Hospitality

Press Releases

22 Jan 2009

27 Aug 2010

Hospitality 2009 post-show press release

January 2009

Hospitality 2009 provides an optimistic start to the year ahead

Hospitality 2009 was declared a triumphant success by the foodservice and hospitality industry this week. Despite the tough trading conditions hoteliers, restaurateurs, contract caterers, chefs and designers all flocked to the NEC from all over the country for a very busy three days of networking and sourcing new products and ideas.

The event’s programme of culinary attractions and seminars focusing on design, technology, and how to grow your business in a recession, was more popular than ever. Visitors attended the show in large numbers, ensuring delight from the broad spread of exhibiting companies.

John O’Shea from Ille Paper Service echoed the feelings of many exhibiting companies, “It has been a great show. We have signed five contracts on site and have generated many new business prospects.”

Keith Rogers from Andy Thornton summed up the atmosphere on the show floor, “Birmingham has been the centre of the universe for the hospitality industry this week!”

Richard Sewell from Equipline wasn’t only delighted with the visitors but where they came from, “We have been very impressed by the national scope of the Hospitality Show. We have met people from as far afield as the West Country, Scotland and everywhere in between. It has been a great show with a good quantity of visitors.”

Martin Webster from Nestle Professional said, “Hospitality 2009 has been a good show. It allows us to speak directly to chefs and present the product in a professional, business environment. Toque d’Or, Salon Culinaire and The Skillery are the unique features that make the Hospitality Show what it is.”

For Kate Rogers, Vending Development Manager at Cadbury, it was also about the sectors that were represented – “The atmosphere at Hospitality 09 has been fabulous. As Cadbury has such a large range of products it had seemed unfeasible for us to see all sectors in one show, however the diversity of visitors, as well as the decent leads we have had, has included everything from hotels to the armed forces, the large national and regional groups through to event caterers. We are very very happy!”

Toby Wand, Group Exhibition Director at organisers Fresh RM, was also thrilled with the show’s excellent outcome – “There is no denying that we are currently living in a tough economic climate, however our exhibitor feedback supports the fact there is no better way of generating business during hard times than the face to face environment of a trade show, and its fantastic to see Hospitality is still very much the number one event of 2009.”

Compass and Avenance were both triumphant in the La Parade des Chefs restaurant after reaching Gold standard, however it was Avenance that in the judges viewed reigned supreme, after they picked up the special award as Best in class.

The team who comprised of Peter Joyner, Hayden Groves, Mark Crowe, Inga Boyce, Richard Underwood, Dagmar Pfiefer and kitchen porter Jonoy Miller, created a fabulous menu of Smoked Eel with a Twice Baked Horseradish Souffle; Pan Roasted Breast and Braised Faggot of Talamana Duck; and Poached Pear with Chocolate Fondant, Hazelnut Praline and Goat’s Cheese Parfait for 100 covers.
The culinary skills of the competitors continued to impress the judges with a total of 12 Gold standards being awarded to leading Chefs including Anthony Morrin, from the NEC (Churchill Fish Dish Challenge), Sean McNulty of the Craft Guild Culinary Academy (Steelite Passion to Inspire), Mark Provan from South Devon College (Continental Chef Supplies Traditional Pasta Dish), Dale Ormston, Andrew Hill & Ricky Ives, from The Half Moon at Watlington (Rational Master Chefs Grand Prix), Paul Connolly & Stuart Garbett of the NEC (Figgjo Masterclass), Gabriela Evanjulou from Plymouth City College (Major International Mini Series), Aimee Sutcliffe from Eton College (Sodexo Young Chef of the Year), Michael Godfrey & Steven Wylie of Eton College (Major International Contract Catering Awards), Oliver Lloyd of UK Skills (Chef at Salon) and Tim Burfoot of the Hyatt Regency, Birmingham (New Zealand Lamb Challenge).

As the doors close on Hospitality 2009, thoughts will now focus on ScotHot, 2–4 March 2009 at SECC Glasgow and Hotelympia, from the 28 February – 4 March 2010 at ExCeL, London.

-Ends-

Issued on behalf of Fresh RM by:

Kevin Gregory
Rawlingson Lane Publicity Ltd.
Fordbrook Business Centre
Marlborough Road
Pewsey, Wiltshire
SN9 5NU

Tel: 01672 564099
Email: kevin@rlpltd.co.uk

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