Attracting a huge 5,000 visitors, the Ice Cream and Artisan Food Show, organised by the Ice Cream Alliance, was an outstanding way to kick off the event calendar in the food and drinks industry. Taking place on 4-5th February, at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre, the Henley Bridge team were proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with other large UK food suppliers to exhibit delicious food made using our premium product brands.
The exhibition stand
The Henley Bridge in-house experts, lead by Gelato Master Steve Carrigan, together developed an impressive 36 ice cream, gelato and sorbet varieties. The team drew inspiration from classic flavour combinations and much-loved desserts, along with trending ingredients and innovative recipe adaptations to create an exceptional taste experience, that caters for the modern consumers diet. Such creations included vegan mint choc chip gelato, tropical no added sugar gelato and espresso martini sorbet.
Alongside the creative selection of ice cream, gelato and sorbet, the team also crafted four soft serve flavours, freshly blended Jersey Dairy milkshakes that could be flavoured with a number of fruit purees, and introduced their new chocolate milk and iced coffee beverages. This, together with a colourful array of inclusions and toppings, formed an enticing display, aptly named the luxury dessert station, that was placed front and centre of the Henley Bridge stand.
The Henley Bridge standThe event
Overwhelmed by the extraordinary footfall, greeting customers old and new, the team were delighted to be kept on their toes, providing samples, sharing the extensive product range and their expert advice in food-based creation. While sampling the range, customers were also invited into the stand where, using a virtual reality headset, they could experience the process, from origin to factory, of premium cocoa brand, deZaan's, cocoa powder ingredients. This progressive activity offered customers a valuable insight into the deZaan brand story, the product journey and superior product quality.
The activities didn't stop there! They also provided an engaging schedule of demonstrations from leading chefs, including Head of Innovation and Training at Henley Bridge, Samantha Rain, who used Sosa fruit to create three-way raspberry meringues topped with a Rainbow Dust sparkle. Chef Lars at Dobla crafted cool doughnuts by filling with soft serve and topping with a chocolate drizzle, and along with Irca's Pastry Chef, Mirko, demonstrated how Irca products can be used to create flavour of the moment, Dubai chocolate. Finally, deZaan's Chef, Talia Profet, provided insight into the power of cocoa powder within a recipe, showing how recipe adaptations can control colour, reduce fat and provide a strong flavour.
Irca's Pastry Chef, MirkoHighlights
For customers and staff alike, the highlight of the show was the spectacular display of genuine artistry and adventurous flavour combinations. Crowd-favourites included lemon meringue pie cremini, complete with DGF's lemon curd and a toasted cremini-meringue top, and the Dubai chocolate, made of a milk chocolate and pistachio blend. While Chairman of Henley Bridge, Andrew Dalglish, sampled the range and opted for another firm favourite, strawberry and balsamic.
Bold savoury blends attracted much attention to the Henley Bridge stand, and included olive oil and basil, and cherry and balsamic gelato. An indication that the Henley Bridge range is expanding beyond sweet ingredients into the savoury market.
"We're now diversifying into savoury, stocking brands like Filippo Berio. This allows us to stay ahead, in terms of innovation, and be really creative with our flavour profiles. We created a balsamic glaze with Gran Cru Balsamic vinegar, which provides subtle woody notes and an acidic tang. It balances brilliantly with sweet fruits, such as cherry and strawberry, and has added another dimension to the flavour we can craft." - Steve Carrigan, Gelato Master at Henley Bridge.
Overall, while surprising to the taste buds, the debut into savoury flavours received a great response for the Henley Bridge team.
The Henley Bridge gelato displayCatch up and stay updated
What happens if you missed it? You can catch glimpses of the event via Instagram and LinkedIn, while many of the exclusive gelato recipes are available for you to download in the new Ice Cream and Gelato recipe booklet.
