Visitors heading to Gulfood this week can meet their favourite Italian chefs, enjoy a food-tasting journey and sample authentic ingredients from over 200 producers at the Italian Pavilion which is now officially open for business. The Italian Trade Agency’s pavilion was opened last Sunday by the Italian Consul General in Dubai alongside Gianpaolo Bruno, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE, Oman and Pakistan. For the first time this year, over fifteen experienced Italian chefs from Dubai and Italy’s best restaurants are creating a wealth of dishes catering to a range of dietary requirements including, intolerances and allergies, food contrasts and vegetarianism, alongside modern interpretations of traditional family-favourites and an array of stylish and trendy recipes.
THE ITALIAN PAVILION
The Italian Pavilion is one of the largest at Gulfood and is supported by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). It is showcasing a broad range of authentic Made in Italy food products and crafted ingredients including grains, pulses, flours, pasta, rice, dairy products, canned produce, jams and juices, bread and baking, biscuits, sweets and snacks, seafood, oils and fats, condiments such as vinegar, coffee and beverages. The perfect event for importers, suppliers and distributors who will find everything they need to outsource.
THE ROAD TO TUTTOFOOD
The Italian Trade Agency will also be hosting the TuttoFood Event at the Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah today. It will be a special night to promote and celebrate one of the most important food fairs being held in Milan later this year from 6 to 9 May 2019. The international B2B show is dedicated to food & beverage and in just six years, it has become highly regarded in the national and international food and ingredients scene.
ITALIAN FOOD COMPANIES IN THE GULF
Italy boasts a wealth of family-owned small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that play a vital role in the country’s food production ecosystem, and are instrumental in the world falling in love with Italian cuisine, said Gianpaolo Bruno. “Gulfood is a very important event for us – he said during the exhibition – as it allows us to put these SMEs in touch with a number of distributors across various markets that they would otherwise not have access to. Each year our participation at Gulfood grows, which signals the success that Italian food companies have had in the UAE. This year, we have more than 200 Italian companies participating; around 150 of these are part of the Italian Pavilion”.
ITALIAN FOOD IN THE MIDDLE EAST MARKETS
“Italian products are known around the world for their high quality – added Bruno – and the standard with which they are prepared for exports to various markets. The UAE and the rest of the GCC markets are an important partner for us, and our exports have grown steadily over the past few years. We have seen an increase in demand for everything from traditional pasta to niche products such as truffles. Italian food exports to the UAE were recorded at more than $350 million last year”.