Culinary Association of Wales Village at heart of Celtic Manor event

A Culinary Association of Wales Village will be at the heart of the inaugural H&C EXPO, the first cross hospitality and catering industry trade show to take place in the nation, next month.

The Culinary Association of Wales (CAW) was one of the first supporters to throw its weight behind the new exhibition, which is being held at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport on July 17 and 18, at the concept stage and is delighted to be associated with the innovative event.

Populating the CAW Village will be supporters of the CAW, including award-winning training provider Cambrian Training Company, a Welsh food and drink showcase, ceramic tableware manufacturer Churchill, energy saving and food safety catering equipment supplier MCS Tech Products, stocks and marinades supplier Major and the British Food Trust who will be promoting the Applied Ability Awards, known as Triple A.

The CAW will be represented at the event by treasurer Toby Beevers and vice president Colin Gray who will be recruiting new members and promoting the work of the association and the Culinary Team Wales. Their stand will also feature products from Koppert Cress.

As 2018 has been designated the ‘Year of the Sea’ by Visit Wales, the Welsh Government’s tourism arm, the food and drink display will have the sea as its theme, with sampling at the exhibition. A range of quality Welsh food and drink products linked to the sea will be promoted.

MCS Tech Products will be displaying its Cooktek induction products range, including the patented INCOGNEETO buffet unit with Dolphin chaffing dishes. Churchill will be showcasing its summer launch of innovative products for the hospitality industry.

Cambrian Training Company, Wales’ largest provider of hospitality training and apprenticeships, will be promoting its services to the catering and hospitality industry, linking skills development to the achievement of business objectives.

Major will be showcasing its new range of veal jus paste, pan-Asian broths and Mari based marinades with Korean flavours.

A central theme running through H&C Expo is ‘Future-Proofing Hospitality’, with speakers and forums addressing the people and skills shortages in the industry. The exhibition, which is preceded by the H&C EXPO Charity Golf Day on July 16, will also include the first ‘Mentor Awards’, recognising excellence in people development.

The event is set to bring British hospitality and catering professionals together to showcase the latest products and services, share best practice and discuss and debate industry challenges.

With H&C EXPO content developed through a series of focus groups, surveys and interviews with business leaders, it is the first of its kind for the sector and shaped by the industry.

Professionals from across UK hospitality and catering will discuss the future of hospitality via conference, roundtables, exhibition, a procurement ‘Innovation Den’, ask the expert sessions and a hosted buyer lounge.

CAW president Arwyn Watkins, who is also managing director of Welshpool-based Cambrian Training Company, welcomed the opportunity to bring together supporters in the CAW Village at the event.

CAW president Arwyn Watkins

“We are delighted to be involved in H&C EXPO, a new and innovative event for Wales that oozes quality and is very much on point with its impressive line-up of speakers and roundtable discussions.

“We really support the charity golf day associated with the exhibition and the mentoring awards, which are unlike any other chefs awards because they focus on caring, nurturing and mentoring rather than cooking and competitions.

“Very often in this industry, the people that get you to where you are in your career are forgotten and this is a perfect opportunity for chefs to acknowledge and recognise their mentors.

“With the hospitality elite attending, who wouldn’t want to be part of H&C EXPO? We look forward to meeting and working with hospitality businesses from Wales and across the UK.”