Leading the ribbon cutting were (L-R): Arch. Francisco Flameno Jr., WSI; James McCarthy, Commercial Counselor, US Embassy; Mr. Joseph Ang, Founding Director, WSI; Chef Claude Tayag; Mr. Brian L. Goldbeck, Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy; USec. Bernadette Puyat, Dept of Agriculture; Mr. Roberto Francisco, HRCAP; Ms. Levi Ang, WSI; Mr. Steve Tamayo; Mr. Eugene Yap, HRAP; Dr. Dimapuno A. Datu-Ramos, NCMF; Ms. Tessie Roque, Bureau of Customs.
Connecting Tastes through Global Flavors at MAFBEX 2013
The 7th Manila Foods and Beverages Expo once again successfully brought people together over delicious food and endless business opportunities as it acquaints us with “glocal” delights.
People with passion for all things food-related flocked together at the recently concluded 7th Manila Foods and Beverages Expo (MAFBEX) held on June 12-16, 2013 at the World Trade Center Manila. Over 500 booths exhibited the food and beverage industry’s best offerings.
WORLDBEX Services International (WSI), the country’s leading exhibition and event organizer, in cooperation with De La Salle-College of St. Benilde (DLS-CSB) and for the benefit of the ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc., has once again proved that MAFBEX is indeed the country’s biggest and most-awaited food expo as manifested by the big turnout of visitors that graced this year’s event.
The opening ceremony was graced by Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Special Concerns Bernadette Puyat, Bale Dutung owner and chef Claude Tayag, De La Salle-College of St. Benilde School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management Dean Leticia Delarmante, Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) President Eugene Yap, Food Caterers Association of the Philippines (FCAP) President Irma San Miguel, Hotel and Restaurant Chef’s Association of the Philippines (HRCAP) Founder and President Roberto Francisco, Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association Incorporated (PASAI) President Steven Cua and National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) Director for External Relations Dimapuno Datu-Ramos.
Philippine cuisine has constantly evolved because we Filipinos have become more open to embracing the culture of our neighboring countries. Foreign dishes have been popularized in the country through the use of local ingredients and by adjusting the flavors to satisfy the native palate.
The thrust of this year’s MAFBEX, “Glocal Flavors”, drew attention to an up-and-coming trend in the worldwide food and beverage industry that calls for the creation of local culinary masterpieces that meet international standards. It challenges food experts to keep up with the constant influx of new ideas, technologies, and products from the global market while preserving Philippine food culture at the same time. Through this, our local cuisine is enhanced and made globally-competitive.
The food and beverage expo presented a wide range of choices of consumables, ingredients and equipment catering to the growing needs of food enthusiasts, suppliers, distributors,entrepreneur and retailers. WSI founding Chairman Joseph Ang said, “I am happy to have received positive feedbacks that MAFBEX has helped a lot of businesses in the food industry grow by connecting them to customers and business contacts. We have also welcomed a lot of new exhibitors and visitors this year, which we take as a sign that more and more people believe that MAFBEX is an effective way to develop ties with different members of the food industry.”
Visitors and participants experienced the fusion of global and local food as celebrity chefs Claude Tayag, Sau Del Rosario, Boy Logro, Stephanie Zubiri, Jill Sandique, Jeremy Favia and Mitchie Sison demonstrated their kitchen prowess. They also witnessed extremely skilled Swiss chef Samuel Linder of the Peninsula Manila and Malaysian chef Noor Idris of the Makati Shangri-la Hotel, among others, create sophisticated masterpieces and exhibit amazing techniques during the “Chefs of the World” cooking demo.
Guest chefs from the country’s top hotels and culinary institutions exhibited diverse knowledge of international cuisine (Italian, French, Malaysian, Mediterranean, Korean, Taiwanese, Moroccan, Persian, and of course, Filipino) taught the audience new techniques and gave tips and tricks for ingredient usage. Professors and experts from DLS-CSB conducted seminars on food trends, catering, branding, food safety, wine tasting, workshops and live culinary competitions and introduced products beneficial to certain food-related businesses. At the Food Caterers Association of the Philippines (FCAP) Pavilion, visitors got to try out new methods on plating, food preparation, and styling. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) Pavilion, meanwhile, shone the spotlight on the prowess of the country’s hospitality and culinary institutions. Members of the hospitality industry also got to exhibit their amazing skills in competitions such as flair tending, ice carving, mocktail punch, cake decorating and healthy cooking. Another event highlight was the display of mobile kitchens and restaurants-on-wheels complete with folding tables and a cashier system created by custom car guru Atoy Llave, which certainly drew a lot of attention.
The event was supported by the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, Office on Muslim Affairs Philippines, Filipino International Franchise Association, Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, Hotel and Restaurant Chef’s Association of the Philippines Inc., Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association Inc., Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines Inc., Hotel and Restaurant Association of Negros Occidental, and Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu Inc.
Event sponsors were Aprica, Aquabest, Barista Choi, Chef’s Classics, Eagle, Elba, 1st Philippine Scales, Inc.
, Gomeco, Goody, PEOTRACO Industries Inc., W.L. Foods, Shakey’s, PHILIPS, Philippine Wine Merchants, Pepsi, Mekeni, McDonald’s, Hafele, Nissan Seiko Corp., and Island Air Products Corporation.
Service providers for the event were 10 Inch Lights and Sounds, Aero Med Ambulance Transport, The Brain Audiovisual, Dai-ichi, Icetech, and Stage Riggers.
Connecting Tastes through Global Flavors at MAFBEX 2013
