Fine Food Australia opened its doors today in Sidney at ICC Sidney, Darling Harbour. The leading trade exhibition for the food industry in Oceania will last four days. The event is a showcase of the latest products and attracts buyers from restaurants, cafes, bakeries, retailers, caterers, bars, hotels and other food businesses. Italianfood.net is present too with a special insert dedicated to the Italian companies. This year Commercial Drinks, an industry event dedicated to bars and venues, will run alongside Fine Food Australia and showcase top craft and artisan beer, wine and spirits brands. Between 20,000-25,000 visitors attend Fine Food Australia each year.
The trade show
Fine Food Australia is a four day celebration of new ideas, innovations and techniques, and the perfect opportunity to see first-hand what’s next for the food industry. Visitors will find products from over 1,000 exhibiting brands showcasing: general & specialty food, catering equipment, hospitality equipment, bakery, drinks, coffee, tea, dairy, meat & seafood, retail & technology, fitout & design, packaging, natural, organic & free-from, and on-premise liquor.
The most dynamic categories
According to ITA – Italian Trade Agency, which also deals with the promotion of Italian food in Australia, there are some particularly significant product categories, spearheaded by processed or canned tomatoes: their revenue equalled 149.7 million Australian dollars, with an average annual growth of 2.4%. We need to highlight one of the trends of this sector in particular, namely a revived interest in home-made cooking, for premium products, as well as the appreciation of quality Italian products. By the same token, cocoa and its various forms of preparation (with a turnover of 3.2 billion Australian dollars, a growth of +4% over 2015) are enjoying a spectacular period. Premium varieties and dark chocolate are becoming more and more popular, and taste innovations keep consumers interested. In addition, the sale of small packages delivered a positive performance in 2016 with a 6% growth driven by a trend towards portion control. According to ITA, coffee is a high-traffic category: fresh coffee (ground, grain, or capsules) totalled 441.6 million Australian dollars against 856.2 million Australian dollars for soluble coffee. The demand for quality, sophisticated and high-end products also affects the cheese sector. This is reflected by the fact that retail sales rose by 2% in current terms in 2016, equalling 58 million dollars. Cheddar remained the undisputed leader (55%), while private label products accounted for 29% of the cheese market last year. Furthermore, as ITA points out, pasta counts as a staple diet for many Australians who generally prefer low-carbide and gluten free products in addition to ready-made dishes. The market has experienced a boom through the introduction of new types of pasta and more investment in marketing, as well as new sauces to complete the offer. Lastly, demand for mostly Europe-imported olive oil is on the rise. This is mainly driven by the increased attention to proper nutrition as well as the popularity of television programs that have contributed to an increasing interest in home-made cooking.
Promotions in the limelight
Italian Trade Agency in Australia contributes to the promotion of the Italian food presence in Australia by organizing trade missions of food business operators to fairs and exhibitions every year in Italy such as Cibus, Tuttofood, Cibus Connect, Vinitaly, Agrisol. It also organizes the Sydney Italian Festival every year, a celebration and promotion of the excellence of traditional Italian food. Our most loved Italian foods and Drinks are celebrated and promoted through a series of inspirational events, explains Sandro Mariani, trade analyst – Food and Beverage Industry for ITA Australia. The goals of the festival for the food products sector are educating the Australian consumers about Italian products and how to identify products representing the ‘Extraordinary Italian Taste’. Further to the above, the Italian Trade Agency is on the frontline to face and block the phenomenon of Italian sounding. Many companies and brands made in Australia, resembling logos and names of Italian products made in Italy, are sold in the Australian market and mystify the original and unique real Italian products Made in Italy. Like in other countries, Australian consumers are prepared to pay more for quality and for a truly traditional Italian product.
Italian companies
With the help of Italian Trade Agency, up to than 29 exhibitors companies from Italy are present at the trade show: Agromonte, Alcar Uno, Azienda Poggio Felice, Bianchi Industry spa, Blupura, Brazzale, Ca’ Tullio, Campo dei Fiori, Cantarutti Alfieri Italian Winery, Cantine Sgarzi Luigi, Consorzio Qualità Miele Varesino, Corsini Bakery, F.B.M. srl, Fattorie Umbre, Lauretana spa, Martellato srl, Mazza alimentari, Molino Pasini, Pastificio di Bari Tarall’oro srl, Pomati Group srl, Rossi d’Angera Distillatori, Salemi Pina, Sempione Hotel Ristorante, Spigadoro-Tesa, Talamonti, Tekneitalia, Topan, Valbuzzi, Wal-Cor.
