Northern Restaurant and Bar Show 2010 – preview
There's a host of brand new exhibitors at the Northern Restaurant & Bar Show 2010, which takes place on 12-13 April at Manchester Central Convention Complex. Here's a taster of what they'll be showcasing
Established more than 150 years ago in 1856 by a local farmer, Althams has become one of the largest independent family owned and run company of catering butchers in the UK. Today it is run by Val Altham and her two sons James and Richard, great-great-grandsons of the founder, Thomas Altham.
Althams takes great care in sourcing, selecting and preparing its meat, poultry, game and charcuterie at the company's Morecambe factory, which achieved a full EEC Licence in 1994.
Speciality products include an extensive range of stuffed or marinated varieties hand-prepared for the chef and its own brand AQA (Althams Quality Assured) beef, lamb, pork and poultry sourced from local regions in the North West of England.
Stand 315
The supplier of premium spirits will showcase its Create a Menu system for menu design, artwork and print and present a Menu Mastery session at the Drinks Academy.
The session will provide an introduction to the creation of drinks menus, from how to name and describe drinks so they catch your customer's eye to where to place them on the menu to make sure they sell.
Stand 726
Designed to become a focal point in bars and nightclubs, the Boxer Fun amusement machine has already been a success in the USA. It has a solid metal base for stability and a soft leather inflated punchball and even has a girl or boy setting so everyone can have a go.
The company installs and maintains the machine free of charge and the engineers' response rate is within 24 hours to avoid losing potential revenue.
Stand 703
4.EPICURIO
Epicurio brings to the show a tabletop lemon squeezer from France for use by diners in restaurants or at events.
The top grade acrylic design piece is a more elegant way for diners to squeeze and pour juice from a single slice of lemon and means no lemon juice on their fingers or in their eyes and no pips on their food.
Existing users include Paul Bocuse in Lyon, Hotel de Paris in Monaco and Negresco in Nice.
Stand 107
5.FRETWELL-DOWNING HOSPITALITY
Software specialist Fretwell-Downing Hospitality (FDH) will be showing the latest version of its catering management and nutritional analysis system, Saffron Nutrition.
Interest in the web-based software has leapt as restaurants and pubs look for greater support to not only help control costs and aid menu planning but also help prepare for future challenges including allergen reporting and, in the wake of the recent Food Standards Agency industry consultation, calorie labelling.
Saffron's modules are designed to be flexible enough to enable customers to select which aspects of recipe management are right for their business, with the option of bolting on more functionality further down the line.
As well as reporting the nutritional analysis as a series of traffic lights denoting whether calories or other components are present in high, medium or low quantities, the latest version of Saffron can flag up to 15 potential food allergens.
Stand 539
Harappa Bombay Mix is a premium impulse snack targeted at younger consumers.
The company has taken traditional Bombay Mix and charged it with three explosive flavours - Hot Hot Chilli, Lime & Coriander and Mango Chutney - bringing the popular snack bang up to date.
Harappa Bombay Mix combines strong branding to maximise exposure at point of sale with innovative, user-convenient packaging which is also suitable for snacking on the go.
Stand 640
Koppert Cress is a Dutch company offering chefs a collection of flavoured cresses, micro-vegetables and edible flowers.
The group supplies 20 different cresses including the red-stemmed, radish-flavoured Chilli Cress, and a variety of other specialities with exotic flavours such as Dushi Buttons, which are sweet, aromatic flowers with a hint of mint and thyme.
Stand 203
The Local Wine Company sources wines from all over the world, which are produced mainly by independent wineries, and seeks wines that represent excellent value for money at each price point.
In addition to offering a flexible distribution service, the company provides customers with a full package of back-up support including wine list production, staff training and customer tasting events to help customers maximise the opportunity for wine sales and profit.
Stand 515
British wine brand Pig in a Poke will unveil the latest addition to its portfolio at the show. Old Spot Rosé joins Old Spot Red and Old Spot White varieties.
Its style was chosen by members of the public during an event at the Swan pub in Hammersmith, London, when they indicated a preference for a wine that is mid-pink, refreshing, flavoursome and fruity.
Stand 210
10.SYSTEMHOST
UK hosted and managed IT service provider SystemHOST aims bring its portfolio of IT services to the attention of operators in the catering sector.
Stand 200
11.VILLA SANDI
Villa Sandi, exponent in the art of Prosecco winemaking, will be at the show to stage its UK launch to the trade. In conjunction with UK partner D&D Wines International, Villa Sandi will unveil its exclusive on-trade range of premium still and sparkling wines from the Veneto region of Italy.
Highlights include elegant sparkling wines, showcasing a range of styles of Prosecco crafted from generations of expertise in this winemaking art and the Opere range of premium sparkling wines.
The company will also host a Discover Wine Masterclass to experience the versatility and opportunities offered by the different Prosecco styles.
Stand 601
Wilds of Oldham is a family run wholesale business offering a one-stop-shop for bars and restaurants in the Manchester area. The business has "partner" status with the four major brewers and a growing cask ale portfolio from smaller breweries around the country, and will launch its new wine list at the show.
Additionally on Monday afternoon, one of its main suppliers will be on the stand to hold a tasting session.
The company says that, as a member of the National Drink Distributors and the Society of Vintners, it is able to offer the service and back-up normally associated with a larger national company.
Stand 553
Already popular in Scandinavia where they are used all year round, the BBQ House is made from 120-year-old Northern Scandinavian Timber.
Wood N Dreams will be showing the 9sq m version, the smallest in the range, which seats up to 12 people. The company also supplies 14sq m and 25sq m versions, and can make bespoke sizes to order.
The BBQ House comes complete with cutlery, reindeer skins, kettle and barbecue, and is supplied as a kit, which the company delivers and assembles.
Forecourt
â- For more information about the show and to register for a free ticket visitwww.northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk
