Touted as “the largest food and beverage experience on the west coast,” the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo this month is expected to be a show-stopper. The event will be held August 25-27 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, which will also host Healthy Food Expo West and Coffee Fest Los Angeles for a co-located event experience. Three days of education, culinary demonstrations and special events will cover food trends, dos and don’ts and pro-tips on everything from latte art to gluten-free menus. Here is a preview of what you can expect.
Western Foodservice and Hospitality Expo
At the Foodservice and Hospitality Expo, attendees can expect educational sessions covering everything from California labor laws to budgeting advice and mental health in the restaurant industry. Look out for sessions on building a menu and how to deal with special diets so you can stay up to date on modern allergens and food preferences.
Related: Summer Fancy Food Show 2019
Healthy Food Expo West
Healthy Food Expo West will feature gluten free options, vegan and vegetarian cuisine and plant-based menus. The vendors for this event will be all about fresh, sustainable and energizing foods, with a focus on meatless dishes, local ingredients and less sugar. In addition to healthy food products, the expo will showcase technology, services and distributors that lend to healthy food service and production.
Coffee Fest Los Angeles
Coffee Fest Los Angeles is likely to be the trendiest event on the floor. Attendees can expect coffee competitions and featured trends, such as:
- Coffee Fest’s Latte Art World Championship Open: In this competition, 64 baristas will compete in a sudden-death style coffee war to determine who is the world champion of coffee art. The main rule: Baristas have to rely on nothing but espresso and milk to create Instagram-worthy crema designs, hence the ‘back to basics’ trend in the world of latte making.
- America’s Best Cold Brew: The new and improved iced coffee is brewed in cold water over a long period of time (at least 12 hours), making it less bitter and acidic than traditional iced coffee. With an ‘America’s Best Cold Brew’ competition and a cold-brew making system, Brewista—a featured premium showcase product—Coffee Fest is recognizing the growing popularity of cold brew coffee.
- The switch to alternative milks in coffee drinks will be a noteworthy trend at Coffee Fest. The presence of oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk and countless other nut or grain-based milks in a growing number of cafes around the globe speaks to the scope of the trend. Another premium product to be showcased at Coffee Fest is the ‘Almond Cow,’ a specialized, high-speed plant-based milk maker. It will allow individuals and companies to make their own alternative milks, converging the plant-based milk trend with sustainable, small-batch and local food practices.
