Last weekend, more than 160,000 visitors from across the globe packed their bags and headed to Cologne in Germany to one of the largest food and drink trade shows in the world – Anuga. I, along with my colleague Simon, was one of them.

I’ve been to trade shows before but nothing had prepared me for the sheer size of the exhibition. I spent most of my two days there haphazardly wandering around, with a slight sense of dread and confusion (in all seriousness, on the first day it took me half an hour to find the exit).

I sampled some wonderful food, some unusual food and quite frankly, some awful food all the while gritting my teeth and telling the person on the stand how delightful their product was. Luckily for me, the majority of what I ate was delicious.

Here are a few of my favourite products from the show:

Chok’s

Walking around the frozen food hall I was bombarded by brands trying to make frozen desserts healthy. I sampled fat-free ice cream sweetened with stevia, ice cream with vegetables in it (I’m personally against putting vegetables in any kind of dessert), and Lohilo protein ice cream.

While the British boys from Lick with their frozen yoghurt came in a close second, none of the innovations I saw lived up to Chok’s – whole frozen bananas on sticks covered in chocolate. It oozed fun and struck the right balance between health and indulgence, making it perfect for those looking for a healthier treat.

Penotti’s Choco Notti

While some were chasing the healthy consumer, other exhibitors were all about indulgence and the simple pleasures in life. I’m speaking, of course, about chocolate.

Indulgent, gooey, rich and creamy, Choco Notti secured a place in my heart (and on this list) for their flavours and also sample table. Imagine my delight as I stepped into the hall and happened upon a stand with what can only be described as a dipping station with unlimited bread sticks and pots of chocolate spread. Among them was Choco Notti – a range of indulgent chocolate spreads unveiled at Anuga – available in Milk, Dark and White.

They weren’t the only ones showcasing unusual chocolate spread at the show. Brinker’s also had an innovative and wide-ranging array, among others.

Panusa’s bread puppies

These literally stopped me in my tracks. I’m a sucker for novelty-shaped food so needless to say I fell for these bread puppies. These frozen rolls are great fun for kids, and their noses and eyes are made out of chocolate. Yum!

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