Simplot’s stall passes the taste test

Simplot ensured no one went hungry during the 40^th Fine Food Festival held at Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre in September with visitors to its stand consuming an impressive 12,430 food samples over the four days.

The festival is the premier event on the food service industry’s calendar. It brings together suppliers, distributors and end users over four days with exhibitors, masterclasses and networking opportunities.

The lines to enter the popular festival snaked out the door of the convention centre with people eager to visit stalls displaying everything from new equipment and software to new plant-based food products. But, in this sea of booths and stalls, Simplot’s stand made its mark with its significant footprint, including its own kitchen, allowing it to showcase its extensive product range.

The stand also featured a standalone pasta bar, which hosted 40 cooking demonstrations and provided visitors with incredible 1,200 serves of pasta featuring Leggos Napoli sauce.

Simplot’s Foodservice Customer Activation Manager, Sharon Reid says the Fine Foods Festival is important as it offers a great opportunity for the company to engage one-on-one with a range of customers, from mum and dad take away owners to major corporate clients and distributors.

‘We get to hear what our customers really want, and we are able to demonstrate our products and recipe ideas,’ Sharon says.

Other tasting opportunities were popular – visitors devoured 960 serves of the new Topsail Barra burgers, 800 serves of Loaded Sidewinder Nachos, 720 serves of Neptune prawn skewers, 600 salads with Guacamole, 600 serves of Flathead Bites Tacos, 450 serves of Classic Salt and Pepper Squid and chips, and 400 serves of Crispy Battered Goldband Snapper Portions.

The green hue of the soft serve clearly wasn’t a deterrent, with 2,200 serves of Avo ice cream, made with Edgell Chunky Avocado Pulp, being devoured.

Another hit was the chip station, complete with countdown timer, where visitors could taste for themselves the impressive hold time of up to 40 minutes under lights of Edgell Supa Crunch Delivery Chips.

Simplot's Head of Culinary, David , White, wowed the crowds with live demos, sharing not just recipes but insights into how chefs could make dishes their own. The well attended sessions urged chefs to think beyond traditional uses of ingredients like Simplot’s popular Chunky Avocado Pulp.

David also starred in the 'Respect The Chip' virtual reality adventure, where visitors could don a headset and watch him demonstrate the optimum cooking methods for preparing Simplot’s incredible range of golden, crunchy chips.

Whilst the curtains have closed on the 40^th Fine Food Festival, Simplot has already committed to attending next year’s event, to be held in Sydney, as part of its commitment to engaging directly with its target audience of chefs, distributors and food enthusiasts.