Whether you're looking to source ideas for menus or recipe development, discover the latest trends or meet suppliers from all over the world, ExCel is the place to do it from Sunday 23 March to Wednesday 26 March 2003, when the venue in London's Docklands hosts the 13th International Food & Drink Exhibition (IFE).
Besides a food and drink section, there will be eight other dedicated areas - bakery and confectionery; frozen foods; organic and fresh produce; cheese and dairy; alcoholic and soft drinks; speciality food from Britain; international food; and packaging and design.
IFE factfile
Where: ExCel, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16
When: Sunday 23 March to Wednesday 26 March 2003
Opening hours: 10am-5.30pm
Ticket hotline: 0870 429 4438
Website: www.ife.co.uk
Something international
For a global flavour, try the International section, where more than 40 national and regional pavilions from countries including South Africa, Spain, Italy, France, Israel, Bulgaria, Japan, Malaysia, Brazil, Argentina, the Caribbean, Australia and the USA will be displaying their wares.
It's an IFE debut for Bulgaria (stand NX5122), represented by six food companies showing goods including processed fruit and vegetables, wild mushrooms, cheese and pastries. The German marketing organisation CMA is back with a pavilion full of new products for tasting on about 30 stands. And it just wouldn't be complete without a selection of the charcuterie for which the country is renowned, although new ambient salami chips from charcuterie company Reinert puts a twist on that tradition. Adding some colour to the Canadian pavilion will be the Wild Blueberry Association of North America (stand 5116), which will be promoting the fruit's health benefits.
Other stands with an international flavour include L'Aquila (NG1734), showing ambient packs of Mediterranean vegetables, including wild mushrooms, artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes in an aluminium pouch.
Greek mezes in six varieties, including Tahini, Roasted Red Pepper, Kalamata Olive, and Red Pepper and Feta, will make up a small part of the display by Greek produce importer Odysea (stand NJ1825), with olives, olive oils, honey and stuffed vine leaves also on show.
More Mediterranean products are being added to the Cooks&Co brand from RH Amar (stand NG1712), including anchovies, artichoke bottoms and hearts, stuffed vine leaves, sweet red peppers and green Madagascan peppercorns in brine. And Crespo branded olives and capers will be available in 2.4kg resealable plastic bottles.
How to get there
BY ROAD
Direct access to a dual carriageway connects ExCel with the national motorway network via the North Circular (A406), the M11 and M25. The M1, A1(M), M3, M4, M11, M23, M26 and M40 motorways all intersect with the M25. Journey time from junction 27 on the M25 to ExCel is about 25 minutes, and there are 5,700 parking spaces on site.
BY RAIL
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has three stations servicing ExCel, the main one being Custom House, with Royal Victoria for the western entrance and Prince Regent for the eastern entrance. The DLR provides direct links with the London Underground network via Bank, Tower Gateway, Canning Town, Stratford and Bow Church.
BY AIR
London City Airport is five minutes by taxi or shuttle bus. London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports connect to ExCel via the Gatwick and Heathrow Express lines and the London Underground. London Stanstead is a 35-minute drive away.
Food on the go
Frozen snack products on show from Daloon Foods (stand SF2533) include three savoury items aimed at children's menus - Toby Triangle (chicken korma), Stella Star (chicken and sausage meat) and Robby Roll (pizza-style tomato and cheese pancake roll with pasta stars).
Staffordshire-based manufacturer Cottage Delight (stand NL3005) has gone a little further afield for ingredients for two of the company's new snacks. Plantain with Chipotle is sliced lengthways, fried and flavoured with dried, smoked jalape¤o chillies, and Seriously Hot Potato Crisps are flavoured with Habanero chillies. If they're too hot to handle there's always fresh fig spread, ginger curd, chocolate-drizzled Viennese shells and half chocolate-coated mini fruit tarts.
Putting a bit of a twist on the traditional plate of nachos, Discovery Foods (stand NE1644) has put fajita chicken, jalape¤o cheese and taco beef fillings inside the nachos for a starter, side dish or platter. For a fast-food offering, Texas Turnovers come in kit form containing wraps, halal-approved Southern Fried chicken fillets and takeaway cardboard sleeves, requiring the addition of salad and mayonnaise for serving.
A lunchtime snack aimed at city workers is how Frank Dale Foods (stand SH2840) sees its new Panizza Rustica. The three flavours - Tuscan ricotta and spinach; proven‡al roast peppers and black olives; and Andalusian chorizo and potato - all have a pastry base flavoured with Italian cheeses.
Devon company Burts Potato Chips (stand NJ1922) will be exhibiting its crisps which are cooked in sunflower oil and packed in clear bags.
Sandwich ingredient company Fridays (stand SD2404) has several new varieties of sandwich fillings, including chicken proven‡ale and cheese and chive, five new salads and a range of dips to introduce to the market at IFE.
Sandwiches made using granary-style multigrain bread will be on offer at the DS Dietary Specials stand (ND1435) alongside additions to the company's wheat- and gluten-free ranges such as a fruit loaf, a crispbread and a chocolate and orange wafer bar.
Not to be confused with the Tweenies, Sweenies are a new bakery product from Delice de France (stand SK4004) consisting of small Viennese breads containing chocolate chips, raisins or fruit pieces - strawberry, raspberry, cherry, apple or orange.
The Jaffa Orange Bar will be making its IFE debut alongside other sweet snacks from Lees of Scotland (stand NL3104) such as a Dennis the Menace coconut and ice bar, a jumbo coconut macaroon, snowballs and caramel teacakes.
Stem ginger biscuits and cheese straws are two varieties of miniature snacks in 30g packs from Fudges Bakery (stand NJ1938). Also new from Fudges is a Belgian chocolate-dipped flapjack and a range of breadsticks.
All things cheesy
Exhibiting at IFE for the first time is Arla Foods (stand SR4635), with a range of dairy products including Lurpak butters in garlic, Mediterranean herbs, and lime and chilli flavours, and cheeses such as mild feta, Greek feta and feta in oil.
Under new ownership, the Teddington Cheese Company (stand SQ4648) stocks more than 130 cheeses, many of which come direct from the farms where they are produced, such as Norbury Blue made at Norbury Park Farm, Mickleham in Surrey. The company stocks and matures British, Irish and Continental farmhouse cheeses.
Food from Britain
For home-produced speciality food, visit Food from Britain, where you'll find more than 120 exhibitors including regional pavilions from Heart of England Fine Foods, the Welsh Development Agency, Taste of the West, Scottish Enterprise, Yorkshire Regional Food Group, Tastes of Anglia and Invest Northern Ireland. Products on display include smoked meats and fish, home-made ice-creams, wines and sauces.
Some of the pavilions will have demonstration theatres and other events going on, too. For instance, South West Food and Drink - a trade initiative backed by the South West Regional Development Agency to promote food being grown, bred or prepared in the West Country - will have chefs from the South-west cooking with produce from the region and will be holding a Cream Tea Day on the Monday.
Elsewhere, you'll find an abundance of products from locally produced cheese to varieties from around the world, water, wine, liqueurs, smoothies, beers and spirits, speciality breads, biscuits, muffins, chocolates and desserts and organically produced food and drink exhibited by companies certified by the Soil Association.
Innovation Zone
Sunday 23 March
11.15am: Soil Association seminar
Noon: Modern German Food - Roz Denny in association with the CMA
12.45pm: Demonstration (to be confirmed)
1.30pm: Demonstration (to be confirmed)
2.15pm: Caterer Chef show demonstration - Peter Robinson: 21st-century Pub Cooking
3pm: Traditional Italian Food - Aldo Zilli demonstrates (in association with the Italian Trade Centre)
Monday 24 March
11.15am: True Taste of Welsh Cuisine - Dai Davies in association with the Welsh Development Agency
Noon: Cooking with Malaysian Produce - Chef Wan demonstrates
12.45pm: Retail Trends Forum
1.30pm: Food & Drink Federation with the Vegetarian Society - Vegetarianism in Food Service/Retail
2.15pm: Caterer Chef show demonstration - Shane Goodway
3pm: Caribbean Cuisine - Chef Garfield Davidson
4pm: Latest Food Styles: Trend or Fad? - Steven King, founder of Oi! Bagel
Tuesday 25 March
11.15am: Minister's Viewpoint - Lord Whitty, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (invited guests only)
Noon: Modern German Food - Roz Denny in association with the CMA
12.45pm: Global Trends in Packaging - Louise Gedge in association with the Institute of Packaging
1.30pm: Norwegian Seafood demonstration - Jean-Christophe Novelli
2.15pm: Caterer Chef show demonstration - Chris Behre from Mju at Millennium Knightsbridge
3pm: A Taste of Thai - Pat Chapman demonstrates
Wednesday 26 March
11.15am: Food and Drink Federation seminar - Trends in Organics
Noon: Cooking with Malaysian Produce - Chef Wan demonstrates
12.45pm: Global Trends in Packaging - Sean Fortune
1.30pm: Editors' Panel - discussion
2.15pm: Caterer Chef show demonstration (to be confirmed)
3pm: International Cuisine demonstration (to be confirmed)
Getting meaty
Best known for its turkey products, Bernard Matthews Food Service (stand SE2524) will be launching New Zealand lamb items, including a four-rib lamb rack, a boneless chump steak and a pre-cooked lamb shoulder in apricot and redcurrant sauce. Poultry products will include a new crumb-coated turkey escalope, a rolled turkey fillet with a pork, cranberry, sage and onion stuffing, and, for children's menus, turkey card suits in hearts, clubs, spades and diamond shapes.
Cherry Valley (stand SB2214) has developed a traditional head-on duckling which will be on show to visitors alongside demonstrations of how to use the company's duck products, such as sliced and shredded duckling meat, to create sandwiches, salads and snacks.
Development chef Vernon Blackmore will be demonstrating with Gressingham duck products on the Green Label Foods stand (2213). Besides its ready meals of duck confit, duck stir fry with black bean sauce and shredded crispy duck with pancakes, demonstrations will use shredded duck meat, whole duck and portions and smoked duck.
Cookery demonstrations will take place all day courtesy of Silver Hill Foods (stand SK2905), which processes about 80,000 ducklings a week at its factory in Ireland. Among the dishes available for tasting will be honey roast duck, Chinese roast duck and flavoured duck legs.
Chicken sampling will be ongoing, with Padley's (stand SH2804) dishing up its plain cooked wings, crispy corn chicken nuggets and breaded chicken breast burgers for visitors.
Flat, crispy, smoked, sweet-cured rashers; deep-fried curly crispy bacon, and bacon flakes are among the new bacon products on display from Diversity Foods (stand NL3027). The products are all fully cooked and come frozen or chilled.
Look out...
... for new features at the show, including Fresh Ideas at IFE, a showcase of food and drink products reflecting the high level of innovation in the UK. Products will be selected by a panel of judges for central display as a focal point for visitors looking for the latest in product development.
A Theatre of Cheese, sponsored by Arla Foods and featuring speakers from the UK Cheese Guild, will deliver tutored tastings and seminars.
The Innovation Zone is back, with cooking demonstrations covering restaurant and pub food and cuisines from around the globe, including German, Italian, Caribbean and Thai. Aldo Zilli, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Peter Robinson and Shane Goodway will be among the chefs featured.
The best of veg
New from MDC Foods (stand SJ2924) are Steam Express frozen vegetables, which microwave in five to eight minutes, depending on pack size. Green Vegetable Medley; Italian Mix; Country Mix; Extra Fine Peas; and Extra Fine Green Beans come in 300g packs, while asparagus is in a 400g pack, and all have a light oil and herb dressing.
A selection of roasted and grilled vegetables from Icefresh (stand SF2604) is aimed at reducing preparation time. Varieties include peppers, courgettes, aubergines and onions, and all are individually quick frozen, ready for use.
Mediterranean Vegetable and Mozzarella Lattice en croûte, and Roasted Mushroom Parcels will be among the new products on show from Apetito (stand SF2513). The lattice is a combination of aubergine, courgette, mixed peppers, onion, tomato and mozzarella in a tomato and basil sauce and a puff pastry case with a Parmesan topping. The mushroom parcels contain sliced roasted mushrooms, red peppers and cream cheese, also in a puff pastry case.
Worth a visit
Concentrated stocks from Porter Foods (stand NG1613) in 10 flavours including fish, seafood, vegetarian, provençale and Mediterranean come in 500g jars and contain no preservatives, colourings or taste-enhancers.
Tricolour pasta ribbons and spirals, cereals such as muesli and corn flakes, and multigrain, buckwheat and sesame breads form the Glutano Organic (stand SS4826) range of gluten- and wheat-free organic foods being launched at IFE by the family-run business.
Individually packed for portion control are four varieties of microwaveable rice - Chinese, Basmati Biryani, Mediterranean, and Basmati Pilau - from Gourmet House (NG1623).