Big and beautiful: from tables and chairs to ovens

Big and small, luxurious and spartan, on a city street or on a mountain top, on a beach or on a cruise ship, vegan or gluten free, pop-up or established for centuries, serving raw food only or just dessert: when it comes to restaurants there seems no limit to the variety of choice on offer around the world. There are believed to be some 15 million restaurants in the five continents. More and more attention is being lavished on them, as they attract more and more diners thanks to the growing appeal of out-of-home eating. But if they are to work properly they need the right machinery and equipment. A sector that has always been at the very heart of HostMilano over its 40 editions.
“Coming to Milan to take part in Host is essential if you want to understand where out-of-home eating is heading internationally,” comments Ingrid Yllmark, vice-president of corporate communication with Electrolux Professional. “The Italians are past masters at creating ‘stories’ around their products, at making them part of a lifestyle, and we as a multinational organisation are committed to transforming these suggestions into business opportunities for clients all over the world. Focusing especially on the points of contacts between catering and beverages, a sector in which we have just taken over a company.”
Here, too, we are seeing a sectors, machinery is becoming multi-functional and culinary fashions range from haute cuisine right down to cake and bread baking: “We are detecting much closer links between catering and bread baking, with a growing number of mixed-type establishments that combine bakery with gastronomy. It is a global trend and is also being seen in Italy, where restaurateurs are trying hard to get the right balance between innovation and tradition. Here at Host we have been seeing great interest in Europe and Asia, although we have always had a strong presence also in Italy,” says Giovanni Gaibazzi, export manager at Tagliavini.

In this multifarious world, Furnishings and Tableware ideas to help personalise a locale and make it more cosy and comfortable were particularly eye-catching in some of the more visually appealing halls of the International Hospitality Exhibition. And here, too, the emphasis was on innovation.
“There is scope for innovation even in a generally traditional sector like tableware,” says Barbara Cincotto, marketing & sales director at Arcturus Group, the parent company of firms like Sambonet and Rosenthal. “We presented new finishes where the restaurant can add a hashtag, a website address, a recipe of the day or any other information. We have also introduced a manufacturing technique that enables the production of cutlery in any specific colour, so as to blend in perfectly with any other design features of the interior as required. Innovations like these were widely appreciated at this edition of Host, where we saw a particular focus on design.”
“Rather than in the actual design of individual products, it’s through a design philosophy that our product development interacts with innovation, in all-round projects where light technology, the use of forms and colours, and choice of materials all go towards offering patrons an immersive ‘food entertainment’ experience,” adds Mauro Alzetta, CEO of Tecnoarredamenti. “This is the concept that informed our presence at Host 2017, with our emotionally engaging stand. This year, in fact, we have definitely seen a greater focus among professional visitors on design and on formats.”