HostMilano to highlight baking, pastry and food-service trends in October

Milan, Italy –  The international trade fair HostMilano, set for Oct. 13-17, will showcase products, services, technology, equipment and innovations to professionals working in the bakery, pizza, pasta, ice cream confectionery, catering, coffee, tea, bar, coffee machine, vending, furniture, technology and tableware industries.

The show will serve as a hub for specialized products in the “Bakery, Pizza and Pasta” area, showcasing new market trends, technologies and most innovative formats that are changing this sector. Here are highlights of what attendees can expect:

The Bakery world amid technology and tradition

HostMilano will welcome top companies and a full range of dedicated products in the “Bakery, Pizza and Pasta” area in October, showcasing in advance the new market trends, technologies and innovative formats that are changing this sector.

Good as bread

Sustainability – environmental and social – healthiness, innovative equipment but also the revival of ancient practices are driving trends in the bakery world, HostMilano organizers said in a news release. Knowing how to make bread well is important. Pizza doughs and sourdough starter also recapture more traditional methods but are now made with new techniques and influenced by global street food in every culture. Nowadays a real “melting pot” of doughs can be found in our cities, such as khachapuri, the Georgian bread-cake, babka, the sweet bread of Jewish tradition, or the popular baguette.

What the consumer is looking for is sustainability, preferring locally produced flours and traceability of ingredients, while also paying attention to the social responsibility side. Thus, associations flourish around the world such as the U.S.-based Bakers against Racism, while in Italy a cutting-edge reality is Forno Brisa, which by networking with other bakers has launched a project to digitize and build a Mill in Abruzzo, with a crowdfunding campaign that has reached over three million euro.

A glimpse of the world

Even in the United Kingdom, the new consumer is informed and attentive to the origin of ingredients. HostMilano records a return to sourdough and a preference for products with alternative protein sources, in high demand by those on gluten-free or low-gluten diets, or by vegans. Ancient legumes and grains are becoming increasingly popular, and the example comes from a small bakery like Crow’s Rest, in Walton, which offers a wide range of gluten-free breads choosing from tapioca, arrowroot (or maranta root), potato, sorghum, oats, millet, corn, buckwheat and teff flours. In Spain, too, the practice of using sustainable flours and ingredients is spreading, especially for artisanal pizza, which in cities such as Barcelona and Madrid has reached high quality standards and is sometimes presented in alternative formats such as square pizza. Also trending is the use of fermented doughs. Dubai’s bakery production, from breads to cakes to pastries, is focusing on organic and local ingredients. Many bakeries in the UAE are also working to minimize their waste by using compostable packaging and reducing food waste.

IoT and delivery change the demand for technology

Italy is leading the pizza world in both equipment technology and ingredient quality. The Made-in-Italy stamp is also a driver for communication and marketing activities, with the big names in pizza making it possible to open new commercial channels. Delivery is one of the factors that has changed the market by making the mobility of ovens in restaurants and pizzerias increasingly attractive. Hence the demand for machines that are increasingly lightweight, adaptable to limited spaces and quick to reach the perfect temperature, but  also energy-efficient and requiring no masonry work for installation.

Therefore, in the bakery and pizza world, there is a significant demand for compact electric ovens that can be easily placed. Electrical technology is suitable in all those problematic situations due to chimney flues, especially in historic centres with old buildings. The lack of qualified personnel also dictates the demand for intuitive tools. HostMilano found that the market requires flexibility, in both size and use. Remote connectivity and new consumer styles are channelling demand toward agile, high-performance, easy-to-use equipment. 4.0 and IoT technology that enable machines to be connected to the Internet of Things to have access to remote controls and analytics is now crucial. These include knowing where the machine is installed, knowing how many dispensing operations have been performed and on which products, changing machine parameters, and managing alarms for maintenance alerts.

HostMilano will also present an overview of future trends in the 2023 edition. The show is set for Oct. 13 to 17, at Fieramilano Rho.

For more information and to register, visit host.fieramilano.it/en .

Follow the trends on social media @HostMilan, #Host2023