Anniversary Riga Food ends on a high note – great festive atmosphere and lots of visitors

Early September at the Ķīpsala International Expo Centre came with flavours from around the world as Riga Food 2025, the largest Baltic food industry trade fair, began. This year trade fair celebrated its 30th anniversary, which attracted lovers of fine dining, experts, government and non-governmental actors, food industry professionals and business owners from the whole world.

Latest food and beverage production, processing innovations and technologies were presented at this year’s trade fair by 450 companies from 30 countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Armenia, USA, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Egypt, Cyprus, China, Great Britain, Greece, Georgia, Moldova, the Netherlands, India, Italy, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Finland, Spain, Slovakia, Turkey, Hungary, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Germany and Sweden.

Albania, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan were among 10 countries that offered the total of 13 national stands in Ķīpsala.

Over the course of three days, the trade fair was visited by 24,421 visitors, or 12% more than last year. 2025 trade fair attracted professional visitors from 35 countries. According to professional visitors, their main motivation was to gather information, find new leads and place purchase orders. Stockmann, Rimi, Elvi, TOP, LaTS, Depo, Narvesen, Lidl, Maxima, mc², Caffeine were some of the widely represented retail chains from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland and Great Britain. Wholesale sector was also strongly represented.

Riga Food 2025 offered a wide variety of diverse events that took place at multiple locations. The number of events in three days reached 103. There were exciting competitions and championships, demonstrations and master classes, insightful professional discussions, new product launches and tastings of flavourful foods.

In his opening ceremony address Armands Krauze, Minister for Agriculture of Latvia, praised Riga Food for three decades of being the place where most new food industry products are displayed: “It has been a pleasure to visit the trade fair over the years. It offers an opportunity to see new products from Latvian producers and also appreciate what companies from other countries provide. I am especially happy about the Latvian pavilion, which is full of high-quality local products, innovations produced by research institutes and educational establishments that are increasingly becoming a part of our everyday consumption. Riga Food is a crucial networking platform that brings together business directors, suppliers and cooperation partners from different corners of the world in pursuit of new connections and trade transactions. It is a place where residents of Latvia can enjoy and taste products from various countries. I wish the trade fair another 30 years of success!”

Opening ceremony of the Riga Food 2025 was also attended by the Vice-Mayor of Riga Māris Sprindžuks, Viesturs Tīle, Chairman of the Board, BT1 International Expo Company, Rolands Nežborts, Director of Riga Food, and various employees of foreign diplomatic missions. Opening ceremony was followed by honouring of closest Riga Food partners on the occasion of the 30th anniversary.

Latvian producers
Latvian national stand of the anniversary Riga Food was rich and diverse. Meat and dairy products, sweets, spices, eggs, canned products, jams and many other tasty food products from altogether 21 local manufacturer, such as “Alūksnes putnu ferma”, Balticovo, Daugulis & Partneri, “Jaunpils pienotava”, Mosenc Coffee, Snack and More, Kronis Food, “Kurzemes gaļsaimnieks”, Rāmkalni, Valežs, Very Berry and 525 Food Production. Members of the Latvian Bakers Association like DONA, LĀČI, Liepkalni, “Maiznīca Priekule”, Ķelmēni, Lielezers, Puratos Latvia, Pūre and Lanordija showcased the true diversity of bread products made in Latvia. Latvian national stand of Riga Food trade fair was coordinated by Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics and Ministry of Agriculture.
National fisheries industry stand represented products from all major Latvian fisheries companies, including Karavela, “Brīvais vilnis”, Royal Nordic, Starfish, Syfud, Unda and “Verģi”.

Latvian flavours
Latvian pavilion was visitors’ favourite this year. Filled with joy of reconnecting, festive mood and competition spirit, with strong focus on the main attraction – the diverse range of excellent local products and innovations. Everyone visiting the Latvian pavilion could appreciate the special history and culinary heritage of each of Latvian regions. There were culinary treats from South Kurzeme region, Mārupe region, Rēzekne region, Ropaži and Ventspils regions. Latvian Organic Agriculture Association (LBLA) had created the biological farming area where visitors could learn more about organic food and values supported by organic farmers, meet the producers, taste and buy their flavourful products. “Our objective is to show how nutritious Latvian organic agriculture products are. Organic farmers not only provide consumers with safe high-quality food, but also take care of the environment and biodiversity,” Raivis Bahšteins, President of LBLA, says. Visitors were pleasantly surprised by the impressive variety of Latvian honeys from the range available from “Siguldas medus”. Meanwhile, Regional flavours stand exhibited products that have been scored the highest in the Regional flavours food quality competition and products, manufacturers that are part of the national food quality scheme “Zaļā karotīte/Green Spoon”.

Most sustainable packaging
For the second year in a row, to promote the development of sustainable packaging, the Latvian Packaging Association and BT1 International Expo Company presented an award for special contribution to the development of sustainable packaging to three companies. This year, Riga Food 2025 Sustainable Packaging competition diplomas and statues were awarded to Baltic Marketing Service for the paper bottle of Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Pro Natural with their Femme.eco organic herbal tea for women’s health and well-being, and SPORA LAB with their mycelium-based packaging for functional mushroom extract.

Best Latvian Chef and Best Latvian Assistant Chef
The most gifted and courageous chefs from all over Latvia traditionally gathered at the Riga Food trade fair to show off their winning culinary skills. This year, the competition trophy, the title of the Best Chef in Latvia in 2025 and travelling Reaton Golden Ladle, was convincingly won by John’s Emīls Skalbergs. The second place winner of the 2025 Best Chef in Latvia was Ferma’s Juris Niklāvs Dūze, leaving Raivis Smirnovs from Tails restaurant in third. Meanwhile, the title of the Best Apprentice Chef 2025, and the Reaton Wooden Ladle, went to Rota Gundega Klētniece from restaurant Ferma.

Monin Cup Latvia
Kombucha, aloe, Ashwagandha, creatine, Goji berry agar – these are some of the ingredients Latvian bartenders used during the Monin Cup Latvia 2025 competition themed Functional Future to create their artistic take on cocktails that are both healthy and induce wellbeing. 13 bartenders who were eager to win the title for the best cocktail by creating original, functional and healthy cocktails with low alcohol by volume took to the Riga Food Gemoss stage to compete. The main prize, paid trip to world’s biggest bartending show, Athens Bar Show, and also the symbolic Golden Shaker, was won by Dainis Matjušins (Melnā Bite/Black Bee restaurant) and cocktail Mind Bloom. Diāna Minha (GŌNGU restaurant) and her cocktail Acerola Pink came second, and third place went to Artjoms Opekunovs (No Saints cocktail bar) and his Crimson River cocktail.

BBQ chef championship
Three-month long journey, seven exciting selection rounds, more than 20 brave BBQ chefs, tens of kilos of succulent pork, bags of charcoal and thousands of synapses burned. And all of that for the first ever Latvian BBQ chef’s title of the Riga Food. For two days Ķīpsala became the venue for the Latvian BBQ Championship 2025 finals where 9 BBQ chefs competed for the title of the best BBQ chef in Latvia. The title of the Latvian BBQ Champion in 2025 was won and awarded to Elīna Balde, the lady whose barbequing skills enchanted the jury and won the hearts of the people,.

Hospitality Star
Latvian Hospitality Star is a multi-discipline competition that focuses on participants’ hospitality knowledge and skills, whereby judges get treated like top-tier clients. This year, the victory and title of the Latvian Hospitality Star 2025 went to Juris Semjonovs from restaurant “Pavāru māja Līgatnē/Chefs’ House in Līgatne”. Winner received a unique opportunity to undergo internship at the Michelin star restaurant where he will be able to bring his skills to an even higher level. The second place went to Mārtiņš Bērziņš from the Italian restaurant Allora Riga, while Lauris Rauza from “Fabrikas restorāns” finished third. “You are demonstrated an impeccable ability to cross fine dining with your own take on how guests should be serviced. You have blended the industry standards and new trends. Gentlemen, you are bringing the hospitality plank higher with what you do,” Inese Vīcupa, hospitality expert and one of the members of the hospitality competition jury, said during the award ceremony.

Riga Tea Days
Riga Tea Days returned to Riga Food after a period of longer absence to bring a whole plethora of aromas, warm atmosphere and an opportunity to discover the rich universe of teas. Visitors of the Latvian pavilion were able to taste the tea and attend educating master classes, including a session about matcha, Yerba Mate, green and pressed tea, as well as other types of tea. Latvian Tea Championship, which took place on the third day of the trade fair, crowned Mansur Abdulmuslimov the best tea master of 2025 in Latvia. Līva Igovena from Teahouse GABA finished as the runner-up, and bronze was won by Arthur Mono. “It was beautiful, inspiring and very tasty. It was amazing to see how differently the same type of tea can be prepared by contestants,” Gundega Silniece, President of Latvian Tea Society, stressed.

Best cakes
Gemoss stage also hosted the traditional Riga Food Generational Legacy cake competition, which is very popular among visitors. 26 pastry chefs from all corners of Latvia joined the competition to offer cakes that were tastier, more beautiful and unusual than their rivals had made. Victory and Generational Legacy trophy, the whisker, went to Anita Šteimane and her cake “Meža bērnības sapnis” (Childhood forest dream). Ieva Fišere came in as the runner-up of the Generational Legacy 2025 with her cake “Rabarberu mājas kūka” (Rhubarb home cake). By the way, last year Ieva finished in third place with her chocolate cake. And Linda Ozoliņa won third place this year with her creation “Medus kūka ar Latvijas dabas pieskārienu” (Honey cake with a touch of Latvian nature). Riga Food 2025 visitors voted the cake “Vienkārši torte pie tējas” (Just a cake to go along with tea) by Anastasija Zeiza-Seļezņova as their favourite. Tasty cakes presented at the Ķīpsala Expo Centre were evaluated by Gemoss Managing Director Ieva Treija, Normunds Skauģis, bread baker and founder of “Lāči” brand, business lady and cake master Liene Zemīte, pastry chef and owner of Kairi café Maija Kaire, pastry chef and author of “Kūku karaliene” (Cake queen) Amanda Ozoliņa and Gunta Duka, CEO of Latvian Bakers Association.

The next, 31st food, beverage, food processing, technology, packaging, innovation, catering, hotel and shop equipment and service trade fair Riga Food 2026 is scheduled for 10-12 September 2026. It will take place at the Ķīpsala International Expo Centre in Riga.