FFCR Helsinki will celebrate its 20th anniversary in January 2027 with new additions to its restaurant and hospitality program, including a startup zone and the first Pizza Champion Cup Finland.
The two-day trade event will take place on January 13 and 14, 2027, at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre, bringing together around 180 exhibitors from across the restaurant, café, catering and hospitality sectors.
Founded in 2007, FFCR has developed into a recurring meeting point for Finland’s HoReCa industry. The concept has also expanded to Stockholm, Malmö and Gothenburg, while Helsinki has now moved to an annual January schedule.
Pizza competition joins the program for the first time
One of the most visible additions for 2027 will be Pizza Champion Cup Finland.
The competition will be held in Finland for the first time and will form part of an international Nordic competition circuit. Organizers have placed it directly inside the exhibition program, adding a competitive food element alongside the traditional supplier and product displays.
The wider program will also include live cooking at Metro Live Kitchen, where chefs will prepare dishes in front of visitors while discussing ingredients, techniques and current restaurant trends. Tastings will accompany selected sessions.
Startup Alley brings newer companies onto the floor
FFCR is also adding a Startup Alley, designed to introduce younger companies and new restaurant-industry products to professional buyers.
The area will sit alongside established suppliers covering food, beverages, kitchen equipment, services and hospitality solutions. The organizer says approximately 180 exhibitors are currently expected for the anniversary edition.
For newer companies, this creates a dedicated route into an event traditionally dominated by established HoReCa suppliers.
Food innovation remains part of the show
Innovation will continue through the event’s Innovation Gallery and Innovation Stage.
Finalists for the 2027 Innovation Awards are scheduled to be presented on January 13, with the winners announced the following day. The awards cover new food and beverage products, sustainability and solutions for professional kitchens and service businesses.
The previous competition gives an indication of the kinds of developments entering the restaurant market. Winners in 2026 included a pea-protein product made using high-moisture extrusion, a professional kitchen planning platform and a sustainability-focused burger product. Those were 2026 winners and are not nominees for the upcoming edition.
Public food services get their own discussion
Another part of the 2027 program will concentrate on public-sector catering and procurement.
A dedicated Public Sector Seminar is scheduled for January 14, while an organic food session will follow later in the day. The combination brings institutional kitchens and purchasing decisions into the same event as restaurant trends and consumer-facing food concepts.
The anniversary edition therefore reflects how the professional foodservice market has expanded over FFCR’s two decades. Restaurant events are no longer only about ingredients and kitchen equipment. Startups, sustainability, procurement, digital kitchen management and new food concepts increasingly sit alongside live cooking and traditional hospitality products.
FFCR Helsinki 2027 will take place on January 13 and 14 at the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre in Helsinki, Finland.
