What’s on at Fine Food?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
21 Aug 2006

Professionals from the food and hospitality industries will be checking in for their annual gathering at the international Fine Food exhibition, being held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre from 11 – 14 September 2006.

Fine Food is the premier event for the food industry. It runs in conjunction with Hotel Australia and Fine Wine & Spirits to present a one stop shop for the entire food and hospitality industry.

“The nature of these businesses makes it difficult for professionals to step out and see the latest trends. We believe anyone serious about improving their business will find the time to visit” said Exhibition Director, Timothy Collett.

“This year there will be more exhibitors, more new products and more international countries than ever before. Also there will be more seminars, meetings, dinners and other special industry events to attend”.

Restaurant Day, Monday 11th September
Monday has been designed Restaurant Day and a range of activities have been planned in conjunction with Restaurant & Catering Victoria and Profitable Hospitality to add value especially for restaurants.

• Free Seminars
  Free seminars will run on the show floor at 11am, 12pm and 1pm. Topics are ‘How to use Google to promote your restaurant’, ‘Kitchen systems to cut costs and increase profits’ and ‘Creating a productive and affordable workforce’.
  
  
• The Great Debate
  Melbourne’s top chefs and restaurateurs will be debating ‘That a Great Restaurant needs a Great Chef’ at 2.30pm on Level 1 of the Exhibition Centre. This special event is presented by The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival in conjunction with Restaurant & Catering Victoria. Entry is free.
  
  
• Restaurant & Catering Awards
  The popular regional restaurant and catering awards will be presented by the RCV on Monday evening in the Olympic Room at the MCG. Cocktails will be followed by the formal awards and entry is $50.

Melbourne Culinary Challenge
The Melbourne Culinary Challenge is back with hundreds of chefs coming to Melbourne to compete for industry wide recognition and $25,000 in prize money. Visitors to the show can watch all the action and purchase a seat in one of the three competition restaurants.

Liquid Talk
This dedicated theatre will present seminars and tastings from local winemakers each day, plus special appearances from Chuck Hayward (USA) and Bob Campbell (NZ).

Bakeskills
Junior teams from Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern territory will produce a range of intricate baked products in a live bakery on the show floor. The winners will be announced at the Baking Industry Gala Dinner at the RACV Club on Wednesday 13th September.

The ‘Best of the Best’ National Pizza Challenge
Competition for the title of champion pizza maker will be fierce as finalists from every State compete at the show in the grand final pizza cook-off. The winner will represent Australia in the America’s Plate Gourmet Pizza competition in New York.

The Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition
The Great Aussie Pie Competition is world famous, drawing entries and media attention from around the country. This year over 1,000 entrants from Australia and New Zealand will submit their best pies to the judging panel.

The AFMA Gala Dinner
The Australian Foodservice Association will be hosting their annual dinner and food distributor awards at Atlantic South Wharf on Monday 11 September.

Suntory Cup Cocktail Competition
Regarded as the number one mixing event on the Australasian bartender’s calendar, the Suntory Cup will take place on Tuesday 12th September. The top ten national heat winners will compete in a “Shake Off” under the watchful eyes of over 100 industry professionals in the Beverage Theatre in Fine Wine & Spirits.

Foodservice Association Breakfast
The Foodservice Industry Association will be hosting a breakfast seminar at 8am on Wednesday 13 September on Level 5 of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

Overseas Buyers Reception
The Government of Victoria will be welcoming overseas food buyers to Melbourne with a reception at the Department of Regional Development from 5pm on Wednesday 13 September.

Convenience Congress
Convenience stores have their own section within the show. In addition to the stands there will be field trips on Tuesday 12 September and a Gala Dinner for 600 at Crown at 6.30pm on Wednesday 13 September.

Nut Industry Dinner
The Nut Industry will be capping off their one day conference with a Gala Dinner at Atlantic South Wharf on Wednesday 13 September.

Timothy Collett says “Fine Food is a must visit for hospitality professionals. There is no doubt there’s something for every taste.”

Fine Food, Hotel Australia and Fine Wine & Spirits run from 11-14 September 2006 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Entry is restricted to persons working in the food industry. Persons not in this category including children will not be admitted. Visitors can obtain further details and register for entry to the show at www.finefood.com.au.

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For further media information, contact:
Rob Hiddlestone, Boscomm Marketing Communications
Tel: 03 9868 1616 Fax: 03 9868 1673 E: info@boscomm.com.au