Taking place from Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 March, approximately 6,000 industry professionals are expected to attend IFEX, where more than 150 suppliers and manufacturers will be showcasing the latest products and services in the industry. Registration for the free-to-attend show is now open.

Marking the show’s 25th edition, restaurateur Michael Deane – who was the first-ever winner of Chef of the Year – will officially open the show, which will also be home to over 250 industry and student chefs who will descend on the Salon Culinaire at IFEX, making it Northern Ireland’s largest and most prestigious culinary competition.

Featuring a jam-packed schedule of culinary competitions, two of the most hotly contended accolades are the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs-supported IFEX Northern Ireland Chef of the Year and Northern Ireland Junior Chef of the Year competitions.

Reinforcing the importance of IFEX’s Salon Culinaire to the hospitality industry, Michael Deane says: “IFEX is a chance for all chefs – both from industry and education – to benchmark their skills against the best. It’s imperative to our industry that we compete both on skills and with our incredible produce therefore IFEX is instrumental in helping young chefs to raise their game.

“It’s where I first earned my stripes and winning Chef of the Year brought considerable publicity to my first venture in Helen’s Bay, Deanes on the Square. Today, we encourage many of our chefs at Deanes to enter the various competition as it’s hugely beneficial in terms of upskilling, instilling confidence and learning from peers.”

In addition to the ChefSkills Live Theatre at Salon Culinaire, there’s Street Food International and Edible Art competitions.

Organisers are confident that IFEX will demonstrate how business-to-business trade fairs can operate safely and effectively, whilst still driving new business to exhibitors and showcasing the latest products and services to visitors.

Toby Wand, Managing Director of 365 Events Ltd., owners of IFEX, comments: “Celebrating its 25th edition in 2022, IFEX has been the cornerstone expo for the foodservice, catering, and hospitality industries in NI. Needed more than ever before, IFEX is crucial for galvanising the industry and driving new business for exhibitors.

“Trade exhibitions provide a platform for businesses to meet and collaborate, creating opportunities for businesses both large and small to grow and expand their market reach. It is critically important for businesses, particularly those in the foodservice and hospitality sector to have a location where they can trade, display new products, be inspired, and share their knowledge – It is for this reason we’re excited to see the show open its doors on Tuesday, 29th March.”

The event is organised by 365 Events Ltd and more than 150 companies from across Ireland will be exhibiting and welcoming approximately 6,000 industry professionals who attend the event to do business, source new products and services, make new contacts and learn from fellow industry experts.

IFEX runs from 29 – 31 March 2022 at the TEC, Belfast. A business-to-business event, you can register to attend for free at ifexexhibition.co.uk.

Caption: Sean Owens, IFEX Salon Culinaire; Mena Khan Jalil, Chef competing at IFEX; Dolan Heaney IFEX Skills Coordinator and Michael Deane

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The show is coming to the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast from Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 March 2022.

Playing its role in helping the industry’s rising stars and talented professionals to battle it out in the kitchen, Salon Culinaire has always been central to IFEX and plays a key role in creating the electric atmosphere at Northern Ireland’s biggest foodservice and hospitality event.

As Northern Ireland’s largest and most prestigious chef competition programme, attracting chefs from all sectors of the industry and with all levels of experience, Salon Culinaire raises the bar in terms of culinary excellence in Northern Ireland, with the programme featuring more than 30 categories during the three days of the show.

At the heart is the ChefSkills Live Theatre – hotly anticipated as the place where the ‘best of’ culinarians in Northern Ireland are formally acknowledged – with previous winners including Michael Deane, Chris Bell and Roisin Gavin to name but a few.

ChefSkills sees an exciting series of back-to-back live hot competitions, including the hotly contended Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs-supported IFEX Northern Ireland Chef of the Year and Northern Ireland Junior Chef of the Year accolades.

Sizzling street food

Returning in 2022 is the sizzling IFEX Street Food International which will see teams of invited competitors from Northern Ireland’s catering colleges produce and serve a range of exciting modern street food style dishes.

Supported by Department for the Economy, each team will cook up innovative, high quality ‘al fresco’ street food dishes that will be served to pre-ticketed diners during lunch service at IFEX.

Following the launch of the new schedule, long-standing Salon Culinaire Director, Sean Owens comments: “I am thrilled to launch the 2022 Salon Culinaire at IFEX competition schedule; Belfast takes its rightful place as one of the top Salon Culinaire programmes in the UK and it is THE place to celebrate the skills within our industry.

“The past number of years have been a testing time for our industry, but with the return of IFEX, celebrating its 25^th anniversary, we are confident that our industry is strong and resilient, and we relish the prospects for growth and development throughout our sector.”

Sean added: “From student chefs and kitchen trainees to celebrated, leading chefs within the industry, we have a programme for all at IFEX 2022. I’m confident that we’re going to discover some extraordinarily talented young chefs, and to have uncovered and encouraged new talent to flourish at IFEX is exactly what the premier event for the food, drink, retail and hospitality industries is all about.”

Talented young chefs

Bigger and better than ever before, Salon Culinaire at IFEX is designed to nurture the talents of the province’s young chefs and it is with the help of the show’s sponsors that the show continues to be such a success – in particular the Government departments and industry-leading companies and agencies who have supported the event over many years.

Supporters for the Salon Culinaire 2022 include the Department for the Economy (DfE), Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Stephens Catering Equipment, Flogas, Budget Energy, Andrew Ingredients, Keenan Seafood and Frylite.

For those who hope to compete, ChefSkills and Edible Art are now open for entry. For more information, visit: www.ifexexhibition.co.uk/salon-culinaire

IFEX 2022 is taking place from Tuesday 29^th March to 31^st March at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast. To find out more about the show, visit www.ifexexhibition.co.uk or @ifexexhibition on social.

Caption: Catering students from Belfast MET with Sean Owens, IFEX Salon Culinaire Director and Paul Cunningham, IFEX 2018 Chef of the Year  

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NEXT March, Northern Ireland’s premier food, drink and hospitality event – IFEX 2022 – will return, opening its doors at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast and celebrating its 25^th anniversary, there’s set to be even more ingredients for a successful show than ever before.

Taking place from Tuesday 29^th to Thursday 31^st March, IFEX returns under new ownership, having been acquired via 365 Events Ltd – a company co-owned by events industry stalwart, Toby Wand and events specialist, Billie Moore – from London based Montgomery Group.

Commenting on the importance of the shows return, Toby Wand, Managing Director of 365 Events Ltd comments: ‘’As the world of hospitality recovers and realigns post-pandemic, vibrant business events like IFEX will provide vital meeting places for the industries to reconnect, uncover new learnings and discover relevant technologies to improve their businesses and customer focus.

“IFEX is firmly-rooted in NI’s hospitality industry and celebrating its 25th anniversary, next year’s show is set to shine a light on the importance of IFEX to Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector and the role that it has played in the development of skills within the sector since the show’s first event, back in the King’s Hall. We’ve exciting plans for the three-day show and are ensuring that every aspect of the event is relevant for the challenges and opportunities presenting themselves to the Foodservice and Hospitality sectors today.”

The last IFEX took place in 2018 at the Titanic Exhibition Centre, when the show was a sell-out with record visitor numbers. For 2020, the event was well on track to exceed expectations before the arrival of the pandemic, when everything came to a halt.  As the pandemic took hold, IFEX was postponed and then cancelled. Now with the re-building of industry, and particularly hospitality businesses, IFEX will return with strength in 2022.

Popular show features will be returning, including Chef of the year, the Great Taste Market and Salon Culinaire. With skills high on the agenda, NEW features on the menu include NI hospitality skills hub, a barista and mixology skills hub and the addition of IFEX Talks, a speaker stage playing host to live talks and panel debates daily.

‘’IFEX is a fabulous showcase for small producers and the Guild of Fine Food are keen to support the show once again with a Great Taste Market. Northern Ireland’s makers have an impressive track record in Great Taste, testament to the innovative, well-made and quality food and drink produced by people who care about their products,” says John Farrand, MD, The Guild of Fine Food.

Once again, the show is retaining its excellent relationships with industry associations in the province, including Hospitality Ulster and Retail NI and will be working hard to ensure cross-industry support. Confirmed exhibitors include show stalwarts – Stephen’s Catering, the official catering equipment partner of the Salon and Chef Skills, Flogas and Budget Energy. Paul Ruegg, Senior Marketing Executive, Flogas adds:

‘’Flogas & Budget Energy, as official Energy Partners, are delighting to be supporting IFEX 2022.  Flogas are proud to supply LPG to the Salon Culinaire and the ChefSkills Theatre, both of which play a small part in raising the bar of culinary skills throughout NI.  Flogas supply LPG & natural gas and Budget Energy supply electricity to the foodservice, retail and hospitality sectors in NI. Both Flogas & Budget Energy look forward to meeting members of the foodservice, retail and hospitality sectors who always turn out in their thousands to support IFEX.”

IFEX is a melting pot for all elements of the food, drink, retail and hospitality industries. Connecting producers and suppliers to distributors, and those in the foodservice and hospitality trade.

By booking early, exhibitors can take advantage of securing prime positioning and being included in the promotional campaign in the run up to the show. To find out more visit www.ifexexhibition.co.uk

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