London's ExCel was wall-to-wall with all things food and drink when it hosted the IFE exhibition last month.
Among the new attractions at the four-day show, which exhibited innovative and new products recently launched on to the UK food and drink market, were two demonstrations from leading chefs.
Meanwhile, Future@IFE delivered a series of briefings from Mintel. the briefings discussed new products from around the globe, currrent consumer trends, and predictions for future buying patterns in the UK.
Taste@IFE allowed visitors to taste new products from the world of bakery and confectionery. Visitors were also given the chance to view and taste the entries celebrated at the World Cheese Awards, which had been judged days before the show.
In a programme designed by the Worldwide Cocktail Club, the International Wine & Spirit Competition and Mintel, the Drinks Academy@IFE educated operators on the latest industry trends and consumer buying patterns.
Product round-up
Dawn Foods tempted IFE visitors with its Adore range of individually wrapped premium cakes, including moist blueberry and redcurrant muffins, orange and mascarpone cakes, and chewy American cookies in varieties such as triple-chocolate fudge. Contact 01386 760816
Billed as being ideal for specials boards and room-service menus, dishes such as wild rabbit in honey mustard sauce, and duck and marmalade, make up a collection of eight gourmet recipes available from Look What We Found. They come in single-portion sealed pouches for ambient storage. The dishes are made with ingredients sourced from specialist farmers and producers from around the UK, cooked slowly using a method similar to that of a traditional steam pressure cooker, and just require heating and serving with an accompaniment. Contact 01207 288769
Textured and hand-finished for authenticity, Speciality Breads' range of Continental breads - including tomato bread, olive bread, focaccia rolls, brioche rolls and loaves - are fully baked and frozen, ready to thaw and serve to accompany soup or for dipping in oils. Contact 01843 209442
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 07 April 2005