In the field of public catering, something is constantly happening-new products appear, new culinary concepts are discovered, and others disappear from the map of the world, something ends and something begins. Sometimes it is difficult to keep up with the market, keep up to date with events and follow trends.
Food fairs or industry conferences are a great opportunity to" embrace " yourself in this world and catch a source of inspiration or insights to test about your own business and its nature (hotel/restaurant/catering).
There are many such events both in Poland and around the world, but I will focus on those that I particularly remember from the beginning of 2024 and in accordance with the projected trends for 2024.
- February 29–March 2, Athens hosted the GenAIsummit Summit, which focused on studying the impact of generative AI on various sectors, including the food sector.
The event brought together leaders, researchers, and innovators in generative AI from various fields, highlighting its transformative potential not only in food and nutrition, but also in education, healthcare, marketing, law, finance, and more.
The summit included discussions on how generative AI can inspire creativity and innovation in these industries, highlighting its role in strengthening communication and collaboration. Specifically, in the areas of product design, prototyping, user interaction, content creation, customer segmentation, and personalization, demonstrating its usefulness for making better informed decisions and optimizing performance across various sectors.
Although the event brought together global companies and the management elite, there is still much work to be done organizationally. No one doubts the importance of implementing AI in the daily activities of every enterprise.
I won't forget the doctor's lecture. Marily Nika, Ph.Dwho was the only one who used her time to really introduce participants to the world of AI and show them how to use this tool every day, for example, when creating recipes from random ingredients that you have in the refrigerator.
Such events open your eyes to the world and what is happening, how the industry is changing.
As many speakers have said, AI will not displace the profession you are engaged in, but it will be replaced by someone who uses AI in their daily work.
- Fair WorldFood Poland, April 16-18 in Warsaw.
In the Polish zloty this year I again became a member of the jury and participated in the competition for the gold medal for food producers from both Poland and Europe.
The level was really high! 86 different products were tested and evaluated (manufacturers never cease to amaze!). The task of the jury was to evaluate them in terms of composition, packaging, taste, innovation, certificates or certifications, and marketing concept.
It caught my attention:
– funky spritz apple from @thebigfellow or "bubble cider" - a naturally cloudy, pleasantly sparkling apple-flavored drink with a beautiful label,
– yopei beer from AleBrowar this is the brewing legend of a thick caramel texture with notes of dried figs, dates and raisins. What a presence!
– czecolada dark Hexaday with bee pollen from Lyson Beekeeping Company for super combination and extra health benefits
– interesting and very original taste combinations of chocolate from M. Pelczar Chocolatier / fresh chocolate bar Korczyna, Rzeszow, Sanok / shop mpelczar.pl from the family Subcarpathia-their dark chocolate with caramelized essence of Yerba Mate tea and lemon zest TOP!
As usual, Polish plant-based food producers did not disappoint. Bravo for Planeat for their vegetable "tuna" and Seriously vegetable cheese and "cheese" as Greek 😊
Bravo to all the winners-see you next year 😉
Source: Agnieszka Tokar
Source: Agnieszka Tokar
- From 7 to 10.05, as the representative of NTFY, we had the opportunity to visit the Cibus food fair in Parma.
Our presence there was not accidental-recently NTFY hosted a Week of Italian Cuisine, and along with it there was a desire and need to find original products with a clean label, unique taste and, above all, the right amount to meet our needs directly from the manufacturer.
Such a fair is a great chance to establish new trade relations, find interesting products, try innovative products or observe existing trends.
I should point out that the fair in Italy is characterized by a deep respect for the product, tradition and locality. Here you will find companies and manufacturers whose history goes back several generations (of course, Italians!). The Italian market is full of delicious cheeses, outstanding prosciutto, perfect pizza or tomato Passat.
What caught my attention was the relatively small presence of vegan products-however, the market here doesn't seem quite open or ready for them.
Of course, I was pleasantly surprised by the tasting of outstanding cheeses (Pecorino Romano varieties), where original fillings creep in, for example, pistachios, wine, pear with ginger. Also, crazy sheep ricotta that falls to the Ground and melts in your mouth-the sky!
From pizza, an interesting option this year was the option with the addition of activated carbon.
All events are accompanied by lectures and live cooking (the only drawback may be that it is difficult to give English-language lectures here).
Parma is a beautiful city in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna region. Dining here, you just can't be disappointed-prosciutto di Parma, tortellini in dozens of ways, parmesan seasoned for 12/24/36 months (you should try them all to feel the difference!) and all this is sipped with a glass of sparkling Lambrusco from the local wine cellars.
Knowing Italian in Italy is undoubtedly an advantage-it would be difficult to get to the fair itself without knowing the language, while for the food itself, I have no doubt that it's worth it to get here!
What's on the offensive?
I am preparing to travel to the British Isles soon to take part in the Taste of London event. What is the goal? Search for new taste connections and culinary discoveries that currently prevail there (the trend is that in about 6-12 months they will reach us!)
The second half of the year, on the other hand, promises to be just as interesting-in October, there will be a huge SIAL exhibition in Paris, and at the end of the year, one of my favorite events in the world of plants, Plant Based World Expo Europe, will end in London.
Junior specialist in Marketing Communications and PR.
He is a graduate of the University of Warsaw and the Main School of Agriculture. We have been in the HoReCa industry for more than 10 years. For many years, he has been associated with the Trip group, Sobienie Royal Golf and Country Club, and the Florentin Restaurant in Warsaw.
She graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Warsaw Technical University with a degree in Architecture for the Knowledge Society and Visual Communications at the Polytechnic University of Milan. A specialist in creating a mood. She has gained experience at home and abroad at numerous international seminars (Seville, Lisbon, Florence), fellowships at La Sapienza (Rome), etc. m.in. in Carmi e Ubertis and ADM Milano.
A manager with many years of experience in the cosmetics, food, and children's industries. During his career, he was associated with such companies as: L'Oreal, Samsung, Danone-Nutricia, Unilever. During his professional life, he was responsible, among other things, for the development of e-commerce sales and content in Poland and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. 
