Alimentaria 2016 will be more gourmet- and experience-driven than ever to highlight and promote the quality, variety and wealth of Spanish food and drink products.
The event organised by Fira de Barcelona and Alimentaria Exhibitions-which takes place on 25-28 April-will show how to take advantage of the bond between the food industry, gastronomy and tourism to carve a niche in international markets. The programme offers more than 100 food-based activities, including cooking demo sessions, conferences and food and wine tasting sessions featuring renowned chefs of the calibre of Joan Roca and a brand new generation of young chefs who are winning international accolades.
The star gastronomic area will be The Alimentaria Experience with workshops and cooking demos. More than 40 Michelin-starred chefs will be appearing here, such as Mario Sandoval, Ángel León, Ricard Camarena, Rubén Trincado, Eduard Xatruch, Oriol Castro, Diego Guerrero, Beatriz Sotelo, Celia Jiménez and Yolanda León. Other great culinary cultures will also be on show, featuring Roberto Ruiz (Mexico); Andrea Tumbarello (Italy), Ricardo Sanz (Japan), Atul Kochhar (India), Mauro Colagreco (France) and Virgilio Martínez (Peru).
To discover the Spanish wines that are setting the trends, analyse the market and reveal the close relationship between food and wine, Alimentaria is launching Vinorum Think, an area for tasting sessions, conferences and cooking demos with food and wine pairings given by wine critics, oenologists, business owners, journalists, sommeliers and chefs. Notable names include the world’s most important sparkling wine critic Tom Stevenson and Master of Wine Debra Meiburg.
Other standout spaces include the Gourmet Olive Oil Bar where you can try over 100 brands of the finest Spanish olive oil and the exhibition entitled ‘Spain, Land of 100 Cheeses’ where you can sample artisan cheeses. There will also be dedicated areas on food and wine tourism, cocktails and spirits, and food trucks.
According to the general manager of Alimentaria, J. Antonio Valls: ‘We want to highlight how the food industry can increase its international sales through gastronomy and tourism.’. In Spain, the agri-food, hospitality, catering and tourism sectors account for more than 25% of the country’s GDP.
With the participation of some 4,000 companies from over 70 different countries, Alimentaria is the leading international showcase for Spanish gastronomy, food and drink. The trade fair, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, brings some 140,000 trade professionals to Barcelona, 35% from abroad.