This September, the highly-anticipated Food and Hotel Asia (FHA) – Food & Beverage will make its momentous return to an in-person physical event, two years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Held across four days from 5-8 September 2022 at the Singapore Expo, the 2022 edition will feature the very best of Italian cuisine at the Pavilion ITALIA – hosting more than 60 Italian exhibitors who will be showcasing various Italian food specialties, ranging from cold cuts, cheese, olive oil, truffle, condiments, wines and more.

The event, one of the region’s longest-running food and hospitality biennial trade events serving the hotel, restaurant, and café sectors, is expected to attract more than 35,000 local and international visitors spanning 60,000 square metres of exhibition space.

In addition to the physical show floor, the upcoming edition at the Pavilion ITALIA will have a specially designed kitchen themed “Cucina Italia” organised by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). The kitchen will celebrate the best in Italian culture, bringing together a selection of spectacular Italian food and wine to drive the appreciation of Italy’s historical roots. Furthermore, attendees can look forward to live cooking demonstrations skillfully prepared by Italian and local chefs, masterclasses and the promotion of Italian products displayed throughout the event.

Across the 4-days event, Cucina Italia will spotlight a curated programme each day with over 30 live cooking demonstrations and food tasting sessions to promote the excellence of Italian food and cuisine to the Singaporean market. In addition, 8 Italian and local chefs including Chef David Marchiori – GIO Gourmet Italian Osteria, Chef Davide Tanda – DOC Pizzeria, Chef Simone Fraternali – Solo Restaurant, Chef Carlo Marengoni – In Piazza Restaurant, Chef Tiziana Stefanelli – Masterchef Italia, Chef Felix Chong and Chef Jeff Chan – Monti Restaurant and team from Ristorante La Latteria, will be presenting the very best of quality, innovation and tradition of Italian food products. Each live demonstration and presentation will take approximately 45 minutes at Booth 5L1-01.

Within the FHA exhibition, ITA will also be presenting at the ProWine Asia 2022 held alongside the 4-day event. The wine exhibition, which saw the participation of over 270 winemakers from 33 different countries in the previous edition, will provide a dynamic pairing as a platform of choice to conduct business in Southeast Asia for the wines, spirits, food service and hospitality portfolios. Organised in collaboration with the Sommelier Association of Singapore, attendees can look forward to savouring some of the finest Italian wines across tasting sessions, masterclasses, plus the best of Italian spirits for a deeper Italian flavour. The booth at ProWine Asia 2022 is located at 1D1-01.

Commenting on the return of Food & Hotel Asia 2022, H.E Ambassador Mario Vattani, Ambassador of Italy to Singapore and Brunei said, “Year by year, Singaporeans enjoy more Italian food and wine. Italy’s F&B exports to Singapore grew by over 15% in 2021, and in the first months of 2022, Italy has confirmed its position as one of the top 5 European suppliers to Singapore in this sector. It’s not only pasta, tomato sauce or olive oil. The drivers of this growth have been Italian wines. This tells us so much more about how Singaporeans have been learning about their history, unsurpassable variety, distinctive tastes and top quality. Our wines embody the spirit of our territory, the variety of our regions, and the roots of our millenary history. For our Singaporean friends, to enjoy a glass of Italian wine is to magically travel back to the Italian landscapes they know so well.

Through the FHA and ProWine events, we will bring together our best wines and a fine selection of Italian food products skillfully prepared by Italian and local chefs. The Singapore public will enjoy more than 30 cooking shows that will take place at Cucina Italia in the Pavilion ITALIA. Over 60 Italian companies will be independently present at FHA to ensure that our culture and taste continue to thrive in Singapore, truly one of the world’s food capitals.”

Ilaria Piccinni, Deputy Trade Commissioner of the Italian Trade Agency in Singapore said, “Since the pandemic, we have had to adapt to hosting new events across physical, digital and hybrid formats – all while forging valuable connections with our customers, audiences and stakeholders. We are very excited to see the return of large-scale events back, especially with the growing demand for Italian products and cuisine. We believe the events will offer a robust platform for exhibitors to tap into the extended line-up of suppliers while also driving more value to the Italian marketplace.”

The F&B sector in Singapore represents a key industry for Italy, with many Italian companies kickstarting their operations to promote their food and wine products. For Italy, Singapore continues to be a popular and growing destination bridging access to all other regional ASEAN countries, which is fundamental to its financial, commercial and logistic hub. From January to April 2022, Italy confirms its 4th position in food and beverage among European countries with an export value to Singapore of 37 million euros, with an increase of 12% in the same period in 2021.

Food & Hotel Asia 2022 will take place at the Singapore Expo from 5-8 September 2022. The Cucina Italia live cooking sessions will officially kick off at 10.30am on 5 September, with a welcome speech by H.E. Mario Vattani, the Ambassador of Italy to Singapore and Brunei. The Pavilion ITALIA is located at Booth 5L1-01, while the exhibition at ProWine Asia 2022 is located at Booth 1D1-01.

To find out more about the Cucina Italia programme and the full list of Italian exhibitors at FHA 2022, visit: https://bit.ly/3cw9TEQ.