REVIEW
A welcome
RETURN October’s European Pizza & Pasta Show marked a welcome return to some normality as many of the sector’s well known brands and businesses were able to gather, catch up and network, as well as take a closer look at products old and new in the world of Italian food. LOOKING FORWARD In her opening, welcome address Slava Blagoeva, managing director of IPR Events, organisers of the show, thanked everyone who believed in, and had supported, the holding of the show this year in the midst of so many challenges, and who had been brave enough to come and meet with everyone and the show’s visitors. In his welcome speech, PAPA director, Jim Winship, said how great it was to be back together again after 18 months of being locked down and of “struggling through”. “Unfortunately, we still seem to be struggling through things with lots of shortages of lorry drivers, and staff, and everything else in this industry,” he added. “But we’re here, and we can look forward to a great future of the pizza, pasta and Italian food industry in the UK, and this 28
show is very much part of that.” Jim Winship congratulated Slava Blagoeva for keeping the event going, and helping to get the industry back on its feet again after all the time that had gone by; the Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association in particular welcoming this show as a showcase for the industry as a whole, it being a very important part of the UK economy. “We may face a lot of challenges from our government at the moment,” Jim Winship added, “but we’re here, and we’re going forward, and we’re resilient and we will survive, and we will do well.” The opening day also saw Caputo’s MD, Antimo Caputo, awarded with the title of Honorary President of the European Pizza & Pasta Show in London in recognition of his, and his Neapolitan flour company’s, long-standing support December 2021
