What we saw at the largest food event in the world
If you didn’t already know, Anuga is the largest trade show in the world for food and beverages and it’s held every other year in Cologne, Germany. We were there from the third to the fifth and final day, growing and strengthening Collectiv Food’s producer network. Whilst we were there, we made some interesting discoveries and had loads of valuable conversations.
Brexit, food sustainability and shifting markets were the big topics, and if everyone at Anuga was interested in them, we’re willing to bet you are too!
The B word
Brexit, a contentious issue for sure, and every producer was talking about it. What effect will it have? What’s going to change? Where will we stand once it’s all said and done? All pressing questions and none of them easy to answer. We got the impression that there were fewer British buyers attending this year. The tumultuous times seem to have affected them: maybe it’s nervousness, or just a lack of willingness to engage when the market is blanketed in uncertainty.
We chatted with one of the guys from Janan Meats, Trevor, about what the AHDB (the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) had to say on Brexit. It’s safe to say that the only certainty is the fact that there is no certainty! And, with the prospect of a ‘no deal’ on the cards, Brexit isn’t something we can ignore. Major implications such as disruption to trade and new tariffs have to be planned for. There’s simply no way around it.
The industry shows it cares
Sustainability is one of my great passions and it was encouraging to see a real focus on it amongst producers at Anuga. The need to reduce plastic use in packaging and reduce the amount of packaging as a whole were issues topping everyone’s lists.
With an ever-increasing demand from customers to decrease packaging and plastic and increase recycling, the stuff holding our food, not just food needed to be a focus. Achieving this without customers losing out on functionality or convenience is no mean feat, but it’s a must needed shake-up in the industry.
It’s amazing to see the strides being made; one of our producer partners from Germany, Toennies, is already using 70% less plastic in their meat packaging — something from we which we could all learn.
But it’s important to remember that sustainability isn’t just about reducing plastic. Reducing meat consumption is another key issue. With more and more people choosing to reduce their meat consumption, the sector is naturally being forced to innovate, and some innovative initiatives are underway.
The use of insects food is proving to be one interesting and increasingly pervasive solution to meat among food producers. The arguments in favour of insects as food often point to their proportion of protein which is comparable to that in our beloved steaks. Not just that — a great part about using insects to get our protein is that they require distinctly fewer natural resources to ‘farm’ than your traditional animal sources of food. So, maybe it’s out with cows and in with crickets?
If bugs aren’t your thing, don’t worry — there are many meat alternatives out there. One of our producer partners, Jan Zanbergen, debuted their alternative to 100% meat, namely the ‘Fifty/Fifty Burger’. This wasn’t something we had come across before. As a meat business, it’s in their interest to keep meat on the menu and keep their market open against a background of more and more people concerned about their meaty diets. By combining meat with vegetables, the Fifty/Fifty Burgers makes for an easy solution for those who want to reduce rather than halt their animal consumption altogether.
We spent some time with another of our partners, Liffey Meats, talking about their efforts to reduce their environmental impact. Their ambition was impressive and the effects dramatic; they’re on their way to become carbon neutral. They already have their own wind turbines, accounting for 70% of their energy needs at their production site, and they are off-setting their carbon emissions by planting a whole load of trees.
Where are markets going?
Markets are susceptible to all kinds of factors, from weather and disease to shifting demand in new and existing areas.
At Anuga, we learned that the price of US beef has been steadily increasing due to increased demand from Asia. We heard producers expressing frustrations about this demand for American beef in particular and around the lower returns they are receiving as a result. In a competitive market, there is a clear line to be drawn where customers hit their price limit — “there is only so much one is willing to pay for their steak in a restaurant” was one of the comments we received.
With the festive season around the corner and the South American supply of turkey stopped, there was also talk of a major lack of birds on the market. With low availability, buyers like us are being turned away to the tune of ‘come back to us in December to plan for 2020’. In spite of this, we managed to find some availability with Polish partners, geared towards British demand. They spoke about the turkey industry declining as more and more producers choose chicken due to the steadier and bigger margins it provides.
A new kid on the block
Collectiv Food, a young start-up with fresh ideas amongst the big dogs of the food industry, received a warm welcome, not only from our existing producers, but from those we had yet to meet. Perhaps as a young business, with different ideas and perspectives, we had naively assumed that the rest of the industry were akin to us. But we were proven wrong.
We were surprised to see that some things haven’t been swept up in the changing times, being taken aback by how dated the food industry appeared at Anuga. We thought the days of a male-dominant atmosphere and using pretty faces to entice buyers were behind us, but this didn’t seem to be the case. Instead, putting the innovation and the sustainability conversations aside, you’ll be transported to a bygone era. As we surveyed the scene, men in suits dominated the view, opposing the fresh, casually clad scene we had imagined.
We stood out as an innovative, and welcomed, pioneer for the food supply industry. It’s clear that much is happening in our food world, but there are still many areas to be disrupted. Perhaps as we move towards Horizon 2050, towards new challenges and bright futures, the rest of the food industry will move with us?
Food trends for restaurant professionals
For updates on global food prices and tips for business success, follow our Medium publication.
