Monday 27 September 2021, after five days of exchanges, the twentieth edition of Sirha Lyon – the leading professional fixture for all the players in the Food Service, catering and food sectors – drew to an end. This return-to-work edition met everyone’s expectations.
The image was striking, a President of the French Republic in the aisles of the Sirha for the first time in 40 years. Emmanuel Macron came for the last day of the event to meet the professionals from the gastronomy sector and the food trade to express his support.
“These are professions with a meaning, professions
of the future, which provide an answer to the younger generations’ need for meaning. They are at the heart of every consideration. The France of 2030 will be a France of food and French taste,” said the Head of State.
Support that was materialised by several strong governmental announcements, notably the creation of a centre of excellence for French gastronomy in Lyon, and the exemption from taxes for tips paid by credit card.
The 20th edition of Sirha Lyon took up the challenge
of the recovery with visitors focused on the business, delighted to see their suppliers again and very much on the lookout for new developments: 350 innovations were presented during the event, along with the 12 winners of the Sirha Innovation Awards. An edition
that went on the offensive, therefore, in favour of the catering sector’s return to growth after long months that have been difficult for this profession as a whole.
This edition of Sirha seems to have been unanimously appreciated by all the exhibitors, noted Olivier Ginon, President of GL events which organised Sirha. We nearly hit the 150,000-visitor mark, which is remarkable considering we are just coming out of this crisis. All the more so given that this above all concerned high-quality, qualified visitors who had come to see their suppliers again, after months when their interactions were rendered impossible by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sirha 2021 was indeed the resilient edition that the Food Service sector was hoping for.
Because, despite a health situation that is still challenging and a limited international presence, Sirha Lyon
actually brought together 2,116 enthusiastic exhibitors and brands and 149,100 committed professionals. And all this in a very business-friendly atmosphere. Aurélien Fouquet, CEO of Santos, an exhibiting company, emphasised: “Right from the first days of Sirha we noted a strong desire to put things on a contractual footing with a large number of customers, after months without any events.” And Gilles Castel, Resto France Experts, added: “The exchanges were of a high standard, it was possible to discuss things, the aisles were accessible and the result was really positive.”
The event spaces at Sirha Lyon were also very well attended for its 21 competitions, including the final of the Confectionary World Cup, presided over by Pierre Hermé, which saw Italy prevail.
But it was with the image of Davy Tissot on the top step of the podium that Sirha Lyon culminated on Monday evening.
For the first time since 2013, a rejuvenated and creative France team carried off the Bocuse d’Or, the greatest cookery competition in the world.
