GLOBAL COOKBOOK MARKET : CONTINENTS SHIFT

The crisis is quickly changing the world, and has surprising and profound consequences. There is a clear shift in cookbook quality from the West to the East, and the South. It is more due to the fast progress of the emerging powers than to stagnation of the traditional leaders. The Gourmand Awards can give an excellent view on the changes and trends in culinary books. The Awards focus on quality, not sales and quantity.

CATEGORIES

We have only one new category, for Apps, showing the importance of e-cookbooks for the future. We have 19 fewer categories, and 5 fewer Special Awards. So the competition has been much more intense and difficult, with more parti¬cipating books for fewer categories. We will have a maximum of 79 Podium, at Theatre Folies Bergère, against 102 last year, a reduction of 20%. The event should last one half hour less.

COUNTRIES

We have 162 countries participating in 2011, against 156 in 2010, and 136 in 2009. The increase in quality is very strong worldwide. There are a to¬tal of 71 countries among the finalists in 2011, with fewer categories, against 78 in 2010.
The quality started si¬gnificantly improving two years ago in the East and South, when the West started to be hit by the cri¬sis. The change is accele¬rating, thanks to the new digital techniques, and the rise of demand for high value culinary books. Pu¬blishers can invest more than ever in this sector.

FINALISTS

For cookbooks and wine books, the total of finalists is 283 in 2011, against 339 in 2010, because of the reduction of 20% in categories. Two cate¬gories have 12 finalists each.
Europe (135) is clearly losing to the rest of the world (148) in 2011, while it was still ahead (195 to 143) in 2010.

CULINARY BOOKS POWERS

Latin America is becoming a world leader for quality in the sector. The US and France still have a clear quality edge over other countries. China and Africa are progressing quicker than most realize. The quality in Australia is outstanding. Professionals have to see the books exhibition at “Paris Cookbook Fair”, it is essential for their un¬derstanding of the current situation, and to plan for the future.