IFE05 attracts starred chefs to showcases
A series of concept areas, including a demonstration food theatre showcasing some of London's top chefs, will form the backbone of the 2005 International Food Exhibition (IFE05) to be staged at London's ExCel centre from 13 to 16 March.
Among the talented chefs taking time out from their restaurants to cook up a storm for the show's 26,000 trade visitors will be Michelin star holders Anthony Boyd (the Glasshouse, Kew), Andr‚ Garrett (Orrery, Marylebone), Bjorn van der Horst (the Greenhouse, Mayfair), Andrew McLeish (Chapter One, Locksbottom) and Daniel Woodhouse (McClements, Twickenham).
Philip Howard, chef-proprietor of two-Michelin-starred the Square in London, will also be taking to the cookery stage with prot‚g‚ Brett Graham. The latter is due to open Howard's second London restaurant on the site of the former Dakota restaurant in Notting Hill later this year.
The biennial show attracts 1,400 exhibitors from more than 40 countries around the world - from small specialist suppliers to national and global manufacturers - and central to the feel and look of this year's show will be an area dedicated to showcasing international food and culture.
Called Walk the World, the area will house regional, national and international pavilions from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, plus three international restaurants (grouped together under the banner of Dine@IFE). The restaurants will highlight the food of three countries: Greece, Italy and Malaysia.
For visitors wanting directional pointers for their businesses there will also be areas dedicated to future food trends, new products, and what's happening in the wine and spirits sector of the industry. In the Drinks Academy@IFE, for instance, the Worldwide Cocktail Club will be demonstrating how to increase profits using rum, Cognac, sparkling wine and flavoured vodkas.
Future@IFE will also showcase industry trends through tastings and exhibitors. It will, in addition, incorporate a small, 40-seat theatre in which a series of seminars will be staged looking at how the food and drink industry is likely to progress in the immediate years ahead. Subjects up for discussion include food and drink trends, health and "wellness" trends, flavour trends, convenience trends, and targeting the UK food and drink market.
Yet another food theatre will be found in the Foodex@IFE section of the show. This one is dedicated to showcasing businesses involved in food processing and manufacturing and will also deal with health and safety-related products in the industry.
