The Hotel, Restaurant and Catering event will feature a bounty of food and beverage producers. Clare Nicholls rounds up what’s on offer

Hospitality trade show HRC will be bringing the most up-to-date flavours to London’s ExCeL on 25-27 March, alongside sister events IFE, IFE Manufacturing, the Pub Show and chef competition International Salon Culinaire.

HRC, part of Montgomery Group’s new overarching Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, has lined up exhibitors to appeal to chefs, and one chef who will definitely have the dates in her diary is Lisa Goodwin-Allen, who has signed up to be the show’s chef ambassador.

Goodwin-Allen, who has been leading the kitchen brigade at the Michelin-starred Northcote hotel in Lancashire since the age of 23, is also a regular face on Great British Menu, Snackmasters and James Martin’s Saturday Morning. As part of her HRC role, Goodwin-Allen will be taking part in a keynote session on the show’s Vision Stage and will be a guest of International Salon Culinaire.

Those responsible for sourcing food and drink products will also want to peruse the latest launches in this part at the show.

Aviko

Visitors to Aviko’s stand can try its portfolio of potato products, including the improved Hash Brown Bites, SuperCrunch Pure & Rustic and Grip ‘N Dip Fries. Its new launches include Camembert Bites – bite-sized pieces of Camembert wrapped in crispy golden crumbs – which has long holding time, making it suitable for dining-in or takeaway and delivery.

• www.aviko.co.uk
• Stand H320

Beyond Belief Brewing Co

The recently launched brewing company Beyond Belief Brewing Co will be introducing itself to the industry at HRC. The firm will be showcasing its patented process to transform surplus food into a base malt for its beer. Beyond Belief can repurpose anything, from pasta to noodles and flapjacks to become pale ale, IPA and Vienna lager.

• www.beyondbeliefbrewing.co.uk
• Stand: Taproom E

Cambrook

Snack brand Cambrook will be displaying its new range, including chocolate coated nuts that are made using a traditional panning method in the coating process, with high-cocoa chocolate. Two further additions are salted pretzels and giant chilli corn, both of which are served in the cocktail bars of some of Cambrook’s best-known hotel customers.

• www.cambrookfoods.co.uk
• Stand 5349

Chelmer Foods

Chelmer Foods will be using the show to highlight how it has recently expanded into the foodservice market with its new offerings including glacé cherries in 1kg tubs, chickpeas in 3kg bags, walnut halves, whole pitted seedless dates in 3kg bags and pumpkin seeds in 1kg bags.

• www.chelmerfoods.com
• Stand H760

Delamere Dairy

Delamere Dairy will showcase its 97ml bottles of semi-skimmed milk and oat drinks to foodservice customers. The bottles are a suitable size for hotel rooms and the drinks are heat-treated to ensure a shelf life of up to six months unopened. Once opened, they should be treated as fresh milk and can be used in hot drinks or poured over cereal.

• www.delameredairy.co.uk
• Stand H281

FlavOil

Independent oil producer Akarya will be launching extensions to its FlavOil brand at the HRC show, including a cold-pressed, organic high oleic sunflower oil, an unrefined oil with fewer saturated fats than extra virgin olive oil. The brand also has refined oil for frying, which has a neutral taste.

• flavoil.co.uk
• Stand H771

Jefferson’s

Jefferson’s will be showcasing its 12 new flavours of organic milk ice-cream for the restaurant trade, including ‘brookies & cream’, strawberry compote and sea salt caramel, all available for delivery in central London in 4 litre tubs. For deli customers it is launching a range of 370ml takeaway tubs in six flavours, as well as its ‘Sammie’ line – a handmade ice-cream cookie sandwich.

• [www.jeffersonsicecream.com[(www.jeffersonsicecream.com/)
• Stand H716

Lutosa

Potato product supplier Lutosa will be highlighting a trio of recent additions on its HRC stand. Its new mozzarella sticks are lightly seasoned and made with real mozzarella cheese, and its spicy fries are made from high-quality potatoes and coated with a mild Tex-Mex seasoning. The trio is completed by Smoky Barbecue Fries, which are seasoned with a blend of barbecue spices, wood smoke and a touch of salt.

• www.lutosa.com
• Stand H360

Oatly

Oatly will be exhibiting its new format of Oatly Whippable Creamy Oat, sized for foodservice providers. The latest 1 litre variety of dairy alternative Oatly Whippable Creamy Oat can be used in both warm and cold applications and expands to three times its volume once whipped, with a creamy texture, hint of oat and less saturated fat than dairy cream.

• www.oatly.com
• Stand H381

Peppadew

Pepper brand Peppadew will be showcasing its sweet piquanté peppers, jalapeños slices and halves and Peppadrops, as well as Peppadew Bites. Visitors can try the three new Bites flavours, its latest additions to the foodservice range: mac and cheese, pizza herb and mozzarella, exclusive to HRC. The frozen Bites are made in the UK and have an 18-month shelf life, contributing to waste reduction.

• www.peppadew.com
• Stand H311

Santa Maria

Mexican food specialist Santa Maria will be displaying its new salsa range at the show, including its Mexican Salsa Roja, Salsa Rio Grande and Mexican Salsa Verde, which are all vegan and created with no added preservatives. Visitors will also be able to see the brand’s latest customisable snack bases – lentil waves, crispy rings and corn cones – which can be cooked, flavoured and served in under a minute.

• www.santamariaworld.com/uk/foodservice
• Stand H317

Symphonie Pasquier

French baker and pâtissier Brioche Pasquier will be presenting a signature range created for the foodservice market, including ready-to-serve tartes, tartelettes, choux pastry, petits fours and macarons. The new crème brulée tartelette has creamy, crunchy burnt sugar flavours in a crisp pastry shell. It is hand-finished and can be served in minutes.

• www.symphoniepasquier.com
• Stand H783

Pitch perfect: show off your product to Aramark

Contract caterer Aramark UK will be on the hunt for innovative, sustainable and passionate suppliers and partners at this year’s HRC.

In a Dragon’s Den-style event, a panel of industry experts from Aramark will hear short pitches from emerging and established brands in order to showcase their products or services. The brands who impress the panel most will be launched into Aramark sites across the country.

The opportunity is open to all exhibitors taking part in HRC and sister events IFE Manufacturing, IFE and the Pub Show.

Stephen Brennan, vice-president, supply chain and procurement at Aramark UK, says: “The previous edition of the showcase was a huge success for Aramark, allowing us to discover and connect with a range of great brands and businesses, some of whom have gone on to become incredibly successful and trusted partners.

“For 2024 we’re excited to be expanding the showcase and inviting all suppliers to the hospitality sector with innovative products and services, to apply for the chance to pitch to our panel of foodservice experts. We’re particularly keen to hear from SMEs, diverse businesses and social enterprises that are participating in HRC this year.”