Food and hospitality have remained the forte of women since ages. Celebrating the spirit of excellence, this year, the International Women's Day coincided with the premier food and hospitality fair of India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) – AAHAR 2017. The fair highlights that it is a time that women workforce across sectors take the reins to redefine their roles by taking up new challenges.
The 32nd edition of Aahar commenced with a well attended inaugural function. The fair was formally opened by the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, Harsimrat Kaur Badal on March 7 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
The second day of the International Food and Hospitality fair witnessed the finest of culinary skills when Chefs from different parts of the country flaunted their artistic skills in preparing sweet delectable artistic pastry showpiece, a three course set dinner menu and the main attraction of the Indian Culinary Forum's (ICF) 'Culinary art India' 5 day competition – Chocolate mania – huge artistic carvings made purely out of chocolate. The second day winner of chocolate mania was "the woman terminator", standing tall on the occasion of International Women's day. One can only wonder at the work that must have went behind making this tactfully detailed work of white and brown chocolate.
The coming days of the competition in Hall no 14 will see categories like plated appetizers, three-tier wedding cake, artistic bakery showpiece, contemporary sushi platter, plated desserts, petit fours and pralines, dress the cake and mocktails. This platform is to create awareness about the profession of chefs and felicitate the achievers in this profession.With over 900 exhibitors from India and overseas, one of the biggest specialized B2B event,
With over 900 exhibitors from India and overseas, one of the biggest specialized B2B event, AAHAR 2017 is witnessing a good business visitor response especially the young woman entrepreneurs who want to make their niche in high potential food markets of South Asian stores, some main stream markets and other oriental grocery chains. Apart from unveiling fresh opportunities of joint venture, business alliances and brand promotion, this edition of the fair manifests new trends of online shopping apart from sensitising the business community about new food safety norms, as well as initiatives of the government to empower this sunrise sector where 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is allowed in marketing of food items manufactured locally.
There are a large number of visitors who want to open their new hospitality venture while various others who are eager to become an integral part of an effective supply chain. As many as 72 foreign companies are participating in the fair. The countries include USA, China, Canada, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Poland, Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain, Oman, Korea, Sweden, Thailand, UAE, Peru and Lebanon.