Sirha 2011 Sets the Trends and The Tandem Tasters Will Cover It

As many of you are aware, Brenda and I, The Tandem Tasters, covered Sirha 2009 which included Bocuse d’Or. Our long time friend, French Master Chef, Herve Laurent, accompanied us. He had been inviting us ever since we co-authored a book with him in 2005. We first met Herve in the late 90’s when he was Master French Chef at Le Cordon Bleu in London. He then moved on to that role at the Bocuse Institute. Finally, in 2009, we took him up on his invitation. We were hooked. We thought once would be enough, but it is just a teaser.

In addition to Bocuse d’Or, it covers so much more. The Sirha trade show that accompanies this event is a food lovers dream and a chef’s utopia. We are going to be sharing with you some of the events that will be taking place in 2011.

Sirha 2011 sets the trends:

A stage set for discoveries, dedicated to all the trends

at the leading edge of the catering sector

The world hotel and catering exhibition 22-26 January 2011 at Eurexpo, Lyon, France

With consumers’ eating habits changing constantly, it is essential for professionals to look for new products and high‐performance equipment and, above all, anticipate the consumption trends of the future. Presenting quality products is no longer enough. Consumers now want to eat appealing, healthy or surprising products. Depending on their mood or the time of day they may want a take‐away meal or a snack, to cook for themselves or simply take time to savour a meal.

To meet consumers’ ever‐changing expectations, keeping a step ahead is hence vital for professionals in all branches of the catering industry – from institutional caterers to gourmet restaurants, fast‐food outlets and hotels. In 2011, Sirha will be a “trends laboratory” inventing the food service of tomorrow.

This is how Marie‐Odile Fondeur, exhibition manager, describes the 15th Sirha: a stage set for discovering trends, dedicated entirely to innovation and catering in all its forms.

Sirha: bringing together all the catering trends!

With an even more extensive and constantly renewed range of products, equipment, technologies and services (more than 2,000 exhibitors in 2011, including more than 570 from outside France, 17 international pavilions and a 9% increase in floor surface, including 25% more for the bread & pastry‐ making sector), Sirha will offer a complete overview of the catering, hotel and food world.

Demonstrations, events, contests, round‐table sessions, forums to exchange ideas & know‐how: we pull out all the stops during the five‐day show to fire up and inspire creativity, provoke thought and generate business opportunities in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

An astonishing programme dedicated to innovation

With each successive show, Sirha has built up a network of renowned chefs, visionary designers and leading industrial R&D players who are all exploring various paths to innovation. These paths converge at Sirha, and the programme for the 2011 show is specially designed with this in mind.

Sirha sets the food service trends for the next 4 years, in collaboration with Loeb innovation Sirha and Loeb Innovation have undertaken an in‐depth study of the consequences of the profound changes occurring in consumers’ eating habits. This analysis by market sector incorporates all the elements of the “marketing mix”: concept, offering, decor, services and price. Obviously, the key themes of this study were organic food, nutrition, health, the pleasure of eating, sustainable development, etc. During the Sirha meetings, taking place on 22 September 2010, the Sirha Trends Book sponsored by a famous chef will be unveiled. An event with a surprise in store that will offer attendees an unexpected sensory experience.

August 2010“En K de soif et de faim”, the 2011 version of the Sirha Food Studio The 2011 Sirha Food Studio will round off the programme and reveal some surprising, innovative ideas for foodservice professionals. The five stands, representing a real trends laboratory and grouped together under the name “En K de soif et de faim” (a play on words around “a little something to eat and drink”), will reveal an urban foodservice concept for people on the move, integrating issues such as a balanced diet, well‐being, eating for pleasure and sustainable development. The Food Studio is a forum for talking and experimenting, where visitors will be encouraged to play an active part and explore a new vision of culinary innovation.

Sirha, the finest setting for some exceptional contests

Projected on to big screens, the skills, creativity and know‐how of the chefs and pastry makers competing in these thrilling contests will inspire the spectators. The brand new Paul Bocuse Hall (10,500 m2) will be mostly dedicated to the Chefs Area and also host a completely redesigned contest area, with spectator seating capacity doubled to nearly 1500. More open contest kitchens will also give spectators an enhanced view of the events.

In 2011, the concept for this area will focus on sustainable development, which will also provide the theme for the decor in the Village and the fittings in the contest kitchens.

The “Bocuse d’Or”, the best of international cuisine Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 January After an 18‐month worldwide selection process, with 56 national selection competitions and three continental events in Latin America, Asia and Europe, 24 finalists head to Lyon to go head‐to‐head in a unique competition where they will have to create their personal interpretation of a set dish, watched by an enthusiastic audience. Above all, this is a human adventure calling upon the candidates’ personal experience, culinary heritage, technical skills, creativity and ingenuity, reflecting the passion they all share. The next Bocuse d’Or will be staged in the new setting and awarded in the presence of Yannick Alleno, honorary president (three Michelin‐starred chef at the Meurice restaurant, 1999 Silver Bocuse winner), Geir Skeie, president of the international jury (2009 Bocuse d’Or winner), and, of course, the founding president Paul Bocuse.

The World Pastry Cup, the art of all things sweet Sunday 23 and Monday 24 January The 2011 edition of this contest, created and presided over by one of the leading French pastry chefs, Gabriel Paillasson, will have two honorary presidents: Usuke Takahashi and Kazuaki Takai. Over its 20‐year history, the World Pastry Cup has transformed pastry‐making into an art form. Twenty of the best pastry‐ making teams on earth will vie with each other as they strive to lift the coveted trophy. The finalists come from 38 countries, where national selection competitions (continental events in the case of Asia and Latin America) were held over the past two years. It is also a human adventure with passion and creativity at its heart, where teams comprising a pastry chef, a chocolate specialist and an ice‐cream specialist battle to take creativity to new heights.

All segments of the catering trade will find inspiration at Sirha

The Gargantua competition

Institutional catering professionals will also have their special events, a highlight being the crowning of the Best Institutional Catering Chef during the Gargantua competition. An opportunity to see how this segment of the catering trade is changing, along with its prospects and constraints.

A brand new competition: the European Catering Cup

For the first time the Sirha Chefs Area will be the venue for the European Catering Cup, organised at the initiative of the Confédération Nationale des Charcutiers Traiteurs et Traiteurs (CNCT) and the Association pour la Promotion de l’Image de la Charcuterie (ASPIC). Twelve teams from across Europe will take part in this new competition, where they will face the challenge of creating a savoury and sweet buffet for an event on the theme of “the New World”. A highly visual event.

The Gastronomic Creativity Festival

40 creative chefs will battle it out in a friendly gourmet contest showcasing the creativity and technical skills behind French cuisine. “Le Chef” magazine will organise demonstrations interspersed with debates to foster even more dynamic interaction with the audience.

In 2011, baking will be on the rise at Sirha

With 25% more exhibition space, the bread and pastry‐making sector of Sirha is growing and developing, and will become the National Bakery Show in 2011. Intersuc, a quality brand name familiar to Europain visitors, will bring together the Confectionery and Chocolate‐making sectors. The Sirha Bakery Trends Area will be the venue for professional contests showcasing bakers’ knowhow, such as the Louis Lesaffre Cup, the European selection event for the 2012 World Bakery Cup, and the French Bakery Cup.

The bakery sector will have a higher profile than ever before at Sirha 2011! And since the 2011 show will place a definite focus on all that’s new, it will include a new professional show

called Place des Vins, shining a spotlight on wines from south eastern France.

2009, a record‐breaking year!

At Sirha, all the trades and sectors of the catering industry are represented under one roof. Year after year, show after show, the event keeps on growing. The 2009 figures prove it!

‐ 141,380 visitors (more than 11% international) ‐ 2,098 exhibitors (20% international) ‐ 13 international pavilions ‐ 1200 demonstrations every day

‐ 600 innovations presented including 150 exclusive world premiers ‐ 10,000 chefs from 136 countries ‐ more than a thousand journalists representing the major media from 136 countries.

As you can see, we will be busy with so much to write about when we return. Best of all, Herve and his wife Nadia will be joining us again is Lyon. You can read more about Herve if you’d like. He has a great cooking school now.