Innovazione

🍪 Sigep Vegâteau, a contest celebrating plant-based patisserie, is returning with national participation after successful editions in Bergamo, Brescia, and Lombardy. The press conference and pastry chef registration open on January 20 at Blooming Bistrò, Hall A1 - Stand AFA Arredamenti. Marco Pedron, a pastry star and Vegâteau ambassador from APEI, kicks off the competition. Registration is open until March 31, 2025, on Vegateau.it, with the national final set for May 4 in Bergamo. Prizes include a KitchenAid mixer, a master's in plant-based pastry, and a KitchenAid KF8 espresso machine. Participants receive free training via a webinar by FunnyVeg Academy.

🍫 Chef Ernst Knam, renowned as the "King of Chocolate", will be at the Sigep 2025 fair in Rimini from 18 January to host cooking shows for professionals and the public. Sigep, a leading confectionery sector event running for over 40 years, will feature 1300 exhibitors from 33 countries and 520 top buyers from 79 nations. Knam, a German-born chef based in Milan since 1989, has won many pastry competitions and has been a beloved TV figure since 2012. He will perform at BRAVO's stand on 18 January and MODECOR's stand from 19 to 21 January.

🍺 Krombacher consolidated its market leadership as Germany's most popular beer brand in 2024, despite a slight 0.8% production drop to 7.57 million hectoliters (hl). The umbrella brand Krombacher sold 5.675 million hl, a 1.1% decrease. The brewery faced challenges including subdued consumption, distribution issues, a rainy spring, and a less dynamic summer, even with a successful European Football Championship. Krombacher Pils, the flagship, along with non-alcoholic variants like Krombacher Spezi and Krombacher's Fassbrause, showed positive development. The company will focus more on brand communication and variety expansion in 2025 and has launched its biggest innovation program, investing over €100 million in modernization over six years.

🏨 Founded in Italy in 2022, Hotiday is a rising startup aiming to redefine modern hotel experiences by blending technological innovation with traditional travel mechanisms. Federico Brunelli, a co-founder, made it to Forbes' list of top 100 under 30 innovators in 2024. Hotiday, the first European instant buying virtual builder, uses a proprietary algorithm to rapidly purchase and sell hotel rooms at fair prices without intermediaries. Catering to digital natives and hotels with over 30 rooms, Hotiday has partnered with 12 hotel chains, engaged 65 partners, spans 17 Italian regions, and hosted over 33,000 people in 2024. The startup targets a 30% unsold room volume in Italy and plans to expand European partnerships within three years, aiming to become the largest decentralized global hotel.

🎉 Leagel, a leader in gelato and pastry ingredients production, showcases innovative products at the 46th SIGEP edition, including gluten-free "Pane, Burro e Marmellata" gelato flavor. Sigep 2025 features Leagel's "Premium Selection" box, "Cremino by Loveria" with new crunchy and fruity flavors, along with 100% plant-based "Gianduia and Pistacchio" flavors. "Stickaway" offers raspberry and mango stracciatelle with crispy freeze-dried fruit. Leagel collaborates with Consorzio Terra di San Marino to unveil "Vaniglia e olio EVO" gelato flavored with extra virgin olive oil and white chocolate stracciatella, available starting Saturday, January 18. The "Pistacchio Masters" corner displays over 12 pistachio-themed options, including "Variegato Choco Pop Corn – Pistacchio." The zHero range presents a new plant-based base for artisans, while six 100% vegetable, gluten-free edible scents for gelato have also been introduced. Leagel is set to exhibit at SIGEP 2025 in Pavilion C7, stands 045 and 005.

☕ Essse Caffè, boasting over 45 years of quality in coffee roasting, has proudly announced a new partnership with APEI chaired by master pastry chef Iginio Massari, representing Italy's finest pastry professionals. This strategic alliance, centered around Essse Caffè's Miscela Masini, a premium blend certified by IEI, aims to enhance the natural connection between coffee and pastry, both pillars of internationally recognized Italian excellence. Ruggero Auteri, Essse Caffè's Commercial Director Horeca Italy, highlights the shared values of excellence, tradition, and innovation that define the partnership. APEI Vice President Marta Boccanera and Ambassador Felice Venanzi emphasize the synergy in promoting Italian artisanal quality. Founded in 1979 by Francesco Segafredo and sisters Chiara and Cristina, Essse Caffè is now driven by the fourth generation, committed to continuing its legacy of quality Italian coffee.

☕ HLF showcased its coffee machines at Sigep 2025 from January 18-22 in Rimini, Italy, presenting models 1700, 2700, and 5700 plus two fridge units. The HLF 1700 model features a fast, responsive touchscreen with a user-friendly interface that simplifies drink recipe customization. The HLF 2700 offers compact design, technology, and performance in a small footprint, while the HLF 5700 can dispense an American coffee in 7 seconds, ideal for high-volume venues. All machines come with telemetry for remote control and software setting. Visitors could explore these innovations at stand 070-073 Hall B1 and enjoy a corner bakery in collaboration with Wiesheu.

☕ At SIGEP 2025, Sanremo Coffee Machines unveiled SanremoCloud for their D8 and D8 PRO models, integrating Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Designed to evolve, it allows remote machine management, quality optimization, and efficiency enhancements. COO Gianluca Vecchione highlighted its role as a facilitator for future advancements. SanremoCloud offers features for baristas, managers, and technical service, aiming for simplicity, sustainability, and consistent quality across locations. Sanremo exhibits at SIGEP 2025, Pavilion B1, Stand 035.

🍪 Italy's team for the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie 2025, to be held on January 24-25 in Lyon, France, is composed of Vincenzo Daloiso, Raimondo Esposito, and Alessandro Fiorucci, coached by Andrea Restuccia, Giuseppe Amato, and directed by Lorenzo Puca. Key participants also include Club President Alessandro Dalmasso and trainers Emmanuele Forcone and Francesco Boccia. Italy's pastry sector boasts 17,514 artisan businesses and about 65,000 employees, contributing €9.5 billion to the economy. The team aspires to stand out in an event attracting over 210,000 professionals and 4,700 exhibitors worldwide. Sirha 2023 showcased 616 innovations and reached an over 12 million social media impression.