Specialty food delegates from around the globe descended on Midtown Manhattan this weekend for this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show.
Hosted by the Specialty Foods Association (SFA), the event saw as many as 2,400 companies exhibiting their produce to over 34,000 attendees at the expansive Javits Center, offering stunning views of the Empire State Building to the East and the Hudson River to the West.
The show featured retailers, restaurants, foodservice providers and producers from North America and beyond, including Whole Foods, Kroger, Formaggio Kitchen, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, UNFI, KeHE and Southern Season.
Growing Sector
The specialty foods market is a key driver of growth across the entire food retailing market, according to new research by the SFA in collaboration with Mintel.
“Conventional food grew at just 1%, and specialty food grew at 5.5%,” said David Lockwood, consulting director, Mintel.
“Specialty has been leading the overall food market for a long time, and will continue to do so. We see conventional growing 1.5% to 2% per year through 2022, and specialty growing about 6% annually.”
As with many sectors, provenance continues to be the key trend in the specialty food market, Lockwood continued.
“Local is always big, and will always stay big, no matter how it gets defined,” he said. “Even if you happen to be national, finding ways to connect with people on a local basis is important.”
Greek Focus
One of the big local attractions was this year’s the focus on Greek cuisine. The Mediterranean country took the spotlight this year as the SFA’s partner country.
The Greek Pavilion saw a host of exhibitors representing the olive oil and olive industries, as well as a range of dairy, honey, marmalades, nuts, and grains at their booths.
North American is one of the largest export markets for Greek products and many exhibitors said that Americans were turning more and more to the Greek and Mediterranean cuisine due to its renowned health benefits.
Popular Products
Olives and olive oil are already a popular product in American restaurants and supermarkets. Dairy products are expanding too, although some producers and processors are still working on growing their US presence.
“We currently export our feta and other cheeses such as goats cheese to the American market,” said Georgios Vanidis, of Mevgal SA, which produces dairy products out of Koufalia in northern Greece. “However, exporting yoghurt is more difficult because it is more perishable.”
“We are delighted that we can highlight Greek produce at this year’s show,” Vanidis continued. “We really believe that the North American appetite for Greek products will continue to grow into the future.”
The Summer Fancy Food Show continues today. Check ESM's Twitter feed for must-visit stands at the show.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Duggan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
