RIMINI, Italy – For 25 years, SIGEPYoung has highlighted the training procedure that the pastry´s trade´s young generations undergo before entering the profession. The added value has always been the unrepeatable comparison possible between what is learnt at school, at theoretical level, and during practical tests, in the scenario represented by Rimini Fiera´s great trade expo, which features technology, products, the creativity of great international masters and world-level competitions.
To celebrate its first 25 years, during the next edition of SIGEP, from 23rd to 27th January 2016, Rimini Fiera and Pasticceria Internazionale magazine, in collaboration with Conpait, will present the Luciano Pennati Memorial event, in honour of one of its founding fathers.
Emilia Chiriotti, who was a key player in the launching of the contest 25 years ago, comments, ´I like to describe SIGEPYoung as something ´small´ that happens in a big context. I believe SIGEP is really is made up of a multitude of initiatives that all head together towards knowledge.
The expo shows that everything that is currently big at world level originated from an ingenious intuition. The youngsters feel important at SIGEP, where they have an unforgettable experience and learn about the all-round evolution of the pastry trade.´
As always, the contest, which this year is entitled ´Chocolate… what passion!´, is dedicated to training schools and will be held on Monday 25th at SIGEP´s Pastry & Culture Forum.
As always, the objective is to motivate professional pastry chefs of the future, encouraging their creativity and focusing on market trends, such as the evolution of chocolate in the pastry sector, placing particular importance on new trends and the aesthetics of end products.
Each team of the 12 schools taking part will be made up of four students, accompanied by its teachers and will have to show its skill, in four hours, with the preparation of chocolate-favoured petit fours, a dessert for eating ´on the go´ and a praline.
Technical director Samuele Calzari explains, ´This year we start out from the tradition of chocolate to spotlight the youngsters´ creativity in the realization of desserts. We have chosen tests that will highlight their knowledge of pastry. The plus of SIGEP Young is the actual competition, but also the valuable sharing knowledge of the confectionery art.
The youngsters and their respective teachers are always together throughout the expo days, so they get to know each other and shared their knowledge. This is a valuable opportunity and provides an experience that is impossible outside SIGEP.´
The panel of judges chaired by Maestro Eliseo Tonti will award the winning school with the ´Pasticceria Internazionale´ Trophy, whereas each of the four students will receive the Conpait medal and Chiriotti Editori professional books. The school coming first will also receive a tem¬pering machine offered by FBM. The teacher/trainer of the winning school will be awarded the ´Luciano Mignami´ Plaque of Honour.
At SIGEPYoung 2016, there will also be important networking between Training Schools students on chocolate sculpture techniques.
This opportunity will be given by Italia´s Choco Talent, an event promoted by the Accademia Maestri Cioccolatieri Italiani (Academy of Italian Master Chocolatiers) and SIGEPYoung, which will be held on the Tuesday (awards ceremony at 2:30 pm in the south foyer).
The prize will be a training course for those who are able to demonstrate their technique and creativity, starting from a block of chocolate and under the watchful eyes of master chocolatier Mirco Della Vecchia.
25 years of SIGEPYoung
In 1991, the Contest was launched by Rimini Fiera, Pasticceria Internazionale magazine and master chocolatier Fulvio Scolari. Participants were nine schools from Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Spain.
In the years that followed, the number of participants rose and in 1997 Fulvio Scolari was joined in the coordination by another extraordinary pastry chef: Luciano Pennati.
In 2005, the SIGEPYoung Stage took shape, with the collaboration of numerous companies exhibiting at the expo, as well as the practical support of great names in pastry and gelato. From that edition, the event went annual.
In 2009, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of SIGEP, the contest´s theme was ´wedding cakes´: Luciano Pennati said, ´Our aim is to highlight the creative efforts of the youngsters, guided by their teachers, who are able to communicate their passion for our profession, which, even if not the most beautiful, is definitely the sweetest.´
Sadly, Master Chocolatier Pennati passed away and for the 2010 edition it was decided to name the Pasticceria Internazionale Trophy after him, with the Memorial. Samuele Calzari became the new coordinator.
In 2014, SigepYoung in Tour was launched under the direction of Samuele Calzari, and the pupils use the companies´ expo workshop to make a typical dessert. Every expo day, each school has time at its disposal to show other students and visitors recipes from their area of origin.
At the last edition, the 44 pupils of 11 schools enter the heart for the great events, with the opportunity of seeing great names, machinery and new raw materials at work. For the first time, the Pasticceria Internazionale Trophy addressed the gelato world and great professionals such as Eliseo Tonti, Leonardo Di Carlo, Sonia Balacchi and Francesco Favorito took part.
SIGEP 2016 at a glance
Dates: 23 – 27 January 2016; Organizers: Rimini Fiera SpA; edition: 37th; frequency: annual; classification: international; admittance: trade members only; hours: 9:30 am . 6:00 pm, last day 9:30 am . 3:00 pm (3:00 . 5:00 pm only with online tickets); business unit manager: Patrizia Cecchi; project managers: Gabriella de Girolamo (gelato), Giorgia Maioli (pastry, bakery, coffee); exhibitor info: tel. +39 0541 744521 fax +39 0541 744772; Web site: www.sigep.it
