Record-breaking 9th edition for European Sandwich & Snack Show

“Vive le sandwich!”

The future looks bright for the snacking industry. The French appetite for sandwiches and food-to-go shows no sign of subsiding. Renowned for their culinary heritage and gourmet cuisine, the French are also getting a name for themselves as fans of “le snacking”.
Indeed, the French alone currently consume some 1.2 billion sandwiches a year and this figure is set to reach 1.4 billion by 2010. (Source: Gira Foodservice)

The European Sandwich & Snack Show, the first professional trade show dedicated to the snacking industry, celebrated its 9th edition on 19th and 20th March 2008 at the Palais des Congrès - Porte Maillot in Paris. This year’s show boasted a record number of exhibitors - 266 in total - and the number of visitors also reached an all time high of 7300 people.

UK under the spotlight
British expertise in the field of snacking was the recurrent theme of this year’s show, with the Fresh Ideas Pole, dedicated to all things British. This pole highlighted key trends in the UK snacking industry, namely quality, taste, nutrition and diversity.

More than 50 chilled and ambient products were presented including offerings from both leading brands and private label products from Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Prêt à Manger.

The innovative “Water Bar” also had a British air to it, with the French importer IBB proposing an extensive selection of waters from around the world, including a variety of waters from UK.

British exhibitors continue to play an all important role in the success of this show. This year UK exhibitors covered a wide selection of product categories including: crisps, cakes, snacks, fruit juices, water and other soft drinks, packaging, plastic cutlery, drinkware and accessories, machines for buttering, slicing and packing sandwiches.

A date for your diary
As the European Sandwich & Snack Show closes its doors for another year and gets ready to prepare for an even more successful 10th edition in 2009, take the time to consider your export objectives. If you are targeting the European snacking industry, make sure you are a part of next year’s show! The 10th edition of the show will be taking place in Paris at the Palais des Congrès on 4th & 5th March 2009.

To find out more, visit: www.sandwichshows.com

Photo credits: European Sandwich & Snack Show

16 April 2008