Innovation at next week's Fine Food Australia

Innovation has become a crucial aspect for every business in the modern era, and Fine Food Australia 2017 will highlight some of the new and innovative trends in the food industry.

The four-day event celebrates new ideas, innovations and techniques and allows industry professionals to discuss and explore the future of the food industry. The 2017 show will feature an ‘Innovation Zone’, which is an area created in response to visitor demand for cutting-edge equipment and products, including sustainable QCamel camel milk, technologically freeze-dried fruits and vegetables from SunLife Superfoods, and world leaders in innovation such as Nutri-Tech Solutions.

Start-ups are perhaps most commonly associated with innovation as they can quickly adapt and change to suit customer demands and therefore have the ability to disrupt larger organisations. However, it is often difficult to establish a successful start-up in such a large market. The Start-Up Zone at Fine Food Australia gives food and hospitality start-ups who have been in the industry for less than a year an opportunity to learn from established companies and discuss new technologies and ideas with their peers. These include: ZURLO Artisan Focaccia Company, which uses a family recipe to bring a new range of traditional Italian Artisan Focaccia to food lovers; Yume Foods, which is a surplus food marketplace dedicated to creating a world without waste; and Hastings Co-op Bago Bluff Condiments, featuring 10 products made from farm-fresh local produce and raw ingredients.

This focus on start-ups carries through to the inaugural Lions’ Den, where start-ups and new businesses can pitch their ideas to a panel of industry professionals who will provide feedback based on a plethora of market knowledge. The winning company will be awarded with the FSAA Understanding Foodservice program.

The Future in Foodservice talk by Craig Rispin and Sissel Rosengren will also explore innovation in the foodservice industry. Whether it’s new flavour combinations, 3D printing or genetic engineering, continuously evolving technology can have a crucial impact on the development of the food industry.

Finally, thought-leadership will be provided through the Talking Food Stage presented by hospitalitycash.com.au, the Café Stage presented by Devondale and the Innovations in Patisserie Stage presented by Callebaut. The Talking Food Stage will feature industry leaders in business management, influencer engagement and technology who will discuss using some of the innovative technology mentioned above as a business advantage. For example, the ‘Small Business Insights’ interactive session with Ombudsman Kate Carnell, accounting expert John Corias and founder of Profitable Hospitality Ken Burgin will explore small business management and what support there is for small businesses.

For free educational sessions and demonstrations of new and innovative techniques, next week’s Fine Food Australia 2017 will be held at the ICC Sydney between 11 and 14 September.