Ah, Paris

It’s almost here. The next edition of Europain & Intersuc begins
March 6 and runs through March 10 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte
Exhibition Centre in Paris. During those five days, more than 87,000
representatives from the traditional bakery, industrial bakery, pastry
and ice cream sectors are expected to attend – and do business with
more than 680 exhibitors.

Judges rate entries in the Bakery World Cup at Europain 2008. This year’s edition of Europain will feature an all-new competition – the Bakery Masters.

It’s almost here. The next edition of Europain & Intersuc begins March 6 and runs through March 10 at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre in Paris. During those five days, more than 87,000 representatives from the traditional bakery, industrial bakery, pastry and ice cream sectors are expected to attend – and do business with more than 680 exhibitors.

At the previous edition of the now-biennial show, in 2008, the exhibition buzzed with a wave of momentum that swept through the stands, around the halls, and caught the visitors in its dynamic flow. A hive of activity, the exhibition hosted 642 exhibitors and welcomed 86,367 visitors from every region of France and around the world.

“I have been to Europain six or seven times now,” says Stanislaw Budka, president of the Polish Federation of Bakers. “It’s a brilliant event, organized very professionally. The fair is well organized, but also, all the associated events are always of a very high standard. For bakers, the important one is the Louis Lesaffre Cup, which is always a big event. Another real advantage of Europain is its location, as it is easily accessible and also an interesting place to visit as tourists.”

The 2010 edition is expected to be just as exciting, especially now the exhibition is biennial, which will generate more sustained interest and encourage businesses to think creatively.

With 80,000 square metres of exhibition space, Europain & Intersuc offers a relatively intimate setting, organized by sectors, so that visitors can find their way about easily and get the most from their visit.

“Europain, while expanding and becoming ever more professional, has kept a personal feel at this trade event for bakers, pastry makers, chocolate makers and more,” says María-Cristina Galibert of Argentinean company Publitec SA. “I hope the spirit of Europain never changes, because it is this spirit that has made Europain so successful, and that makes it unique.”

Canadian baking industry representatives are equally enthusiastic about Europain & Intersuc. Although he won’t be attending in 2010 because of a shift in marketing strategy, Puratos Canada general manager Benoit Keppenne has been to two previous editions of the show and raves about its status as a harbinger of things to come and trends to watch.

“From a North American perspective it clearly shows where the trends are going,” he says. “It’s a great reference. If you want to see the best of the best, that’s where you go. You see new things, beautiful products … if you want top quality in bread, pastry or chocolate, you will find it.”

Keppenne echoes Galibert’s view of Europain & Intersuc as a fascinating mix of large and small, imposing and intimate.

“What’s interesting is that you have huge companies but also smaller manufacturers and retail shops,” he notes. “The biggest companies are there and they are showing off their talent and product, but because it’s Europe you will see more of the traditional artisan product as well. French people are pretty proud of what they do and consider themselves masters of food in general but especially bread and pastry.”

New competition
Europain 2010 will feature the show’s first individual bakery competition – the Bakery Masters. This new event promises to “bring together the best of the bakers who competed in the Louis Lesaffre Cups and the Bakery World Cup,” says organizer Christian Vabret.

“The aim … is to unearth, from among the 6,000 bakers we have met all around the world in the past few years, the real gems who will be able to represent their trade at an international level. By enabling bakers to prove themselves as individuals and to evolve as professionals, contestants in the Bakery Masters will be striving on behalf of our trade, raising standards ever higher.”

The competition will include three categories: bread, viennoiserie and artistic creation. Eight individuals will compete to become the three bakery world champions. The 24 competitors are between the ages of 18 and 55 and hail from 17 different countries throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

The competitors have all taken part in the 2008 Bakery World Cup and the Louis Lesaffre Cup international selections, held in 2006 and 2007. Eighteen were selected based on their scores from these competitions. Another six are wild-card competitors who were unable to demonstrate the full scope of their talent and knowledge when working with their teams during these competitions.

International Bakery Union president Peter Becker will preside over the Bakery Masters judges’ panel, which will consist of three master bakers from each category. The names of the judges will not be disclosed until the start of competition in order to guarantee impartiality during the contest. / BJ

8On the web:Europain & Intersuc: www.international-bakery-exhibition.com