The 34th China Chef's Festival and the 2025 China Culinary and Food Expo

The 34th China Chef's Festival and the 2025 China Culinary and Food Expo, a major annual event in the Chinese catering industry, will take place from October 17 to 19, 2025, in Suzhou. This expo is a key part of the Ministry of Commerce's "Culinary Heritage of China" series of events and is dubbed the "Olympics of Chinese Chefs" and the "Catering Industry Fair." It aims to gather culinary elites from around the world, presenting a more international, professional, and diverse outlook to chart a new blueprint for industry development.

Since its inception in 1990, the China Chef's Festival has been successfully held 33 times and remains the highest-level platform for communication and cooperation in China's catering industry. Organized by the Chinese Culinary Association and the government of Suzhou, this year's theme is "Flavors without Borders, Innovation for the Future," focusing on three core topics: the internationalization of Chinese cuisine, the upgrading of the catering supply chain, and the inheritance of culinary culture. The event is expected to attract over 40,000 industry experts, including representatives from culinary associations across 34 provinces and cities in China, delegations from more than 20 "Cities of Gastronomy" worldwide, heads of over 400 chain catering enterprises, and procurement leaders from over 100 central and state-owned enterprise canteens, as well as top chefs and industry leaders from around the globe.

The expo highlights include four major aspects:
1. **Global Top Competitions and Dialogue Platforms**: The China Culinary World Championship, certified by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), will be held for the first time in China, showcasing top Chinese chefs competing for international honors. Additionally, an Asian Catering Development Summit will bring together presidents of culinary associations from 30 countries to discuss the development of Asian catering and explore pathways for integrating international standards with local innovations. The "Chinese Cuisine Going Abroad" strategic forum will focus on the expansion of overseas Chinese food markets and the internationalization strategies of Chinese catering enterprises.

2. **Innovation Across the Entire Industry Chain**: Competitions such as the Western Cuisine Cooking Skills Competition and the National Catering Nutrition Meal Preparation Skills Competition will align with international standards, promoting the blending of Eastern and Western culinary arts. A commercial kitchen design competition will focus on intelligence and carbon reduction, leading the upgrade of kitchen back-end operations. An exhibition of over 2,000 innovative dishes combining traditional and modern cuisine is also anticipated.

3. **Over 40,000 Square Meters of Expo Richness**: Exhibitor showcases will cover catering ingredients, prepared foods, frozen foods, seasonings, seafood, meats, beverages, kitchen equipment, and takeout packaging, among others. Various regional specialty sections will be presented to highlight China's culinary diversity, with international brands such as Moutai, Wuliangye, and JD.com participating to promote exchanges of ingredients and techniques worldwide.

4. **Targeted Networking to Empower the Industry**: A dedicated procurement meeting area will facilitate efficient resource matching, aiming to generate millions in order exchanges. With more than 40,000 expected attendees from the catering industry, including top chefs and professionals, this event offers an invaluable platform for effective resource connectivity and collaboration.