fancy food show 1 SUNDAY DAILYOFFICIAL JANUARY 19, 2020 INCUBATOR VILLAGE • SAN FRANCISCO FOOD SCENE • TODAY’S LINEUP • FLOORPLAN HAPPENING TODAY Sustainable Products, 9:45 a.m. Asian Sauces Among Show Trends Ribbon Cutting PHOTO LOOP SEVEN LOOP PHOTO North Hall, Lower Lobby By Denise Purcell 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Grass-fed milk chocolate and peppery Exhibit floor open Cambodian sauces hint at some of (Esplanade Exhibits and What’s the trends on display at the Winter NEXT in Food open at 9:30 a.m.) Fancy Food Show, which opens today 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. at Moscone Center in San Francisco. Passion x Purpose: Specialty Throughout the show, which runs Food Change Makers until Tuesday, January 21, the SFA Big Idea Stage: South Hall, Trendspotter Panel of buyers, chefs, food Front of Aisle 1800 writers, educators, and other industry 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. professionals will report daily on their 5 Key Drivers in Specialty official selections for trends from the Food for 2020 Winter Show. Main Stage Here are some initial trends and innovations Sustainability-Driven Product Development More packaged food products are working to build a 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. expected to emerge, with a few examples of each. More Big Idea Talks examples can be found throughout the show floor. stronger future for their community and the planet. Big Idea Stage: South Hall, See TRENDS p. 3 Front of Aisle 1800 1 - 2 p.m. SFA President Talks Italy Is Partner Country for Policy Spotlight: Key Issues for Your Specialty Food Business Membership, Brand Changes 2020 Fancy Food Shows Main Stage Phil Kafarakis discusses the Specialty By Julie Gallagher 2:15 – 3:15 p.m. Food Association’s new membership Italy is the partner country for the 2020 Winter and Starting Small: Packaged Food policy and recent rebranding. Summer Fancy Food Shows. Although the Specialty Entrepeneurs from La Cocina By Julie Gallagher Food Association has often had a partner country for Share Their Stories Summer Shows, this is the first time it’s including the Big Idea Stage: South Hall, The Specialty Food Association’s new Winter Show in a partnership. Front of Aisle 1800 membership policy has begun its debut. Is the new policy more inclusive? Under the banner, “The Extraordinary Italian Full Schedule on p. 14 Taste,” more than 75 food companies from nearly every Yes. We want to engage food producers earlier in their region in Italy will present the best of Italian pasta, development process, get involved with early-stage cheeses, olive oil, and charcuterie, to buyers from large SFA Member Update entrepreneurs and better support those ‘emerging and small retailers and the restaurant world at the makers’ along their journey. That’s new for us but we Meeting Today Winter Show. believe it will be embraced by the whole membership. The Specialty Food Association "Americans love Italian cuisine and Italian The industry is very willing to share experiences and Member Update Meeting will specialty foods have played an important historic knowledge across channels—that can be a godsend take place this afternoon at 5 role in expanding the appetite for global flavors in for someone just starting out. We foresee members p.m. on the Main Stage, Level 2. the United States," says SFA President Phil Kafarakis. utilizing the SFA and its resources to start new SFA members are encouraged to "Today, even as we see expanding disruption in ventures as well as build on existing success. We’ll attend. The Leadership Awards consumer eating habits, authentic and innovative also be actively seeking members who are retail and Ceremony, hosted by Amanda Italian products continue to be influential across foodservice buyers and who come from the broker/ Little, author of The Fate of all channels. We’re excited to see what they will be distributor segment. After all, they’re critical for Food, will immediately follow. bringing to the 2020 Fancy Food Shows." industry success. The Italian Pavilion Lounge will feature cooking See SFA PRESIDENT p. 3 See ITALY p. 3 SHOW NEWS TRENDS continued from p. 1 ITALY continued from p. 1 “Whether it’s plant-based foods, regenerative agriculture, or upcycling—the trend continues to demonstrations and wine and coffee bars. During the be values that center a path towards more sustainability,” notes Trendspotter Reem Assil, chef show, Italian tastings and cooking demonstrations and owner of Reem’s California. will also be held at two stations within the Taste it Examples include a grass-fed milk chocolate collection from Alter Eco that is made with Live! interactive experience, located in the passageway Peruvian cocoa sourced from fair trade farms that practice restorative farming methods. Another between North and South Halls of Moscone Center. One confectioner, U.K.-based Flower & White, has introduced plastic-free packaging for its line of area will be dedicated to samplings of cured meats and meringue bars, now available in paper sleeves. cheeses. A mixologist will present liquers and cordials Incubator Village, an area on the Esplanade level highlighting food incubators and the and demonstrate how to create an Italian cocktail. startups that partner with them, showcases several sustainability-minded snack companies. For At another Taste it Live! station, chef Fabrizio instance, 12 Tides Seaweed sources organic seaweed from regenerative North American ocean Facchini, executive chef partner, Cotto NYC and farms to create snacks while Ugly Pickle upcycles farm surplus and irregular produce to make President Cooks Alliance Slow Food USA, will present pickles and spreads. a typical Italian menu with appetizers, pasta, and Global Sauces and Seasonings risotto. Italian coffee and breakfast snacks as well as Seasonings and sauces touting flavors and recipes from around the world will be prevalent samples of Italian wines and prosecco will be served at the show. “Much like Sriracha has joined the diner and coffeeshop ranks side by side with during the show. ketchup, the same will happen for banana ketchup and mayo-ketchup,” says Trendspotter and Italian foods will also have a presence in the Level food columnist Illyana Masonet. Up Buyers’ Lounge where a tasting corner for cheeses On the radar at this show are sauces and dressings from various regions of Asia. Angkor and salami, as well as Italian liquers and cordials, will Cambodian Food is exhibiting its Tuk Meric and Kroeung Prawlak, a tangy peppery sauce and be set up. Italian espresso, cappuccino, and pastries will a marinade for Cambodian BBQ meat on a stick, respectively. Burma Love Foods is showcasing also be served in this area. Fermented Tea Leaf Dressing, traditional Burmese dressing made locally from tea leaves “We are proud of what we have conceived, planned imported from Burma. KPOP Foods has a Kimchi Mayo Sauce, a flavorful aioli sauce, and The and created,” says Donato Cinelli, president of Universal Spice Hunter is showcasing Japanese 7 Spice, traditionally known as Shichimi Togarashi, or Marketing, the Italian Pavilion organizer. “We’ve put seven-flavor chile. our maximum effort in realization and production into More trends and innovations from the Trendspotters will be reported in tomorrow the first of the two Fancy Food Shows, during this year morning’s edition of the Show Daily. which is very special for us.” SFA PRESIDENT continued from p. 1 What does the transformation Why is now an opportune time to mean for existing members? transition to the new brand? Expanding membership for us will go hand-in-hand The food industry is in the midst of disruption and with expanding member benefits and services. We evolution as big brands stumble and smaller specialty know through our research that the Association has brands gain in popularity. We believe that the current been viewed as the Fancy Food Shows and not much American appetite for clean, authentic, flavorful, and beyond that. And the two shows, Winter and Summer, healthier foods drives the specialty food segment, in that we have been producing for decades are vitally particular, and is why we exist as an association. important to us and to the industry. But we’re more than As part of our efforts to represent the burgeoning the host of industry events. specialty food segment, our new look and feel is now more This extension of our membership confirms our representative of the 3,800 cutting-edge companies that make up our commitment to bring the diverse communities of food makers, membership. This rebranding process puts us in tune with our members’ goals buyers, distributors, brokers, and others together to build the specialty food and confirms our commitment to serve them well throughout the 21st century. segment and increase consumption of our products. We’ll do this through What’s next for the SFA? programs and services that help companies launch and grow. Our vision statement—Shape the Future of Food—is a platform designed to The SFA also recently underwent a rebranding. define the specialty food industry for years to come. It is also an invitation to What does the new brand represent? join with us in shaping the industry of tomorrow. The SFA wants everyone Food has been evolving in the hearts and minds of consumers and we want involved in producing and distributing specialty food products to see to represent that. Through our rebrand and plans to expand our member themselves in this phrase, to feel that they are, or can be, part of the mission, offerings, we’re committing to better reflect the diversity of our consumer- and that they have a seat at our table. Anytime the SFA uses this tagline, focused industry. we remember that it is never about just the Association.