Alimentaria + Hostelco, a leading trade fair platform for the food, beverage, foodservices and hospitality equipment industry, has recorded its most successful edition with strong attendance and business results over a 4-day exhibition period held in Barcelona, Spain from 23 to 26 March 2026.
This year, the event which also celebrated its 50th anniversary, reported the highest number of international exhibitors, amid strong participation of national and international buyers. Nearly 109,600 professionals attended the event, 25% of which came from outside Spain, which included from more than 120 countries like the US, Europe and Latin America.
Attendees were also spoiled by a wide array of products, equipments and services offered by more than 3,300 exhibiting companies, with 1,200 of them from over 70 countries. According to Anna Canal, Director of Operations, Alimentaria, this year’s event saw a 30% growth in participation from international companies, while there was also a 40% increase in exhibition space allocated to international participants. Currently, Europe together with Latin America and North America formed the largest share of this international representation. Nevertheless, based on AFBR team visit at the event, there was also growing participation of Asian companies particularly from China, South Korea, Japan and Thailand eager to capitalise on the growing affluent consumer market in Europe, using Alimentaria as an effective springboard for expansion. Many of these Asian companies offer innovative functional food and beverage products from healthy egg-white ‘low sodium’ noodles, to soy sauces and high protein snacks as well as functional beverages like fruit-flavored coconut water and energy drinks.
Alimentaria + Hostelco invited more than 2,700 buyers and importers from 120 countries and had successfully conducted more than 14,500 business meetings over the 4-day event. With the current complex and challenging environment, and ongoing increase in logistics and shipping costs, amid higher costs of fuel and fertilizers, it has become even more imperative for a stakeholder to be part of a mega event like Alimentaria which can help to link buyers with credible suppliers effectively. Antoni Llorens, President of Alimentaria said, “The strong level of participation in this edition demonstrates the resilience of the sector, even in a complex international context such as the current one. Thanks to its 50 years of experience, Alimentaria continues to be an essential internationalisation platform for our industry.”
According to an Alimentaria spokesperson, one of the most successful part of this edition is the area dedicated to the Horeca channel, which saw an impressive 40% growth in participation to 600 companies.
New product developments also formed a crucial part of the event. A large area was dedicated to The Innovation Hub which showcased innovative products like Maison Perrier Citrus Fizz (brand of sparkling water by Nestle Waters), Halal-certified Raviolis under the Isla Delice brand to Chick & Go Chicken Protein Snacks amongst others.
Meanwhile, the Innoval Awards honoured the best new products launched between April 2024 and March 2026, in the categories of Retail Channel, Horeca, Impulse, Trends, Distributor and Product. Maison Perrier Chic won the Innoval Award under the Beverages category for its exciting line of non-alcoholic mocktails made with sparkling water, juices and botanical extracts. In Dairy and derivatives, Yosoy, from Liquats Vegetals, has been awarded for its new barista range and its Matcha Oats, Oats 0%, Pistachio Oats and Chai Oats varieties, without added sugars, additives or gluten. In Meat and Derivatives, Torre de Núñez has been recognised for its Light Range, comprised of cured and Creole chorizo with 30% less fat, high protein content and no additives, gluten or lactose. In Ice Cream and Frozen, the award went to Pizza Snacks by Fripozo, with small bites inspired by pizzeria recipes and Churro Bites, mini frozen churros filled with Nocilla, the popular cocoa-and-hazelnut spread, by Maheso. Carretilla, with its refrigerated gratins free from preservatives and presented in 100% biodegradable wooden trays, has been awarded in the category of Fresh and Refrigerated Non-Dairy Products. The award for Alternative Protein went to Ouegg, from Patatas Fritas Torres, the first chips made only with dehydrated egg whites using technology that preserves their nutritional value. Broccoli Sprouts 4.0, by Germinats Tugas, has been recognised for its innovation in health as a functional superfood with stabilised sulforaphane and a concentration 50 times higher than mature broccoli. And for its innovation in sustainability, the award went to Bagazitos, from Impact Foods, for transforming brewers’ spent grain into a snack rich in fibre and protein. A true example of the circular economy.
Alimentaria + Hostelco also boasts a large area dedicated to Premium Products ranging from premium seafood products like smoked salmon and canned seafood from Ahumados Dominguez and La Brujula, to confectionery products like ice cream from Movenpick, and gourmet vegetables like artichoke flower from Caprichos del Paladar. This area offers an eye-catching premier attraction which can hardly be seen in many trade shows in Asia.
In addition, The Bakery & Pastry Hub was also co-located with The Coffee Stage, offering a wide range of programs, baking competition and culinary challenges bringing the art of pastry to the next level.
The next edition of Alimentaria+Hostelco will take place from 20 to 23 March 2028 at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue. To find out more on this vibrant event, visit https://www.alimentaria.com/en/
