The Food Event of the Season
Posted by estiator at 13 June, at 14 : 22 PM Print
COVER STORY
The Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show kicks off in Manhattan.
By Constantine N. Kolitsas
I’m a food geek; I admit it. And as other geeks get excited about events like Comic Con, I get just as crazy when the Summer Fancy Food Show rolls into town. And it’s rolling in this month to Manhattan’s cavernous Jacob Javits Center, where it will occupy all 814,000 square feet of that space. I get an adrenaline rush just thinking about it.
I must admonish those Estiator readers, surely fellow food geeks, living within five or six hours’ drive of the Big Apple who have never been to this “show of shows”—it’s the year’s largest gathering of food industry folk. Shame on you; I’m revoking your food geek credentials until you’ve rectified the situation. And for those of you who have been, I’m sure, like me, it’s the first thing on your calendar when summer hits (this year’s dates are June 25 through 27).
For the uninitiated, the Fancy Food Show is a wonderland for chefs, restaurateurs, gourmands, and foodies (I know, I hate that word, too). Aisle upon aisle, visitors are wowed by the offerings that pique their foodriosity (curiosity for food, yes a word I just invented—why not, if Kazantzakis can do it, so can I), as well as some of their favorite products, hottest trends, and the next big thing. Hosted by the not-for-profit Specialty Food Association, exhibitors come from all four corners of the globe, often huddled into country-specific pavilions, which is convenient for visitors looking to hone in on a specific cuisine. Each year, one country is featured prominently as the “partner country.” Greece was chosen a few years back (wow, what an incredible show that was!), with 2023’s partner country being Morocco (I can’t wait to sample some of that cuisine’s standout flavors). Greece and Morocco have not been the only Mediterranean nations to win that coveted spotlight; last year Italy was the featured country, and prior to Greece, it was Tunisia. As the show is the globe’s premiere food event of the year, this is a telling sign of where Mediterranean cuisine is headed. But we already knew that, didn’t we?
Get Yer Greek On at the Greek Pavilion
This year, over 25 companies will be represented at Greece’s pavilion within the Fancy Food Show. Hailing from areas of Greece that include Ioannina, Thessaloniki, Trikala, Mesolonghi, and Patras, among others, these companies produce a wide variety of food products—among them, seafood, baked goods, wine and olive oils, olive oils and olive oils.
Agrexpo S.A. • Agro.Vi.M. S.A. • Amalthia S.A. • Athena Sweet Athena • Dimitra Parparas S.A. • Elea Gea S.A. • George Katsifas S.A. • Georgoudis S.A. • Greek Seafood On Ice • Ilida S.A. • Intercomm Foods S.A. • Kourantidis Nikolaos -“Regina” • Latrovalis & Co • Lykos Winery • Maremel Commercial Agencies • M.B. Eleon • Nestos S.A. • Omiros Dairy Industry S.A. • Paraskevopoulos “Ilis” S.A. • Palirria S.A. • P. Pavlides S.A. • Regina Con. Ioannidis S.A. • Siouras S.A. • Stylis Olive Producers Cooperative • Vitom S.A. – CHB Group • Western Greece Seafood • Products • Zanae S.A.
Prized Products
In addition to the two Fancy Food Shows, the Specialty Food Association hands out prizes for best products and best new products in over 50 categories that run the gamut from alcoholic beverages and cocktail mixes to yogurt and kefir. Sandwiched in between are categories that include beans, grains, rice, and mixes and vinegars. The 2023 winners will be announced during the weekend of the show. In 2022 there were several products from Greece and products made by Greeks that took prizes.
Category: Sweetener
Prize Winner (Gold): 776 Deluxe Greek Mastic Honey
High-quality unfiltered honey that has not been heated, with a dash of mastiha oil (resin from the mastic trees of Southern Chios). The addition of the mastiha oil lends a pleasant herbal, pine aroma to the honey. Used in vinaigrette dressings or mixed with lemon in beverages.
Category: Vinegar
Prize Winner (Gold): Kosterina Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar
This dark chocolate balsamic vinegar boasts a rich, velvety chocolate boost to its intense aromatic notes, dense texture, and hint of acidity. Made from Lambrusco and Trebbiano grapes of Modena, Italy, this intriguing product is a wonderful complement to a wide variety of sweet treats, and is particularly recommended as a condiment to Greek yogurt.
Category: Fruit spreads jams and jellies
Prize Winner (Gold): Divina Sour Cherry Spread
The Divina Company has a portfolio of products from throughout the Mediterranean. Found in food boutiques and quality supermarkets throughout the country, several of the company’s offerings are produced in Greece, including its fig jam, along with their take on the traditional Greek sour cherry “tou koutalioiu” sweet.
The upcoming Summer Fancy Food Show, of course, is in tandem with the Winter Fancy Food Show, which takes place every year in Las Vegas. A review of that show serves as both a lead-in and supplement to what the summer show has to offer. In Las Vegas, some of the standouts were the European Pavilion, which focused on sustainability, commitment to quality, authenticity, and food safety. Initiatives that speak to what we as restaurateurs strive to achieve on a daily basis.
“Agricultural food and beverage products from the European Union are more than just food and drinks,” according to the SFA. “Each burst of flavor has its own character; every ingredient tells a story, safeguarded and perfected by skilled individuals going back centuries.”
With food safety as a top priority, the EU producers at the winter show stressed the stringent risk policies, labeling requirements and animal health requirements that the EU has in place, along with an independent body of experts providing scientific advice to policymakers and a system allowing products to be traced to specific production stages. This, they claim, ensures that all EU foodstuffs can be enjoyed with peace of mind. According to their representatives, EU foodstuffs are produced with significantly fewer fertilizers, pesticides, and livestock antibiotics, and the EU’s “farm to fork” strategy has enabled their producers to drastically reduce the amount of chemicals being used there.
For restauranteurs who enjoy being on the cutting edge, the New Now Next pavilion is a great place to get exposure to what’s ahead in the industry. It’s perfect for trendspotting, and a keen eye and palate will be able to discern the “ain’t gonna happens” from the game changers. At the last show I attended, vinegar sodas and non-alcoholic spirits were among the exhibitors. Flash-forward and both are considered hot trends. The pavilion hosts start-ups and about-to-start-ups, highlighting incubator products where visitors can get a look (and taste) of what could be the Next Big Thing. At the most recent winter show in Las Vegas, the New Now Next pavilion exhibitors included Great Life by Lucinda (maker of veggie burger mixes, smoothies and soups), Lentiful (a maker of high-protein, high-fiber meals featuring lentils), Portland Salt Co (a maker of seasoning blends using pure sea salt from the Pacific Ocean and natural spices whose products include steak salt, pita salt, and toast sugar), and Whoa Dough (a maker of gluten-free and vegan cookie dough bars). Think of New Now Next as the Brooklyn section of the space.
Trendspotting, of course, is not limited to the New Now Next pavilion. Rather, it’s something that occurs along every aisle of the mammoth Javits Center. Things to look out for this year include globally inspired condiments, sauces, oils, and seasonings; products that focus on using sustainable, healthy, and environmentally sound ingredients (what is being called “clean label”); alternative seafood (plant-based products that mimic seafood as that industry expands beyond meat alternatives); products that utilize natural sugars (from dates, maple syrup, fruits, and honey) in place of refined sugar; pasta made from legumes, beans, squash, and uncommon produce; seaweed and algae; products that provide nuanced heat; and uncommon citrus, melons, and stone fruits, particularly in beverages, sweets, and snacks.
For restauranteurs who enjoy being on the cutting edge, the New Now Next pavilion is a great place to get exposure to what’s ahead in the industry.
In addition to cruising the aisles for the sexiest new food product, the Summer Fancy Food Show offers attendees the opportunity to connect with peers, recognize industry leaders, and balance work and play through a variety of special events and activities. Seminars, talks, and workshops are among the weekend’s educational offerings, and a schedule of those is available at the Specialty Food Association’s website. If you’re not just a food geek but a Greek-food geek (like me), then you will want to keep an eye out for Greek companies (from Greece, from the U.S., and from other countries where Greeks have set up shop), many of whom are not housed within the Greece pavilion. In past shows, I came upon some really neat Greek products that include vegan fig salami from Hellenic Farms, and Zea flour (unbleached flour that was the standard flour used before white bleached flour became the standard in Greece in the 1930s) from Demetria. Of course, I never miss an opportunity to check out what’s happening with some of my favorite companies producing Greek products whose names we all know. Among those exhibiting this year are Optima Foods, Kontos Foods, Fantis Foods, Loumidis, Laconiko, Eleni’s Baked Goods, Olympia Provisions, and Sparta.
Walking the space, some pavilions to watch out for include the Bakery, Confectionery, Snacks & Sweets Pavilion, where visitors can indulge their sweet tooth while exploring the latest confectionery, chocolate, and snack trends; the Beverage Pavilion (discover and taste what’s new and innovative in specialty beverages); Deli Pavilion (where some of the world’s most unique and irresistible meats and cheeses are on exhibit); Plant-Based Pavilion (even if it’s not your thing, this is a growing niche that becomes increasingly significant as young people turn to eating habits that conform to their social values); State Pavilions (see what your state’s regional producers have to offer); and, of course, the International Pavilions (in addition to Greece’s pavilion, there are some amazing and unique products to discover from Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America).
And last but definitely not least, if you see me wandering the aisles, please stop and say hello. Who knows, maybe we can even share a toast together. Cheers to a great Summer Fancy Foods Show!
A Veteran’s Tips
If you’ve been to as many Fancy Food Shows as I’ve been, you know that the key to a successful show from a visitor’s standpoint is to hit all the places that you want to hit, to keep a keen eye out for new things that might be good for your business, and to survive the physical stress of walking and eating and talking and looking. With that in mind, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your visit.
Take it slow. Don’t be in a rush. Strolling through the aisles and finding unexpected surprises is one of the best parts of the experience.
Map it out. The SFA has great materials at your disposal, including a map of the event space and where each exhibitor is located. Circle the booths that are of particular interest, and every time you round a corner, look at the map to see which of those exhibitors might be along that aisle.
Don’t eat breakfast. You will taste and taste and taste. Although not all exhibitors offer samples, there are more than enough exhibitors who are handing out bites.
Don’t be shy. The producers exhibiting there are there to make relationships. If you’re a distributor, they want you to carry their products. If you’re a restauranteur, they want you to request their products from your distributors. And these are human beings. They’ve been lugging product, standing on their feet for days, talking until their hoarse. Approach them with some warmth; they will appreciate it, and you may end up making some good networking contacts.
Wear comfortable footwear. Remember, 815,000 is a lot of square feet to walk. Your FitBit will think your car broke down.
Doggie bag it. Well, it’s not for leftovers, but for samples. Some exhibitors are very generous with handing out samples; some are very stingy. Some will give you samples if they think you represent a good amount of business for them. The SFA will give you bags to carry those samples. Unless you want to lug them around all day, choose what goes into those bags wisely and don’t be in a rush to fill them. They get heavy! And as for the stingy exhibitors, I get it. You may be there for your business’s needs, but there are many people attending who are just curious visitors who treat the show as a free market.
Smile and say cheese. You will never remember all the products you want to follow up on, so take lots of pictures and capture as much detail as you can in those images.
