Gastro Helsinki 2022: the restaurant industry on the threshold to a new era
Finland’s most significant event for restaurant and food professionals, Gastro Helsinki 2022, will be held at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre 18-20 May. The programme of the event highlights current topics ranging from labour shortage solving to good management and from consumer trends to career stories. The event takes into account two important target groups for the future of the industry: young students and non-Finnish speaking professionals in the field.
Gastro Helsinki 2022 is increasingly not only a networking event but also a forum for social influence. This year, the event boldly raises important survival issues in substantial presentations and interesting panel discussions. Over the course of three days, the topics on the Gastro Helsinki stage will address the crisis in the restaurant industry, the future outlook of the industry, solutions to labour shortages and, for the first time, discuss directly and publicly the big taboos of the industry.
Chefs and waiters compete
Chef competitions are an integral part of Gastro. This year, for the first time, the Culinary Team Finland will participate in the Gastro Helsinki exhibition with its own programme, when the team will daily meet the Icelandic national team in the serious but playful FIN-ICE Gastro Champion 2022 competition. The Culinary Team Finland will manage a pop-up restaurant offering a lunch menu and a food stall where visitors can buy tasting dishes. On Thursday, the food stall will sell a portion where the revenue will go entirely to charity.
The Master School competition for chefs and waiters is meant for all Bachelor of Hospitality Management students or graduates from Finnish vocational restaurant schools. Co-students, regardless of age, can cheer on their favorites at the event – the exhibition has no age-restrictions as of this year. Fish experts get to show their skills at the Seafood Chef competitions, and oyster knife skills are measured at the traditional Finnish Oyster Opening Championship.
50 best restaurants and drink trends
The prestigious restaurant listing The 50 Best Restaurants in Finland will once again be published at the Gastro Fair on 18 May. The listing is compiled from professionals in the field: it is based on a nationwide vote to which more than 1,000 professionals within the hotel, restaurant and catering industry and the beverage business as well as professional restaurant and food writers are invited each year. The vote will be conducted by the online media company Viisi Tähteä.
Beverages will be on display at the Wine, Beer & Spirits area, where tastings are arranged and visitors will be able to sample the products with € 3.5 drink tickets (not applicable for professionals within the beverage industry). The first terrace drinks of the summer will be served on the Gastro Terrace. In addition, the Gastro Helsinki stage will host presentations on the future of drink trends, among others, and Club Soda from London will talk about how the Sober Curious movement is changing drinking habits and business. Club Soda’s presentation is part of the fair’s extensive and interesting programme in English.
The entire Gastro Helsinki programme can be seen at https://gastro.messukeskus.com
Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, Communications Manager Mari Cadaut, tel. +358 40 5878 053, mari.cadaut@viestintamakua.fi
Gastro Helsinki is Finland’s leading event for professionals in the restaurant and food industry that presents new products and trends in the field. The event is organized every other year at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre. Free admission for professionals by registering at https://gastro.messukeskus.com. The event is arranged 18-20 May 2022, Wednesday and Thursday 10 AM – 6 PM, Friday 10 AM – 5 PM.
Photos from the previous event can be downloaded from Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre media bank https://mediabank.messukeskus.com.
