Gastrotargi SMAKKi
3rd International Trade Fair for the HoReCa Industry
9-10 April 2025
EXPO XXI Warsaw
Gastrotargi SMAKKi
3rd International Trade Fair for the HoReCa Industry
9-10 April 2025
EXPO XXI Warsaw
The debut edition of the SMAKKi Gastrotargi 2023 was a success. The event showcased a business-oriented approach to gastronomy and a strong focus on its development. Organized by us, the fair is an event on par with international events. During the first edition of SMAKKi, we managed to gather over 100 exhibitors from the HoReCa industry. Such a fruitful first year of the fair is the best motivation for further work!
Over 100 companies from the HoReCa industry have trusted us
Nearly 5,000 professionals visited us during the event
We collaborated with over 60 industry experts
Over 30 conferences, lectures, debates, championships, competitions, and culinary demonstrations
Every day at SMAKKi, visitors could witness true culinary feasts with exceptional lineups. In our Green EkoKitchen zone, which represented the rapidly growing plant-based cuisine market, the dishes enticed with their appearance, and their creators encouraged an eco-friendly approach. On the first day of the fair, Katarzyna Gubała, together with her accompanying chef Gerard Rytter from Develey, cooked with us, and their dishes were prepared in the spirit of the slogan “Ecology and food cost make a delicious duo!”
Next, the kitchen was taken over by Hempeat, along with chef Sebastian Cichy, where exceptional plant-based dishes were created using their hemp-based meat products. These unique dishes were also available for tasting throughout the fair at their booth, where they attracted great interest.
On the second day of the fair, the live cooking zone was taken over by Bafood, which offered guests a series of diverse dishes.
On the third day of the fair, the kitchen was taken over by the trainees of the first “Academy of Masters of Taste by Belvedere” – a unique project in Europe, recognized by the HoReCa industry, which supports and develops the most talented students from culinary schools.
The young chefs, under the guidance of Tomasz Łagowski and Adam Chrząstowski, presented their signature finger foods. The entire event was supported and hosted by Paweł Gruba.
Working with young people is very important nowadays. They are our future, so we need to pass on our knowledge to them. For me, participation in the Academy of Masters of Taste by Belvedere is very satisfying and, at the same time, extremely necessary for the industry. Preparing young people for culinary presentations, which includes proper organization, menu selection, and equipment, requires a lot of work and dedication. Currently, the industry is struggling with a lack of staff, so I believe these young, talented individuals are a promising new generation that will soon make their mark in the market – said Adam Chrząstowski.
On the third day of the fair, the final of the Heinz Selection Contest took place, aimed at independent burger joints, supporting smaller businesses. The energy of the hosts motivated the participants to do their best, creating an atmosphere of positive competition for the taste buds of burger lovers, a growing group in Poland.
In the end, 10 burger joints were chosen as winners by the international jury:
Below is the list of winners who, thanks to the contest, gained access to HEINZ products, materials, knowledge, and expertise from the global brand, as well as media promotion:
As a member of the Speciality Coffee Association, GASTROTARGI SMAKKi hosted spectacular coffee competitions. Participants had the opportunity to test their skills during stage presentations and face the judgment of professionals.
On the first day of the fair, the Coffee Olympiad by Tom Obracaj & Marcin Rusnarczyk took place, identifying the best beginner baristas who had not previously participated in coffee competitions.
Here is the list of finalists of this well-known coffee event:
1st place Bartosz Płocharczyk – Green Cafe Nero
2nd place Jędrzej Foremski – Brisman Kawowy Bar
3rd place Edyta Szajer – Cafe STOR
The winners of the individual competitions were:
Espresso Challenge – Bartosz Płocharczyk – Green Cafe Nero
Cup Tasting – Kamil Trzuskowski – ETNO CAFÉ
Coffee Knowledge – Marta Roziecka – Cukiernia Romanowski
On the second day of our SMAKKi event, we were part of the first championships for roasters competing for the title of the best coffee in Poland, judged by both Professional Choice and Customer Choice. The competition was fierce, as the best roasters in Poland participated. The winners of Cup of Poland 2023 were Audun Coffee, according to the Professional Choice judges, and Segafredo, according to Customer Choice!
On the final day of the fair, the 1st Polish ToNic Espresso Championship, organized by On Lemon, also generated a lot of excitement. Passionate yet highly professional young individuals competed to capture the judges’ attention by preparing the perfect tonic espresso – a refreshing drink made from coffee that combines the sweet-bitter tonic with strong black coffee.
The winners of this competition were:
As one of the participants mentioned, thanks to opportunities like those at SMAKKi, young baristas and bartenders are becoming better in terms of taste, technique, and are also growing bolder and more open-minded. At the same time, they draw inspiration from one another and offer support, which shapes them in every aspect.
A strong highlight of our SMAKKi event was the rich and informative program! During our conferences, we hosted over 50 experts, including owners of well-managed businesses. Attendees learned that success in the gastronomy industry does not solely depend on revenue size and filling the room, but also on many other factors.
Success is good management, cost optimization, and an awareness of all the business aspects of a restaurant. Just focusing on food cost is not enough; you need to calculate the business, talk to employees about the company’s profits so they gain awareness of the financial results, which often changes their attitude. Some restaurateurs, despite having a full house, do not realize that their business is in the red – pointed out Piotr Rogowski, co-owner of the consulting firm V4B, who shared six steps on how to effectively manage costs to ensure a profitable restaurant, even during a crisis in the industry.
Another important aspect, namely building relationships with employees, was addressed by Marcin Krysiński and Dorota Krysińska, co-founders of the Mihiderka restaurant chain. They shared how to take care of employees through a positive atmosphere and small gestures, as well as company processes and detailed manuals that help efficiently onboard new team members. They also emphasized that the younger generation, which is taking its first steps in the industry, does not like to feel incompetent. Therefore, gradually teaching new skills requires patience and understanding, which ultimately pays off later.
Agnieszka Kazuś, the CEO of DBL, a company that offers work and protective clothing services as well as entrance mats, shared a similar viewpoint. She revealed that the employee turnover rate in her company is close to zero.
You need to talk to your team and not be afraid, as a leader, to admit when you don’t know something. Behind the positions, there are competencies, but we are all human – she emphasized.
An interesting part of the program was the debate on funding sources for the HoReCa industry, featuring Radosław Hutnik, Director of the Corporate Banking Division at PKO Bank Polski, Marek Synowiec, an expert on fund acquisition from Fund Hunters, and Rafał Czerkawski, an expert on EU projects and CEO of Doradcy365.
The HoReCa sector is definitely unique because it is very focused, and I would even risk saying – has always been very strongly oriented towards mutual relationships and building connections during industry events. At SMAKKi, we were expecting concrete sales leads, and these fairs fulfilled that role. There were no buses full of students, but instead, there were specific business clients with well-defined needs and a very mature approach and knowledge.
For us, it's not only the end client, meaning the owner of a gastronomic establishment, that matters, but also our business partners, who are an extension of our arm. They are the ones who spread the Komat brand in the Polish and international markets, so showcasing new products to them at the fair is very important to us. 90% of our key clients came to SMAKKi to meet and discover new products, which, given the current pace of life, is not easy.
The current HoReCa market needs to break away from traditional patterns and embrace new, often surprising, and extremely effective solutions. One such solution is the DPD Food service. During the fair, we had many discussions that will certainly lead to fruitful cooperation. I'm glad we were part of SMAKKi. I would also like to highlight the friendly atmosphere and the organizers' care for each exhibitor, which is a distinctive feature of SMAKKi.
We tried to prepare our products in a way that would showcase their new versions and concepts, as well as how and where they can be used, whether in a restaurant or at a gas station. At SMAKKi, we achieved our branding goal, as we managed to invite many clients, including key decision-makers, which is not always easy. They came here and took the time to meet with us.
We took notice of SMAKKi because it is a new format in Poland, and we strongly believe that it can become a leading event in the industry. Part of our business is focused on providing the right water for the hospitality sector: hotels, restaurants, and cafes. Our brand's task is to supply products such as commercial filters and dispensers that optimally treat water. This is exactly the range we extensively showcased during the fair.
The first edition of the SMAKKi fair is a confirmation that the HoReCa industry is primarily based on building mutual relationships, which result in business successes – and SMAKKi was such an event. Bringing together Producers, Restaurateurs, and Companies working in the professional sector in one place creates an opportunity for discussions about the future, directions, and needs of the HoReCa sector.
