From 8 to 11 September, Kipsala International Exhibition Centre, Riga, Latvia, presents the International Food Industry Trade Fair ‘Riga Food 2010’ that is the biggest food industry exhibition in the Baltic countries that shows the development of industry in general, highlights novelties and gives an opportunity to meet serious and reliable food industry enterprises.
Among the 537 participants this year there are both regular participants taking part in ‘Riga Food’ each year and companies introducing themselves to the widest audience for the first time. ‘Riga Food 2010’ represents 39 countries of the world, of which 15 countries have arranged national collective stands.
Riga Food singles out the best chefs, pastry cooks and bartenders
Professionals of the food and beverage industry, the best cooks, pastry cooks, bartenders, and baristas or coffee making specialists meet at Riga Food to prove their professional and creative skills and compete for the grand prix awards at different competitions.
To find the best pastry cook in the Baltic countries, the “2010 Best Pastry Cook of the Baltics” competition is to be held on 8 September. This year no more than 8 pastry cooks from all three countries take part in the competition. The contestants have got 6 hours to complete the task set forth by the organisers. The competition’s theme is “The Music of My Life”. The international jury consisting of 5 jury members should assess contestants’ performance according to such criteria as work organisation, workmanship, decoration, and taste, the harmony of ingredients and the conformity of end-product to the theme.
The competition “2010 Best Chef of Latvia” on 10 September is aimed to find Latvia’s best chef, to promote the improvement of chefs’ professional skills and to facilitate the exchange of experience and cooperation. The contestants have to show their skills and imagination to prepare appetisers using a cold fillet of salmon, quail eggs and fennel, and a main course of pork fillet, honey and parsley root.
The international chefs’ competition “Riga Open Culinary Cup” taking place on 9 September is aimed to gather in Riga chefs from all over the world to promote professional growth and development, the exchange of experience and cooperation. The winner of “Riga Open Culinary Cup” will receive the cheque of EUR 1000.
To display training, skills, talent and creativity Latvia’s best bartenders will contend at De Kuyper Latvia Cup 2010 on 10 and 11 September. The competition is held in two categories––Flair and Classic.
Restaurants, cafes, hotels, training establishments and suppliers have an opportunity to express themselves through the table design competition held during “Riga Food 2010” with fully served and decorated tables and creating a pleasant and cosy atmosphere to enjoy the meal. Visitors on their turn are given a possibility to vote for the best and most loveable accomplishment.
Quality assessment of Latvian bread, Dutch cheese, sour cream and honey
The “Riga Food” premium quality product competitions this year focus on bakery products, honey, Dutch cheese and sour cream.
Latvian Dairy Central Committee (LPCS) in conjoint with the International Exhibition Company BT 1 organises competitions for the manufacturers of sour cream and Dutch cheese in order to gain information and highlight experience of the best sour cream and cheese manufacturing enterprises and masters, as well as to promote dairy produce as part of healthy food. The sour cream competition features 14 product samples from 10 manufacturers, but the cheese competition––six samples from four manufacturers.
“Riga Food 2010” also looks forward to award the winners of the honey competition. The objective is to promote honey and its products, healthy lifestyle, to tell about the types of honey harvested in Latvia and to find out the best honey available in Latvia. The winner of the 2009 honey competition was Jānis Vainovskis from Saldus with his maple-plum honey.
The bread quality assessment competition, on its turn, is intended to find the top quality wheat, rye and mixed flour bread with seeds and grains. The competition takes place in three categories––white bread with seeds, grains or bran, rye bread with seeds, grain or bran and mixed flour bread with seeds, grain or bran.
Seminars for professionals and business support events
For food industry professionals and enterprises, Riga Food 2010 presents seminars on food technologies held by the Latvia University of Agriculture in conjoint with EEN-Latvija, the Institute for Innovative Biomedical Technologies in collaboration with Elpa, the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Europe Direct, Nordic Sugar and many others. The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia organises the seminar and individual meetings “Latvian Food Manufacturers Meet Purchasers”.
“Riga Food 2010” first presents the matchmaking event to promote business development, to facilitate and stimulate contact-making processes among the “Riga Food” participants, different enterprises representing food related industry and foreign embassies. Online registration forms are already available at www.rigafood.lv
Food innovations at “Riga Food 2010”
Organisations and representatives engaged in the innovation processes within the food industry regularly appear at “Riga Food” to display almost a full product development process and to offer a number of events and activities dedicated to innovation interesting and useful for business people and food professionals. The Latvian Technological Centre presents display dedicated to science and innovation, animation stand and the brokerage event.
Pasta recipe competition for all gourmets and gastronomes
If watching prominent chefs makes you feel like you could try your hand in the art of cooking, you may join the tiger prawn pasta recipe competition.
“Riga Food 2010” offers the tiger prawn pasta recipe competition open to every gourmet, professional or amateur cooks who would love to share their kitchen experiments with others.
The official opening ceremony of “Riga Food 2010” takes place at 11.00 on 8 September.
Open to public:
8 September (Trade & Business) 10.00–18.00
9–10 September 10.00–19.00
11 September 10.00–17.00
Admission tickets:
Ls 6 on Trade & Business Day, 8 September
Ls 3 for food professionals filling a questionnaire and leaving a business card
Full admission ticket––Ls 3
Tickets for pupils, students and senior citizens––Ls 2.50
Students in the food-related education programmes, group tickets––Ls 2
More information on the fair, competitions and participants available at: www.rigafood.lv
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