates at MAFSI 2018 understood there is a need to collaborate and learn from each other to grow and develop.

It’s a notion that the people planning the programme understand well too. “The main thing is that whatever we have showed delegates has inspired them to improve in their business,” said co-chair Hamilton.

Tina Nielsen