Show report: Foodex Saudi 2014
The second edition of Foodex Saudi welcomed exhibitors from around the world to the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events and saw it host a Salon Culinaire competition for the first time
More than 400 brands from 30 countries descended upon Jeddah for the recent Foodex Saudi trade show, which attracted both consumer and industry interest.
Taking place at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events from November 17-20, 2014, the second edition of the event was expected to welcome more than 15,000 visitors, exploring both standalone businesses and national pavilions.
The Mexico pavilion was among the largest at the event and was present with backing from the country’s embassy in Riyadh.
Arturo Trejo, the Ambassador of Mexico to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, spoke about the significant opportunities for suppliers from his nation in the Kingdom.
“Over the past ten years, our trade [with Saudi Arabia] has grown five-fold,” he said. “Ten years ago we had around US $200 million, now we have over US $1 billion.
“We have exported many manufactured products, including automobile parts for cars and pick-up trucks.
“But we want to improve our export of food. We are already exporting honey and other items, but not in big volume.”
Among the major companies exhibiting at Foodex Saudi was Arrow Food Distribution, which supplies both retail and food service with brands such as Valrhona, Evian and Panzani Pasta.
Business development & marketing manager Syed Mohammed Noorie told Caterer: “The food service industry is booming here. People are going out more and more for dinner. It wasn’t the case before.
“Trends are changing and because of our portfolio, we are aiming at the premium end. We are growing double-digit, even triple-digit, in some categories and we are expecting more to come.”
Another important aspect of the show was its first Salon Culinaire, endorsed by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) and the Saudi Arabian Chefs Association (SARCA)
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Rezayat Catering head chef Douglas Ellis brought across a strong contingent from Jubail in the Eastern Province for the competition. He detailed why the contest was beneficial for his team.
“It’s partly about prestige and it also encourages young chefs to improve their skills and get better,” he said. “When they see they are competing against other hotels, restaurants and catering companies, they see can see how good they are.”
Ellis also spoke about the emergence of more local, Saudi talent. “It’s happening more on the Western Province because you have more hotel business here and tourism is developing a lot,” he added.
“There are young Saudis willing to work in the business and they are being trained. And there are also guys in senior positions. The catering business was always seen as a woman’s job, so it was always looked down upon, but nowadays things are changing.”
Speaking on the sidelines on a rare break from observing the chefs and inspecting and tasting their creations, Saudi Arabian Chefs Association president and Saudi Arabian Airlines catering director Yasser Jad detailed the role of both the association and events like the Salon Culinaire in developing talent.
“We want to push young Saudis and encourage them,” he said.“They need to be really taken care of to be in the market.”
Jad added: “So we try to give them this special care. Because we cannot leave the young guys to do this without support. They will be scared to come here and cook in front of the chefs.”
Also running parallel to the competition was the Saudi Food Forum 2014. Although significantly curtailed by last-minute withdrawals of a number of speakers, it nevertheless provided a platform for some thought-provoking sessions.
Among these was one delivered by chef Thomas Gugler, WACS continental director for Africa & Middle East and executive chef and F&B director at Al Mashfa, on the role chefs have to play in sustainability and encouraging healthy lifestyles.
“The world population is growing too fast, so this means we have to change. We have to take care of our resources.
“We should eat more fruit and vegetables; at the moment we are eating too many meat products. We need to find substitutions for chicken and beef. Chefs can and should play a leading role in this.”
Salon Culinaire gold medal winners
- Arosha Kalinga Heankenda, Rezayat Catering (2)
- P. Shashika Cathayanea Peixis, Rezayat Catering (2)
- Nandika Perera, Rezayat Catering
- PK Nimal Siri, Rezayat Catering
- Indunil, Intercontinental
- Naina Singh, Hilton
- Rizwan Shaffee, Hilton