Countdown to The Restaurant Show 2012

Sept. 1, 2012 - PRLog -- Catering professionals across all sectors looking for inspiration in order to develop and innovate both their business and as individuals will find everything they need to succeed at The Restaurant Show 2012.

In today’s tough economic climate, everyone in the industry, from chefs to front of house staff must be ready to embrace change and innovation in order to weather this stormy recession.

Be it updating a menu, investing in new equipment, learning new techniques, or offering better service than your competitor, food operators must have their finger on the pulse and be prepared to try new ideas, concepts and products in order to generate footfall and loyalty.

The Restaurant Show 2012 is this year’s must-attend event for any catering professional looking to be inspired. Held from October 8 to 10 at Earls Court 2, London, visitors will experience an impressive live event programme that includes The Centre Stage, Business Bootcamp, Competition Theatre, The Drinks Quarter and, new for 2012, with change and innovation in mind, the Street Food Market and the Artisan Producer’s Market.

“The Restaurant Show is a definitive platform for foodservice owners, chefs, sommeliers and decision makers from across the restaurant and catering sector, from independents to multiples and national chains, to meet face to face with their peers, explore new avenues, sample and discover new products, develop their knowledge, network and communicate,” said Rachel Quigley, event director of The Restaurant Show.

This much-anticipated event will entertain those from all sectors and at all levels, as well as educate and celebrate everything that is new and innovative across the restaurant industry. The Show provides people across the sector with a dedicated stage from which to meet new suppliers, generate new relationships and gather all the necessary industry knowledge so that they can return home with an array of ideas and experiences to positively move their business forward.

The Highlights
Centre Stage - showcasing the best of the best, with inspiring individuals who are well known and respected within the industry. This will include some of the UK’s leading chefs such as Philip Howard, Giorgio Locatelli, Sat Bains, Peter Gilmore and William Curley, who will be wowing the crowds with a host of inspirational workshops, masterclasses and demonstrations.

Business Bootcamp - a range of highly thought-provoking plenary sessions and panel debates where experts will discuss the latest news and trends from across the industry and address the most topical and controversial issues from the economy to sustainability.

Hot topics will include Street Food: A Business Revolution; Restaurants Countering the Recession considering how diversification can open up new revenue streams, and the Digital Forum, which is set to be another stand out session, taking a look at how restaurants should embrace the social media revolution.

The Competition Theatre will once again be buzzing as it hosts some of the industry’s leading competitions, and celebrates the best of the best in the sector. Competitions include the Junior and Senior Compass Chef of the Year, the Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year 2012 and Young National Chef of the Year 2012, as well as the newly launched Event Caterers Team Challenge (ECats) also in partnership with the Craft Guild of Chefs.

ECats will showcase the best private caterers operating across the UK, testing them in the delivery of corporate and private events, weddings and outdoor catering.

Craft Guild, vice president, Steve Munkley explained: “ECats has been created to celebrate the wonderful talents of event caterers. Chefs in this sector can all too often be overlooked as they don’t have a restaurant or hotel to showcase their talents. The chefs have all been set a brief based on a real outside catering event making the competition the perfect platform for them to show those across the industry just what they can really do.”
The Drinks Quarter will once again bring together producers, sommeliers and buyers to the on-trade in a highly informative and explorative tabletop sampling area. The line up includes Tim Atkin MW, Peter McCombie MW, Charles Metcalfe, Isabelle Legeron, Xavier Rousset and Gerard Basset, Christine Parkinson at Hakkasan and Rob Buckhaven.

On trend for 2012, The Restaurant Show has also developed and launched the Street Food Market, where visitors can recognise, celebrate and taste the growth of street food and see the entrepreneurs in this sector in action. Here visitors can enjoy a range of some of the most interesting and exciting cooking in London today. The Live Event area will recognise the dramatic rise of street food with gourmet food from mobile kitchens transforming urban spaces and people’s attitude and access to quality food.  

Traders featured within the market will include Sorbitum Ices, You Doughnut, The Bowler, The Rib Man, which is fast becoming a London legend, Luardos, Bhangra Burger, Big Apple Hot Dogs, Spit & Roast and Green Goat.

Street food expert, Petra Barran, who is helping to bring the Street Market to life, explained: “The people behind the Show clearly have their fingers on the pulse with regards the restaurant industry and what's really exciting in food right now.”

And, completely new for 2012, The Restaurant Show launches the Artisan Producer’s Market, where small producers or first-time artisan food and drink exhibitors can offer samples and tastes of their niche products to chefs and buyers. Exhibitors in this area include Celtic Marches Beverages, Ronaldo Ices, WhyNut and The Patchwork Traditional Food Company.

Be inspired
Among the 300+ exhibitors this year is sousvidetools.com, who will be inspiring chefs to create new, exciting dishes and taste sensations for meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and desserts through their new range of Sous Vide Water Baths and Sous Vide Thermal Circulator.

Great New Idea
What’s more, visitors and exhibitors alike will benefit this year from clear visibility of new products being showcased thanks to the Great New Idea created by the Show’s organisers to embrace innovation and change within the industry.

Visitors to the Show will be able to see at a glance which stands are demonstrating new products thanks to this new initiative that will make them more prominent and visible in their minds before, during and after the Show.

It is expected that the Great New Idea will encourage more exhibitors to take advantage of the stage offered by The Restaurant Show to launch new products, which in turn is likely to boost interest and sales.

A specially designed logo has been given to exhibitors to use on pre Show literature, as well as promoted on The Restaurant Show website, and communicated to visitors via email prior to the Show with the hope that everyone will be familiar with the logo once doors open.
All exhibitors launching something new at the Show will use stickers, featuring the logo, on their stand to make visitors aware that there are new products on display.

In addition, voting forms will also be available for visitors to vote for their favourite new product as a type of ‘best-in-show’ style competition. The winner will be announced on the final day (Wednesday 10 October) and one visitor, whose entry form is pulled from the hat, will win £250 for taking part.

For more information or to register for The Restaurant Show visit www.therestaurantshow.co.uk or follow @restaurantshow, or call 01293 610 230. This is a trade event and under 18s will not be admitted
If you wish to bring students along call 01293 610 230.