FoodNext.Africa Cape Town, a successful food and beverage conference championing change in catering and providing tangible value to the market.
At the FoodNext.Africa Cape Town series key industry experts met to discuss the latest innovations driving new partnerships, shared new ideas and products to meet the growing demand for safe, traceable and nutritious food from farm to fork.
The conference theme focused on accessibility, getting good products to market at the best price, assessing tomorrow’s innovation’s today and pioneering collaboration for better food and nutrition.
From advances in personalised nutrition to the latest ingredient innovations to plant-based proteins and the role of food in health, our thought leaders shared strategic insights and ideas from new routes to market, how disruptive models can help drive consumer adoption to partnerships needed to scale innovation and drive the sector forward.
This flagship conference not only engaged attendees in a critical debate it also spearheaded an innovation collaboration that would not only form part of the conference but could also be a skill and knowledge that chefs could pass on and incorporate as part of their menus in future. dmg events alongside Humane Society International, Africa partnered on FoodNext.Africa Cape Town, the organisation came on board as our plant-based culinary training sponsor and conducted plant-based culinary training with the chefs and kitchen staff at the CTICC in preparation for the conference and use going forward.
Leozette Roode, Media & Outreach Manager for Humane Society International / Africa said: “It is evident that the demand for plant-based food is continuing to rise in popularity in South Africa. This was showcased at Africa’s most innovative B2B food event, the FoodNext.Africa Conference, where Humane Society International / Africa’s Green Monday SA meat-reduction program was implemented. We are thrilled that dmg events and the CTICC welcomed HSI/Africa’s offer to conduct plant-based culinary training with the CTICC chefs and incorporated Green Monday SA dishes as part of the conference’s menus. It was refreshing to experience the excitement in which the chefs conducted the plant-based training and their interest in learning more about the importance of meat reduction. HSI/Africa is proud to have sponsored the culinary training for the conference, and we are excited to continue our partnership with dmg events and the CTICC. We are looking forward to seeing more corporate entities embracing the meat reduction movement.”
The partnership has gone so well that further training dates have been arranged between the Humane Society International and CTICC.
Sibongiseni Gcelu, Executive Sous Chef for the CTICC, said: “Leozette managed to easily unpack the recipes for those vegan dishes and made it very understandable for the trainees. This training was very beneficial for the chefs that attended it as they gained a great deal of knowledge. This has been beneficial for the business at large as we have vegan guests more often. I also noticed that the understanding of the vegan dishes by the team has improved. Vegans can now be treated the same as other delegates as the chefs can now produce a three-course meal (including dessert instead of giving them fruit for dessert). We do have some vegan dishes in our menu selection, however, we could incorporate more dishes going forward.”
The partnership has not only been beneficial for the venue but also formed a lasting impression on our participants.
FoodNext.Africa speaker Donovan Will, Director for Proveg South Africa, said: “Around the world, we are seeing a rapid growth in the move towards more plant-based eating, driven by the health, environment and ethical benefits of reducing meat consumption. It is great to see companies like dmg events prioritising this movement and bringing the conversations into the mainstream. The FoodNext.Africa conference provided a good introduction into the world of plant-based food, including a panel about ‘How Food Companies are Re-thinking Meat for the Flexitarian Consumer”, sampling of Beyond Meat burgers and sausages, and working with HSI/Africa to train the catering team on how to include delicious plant-based options on the menu.”
FoodNext.Africa delegate Nicky Coetzee, NPD Technologist, Rhodes Food Group, said: “Thank you for the opportunity and all the arrangements was one of the most informative and well-organised conferences I have been to. Very innovative and inspiring, and enjoyed all the start-up companies presentations and ambition to make a change.”
With over 165 delegates, start-ups, speakers and exhibitors from around the country networking, engaging and enjoying food samples and tastings of the various niche products such as mopani worm flour polenta fries, plant-based burgers and sausages, vegan ice cream, sugar-free energy drink, bread crumb beer and cannabis brownies; many plan to return for the next edition, thanks to the success of the Cape Town series.
The next FoodNext.Africa which will be co-located with Africa’s Big 7 will be taking place from 21 to 23 June 2020 at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg. Visit www.foodnextlive.com for more information.
dmg events - South Africa
dmg events is a leading organiser of face-to-face events and a publisher of trade magazines.
We aim to positively impact the African economy and community by providing platforms for public and private sector professionals to connect and forge strong relationships that will drive the future of the African continent.
With two offices based in South Africa, dmg events organises 14 events in Africa, bringing together more than 30,000 professionals from the Construction, Infrastructure, Coatings, Mining, Transport, Food & Beverage, Trade and Hospitality sectors.
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