Sysco set to attend and exhibit at CATEX with biggest footprint to date.

Thursday, February 13, 2025. 2:49pm

Sysco, Ireland’s foodservice specialist, will be attending and exhibiting at CATEX, Ireland’s largest catering and hospitality event, from 18-20 February at the RDS Simmonscourt.

Across three days, Sysco’s team of foodservice experts will be on hand to offer top tips on kitchen solutions, insights into new trends and showcase their range of over 11,000 products. Visitors to Sysco’s impressive 286sqm stand, will also have the opportunity to enjoy expert demonstrations from specialist butchers, bakers and food aficionados.

As part of its CATEX 2025 exhibition, alongside the live cooking demonstrations at Sysco’s Foodie Live Demo Stage from both in-house experts and suppliers alike, Sysco will welcome baking expert and Pizza Ambassador, Andrea Clementi. With a lifelong dedication to the Arte Bianca, Andrea brings his extensive expertise in bread-making, pastry, and pizza craftsmanship to CATEX where visitors can experience firsthand the authenticity and quality that define Sysco’s Italian-sourced products from antipasti to dessert.

Representatives from Sysco Specialist Businesses, Classic Drinks and Ready Chef, will also be in attendance across all three days. Now in its 21 st year, Classic Drinks, will exhibit its vast range of curated drinks, which is made up of 1,200 spirits, beers and ciders, non-alcoholic offerings and more than 700 quality wines at every price point. The past three years has seen a number of developments in the company’s wine range, with a focus on sourcing small wine producers from around the world, a variety of which will be available to sample.

CATEX will also give customers the opportunity to meet the team at Ready Chef, the pre- prepared fresh fruit and vegetable experts. Offering unparalleled choice, with over 70% of its products sourced locally, Ready Chef experts will lead immersive presentations demonstrating expert fruit carving and vegetable preparation over three days at the exhibition.

Committed to supporting the next generation of chefs, Sysco’s dedicated student team will be on hand to offer guidance to Ireland’s future culinary stars; they can meet Sysco Chefs, and experience everything that Sysco has to offer. Sysco is also proud to sponsor the Chef Ireland Culinary Pork Competition, as well as several dessert competitions in the Cold Salon.

“CATEX is the foodservice event of the year, and we are thrilled to be attending with our most exciting lineup to date. We have some great events and demos planned across a packed three days and we look forward to welcoming our suppliers and customers to the stand.” said Colin Staunton, Group Head of Marketing & Digital, Sysco Ireland.

With a range of more than 10,000 fresh, frozen and ambient food and non-food products, 70% of which are sourced from Irish producers and suppliers, Sysco offers a 360 service with guaranteed next day delivery to its 11,000+ customers. Employing 1,700 people, the company operates from regional distribution centres right across the island of Ireland including Dublin, Cork and Limerick, with a new state-of-the-art facility set to enhance the Sysco’s service to customers in Northern Ireland when it opens later this year.

What’s On & When: Sysco Foodie Live Demo Stage

Sysco Foodie Live Demo Stage will be the central hub of this year’s exhibition where Sysco will showcase the very best in Irish produce. Each day will have an action-packed programme with demos on everything from butchery to sustainable menu solutions.

A live demo focusing on ‘the most important meal of the day’ will kick things off on Sysco’s Foodie Main Stage daily, as Sysco’s specialist chefs put a spotlight on a selection of breakfast favourites including bacon on day one, gourmet sausages on day two and eggs on day three looking at up-to-date trends and serving suggestions.

Sysco’s Head Development Chef, Simon Hudson, will take to the main stage on Tuesday [February 18], to showcase a range of menus featuring seasonal, locally sourced products, and highlighting sustainable ways of cooking. From Beef featherblade BBQ coffee Tapouts, and undrunk red wine jus, to banana skin chutney and all you can find fruit compote, Simon will be demonstrating to attendees how every last piece of food has a use.

On Wednesday [February 19] Sysco’s specialist chefs will demonstrate how restaurateurs can be more efficient with cuts of beef from bone rib to striploin on the bone and more. Later in the day, Chef Liam Byrd and the World Food team will explore the full range of Sysco’s world food products, available to suit all cuisines. The artistry of Sysco’s bakery specialists will be on display on the main stage on Thursday [February 20], as the team showcase a captivating range of plated desserts, afternoon tea delicacies, and grab-and-go solutions to suit all customer types and that are easily customisable to businesses. Designed to impress and delight, spectators can be inspired by exquisite creations from ‘Praline Banoffee Tarts’ to ‘Pear and Caramel Mille-Feuille’.

Completing the line up on the Sysco stage will be a range of demonstrations from some 15 valued suppliers and partners of many years.