In the food and beverage world, it’s not just what ends up on the plate or cup – it’s the power plays behind the packaging, the flavour trends dressed up as lifestyle ideologies, the supply chains zigzagging across continents. In Bangkok, the act of eating is always loaded, whether it’s a streetside bowl of noodles or a deal sealed over coconut milk lattes.
So when THAIFEX – ANUGA ASIA made its annual return from May 27-31, it wasn’t merely another entry in the events calendar. It was a billboard for where the industry is headed. One part trade show, two parts economic choreography, the 2025 edition arrived with the energy of possibility – transforming the city’s steel and glass into a playground for culinary futures. The name might suggest something cinematic, but in reality, it’s where the brightest minds in food come together to shape what – and how – the world eats next.
Now in its 2025 edition, the event doubled down on its reputation as Asia-Pacific’s command centre for all things edible. Yet this year, the energy felt different – more trends, more transformation, more impact for a better food future. Asia-Pacific’s most influential F&B gathering has long been a place for people who think about food as more than sustenance. This year, it leaned further into that ambition, showcasing how eating has become an act of innovation, identity and even ideology.
The geography of taste
If borders are imaginary lines, this event blurred them entirely. With exhibitors from over 50 countries and first-time participants from Central Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe – including Gabon, Slovenia and Uzbekistan – THAIFEX took on the air of a diplomatic mission, albeit one conducted in bite-sized samples. Pavilions from Australia, Hong Kong and the Netherlands added to the show’s international sprawl, turning Bangkok into a temporary capital of global sourcing.
It wasn’t just about new names. It was about new access. Emerging markets made their debut, and in doing so, expanded the definition of what (and who) belongs in the conversation about global food futures.
Beyond the bite: food as function
The central theme – ‘Beyond Food Experience’ – sounded like something out of a tech keynote, and the content lived up to it. What we’re eating is changing, but so is why. Exhibitors pushed products that claimed to do more than satisfy hunger: brain-boosting drinks, gut-friendly snacks, climate-conscious proteins.
At the Trend Zone, curated by Innova Market Insights, regional and global obsessions were decoded with the precision of data science: functional beverages, clean labels, alt-proteins rebranded as gourmet indulgence. Taste mattered – but so did utility.
Chefs, Startups and Culinary Showdowns
It wouldn’t be THAIFEX without spectacle. The Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge saw over 400 chefs compete in more than 20 categories, from reimagined Asian staples to molecular showstoppers. Judged by 57 experts from 12 countries, the event doubled as both sport and performance art.
Meanwhile, THAIFEX – ANUGA Startup carved space for 30 disruptive newcomers, who pitched edible futures in front of buyers, investors and executives. From lab-grown seafood to mushroom-enhanced snacks, the message was clear: the food industry isn’t just keeping up – it’s driving forward.
Tasting tomorrow
In the Alternative Protein Taste and Flavour Challenge, trade visitors were invited to do what all trends eventually demand – have a taste. On May 27, they chewed, sipped and judged a line-up of plant-based and lab-grown contenders. Winners were announced the next day, though the larger point lingered: if the future of food is going to be radically different, it still needs to be delicious.
By the time the final sample cup was tossed and the last exhibitor packed away their signage, it was clear that THAIFEX had once again managed to distil the mood of an entire industry. No longer content with just feeding people, the F&B world is now trying to rewire the way we think, shop, eat and live. And in Bangkok, where ancient recipes meet futuristic solutions, the future of food doesn’t just feel possible – it feels inevitable.
And if 2025 was anything to go by, next year’s edition won’t just pick up where it left off. THAIFEX – ANUGA ASIA will return bigger, better, bolder. You can catch it from May 26-30 2026 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani. Bring an appetite – for ideas.