SYSCO SERVES UP FOODIE FEAST AT CATEX
27th Feb 2025
Sysco’s specialist foodservice team along with a number of its key suppliers, welcomed customers from across Ireland’s hospitality sector at CATEX, Ireland’s largest food and beverage supplier event, which took place recently.
Across three days, the company’s impressive 286sqm Sysco Foodie stand served up a packed programme of live culinary demonstrations which showcased everything from the artistry of Sysco’s bakery specialists, butchery and speciality carving to innovative world food dishes and sustainable menu creations, while Sysco’s team of foodservice specialists shared their top tips on kitchen solutions and their insights into new culinary trends.
Speaking at the event Mark Lee, Chief Executive, Sysco Ireland said “As the curtain comes down on our 15th CATEX, I remember attending my first CATEX and while the venue is still the same, the foodservice landscape in Ireland has changed immeasurably.
At Sysco we believe in supporting the many artisan and local suppliers we work with and CATEX is a fantastic opportunity for us to expose these supplier partners to a much wider audience. Most importantly, our presence at CATEX allows us to engage with customers outside the hustle and bustle of their kitchens, have deeper conversations about the future of food, our industry and how we support sustainable growth of their businesses.”
Also in attendance were representatives from Sysco Specialist Businesses, Classic Drinks exhibiting its vast range of curated drinks, made up of more than 700 quality wines at every price point as well as 1,200 spirits, beers and ciders, non-alcoholic offerings, and Ready Chef, the pre-prepared fresh fruit and vegetable experts who led immersive presentations demonstrating expert fruit carving and vegetable preparation.
The focus of this year’s exhibition was the Sysco Foodie hub where Sysco’s team of in-house chefs along with some special guests, created a mouthwatering range of menus. Sysco Development Chef Simon Hudson highlighted sustainable ways of cooking featuring seasonal, locally sourced products including bone-in beef feather blade, undrunk red wine jus, banana skin chutney and all-you-can-find fruit compote to demonstrate how every last piece of food has a use.
Sysco’s Culinary Specialist Liam Byrd, who picked up two silver medals in the Street Food and Asian Food competitions, and the World Food team explored the full range of Sysco’s products from across the globe, that are available to suit all cuisines.
Pizzaiolo, Andrea Clementi from Dallagiovanna, with a lifelong dedication to the Arte Bianca, brought his extensive expertise in bread-making, pastry, and pizza craftsmanship. Completing the lineup was a range of demonstrations from some 15 valued suppliers and partners of many years.
“We were delighted to welcome guest chefs including TV personality Erica Drum and Kevin Aherne, from Sage along to the Sysco Foodie hub working alongside our suppliers to create some innovative and inspiring dishes, completing what was our most exciting CATEX to date.” Mr Lee continued.
