Supporting Fuzhou’s Bid for “City of Gastronomy”! The Culinary Feast Officially Opens!
A gathering of “famous, unique, premium, and innovative” ingredients, iconic dishes, signature snacks, and culturally themed banquets, each vying for attention... On October 31, the 25th China Food Festival & the 2nd Fujian Cuisine Culture Festival, and the first (Fuzhou) Fotiaoqiang Festival, organized by the China Hospitality Association, officially opened at the Fuzhou Strait International Conference and Exhibition Center. The event will run until November 2, offering the industry and Fuzhou a grand feast of culinary delights.
Promoting the development of new Fujian cuisine
Supporting Fuzhou’s bid for “City of Gastronomy”
“As one of China’s eight major cuisines, Fujian cuisine is a vital part of the country’s rich culinary tradition and plays an important role in local consumption. The Food Festival held in Fuzhou this year will significantly boost the city’s image as a consumer hub, promote the culture of Fujian cuisine, and contribute to Fuzhou’s bid for “City of Gastronomy.”
At the opening ceremony, Chen Xinhua, President of the China Hospitality Association, noted that the catering industry plays a crucial role in fulfilling the public’s desire for a better life and is a key driver of consumption. As a flagship event of the Ministry of Commerce’s “Consumption Promotion Year,” the successful hosting of this Food Festival will contribute to the continued recovery and growth of the catering market and further meet the public’s growing aspirations for a better quality of life.
The Food Festival was themed “Fostering New Quality Productive Forces, Promoting the Development of New Fujian Cuisine.” At the opening ceremony, the China Hospitality Association presented a recommendation letter to UNESCO to support Fuzhou’s bid for the title of “City of Gastronomy” - a significant step that signals the city’s accelerated efforts to secure this prestigious designation.
Fuzhou, known as the “City of Blessings and Happiness,” boasts a rich historical heritage and a profound culinary tradition. In June 2022, Fuzhou became the first city in the province to launch its bid for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network – “Cities of Gastronomy.” Over the past two years of efforts, Fuzhou has effectively driven the integration of various industries centered around the Fujian cuisine sector, fostering multi-dimensional urban development. In 2023, the China Hospitality Association officially recognized Fuzhou as “China Fuzhou · Fujian Cuisine Landmark City.”
The Food Festival continued the tradition of previous editions, focusing on the local culinary specialties of the host city. The First (Fuzhou) Fotiaoqiang Festival and the 2024 China Catering Industry High-Quality Development Conference & the 2024 China Fotiaoqiang Industry Development Conference were held concurrently. Additionally, the Second Fujian Cuisine Industry Development Conference & the Fotiaoqiang Heritage and High-Quality Development Summit Forum, and the 2024 Fujian Cuisine and Fotiaoqiang Culinary Arts Master Demonstrations were organized. This series of culinary culture promotion and exchange activities centered around Fujian cuisine allowed attendees to experience its unique flavors and innovations firsthand, further boosting the region’s culinary reputation.
The fusion of China chic and classics
Fully showcasing the “new forces” in the catering industry
The Food Festival covered 12,000 square meters and featured five major themed exhibition areas. It highlighted key industry trends such as China chic, sustainability, smart technology, Fotiaoqiang, and local specialties, creating a comprehensive platform that showcased the full food industry chain and fostered collaborative development. The exhibition spanned raw ingredients, specialty foods, processing equipment, tableware packaging, and the latest products and technologies from digital service providers.
In addition, iconic dishes from renowned venues such as the Fujian Cuisine Culture Museum, Juchunyuan Exhibition Hotel, Wenru No. 9, Fuzhou Hotel, Shishi Grand Honor Hotel, Lanxian Potato Feast, Chenggong Family Banquet, Peony Banquet, Sibao Family Banquet, Laoweixian Eight Dishes, and Liqing Fotiaoqiang made stunning appearances. The exhibition also highlighted regional specialties, featuring the tasting of high-quality Fujian ingredients, business matchmaking, and the 2024 “Chinese Cuisine Going Global” national brand restaurant empowerment activities. These activities facilitated the exchange and integration of culinary cultures from various regions and further unlocked the potential of local catering markets.
During the Food Festival, the First “China Chic Food Gathering” was held with the theme “China Chic Cuisine, Quality Life,” focusing on how elements of China chic cuisine, such as innovative Chinese dim sum, tea drinks, and restaurants, broke traditional boundaries and created new growth opportunities for the industry.
In the prime exhibition area, the China Chic Food Pavilion showcased over 100 products and services from 39 enterprises. It also held a series of activities, including the China chic food cultural and creative competition and business matchmaking sessions. These activities highlighted successful case studies from leading industry players in the creation of China chic food brands, helping catering businesses build their “China chic” food brands and cultural products, while actively exploring and cultivating new quality productive forces in the catering industry.
The release of major industry reports
Offering a comprehensive view of the industry’s development
What are the latest trends in the national catering industry? During the Food Festival, the 2024 China Catering Industry Annual Report was officially released, offering a comprehensive view of the industry trends. The report presents a detailed survey and analysis of the development of China’s catering industry in 2023.
According to the report, in 2023, the national catering revenue exceeded 5 trillion yuan, reaching 5,289 billion yuan, marking a 20.4% growth. The catering industry outpaced other sectors in the retail sales of consumer goods. In 2023, catering revenue showed positive growth in all 33 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions in China (excluding Macao, for which data was not available at the time of the report’s release), with an average growth rate of 18.5%.
This annual report highlights the key development trends in the industry, clearly outlining its latest directions:
Both catering service providers and consumers are increasingly aware of anti-waste practices. A series of anti-food waste initiatives have produced positive outcomes, and these achievements are expected to be sustained.
Compared to higher-priced categories, the expansion and profitability of popular food items such as fast food and snacks show more promising trends. Supply chain development, product research and development, and brand building have become key focus areas for investment and financing in the catering industry.
Digital catering services are playing an increasingly important role in driving revenue growth in the industry. Online marketing models, such as food delivery and new retail, have become crucial profit channels for catering businesses, further expanding the digital catering market.
The Chinese catering industry faces certain uncertainties in the short term. Both central and local governments have introduced supportive policies, providing robust support to help businesses overcome challenges and infuse strong momentum into the consumer market.
The establishment of the industry-education integration community will reshape the collaboration between vocational education and industry, making their connection stronger, deeper, and more proactive, ultimately leading to a significant overall improvement in the level of integration.
Additionally, this Food Festival also featured a variety of events, including the High-End Hotel Catering Brand Matchmaking Session, the Health and Wellness Food Innovation Competition, and the “City of Gastronomy” International Food Exchange, among others. By organizing a range of activities such as conferences, exhibitions, competitions, and performances, the festival offered a comprehensive view of industry trends and contributed positively to shaping the future of the catering industry and energizing the market, continuously opening new pathways to improve the quality of catering services and enhance people’s sense of well-being.