Taste 16

4-6 February 2023
Florence, Fortezza da Basso
Final Report

The 16th edition of TASTE was another great success. The Fortezza da Basso was confirmed as the perfect location for this constantly expanding event that manages to remain true to its roots. With 538 participating companies, including 100 newcomers, a rigorous selection process identified the best operators in the sector who showcase the inexhaustible Italian gastronomic heritage. These chosen excellences captured the attention of the best operators in the sector.

Taste drew in over 10,000 visitors, with 6,000 being buyers – a 40% increase compared to last year. The Taste Special Area Spirits was highly appreciated, capturing one of the most significant current trends. Additionally, the fair's pasta theme and diverse range of events at the Fortezza, such as the Talks and Davide Paolini's Rings, as well as the Fuori di Taste initiatives in the city, provided our community with an essential guide to navigate the current food and beverage scene, which encompasses trends, innovations, and rediscoveries that enhance the invaluable flavors of tradition.

THE EXHIBITING COMPANIES

4 - 6 February
2023
  • Companies
    that presented their products in Fortezza da Basso
    538
  • NEWCOMERS
    100
  • PRODUCTS SOLD AT THE TASTE SHOP
    13.000+
  • FUORI DI TASTE EVENTS
    70
Taste16_014 Taste16_045 Taste16_228 Taste16_186 Taste16_063

VISITORS AT THE FORTEZZA DA BASSO

The sixteenth edition of TASTE saw a 40% increase in attendance from industry professionals and international buyers.

4 - 6 February
2023
  • Members of the trade + visitors
    (BUYERS + AGENTS AND REPRESENTATIVES + SUPPLIERS + MEDIA)
    10.000
  • INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
    (+40% THAN MARCH 2022)
    7.000+
  • total buyers
    (+40% THAN MARCH 2022)
    6.000
  • italian BUYERS
    5.400
  • INTERNATIONAL BUYERS
    (+20% THAN MARCH 2022)
    600
  • Buyers’ countries of origin
    50
The top foreign markets at this edition were: France, Germany, the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain, Holland, Belgium, and Lithuania.
TASTE attracted good attendance from the Scandinavian area, Japan, South Korea, Mainland China, and China-Hong Kong. Notably, attendees also came from new markets as far away as Australia, South Africa, and Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

 

PREMIUM BUYERS

TASTE 16 brought buyers from some of the most important specialized shops, distribution companies, department stores, and importers of Italian excellence to the Fortezza da Basso.
Including:
A.Bertozzi (Canada), Adoro (Sweden), Altomontes (United States), Buongustaio (Austria), Buonvicini (Switzerland), Carluccio's (United Kingdom), Casa Mozzarella (Switzerland), Casabase (Spain), Cbg (Spain), Ciao Gusto (France), Cibo Divino (United States), Cucina Fine Foods (Canada), Culinaria Keittiöelämää (Finland), Dallmayr (Germany), De Simoni (Switzerland), Delicario (United Kingdom), Dical House (Malta), Din Deli (Norway), Ditalia.Com (United States), Divinoil (Sweden), Dolce Vita (Switzerland), Eataly (Italy), Enoteca Pinchiorri (Italy), Europa Importadora (Brazil), Fallon & Byrne (Ireland), Fine Cheeses (United Kingdom), Fine Food (India), Fine Foods Collection (Greece), Food Specials (Czech Republic), Forever Cheese (United States), Formaggio Kitchen (United States), Fortnum & Mason (United Kingdom), Four Seasons (Italy), Gabbani (Switzerland), Good Mansion Wines (United States), Gourmet Food Art (China), Gourmet Studio (Latvia), Gustiamo (United States), Gusto NL (Netherlands), Il Molino (Sweden), Il Nuraghe (Germany), Ital Brand Company (Kyrgyzstan), Italia & Co (Australia), Italian Products (United States), J & G (United Kingdom), Just Gourmet Foods (United Kingdom), K'ook (Netherlands), La Bussola del Gusto (France), La Cambuse (France), La Credenza (United Kingdom), La Provencale (Luxembourg), Lario (Australia), Longino & Cardenal (Italy), Magaras (Singapore), Mammafiore (Spain), Manicaretti (United States), Maricase (Netherlands), Matthias Loss (Germany), Mercato Italiano (Netherlands), Nur Gutes (Germany), Olio2go (United States), Peck (Italy), Plenum (South Korea), Prime Line (United States), Raineri (Belgium), Rinascente (Italy), Roberto e Franco (Poland), Romina (Germany), Saa Godt (Norway), Sapori Fine Flavors (United States), Sardis (France), Savory Gourmet (United States), Selezione Sartorio (Switzerland), Selfridges (United Kingdom), Smak Av Italia (Norway), Sogno di Pasta (Netherlands), Sous Chef (United Kingdom), Starhotels (Italy), Sum (France), Sweetly Co. (South Korea), The Caprioli (Hong Kong), The Fine Cheese (United Kingdom), The Italians Wine Food (Czech Republic), The Oil Merchant (United Kingdom), Valcaribe (Dominican Republic), Viani Import (Germany), Villa d'Este (Italy), Viola Imports (United States), Wisk (United Arab Emirates), Zia Pia (United States.

Here is some feedback collected from buyers during the show:

Mathieu Joselzon, founder, Ciao Gusto, (Paris - France)
Taste is the most important fair in the world for me, the one I can’t miss and which has a direct impact on our turnover.  I met many of the producers we work with at this event and we continue to successfully collaborate to this day. I really like the location in the heart of the city of Florence, the events organized during Fuori di Taste – I didn’t expect so many! – that allowed me to discover some wonderful historical places. The fair is really well organized, it ensures visitors have everything they need and I really appreciated both the support the event provides for us buyers as well as being able to get all the information about the exhibitors before arrival: the communication of the fair was excellent! The layout of every stand is very neat and you can immediately understand the quality of the products.
Michaela von Lutz, Food Buyer, DALLMAYR (Munich – Germany):
I have been taking part in Taste since the first edition, for me it is the most important fair of the year and this time I brought two colleagues with me to make sure I didn’t miss anything! The fair is important because it allows us to meet in person with the producers we work with and you can always find something new. The selection of the companies was excellent: I am particularly involved in the selection of cheeses and I also found several interesting new companies that produce confectionery, dry pasta, cured pork meats and mustards. From a design viewpoint I believe that Taste is a unique fair, I like the fact that all the exhibitors have the same space and that their products do the talking. Excellent organization.
Maijastiina Ovaska, Culinaria Keittiöelämää (Tampere - Finland)
My first time at Taste. A wonderful experience: the location is very sleek; the stands are clear and there is a high level of selection. I got here with an open mind and was very surprised. I did not have a list of what I was looking for, I wanted something new and I was satisfied. The physical fair is an important rendezvous, you can also buy online but it’s not the same thing especially in the world of food. My clients love Italian products and want traditional packaging, an aspect that sometimes seems to suffer in favor of a more minimal style. Really efficient organization.
Giovanni Giarolo, Sales Manager, CBG (Barcelona – Spain):
Taste is certainly the best organized fair I have ever taken part in. The setting of the city of Florence is beautiful, you can walk to the event, the fair is simple to visit. Italian catering in Spain is generally medium/low, so far we have often worked with industrial products but now we are working on a new catalogue dedicated to more sophisticated and gourmet foods and Taste felt like the perfect occasion because it hosts companies with this target. I found this edition to be bigger and attendance was higher. All the food categories are well represented and I found various interesting suppliers.
Maria Trapani, fresh food buyer, SELFRIDGES (London – UK)
Taste is one of the best food fairs I have ever taken part in thanks to the enormous selection of companies and products to immerse oneself in. The event allows you to see, smell and taste authentic good quality products from all over Italy. It was important to take part to discover new brands as well as to see the products already on the market. As far as I am concerned, I like to find companies that still need to be launched in the United Kingdom: the fair allows me to source and possibly put on our shelves great quality products with innovative packaging, so that our clients can constantly experiment new food trends and items they’ve never seen before. Food moves in multiple directions and this is a particularly exciting moment. In the United Kingdom we are seeing a huge trend towards health and wellbeing and it was fantastic to see the emergence of rural and authentic brands that concentrate on sustainability and tradition. With such a large number of companies it was really interesting to evaluate the trends and the products that are created in Italy: there was a lot of attention on tradition and quality which I will carry with me when I review the brands. Moreover, the location of the Fortezza Da Basso was very near the center, which allowed the foreign participants (myself included) to move around extremely easily and enjoy the city and the food it has to offer.
Irena Korsake, purchasing and margin management coordinator, FALLON & BYRNE (Dublin – Ireland)
A truly wonderful atmosphere! The thing I like most is its concentration of premium brands in a location that is the right size: the quality is very high and you don’t waste time going from one side to the other because the companies are gathered together in an intimate and tidy space. It is easy to visit, very focused, also thanks to the excellent communication: on the website you can find all the necessary information and photos of the companies which makes it possible to document yourself before arriving at the fair. At this edition I was mainly looking for prosciutto manufacturers, pasta factories and companies that produce olive oil and pesto and I found many more than I was looking for. Perfect organization.
Kelsey Lee, purchasing manager food, SAVORY GOURMET (California – USA)
This is the first time I have taken part in Taste. I decided to come because we want to increase the section dedicated to Italian products in our stores as we have done with the French ones and I felt that Taste was a good opportunity for discovering new companies. The quality of the products is really very high, each company has its own story. All the merchandising categories were well represented and I found several interesting proposals.
Pietro Canali, owner, CUCINA FINE FOOD (Montreal – Canada):
This edition? It went splendidly! I like the location of the Fortezza Da Basso very much because it is airier, all my producers were here and the fair is an excellent occasion to meet them and update each other about the market. Taste is a fair that fully represents my target. I took part in various Fuori di Taste events: the visit to Palazzo Vecchio organized by Unici was wonderful, as were the events at the Four Seasons. All the merchandising categories were well covered and the organization of the fair was perfect: no queuing, everything was fluid and efficient.
Giorgio Pompili, EUROPA IMPORTADORA (Rio de Janeiro – Brazil):
This is the first time I have taken part in Taste because before the fair straddled other events and I never managed to come. What can I say, the fair is marvelous! A fantastic location, great kindness and good manners from everyone, accessible hours and a splendid hotel. Italian excellence in a fair. I was looking for alternatives to the Italian and foreign suppliers I work with and I found several interesting companies. The Fuori di Taste events were great, I really think we’ll be seeing you again next year!
Yong Tae Kim, PLENUM (Seoul – South Korea):
I think that the symbolism and exotic atmosphere of the historic spaces show that Taste is a special event. It was very important to take part because I was able to see the companies and the iconic products that demonstrate high level Italian food culture. The world of food is moving towards selection, I think only products with reasonable prices, good quality that satisfies clients’ expectations and attractively designed packaging will survive. Among the most interesting aspects of the fair was the great care taken: Taste was a great opportunity for seeing the passion for Italian food products, brands and culture.
Gianni Caprioli, founder, GIANDO GROUP (China - Hong Kong):
For someone who loves food, coming to Taste is a bit like going to a funfair for a kid!  We have two slogans: Origin matters and Good food comes from beautiful places and I would say that the fair reflects both. There are lots of family-run companies that pass on quality and knowledge from generation to generation. Food and beauty are linked at this fair thanks to the allure of the city of Florence and the care taken by the companies and by the event itself. Coming to Taste is like taking an accelerated refresher course on the latest sector ideas. I chose to come to Italy to take part in the fair and even if you are looking for a particular category, as you go round the spaces you find everything. Two opposite trends are growing in Italy: on one side ignorance about food is growing, on the other side is culture. We have to help companies to inform and tell people about the quality of their products. The Fuori di Taste events were wonderful, excellent organization.
Maurizio De Luca, brand manager, ITAL BRAND COMPANY (Kyrgyzstan):
My first time at Taste. I decided to take part because in 2016 I began my business importing Italian products to Kyrgyzstan and after the pandemic I opened a wine bar selling Italian wines and I wanted to also start a gastronomical section. The fair was a perfect opportunity. I found several interesting companies and the aspect that struck me most was the great humility of the people as well as the stories of the companies, often family-run for generations. The Fuori di Taste event at Palazzo Vecchio was truly thrilling. Excellent hospitality.
Gianmarco Balestrini, owner, LARIO INTERNATIONAL (Sydney – Australia):
I sell an Italian story. I take Italian food culture and experience to a clientele that is in love with our country but that often does not have the information necessary to fully know and appreciate it. For me it is fundamental to return often to Italy, it allows me to understand what works and what the trends are. It is tiring but essential for learning about new ideas and the market. Taste is an important rendezvous because it is becoming the top event for niche products which are the ones we handle. Taking part means networking with suppliers and producers, understanding how the market is evolving, tasting, criticizing or praising new products. I was looking for something with snappy packaging, a verifiable story and, obviously, excellent quality. I really like the new location at the Fortezza da Basso, it is bigger and more livable. Excellent organization. 

PRESS AND MEDIA FEEDBACK

Over 600 journalists and media operators attended TASTE 16.
Accredited foreign journalists came from 17 countries, including: France, Austria, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, China, Japan, and Turkey.
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Here are some of the newspapers, magazines, online publications, TV, bloggers and influencers who visited TASTE 16:
ABC (Spain), Anais Lerma - Parisianavores (France), Annabelle Schachmes (France), Ansa (Italy), Artribune (Italy), Cook - Corriere della Sera (Italy), Corriere Fiorentino (Italy), Die Presse Schaufenster (Austria), Dishes Delicious (Germany), Dispensa Magazine (Italy), Dolcesalato (Italy), Elle (Spain), Food & Wine (Italy), Emilie Franzo - Plus une miette dans l'assiette (France), Food and Sens (France), Gambero Rosso (Italy), Gastronomika - Linkiesta (Italy), Grande Cucina (Italy), Il Forchettiere (Italy), Il Gusto - La Repubblica (Italy), Il Messaggero (Italy), Il Sole 24 Ore (Italy), Il Tirreno (Italy), Italia a Tavola (Italy), James Magazine (Italy), Julie Zwingelstein - Juliezwing (France), La Cucina Italiana (Italy), La Nazione (Italy), La Repubblica (Italy), La Stampa (Italy), Marie Claire (Spain), Match Magazine (France), MF Fashion (Italy), Monocle Magazine (United Kingdom), Nicole Taddei - Lemongrass&OliveOil (Italy), Pambianco Magazine (Italy), Pasticceria Internazionale (Italy), Premiata Salumeria Italiana (Italy), RAI (Italy), QN Quotidiano Nazionale (Italy), Style in progress (Austria), Telva (Spain), Tuorlo Magazine (Italy), Viaggi del Gusto Magazine (Italy).
TasteGallery_017 Pastai_014

About Taste 16, they said:

At Pitti Taste, [Italy’s] premiere food fair in Florence, 7000 buyers from foodhalls and gourmet retailers from New York to Seoul got the chance to sample the latest offerings. Italian brands demonstrated yet again their ability to craft delicious products to tantalize people’s tastebuds.

— MONOCLE MAGAZINE

Taste, the event dedicated to showcasing the excellence of Italian cuisine and wine, has long focused on celebrating tradition, regional peculiarities, and the stories behind family-run businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. Over the years, Taste has become a highly anticipated event for those seeking to discover new companies, iconic products, and emerging trends in the food and beverage industry.

— GAMBERO ROSSO

The most exciting novelties, which will soon hit the shelves of stores and delicatessens, or the plates of restaurants and taverns, confirm that Taste is among the most effective and enjoyable showcases on the national scene.

— FOOD&WINE ITALIA

In 2007, the top management of Pitti Immagine and the "Gastronaut" Davide Paolini had a fortunate intuition that has now become one of the must-attend events for foodies from all over Italy and beyond. This event showcases the best of local food production, featuring a mix of trendy and classic food and beverage options, emerging realities, and selected historical brands, all with a focus on high quality.

— ITALIA A TAVOLA

This fair embodies an ideal selection of top-quality companies that are easily accessible and enjoyable to visit. Thanks to its well-designed spaces and format, visitors can compare and explore various offerings in a welcoming and stimulating atmosphere.

— JAMES MAGAZINE

THE PASTA THEME, THE RINGS, AND THE TALKS AT THE FORTEZZA:
Taste 16 offered a unique journey to explore the world of pasta and its most influential makers. The theme took center stage in the installation at the entrance to the UniCredit Taste Arena and a series of Taste Talks. Additionally, it appeared in the Taste Rings curated by Davide Paolini.
  • TASTE Talks: 8 meetings with chefs, journalists, and producers interpreting the major themes of contemporary gastronomy.  
  • TASTE Ring: 2 debates, led by journalist and gastronome Davide Paolini, on the most current topics in food culture.

PITTI CONNECT

Taste 16 kicked off online on Pitti Connect on November 15, 2022. The companies' pages, showcasing their excellence, will remain online until July 25, 2023. This extended period effectively amplifies the companies' participation in the physical show in the Fortezza, putting them in the spotlight and providing ample information to buyers and the trade press.

Here are the results achieved so far by Connect.

15 November - 23 February
2023
  • Accredited operators
    5.000+
  • Total page views
    1.175.517
  • Visits
    135.199
  • Average session time
    3' 54''
  • Average number of pages consulted per visit
    8,7

BUYERS ON PITTI CONNECT

Buyers who logged in 3,682
Italian buyers who logged in 3,182
Foreign buyers who logged in 500

The main countries from which buyers logged in: France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Holland, Japan, Romania, Canada, Russia, Denmark, Lithuania, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Australia, South Korea, Estonia, Ukraine, China, Greece, Luxembourg, Poland, Czech Republic, San Marino Republic, Slovenia, Albania.

 

PRESS AND MEDIA ON CONNECT

621 Italian and international journalists and media operators logged on Pitti Connect to visit the fair online.
Main countries of origin: Germany, Spain, UK, France, US, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Montenegro, Azerbaijan.

 

THE BILLBOARD

Updates and video reports on Pitti Connect recounted the news and events of Taste 16.
To maintain focus on exhibitors, relevant content and special features were relaunched through 15 newsletters and social media.
 

SOCIAL MEDIA

The following are the results achieved by TASTE 16 social media accounts between October 18, 2022, and February 23, 2023.

INSTAGRAM
Posts 79
Stories 167
Accounts reached 516,124
Total engagement  8,730
Video views 73,298
Followers 6.507 (+2.738 since 18/10) 

FACEBOOK
Posts 80
Accounts reached 1,575,141
Total engagement 1,558
Video views 4,693
Likes 13,189