Vietnam Food & Beverage Conference 2023: Perspectives from Experts on the Future of the Industry

The Vietnam Food & Beverage Conference 2023 highlighted some of the finest aspects of Vietnam's gastronomy scene, paving the way for further growth and success in the industry.
Vietnam Food & Beverage Conference 2023: Perspectives from Experts on the Future of the Industry

The Vietnam Food & Beverage Conference 2023, presented by Vietcetera and Mastercard, was a resounding success with nearly 1,000 participants. The first event was held on March 10th at the Novotel Hanoi Thai Ha in Hanoi, followed by another gathering of industry icons and experts at The Global City in Ho Chi Minh City on March 17th.

Despite being two separate events, the common goal of creating a knowledge-sharing platform for the food and beverage industry remained the same. Industry icons and emerging names graced the events, bringing with them their passion and insights honed by years of continued learning and experiences.

Discussions revolved around the latest trends across different segments of the F&B industry, including new coffee movements led by Vietnamese brands, the possibility of unifying the fine dining and street food markets, and the increasing level of authority of restaurant and bar influencers in the digital age. Moreover, initiatives and campaigns on sustainability in F&B also took center stage.

This year’s conference also highlighted some of the finest aspects of Vietnam's gastronomy scene, paving the way for further growth and success in the industry.

Vietnamese coffee: Tapping local farmers

During the fireside chat, ‘Battle of the Beans - Exploring the Latest Coffee Trends in Search of the Perfect Cup,’ Lacaph founder and managing partner Timen Swijtink shared potential Vietnam holds compared to other coffee-producing countries.

Vietnam is one of the few countries with a distinct coffee culture. Other countries may have unique coffee cultures but don’t grow their coffee. In Vietnam, the entire supply chain exists within about a six-hour drive from each other.

Timen also mentioned Vietnamese farmers as being key players in the coffee industry. They mainly support local coffee farmers and promote Vietnamese coffee internationally. However, they intend to change how they produce the beans. Since the country’s coffee production is 94% robusta, “we need to change the robusta farms from quantity-oriented to quality-oriented.” That way, they can produce high-quality robustas, eventually becoming high-quality coffee.

The fireside chat, ‘Battle of the Beans - Exploring the Latest Coffee Trends in Search of the Perfect Cup,’ between Lacaph founder and managing partner Timen Swijtink and host Calvin Bui

Is the future sweet for the dessert sector?

During the panel discussion entitled ‘The Future Looks Sweet: Finding harmony between local culture and international techniques,’ Le Tran Thien Hanh, head pastry chef at The Monkey Gallery Dining & Dessert Bar, said the future of the pastry and dessert industry in Vietnam is something she can’t foresee. One thing she’s sure of is it’s going to be “totally different.” Chefs will become more open to expressing their personality through their dishes and creations, and instead of applying what they learned from training, desserts in the future would speak a lot about them.

During the discussion in Hanoi, Hoả Quốc Anh, COO of C’est Si Bon and Olive Studio, said the demand in the “sweet” industry is booming. According to Anh, Vietnam can supply the increasing demand, and “because of that, the market is in good condition for growth in the next five years.”

Vincent Mourou of Marou Chocolate shared the distinctiveness of chocolate as a sweet product, the tendency to buy sweets as gifts in Vietnam, and how they incorporate local culture into their chocolate flavors.

Panel discussion ‘The Future Looks Sweet: Finding harmony between local culture and international techniques” in Hanoi

Fine Dining vs. Street Food

In a fireside chat with Hoang Tung, moderated by Hao Tran, titled “Asia 50 Best and Michelin Guide coming to Vietnam - Pressure or Validation?” The conversation explored the impact of these prestigious restaurant rankings on the Vietnamese culinary scene.

“To me, the Michelin is not the final destination; it is a recognition of what you have done and is going through. And it’s special for Vietnam.” Tung told Hao that even with the added pressure, they must operate the same way and remain consistent with their offer even with the added pressure.

CEO Vietcetera, Mr. Hao Tran và chef Hoang Tung in fireside chat “Asia 50 Best and Michelin Guide coming to Vietnam - Pressure or Validation?”

In another panel discussion titled “From Michelin to Munchies: Is it Possible to Bring Fine Dining to the Street,” Julien Perraudin, head chef of Quince, and Pedro Goizueta, executive chef and founder of Iberico, explored the challenges of bringing fine dining to the street. The panel acknowledged that Michelin ratings might not be possible for street food, but they also explored how street food vendors can still provide exceptional dining experiences.

Importance of digital marketing strategies

Duc Bui and Khanh Ngoc, FPDB Studio’s creative director and COO, aim to promote Vietnamese cuisine and the food industry to the world. They emphasize capturing the audience's attention in the first two seconds and how visuals play a significant role in achieving that goal.

Duc and Khanh emphasized how social media has become one of the primary sources of information, and photos influence our emotions and perception of a brand. In the past, we often come across restaurants through word of mouth, great experiences, or sharing with friends and family. However, social media gives us suggestions on where to visit next and what to order based on visuals.

Duc Bui and Khanh Ngoc, FPDB Studio’s creative director, and COO share the topic “Importance of digital marketing strategies”

For Vu My Linh of NoFoodPhobia, who spoke at the Hanoi conference, social media used to be a platform for authentic reviews on food and restaurants. As a longtime influencer, she uses her social media accounts to express her honest opinions on the food venues she visits. Amidst the rise of social media marketing and using KOLs to promote specific establishments, she aims to deliver sincere and straightforward perspectives based on her personal experiences.

Two exciting culinary events are coming up: the Rising Chefs Challenge in April and the Vietnam Restaurant and Bar Week in May-June. The Vietnam Restaurant and Bar Week has been expanded to two weeks, extended to the beach city of Danang, and will feature more restaurants and bars than ever before.

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