FHA2008 (Food&HotelAsia2008) ended today after a highly successful run, once again reaffirming its reputation as a premier trade event for the region’s food and hospitality industries.

Organised by Singapore Exhibition Services, FHA2008 was declared open by Mr. S Iswaran, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Trade & Industry. It ran from 22 to 25 April 2008. 

The event was a record breaker on several fronts - it occupied seven halls (75,000 square metres) for the first time, hosted 2,627 exhibiting companies from 70 countries taking part - attests to the show being the choice sourcing platform for the region.

FHA2008 attracted about 37,000 trade visitors from almost a hundred countries, of which 37 percent came from overseas.

Apart from the congregation of government dignitaries, key buyers from hotel groups, hospitality and entertainment establishments also made use of the opportunity to visit FHA to source for supplies and establish important business contacts.

A total of 50 group delegations, which included those from China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan, visited the show.

Said Mr. Stephen Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Exhibition Services, the organiser of FHA2008, “We are very pleased with the turn-out of exhibitors, buyers, as well as visitors. This certainly reflects the primary status of the show with the industry in the region. Our exhibitors have always seen the value of their presence at FHA and have maintained high visibility this time round.”

“From feedback given by exhibitors, they are very pleased with the quality of visitors at this show. Many of them have found valuable contacts and interested buyers. Negotiations will naturally follow on from this exhibition and contracts confirmed in the next few months,” he said.

Mr. Tan continued, “While FHA as a show has given a good performance, the six specialised events of the exhibition still have great potential for growth as Asia’s food and hospitality markets continue to demonstrate strong growth,” he said. The six specialised events of FHA are FoodAsia, Wine&SpiritsAsia, Bakery&Pastry, HotelAsia, HospitalityTechnology and HospitalityStyleAsia.

Topical issues such as food safety, halal, hospitality finance and technology trends were brought up at several conferences and seminars held within FHA. Participants included food producers and manufacturers, hotel general mangers, executive chefs, and other professionals in the food, beverage and hospitality sectors.

Spirited Competitions

An integral part of FHA is the culinary competitions that served as a skills sharing platform bringing together chefs, baristas, waiters and bartenders. Competitions such as the FHA2008 Culinary Challenge, FHA2008 Imperial Challenge, the Asian Pastry Cup 2008, the Wine&SpiritsAsia Challenge 2008 and the inaugural Asia Barista Championship, offered much action and buzz on the show floor. Below are results of the respective competitions: 

FHA Culinary Challenge

Dream Team Challenge

Winner:             Temasek Culinary Academy (Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore)

1st Runner Up:  Team TAC (Tokyo American Club, Japan)

2nd Runner Up:  Burj Al Arab (Jumeirah Emirates Towers, United Arab Emirates)

Gourmet Team Challenge

Winner:             The Cannery Singapore

1st Runner Up:  The Hong Kong Chefs Association Ladies & Cuisine Gourmet Team

2nd Runner Up:  Singapore Chefs Association

FHA Imperial Challenge

Winner:             Society of Chinese Cuisine Chefs (Singapore)

1st Runner Up:  Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre

2nd Runner Up:  Taiwan Master Chef

Best Chef - Lee Chi Hwa from Persatuan Tukang Masak Johor Bahru (Malaysia)

Tasty Singapore Signature Dish - Society of Chinese Cuisine Chefs (Singapore)

Asia Barista Championship

Winner:             Mr. Carl Sarah (New Zealand)

1^st Runner Up:    Mr. Scottie Callaghan (Australia)

2^nd Runner Up:   Mr. Liu Chia Wei (Taiwan)

Asian Pastry Cup

Winner:             Singapore Team

1^st Runner Up:    Taiwan Team

2^nd Runner Up:   China Team

Singapore, Taiwan and China will make it to the World Pastry Cup 2009 to be held in Lyon, France.

Wine&SpiritsAsia Challenge

The Wine Challenge received a total of 600 wine entries, of which 423 won awards. Seven entries won gold, 38 were awarded silver, 206 received bronze, while 172 obtained Merit. 

Below are results of Gold winners: