TORONTO — The Restaurants Canada Show returned to Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre this week offering more insights into trends shaping the foodservice industry.
“The Restaurants Canada Show is as much a celebration of this great industry as it is a showcase for new products, ideas and trends that will inspire and delight, and help fuel a thriving restaurant scene,” said Donna Dooher, interim president and CEO of Toronto-based Restaurants Canada.
Many new products were introduced, including an abundance of tea offerings such as natural Craft Brewed Iced Tea from Tetley and hibiscus tea from Nuba; health-inspired offerings such as Just Hemp Food’s new Hulled Hemp Seeds and low-calorie gluten-free pasta made with Konjac flour from Nupasta; and yogurt innovations such as Iögo’s new Moment yogurt, a whole-milk, real-cream offering with no preservatives, gelatine or artificial colours.
Yogurt was also the big story at the General Mills booth. Liberté yogurt was integrated into the brand and introduced to foodservice late last year. Other brands added to the Toronto-based brand family included Lärabar and Cascadian Farm cereal. Speaking of dairy, Bunge’s lactose-free, non-dairy Creamy Cooking Sauce was introduced as a vegan-friendly cream replacement for sauces, soups and desserts.
Meanwhile, French’s celebrated the ongoing Asian food invasion creating fun recipes to complement its new honey garlic, stinging honey garlic, Asian ginger and sriracha chili sauces.
Next door, the team at Toronto-based Reuven International introduced fully cooked Frenched Chicken Wings Drumettes to their portfolio, offering customers from all segments a visually appealing, high-end finger food.
