The two-day European Pizza and Pasta Show will kick off on at 9:30 AM on November 9 at London’s Olympia exhibition center. Two hours into the event, the launch of the 2016 Pizza Report will be made by Richard Harrow, chairman of the Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association (PAPA), and former managing director of Freiberger UK, the leading supplier of private label frozen pizza in Britain. Since September he has headed up RGH (UK) Services Ltd, a Peterborough-based logistics and supply chain consultancy.
Among a full roster of other speakers scheduled to talk about the pizza and pasta business are Adrienne Berkes, head of marketing at Pizza Hut; Edin Basic, founder of Firezza, and Paoli Arrigo of Seeds of Italy.
Organized by IPR Events London in association with PAPA, the trade fair will feature approximately 100 companies showcasing the latest innovations in Europe’s pizza and pasta culinary front. Among exhibitors that specialize in supplying frozen products are Keck Spezialitäten, Surgital, Golden Delight Foods, Dawn Farms, Zaino Foodservice SRL, 999 Pizza Toppings (UK) Ltd and MDC Foods.
Luton, Bedfordshire, UK-based MDC Foods will be displaying a wide range of frozen vegetable and pasta products at Stand 75A. Its spotlight will be on ingredients such as Parrilla Peppers and Soleil Rose Tomatoes.
“The pizza and pasta market is very diverse within the foodservice sector, from Italian chain restaurants to independent operators, hotels and even pubs finding a place for these dishes on their menus. As the frozen food sector continues to grow in foodservice, and with frozen pasta sales up 5.5%, MDC is looking forward to showing operators first-hand the quality produce we have on offer,” said Paul Turner, the company’s foodservice commercial manager.
Soleil Rose Tomatoes are conveniently deployed to accentuate pizza and pasta dishes, while the Parrilla vegetable range features various cuts and sizes of grilled red, green and yellow peppers sourced from Spain.
“With 95% of chefs stocking and using frozen foods, we know that there is a demand for quality produce, with the added benefit of being easy to prepare and helping limit wastage in the kitchen,” said Turner. “That’s why MDC continues to develop new formats and innovative products, ensuring that we are at the forefront of consumer trends and meeting the needs of chefs.”
Major Buyers Coming to Show
Among those looking for new products at the Olympia exhibition center will be wholesalers and retailers, pizzeria and foodservice operators and hoteliers, as well as owners and managers of Italian chains and independent restaurants. Over 1,500 buyers have registered to attend, including decision makers from Brakes, Whole Foods, Waitrose, Selfridges, Odeon & UCI Cinemas, Asda, Harrods, Ingredion, SPAR, Heron Foods, Ora Hotels, Booker Retail Partners, Bidvest Foodservice, Casual Dining Group, Express Foodservice, Ocado, Morrisons, Costco, Azzurri Group, Strada, Cremonini Group, Pizza Hut, Rosso Pomodoro, and Firezza.
For more information, visit www.pizzapastashow.com.
