Ireland's Largest Foodservice And Hospitality Expo, CATEX, Returns 21st - 23rd February

By Dave Simpson
Ireland's Largest Foodservice And Hospitality Expo, CATEX, Returns 21st - 23rd February

CATEX, Ireland's largest foodservice and hospitality event, returns to the RDS, Dublin from Tuesday 21st - Thursday 23rd February 2023, with a firm focus on showcasing opportunities for businesses to thrive.

THE destination to experience product innovation, for three days visitors will have the opportunity to meet and reconnect with over 270 suppliers, network with industry stakeholders, source new energy saving and waste management tech, and watch hundreds of chefs and baristas compete on a national stage.

Established in 1965, CATEX, which is supported by Bunzl McLaughlin and Calor, has firmly cemented its reputation as the ultimate destination for the hospitality and foodservice industry and promises the opportunity to discover, network and drive profitability for your business.

Equally important is the need to foster skills and talent, and as the biggest foodservice and hospitality event in Ireland, the return of feature competitions will add to the excitement of the three-day event.

Features at CATEX 2023 include:

  • Panel of Chefs Chef Ireland Culinary Competitions - CATEX is the national centre for local excellence in the industry and nurtures Ireland's talent of the future through world-class competitions and expert demonstrations. A packed programme of live competitions across the three days, and home to Ireland Chef of the Year, means that visitors to CATEX will have the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with the very best chefs in the country.
  • Hosted by the Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) Irish Chapter, the National Barista Championships will see baristas go head-to-head, stirring up the coffee world to see who can come out on top.
  • Connecting chefs across the island of Ireland, Chef Network brings chefs together to collaborate, share knowledge, and learn from each other, as well as a working space where chefs will exchange ideas on the future of their industry; everything from sustainability, to how chefs are trained, the skills needed to run a food business, and food trends.
  • Aramark Producers' Showcase – a Dragons' Den style competition for food producers to be in with the chance to agree a supply partnership with one of Ireland’s biggest buyers in the Irish foodservice sector.
  • Spotlight on Sustainability: The Irish Foodservice Supplier Awards – the IFSA's – are aimed at acknowledging product and service innovation within the foodservice industry, with a central focus on sustainability. The theme for 2023 is Sustainability and the Circular Economy, with the awards shinning a light on suppliers who are at the forefront of industry’s response to the environmental crisis. Award winning products will be on display across the three-days.

NEW FOR 2023

  • Hospitality Cost Clinic - Powered by Trinity Purchasing

From energy systems and waste management to reducing your operating costs, the NEW hospitality cost clinic, supported by Trinity Purchasing Ireland, is a dedicated area showcasing innovative technologies and providing a unique opportunity for visitors to talk to industry experts and gain advice on how to improve efficiency within business and tips on how to lower rising energy costs.

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  • Chef Network Live

A live cooking area will offer exhibitors a chance to showcase their products on the big stage. Buyers from the worlds of hospitality, food & drink retail, wholesale and more will have the opportunity to discover unique new products from creative start-ups and innovative launches from some of the biggest brands in the sector.

·       European Speciality Tea Association Brew Bar

A unique opportunity to come and taste a range of the finest teas and infusions brewed by top professionals. Meet the people who are dedicated to the promotion and education of tea and provide the finest solutions to cafes, restaurants, and hotels.

CATEX is an event built by industry, for industry. Products and solutions to help industry professionals in foodservice and hospitality save on running costs, introduce new innovations and cater for emerging trends will be on display and this is where the real business is done.

"We're proud to have supported CATEX for many years and at a time when businesses within the hospitality and foodservice industries are focused on rebuilding and thriving amid a challenging environment, we are looking forward to reconnecting with businesses and our customers at CATEX," adds Oliver Kenny, Chief Commercial Officer of Calor, co-sponsors of CATEX.

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Oliver continues: "With a marked increase in the level of interest in sustainable energy efficient and lower carbon energy solutions for businesses, Calor's focus at the show will be to support business to lower their running costs with Calor representatives on hand to showcase our wide range of reliable and efficient energy solutions that can reduce running costs and carbon emissions."

As the one-stop shop for the food, drink and hospitality industry, this year's event has been developed specifically to meet today's challenges and to provide exhibitors with new business opportunities, and visitors with innovative solutions and new products to help their businesses flourish.

Commenting on its support for CATEX, Sean Martin, Sales Director at Bunzl McLaughlin comments: "Bunzl McLaughlin is a recognised industry leader in the hospitality and catering sectors across Ireland. A key component of our success rests heavily on the loyal customer base we’ve assembled over multiple decades of trading. Building these customer relationships has been made possible by trade shows such as CATEX.

"We rely on CATEX to demonstrate our unique level of industry knowledge, and to showcase our level of dedication and product offering to potential, new and existing customers.

"The three-day show provides an exceptional networking platform, where such exposure cannot be replicated. For that reason, we see our continued support of CATEX remaining an integral part of our business strategy, indefinitely."

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If you are in the foodservice, catering or hospitality industry then CATEX is the most important date of the year, serving up solutions for visitors through innovations, new energy saving products and services, and learning!

Make sure you're a part of it.  All visitors must pre-register online and can register for FREE at www.CATEXexhibition.com.

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