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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW FOODSERVICE INDUSTRY OFFERS A NEW WORLD OF IDEAS For this exclusive interview, Tim Collett, Managing Director of Specialised Events, the organiser of Foodservice Australia, expressed his excitement at working with Convenience World for the first time. By Lorna Gloria. F oodservice Australia, which began as a hospitality event, has attracted increasing interest from convenience stores and supermarkets in recent years. “We can not only help them with food- to-go options, but many of the exhibitors also offer retail packs,” Mr Collett told Convenience World. “I encourage all food retailers to come along and discover a whole new world of ideas.” What are the changes that you’re seeing in the foodservice sector? And how has the current climate changed and defined the foodservice sector? Foodservice has just been through one of the most challenging years you could ever imagine. Lockdowns literally closed dining rooms across the country. Commercial catering across schools, universities, airlines, cruise ships and resorts were all stopped in their tracks. Central business districts remain quiet as people continue to work from home. Meanwhile food retailing was boosted and those outlets that were able to pivot to take-home meals actually did quite well. What we’re now seeing in the foodservice sector is a more pragmatic look at the business of selling food. Prices are creeping up, technology is cutting labour, menus are being streamlined, deposits are being taken with table bookings, and set menus are more common. Meanwhile take- away and take-home remain popular and we’re seeing a lot of promotional dollars being spent by the quick-serve restaurants and delivery services. What are some of the key challenges that continue to impact the foodservice sector, and what is Foodservice Australia’s role in addressing these? I talked about the need for streamlining menus and employing technology to improve profitability. These are not easy things to do, especially for small operators stuck within the four walls Specialised Events Managing Director Tim Collett. of their cafe or restaurant. Coming to a show like Foodservice Australia is the easiest way to discover new ideas and new suppliers. In a few hours they can sit through some seminars, try out some new equipment, taste some new products and talk to the people behind the brands. What are some key trends of note in foodservice? Where do you see the most innovation? There’s been a huge leap in cooking technology with greater automation, improved techniques and lower running costs. Ovens, fridges and fryers are all smarter and connected online. Convenience products and food regeneration have now reached a level where they’re often equal or even better than freshly prepared meals. Something we saw at our last show was the hot fridge, where you could literally take a warm meal out of the cabinet up to a week after preparation. The other major trend, of course, is the swing towards plant-based products. We would have more than a dozen new exhibitors at Foodservice Australia this year with products designed for this market. Some of them are meat substitutes while others are branching into entirely new areas. Australian start-up v2food will be there with their burgers and mince. Nestlé are bringing number one vegan chef Shannon Martinez to demonstrate their new convenience range. How are suppliers/manufacturers responding to these trends and demands? There’s definitely a greater focus on working with customers to help them rebuild their business. Suppliers have recognised the importance of adding value rather than offering another ‘me too’ product. What are some new and exciting formats to look forward to at the Foodservice Australia trade show? This will be the first big food show and we’re expecting a massive turnout from every sector of the food, hospitality and retail industries. Based on exhibitors and special events, it’s already the biggest show we’ve ever put together. Regular features like Chef of the Year, National Restaurant Conference, Aged Care Catering Summit and Cafe School will be returning, but after a two-year break there’ll be a lot of new content. We also have new features such as Plant Base, New Technology Hub and The Sweet Spot theatre. How many exhibitors and delegates are expected at the show? This will be the first show back, and there’ll be a huge turnout. We’re planning for almost 450 exhibitors and 10,000 trade visitors. We expect to see a lot of supermarkets and convenience retailers looking for new ideas in the retail and ready-to-eat categories. Visitors will also come from bars, cafes, commercial kitchens, hotels, hospitals, restaurants and venues. What’s next for Foodservice Australia and the outlook for 2021? We’re just so excited to be getting back to live events. Everyone is so tired of Zoom conferences, online research and unreturned phone calls. We’re all hungry for new ideas and connections. It’s time to reconnect and rebuild. I honestly think this will be the most exciting and important show we ever run. Let me get through this one and we’ll start planning for future events. 6 CONVENIENCE WORLD MAY/JUN, 2021