The Wallonia tradition & innovation cocktail at SIAL in Paris

10.10.2022

Wallonia is a great faithful of SIAL, the global meeting place for the entire agri-food sector. Each year, the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency takes to Paris a delegation of companies from all agri-food sectors. Producers and buyers gather for 5 days to discuss new trends and major transformations at work in food. Nearly 80 Walloon companies will be present this year from October 15-19 in no less than 7 different sectors. Proud of their traditions and local products, Walloon actors are also keen to constantly innovate, both in terms of taste and the use of ingredients and sustainable production methods.

Here are the 7 sectors where Wallonia will be represented at SIAL:

Drinks (Hall 5C D024+D212), with the unmissable Belgian beers such as the Bocq breweries, Superfoodbeers and Leopold 7, but also a wide range of wines and aperitifs with or without alcohol, fruit juices, including healthy and gourmet drinks from FROUI.
Grocery products (Hall 5B M205), from the traditional sauces Altesse – Quality Food (What would Belgian fries be without the mayonnaise ?) up to innovative brands such as Graine de curieux, proposed by Land Farm & Men to conceive food differently.
Dairy products (Hall 7 E152), with milk and farm butter products (including the multi-award-winning Lemon & Green Pepper Butter!) from L&L Plaquette or cheeses from Terres de Fromages with its famous and very tasty and fragrant Herve cheese labeled Protected Designation of Origin status (PDO).
Confectionery, biscuits and pastry Hall 5A F081+F082): the famous pearl sugar Couplet, essential to bake the Waffles of Liège and the delicious vegan and gluten-free Bloom energy balls to enjoy as a snack.

Meet and tripe (Hall 6 B140) : the Walloon chef Maxime Renard will taste the many regional specialities, mainly based on beef but also the Ardenne Quality Pork at the forefront in terms of quality standards and animal welfare
Frozen (Hall 6 D029 + D041) : from sweet & tasty Liège Waffle Smiling Baker to innovative alternatives of the brand Flores to cook without milk or vegan.
Delicatessen (Hall 6 F084) : the artisanal quiches of l’Artisan gourmet will delight your taste buds and the croutons and dried fruits of 2VD will bring a festive and tasty touch to all your salads.

The chef Maxime Renard organizes a Tailor Made Meat tasting on 16, 17 and 18 October from 11.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2.30 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. on Stand B140, Hall 6.

Trained with his father at Le Bruegel in Damme, Maxime enriched his culinary skills at Le Petit Axhe and L’Isola restaurants. In 2017, he opens « Maxime Renard - Table Conviviale » in Liège, a restaurant concept that showcases local and organic products.

Do not miss to discover the stands of the APAQ-W, the Walloon Agency for the Promotion of Quality Agriculture which will be on site with Walloon producers to present the products labeled Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) as well as that of Logistics in Wallonia.

The fair offers the opportunity to highlight the logistics sector and the multimodal approach thanks to the region's infrastructure. Food logistics can benefit in Wallonia from a dense motorway network, waterways as well as an airport and a river port, both specialised in the transport and storage of goods and ideally located near Liège. Representatives of logistics companies in the region will have the opportunity to present the scope of their services to the agri-food professionals present.

As the crossroads of Europe, Wallonia has always been able to juggle tradition and innovation creatively. Its products can be found at the base of a good meal simmered the old-fashioned way or be the star ingredients of a meal intended to impress the fine palates in record time with ready-to-use dishes that are both exquisite and healthy. Wallonia is crunching to the teeth and it is at SIAL that it is possible to discover the widest assortment. To come and taste without moderation !