Fairground attraction
With 14,000 visitors to last year's event - 80% with direct purchasing power for their companies - and an increase expected this year, the Fast Food Fair, sponsored by Catering Update in association with Caterer & Hotelkeeper, is a magnet for restaurateurs, pub managers and other leisure, tourist, industrial and institutional catering professionals.
A review of exhibitors reveals several clear themes. The commercial potential of the vegetarian market is underlined by the launch of CaterVeg - a logo scheme from the Association of Vegetarian Cooking. This aims to set a basic standard for preparation and cooking of vegan, vegetarian and meat-free meals.
According to the most recent Realeat Survey by Gallup, the number of vegetarians is increasing by 2,000 per week. CaterVeg's own research indicates that a third of restaurant tables are occupied by at least one person choosing a vegetarian dish.
The drop in UK meat consumption is also reflected in the launch of a choice of meat-free sandwiches using organic flour from Breadwinner Foods.
Meat-free products in traditional "meaty" style will also be on offer from the Redwood Company with its soya and wheat protein-based Cheatin' Meats range. Also new is the three-layered vegetarian terrine from Vegetarian Express.
Vegetarianism meets the juvenile market with the launch of Vegetable Tikka and Vegetable Taco Triangles from Bernard Matthews FoodService - for use as starters, buffets with a dip, or main course accompaniments.
The junior market is also centre stage for Mayhew Chicken with its Jungle range of chicken shapes in crispy crumb coating. One children's product which could appeal to an older age group is highlighted by Rayner Burgess with the promotion of its eight real fruit and chocolate shakes - adult consumption of milkshakes has risen 20% in the past six years.
The changes in various eating trends makes a trip to the CMA German Pavilion worth while to see a range of chilled, frozen and ambient products including traditional German meats and sausages. Also on show is the Taste of Germany - Master Guide for chefs, with 500 menu ideas and tips to help market German food to clients.
The Continental theme continues with Döhler UK whose launch of Italian tiramisù is matched by its promotion of Swiss-inspired praline and chocolate fillings. Peter Austin Associates is using its first visit to the Fair to show four popular Belgian brands now available in the UK - including Varofruit, a fresh fruit salad with a 12-day shelf life, supplied to caterers and several world airlines.
US food is represented by Funnybones' launch of eight lines. These include: corned beef hash; a traditional all-day breakfast ready to heat and serve from frozen; meat loaf; crawfish and prawn pie filling; and cooked ribs in barbecue sauce.
US-style muffins from Kara Foods are joined by two new flavours, walnut and maple syrup and sticky toffee, both of which can be served straight from defrost or warmed for 10 seconds in a microwave.
Beverages are plentiful at the Fast Food Fair this year. The single-operator coffee cart from Balmoral is intended for both indoor and outdoor locations where regular opening times do not apply and customer flow varies, for example in shopping malls. The company is also to unveil a new cappuccino machine at the fair.
A cafetiäre made of shatter-proof polycarbonate is to be shown by Brasilia UK. The cafetiäre boasts an all-in-one filter system it is intended tobe easy to clean, and the prod-uct is marketed as also suitable forserving tea.
A mini coffee, hot chocolate and cappuccino machine is on view at the fair from Krogab. The company claims high capacity and fast dispensing capability (three seconds for coffee), and estimates a 20% potential increase in hot beverage profits due to added-value sales and increased hot beverage consumption.
A self-service bulk brewer from Tchibo Coffee International with a capacity of 500 cups per hour has variable temperature settings and press-button touch pads for coffee and hot water.
The cold drinks sector is not neglected. A high-volume (up to 530kg per day) "compact cube" ice maker is being launched by Hubbard, aimed at fast food restaurants, leisure centres and similar high-volume consumers of soft drinks.
"Compact cubes" are designed to flow more easily than standard cubes and - being smaller - cool drinks more rapidly. The company is also showing equipment for making thimble, nugget, square and flake shapes of ice.
Technical advances on show cover several areas. The fair sees the UK launch of the Freedom 360 soft ice-cream and thick shake machine from Electro Freeze - billed as the first pressurised machine without mix pumps. The company claims the design permits disassembly and cleaning in minutes.
For foodservice refrigeration a new range with a choice of single-, double- and triple-door cabinets and seven temperature options is to be exhibited by Foster.
A budget range is also available with a range of coldrooms and CFC-free ice makers.
Also in the frozen food area comes an add-on to equipment from Taylor Freezer. Flavor-Burst gives nine different colours and flavours to soft ice-cream. The firm is also showing a high velocity forced-air oven to cook food without adding fat or oil.
The take-away sector is the target for a new carrier bag from Saklok. With a symmetrical hole at each of its four corners, it is designed to provide a secure base on which to stack boxes and packages.
Bradshaw Microwave plans to launch a 1,700W oven with 10 touch-control settings programable by power level and time, plus 10 power levels from full power to hold.
Similarly, a new 1,700W high-speed oven is to be unveiled by Howarth Microwave. The machine can pre-programme 100 different cooking and preparation operations.
A non-saccharin tablet sweetener for the catering trade is being launched by Dietary Foods, and is claimed to be the cheapest table-top sweetener on the market.
