MODERN BAKERY MOSCOW | CONFEX | GOTOVO

The exhibition cluster opens a new chapter

From March 24 to 27, 2026, the Timiryazev Exhibition Center in Moscow hosted the international exhibition cluster Modern Bakery Moscow | Confex | Gotovo – the key business event of the year for professionals in the bakery and confectionery industries and the ready-to-eat food sector.

In 2026, the exhibition moved to a new venue – the Timiryazev Exhibition Center – opening a new chapter in the project's more than 30-year history. The large-scale exposition brought together 232 exhibitors from 8 countries. 15,136 visitors from 28 countries explored innovations, technological and ingredient solutions, established new business contacts, and gained expert insights from industry leaders.

Traditionally, the exhibition welcomed major Russian and international manufacturers and suppliers of technological solutions. Among the cluster's participants: Abat, Angel Yeast, B&B Silo Systems, Berta, Brandford, Canol, Debag, DITO, DIVO, Ecopack, Feleti, Foodmechanic, G. Mondini, Georg Polymer, Gostol, Handan City Meishun Machinery, Handtmann, ILPRA RUS, IREKS TRIER, J4, Keskin Makine, LESAFFRE, Memak, MIWE, Multivac Rus/FRITSCH, NHL Group, Pek Makina, Polair Group, Porlanmaz, RITI, Rondo Rus, Russkaya Trapeza, Scale Enterprise, SEMZ, SHEMZ (Shebekino Machine-Building Plant), Sveba Dahlen Rus, Ulma Packaging, Wachtel, Wiesheu, WP Bakery Group, Zelaieta RUS and many others.

The number of new participants this year exceeded 15%. Debutants include: 1EA, Air Liquide, DiAR-engineering, Dr. Bakers, Foodatlas, Guslitsa Paper, Holding Protek, KB Technology, Kotani, Kutzer Makina, MAST Service, Megatechnika, Myasnoy Olimp, Noksway, OSQ Group, Pi-production, Profi Cheese, PromIndustriya SPb, Protect, Roskhod, Sakk Ovens, SimpleMix, SMEG Russia, SPBelt, SV CRAFT, TATKRAKHMALPATOKA, Uplast group, VEZAR Technology.

The extensive business program included 38 events across 8 thematic venues in 3 streams: Bakery (bakery expertise), Confex (confectionery expertise), and Gotovo (ready-to-eat food production), along with 20 hands-on master classes, 2 professional development courses, and 3 excursions to operating production facilities.

BAKERY: Bakery expertise

Industry in focus

The Russian bakery market reached 7.45 million tonnes in 2025, growing 1.5% year-on-year (according to BusinesStat). Production volume, including semi-finished products, is estimated by Rosselkhozbank at 6.3 million tonnes. Meanwhile, demand structure is shifting noticeably: sales of traditional varieties are falling, while frozen semi-finished products, artisan bread, and functional bakery segments are growing rapidly. Production of chilled bakery semi-finished products reached 44,000 tonnes, and the number of bakeries in the country exceeded 30,000. In 2026, key industry drivers include technological modernization, robotization, adoption of domestic software and predictive analytics, as well as the development of in-store bakeries in retail and the functional nutrition segment.

Globally, the bakery industry is undergoing structural transformation: growing interest in sourdough and whole-grain bread, expansion of the "clean label" category (a food industry trend indicating products with the simplest, most recognizable, and natural ingredients), and the strengthening role of automation at all stages – from mixing to packaging.

Business program – Bakery

March 24 featured symposiums "Bread – the foundation of healthy nutrition" (organizers: International Industrial Academy and the Russian Union of Bakers with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and the Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology) and "Cookies, gingerbread, and wafers of Russia" with the award ceremony of the All-Russian competition "Cookies, gingerbread, and wafers of Russia" (organizers: International Industrial Academy and the Association of Confectionery Industry Enterprises "ASKOND" with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology, and VNIIKP – a branch of the V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems). The competition jury evaluated 86 product samples made in the best traditions of domestic production.

March 25 hosted the symposium "PRO bread. 95 years of serving bread" (organizer: State Research Institute of the Baking Industry) and the discussion "Ingredient mix: vectors of development and points of stagnation in the bakery industry fairway" (organizer: Union of Food Ingredient Producers).

March 26 brought the business club "Best regional practices of national baking" (organizer: Saint Petersburg Institute of Management and Food Technologies) and the award ceremony of the All-Russian "Best bread of Russia" competition (organizers: Russian Union of Bakers and International Industrial Academy). The competition involved 29 enterprises that presented 199 samples of bread and bakery products ranging from modern recipes to authorial solutions.

March 27 featured the scientific and practical conference "Advanced grain-based food technologies: functionality, safety, quality" (organizer: Russian Biotechnological University – ROSBIOTECH).

CONFEX: Confectionery expertise

Industry in focus

In 2025, the industry faced serious challenges: the global cocoa bean shortage triggered a surge in chocolate prices – according to Rosstat, by mid-2025 the retail price of chocolate reached 1,450 RUB/kg (+40% over two years). This led to a shift in demand: chocolate product sales in volume terms fell by 7%, while chewing marmalade grew by 21.6%, long-shelf-life pastries by 16%, and wafers by 6%. At the same time, the confectionery market became the FMCG leader in new brand launches: every fifth new product was a sweet. 96% of Russians regularly buy confectionery.

Business program – Confex

March 24–25 hosted the two-day business forum "Confex. Confectionery expertise" – a flagship event for confectionery producers. The forum program included the plenary session "Confectionery market trends 2026–2027," sessions "Offline and online retail. New rules of the game," "Marketing. Confectionery branding and packaging," "Efficient confectionery production," and "Confectionery product labeling" (MAST, CRPT). Speakers included representatives of ASKOND, Agroexport, CRPT, Mondelez, "Sladkaya skazka" Group, "Lyubimy Kray," "Sokol" factory, "V.A.Sh. CHOCOLATIER+," "FREAKAKE," Gelios Biscotto, "Masterfood," EFKO Group, METRO Russia, and Pyaterochka. The forum's partners were ASKOND and the Union of Food Ingredient Producers.

March 26 featured the open dialogue "Restaurant. Bakery. Patisserie" – an event for HoReCa segment business owners. The program included three blocks: "Business stories. High-profile openings of 2025. Leaders' experience," the panel discussion "What's happening in the market of restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, and patisseries?" and the round table "The future of the market. Anti-crisis measures for 2026." Moderator: Victoria Provkina (GOST-market, SOYUZKONDITEROV). Among the speakers: Maxim Romantsev (restaurant SAVVA, "Chaliapin" bar); Svetlana Abramova (restaurants KONG, Claudia); Denis Bobkov and Olga Kiseleva (Masa Madre, Cafeteria de Madre); Konstantin Moiseev, Marine Khalpin, and Konstantin Sukhov (bistro LIMBO); Alexander Chernikov and Daria Alexandrova (DNA bakery); Anton Kornyshov, Denis Lampey, and Alina Komskaya ("Bread Manufactory N1"); Valentina and Ilya Efremov ("Prosvet" bakeries); Anastasia Antsiferova (restaurant group "It's by love"); Yulia Limina-Kosacheva (Kofeport, "Bulki PRO"); Nikolai Kiselev (El Copitas Bar, Sangre Fresca); Andrey Klimov (Avito); Alena Bazavova (I MANAGE).

March 27 hosted the conference "Modern confectionery production: raw materials, technologies, quality assessment methods" (organizer: VNIIKP – branch of the V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems).

GOTOVO: Ready-to-eat food production

Industry in focus

The ready-to-eat food market in Russia is one of the most dynamic segments of food retail. According to Infoline, its volume reached 1.14 trillion rubles in 2025 (+20% vs 2024). Sales grew 17% in volume terms and 32% in monetary terms (APPGE and NTech data for January–September 2025). At retail chain "Magnit," the category grew 46% in volume, at X5 – 34%. The share of ready-to-eat food in grocery retail turnover reached 4.5%, and according to APPGE forecasts, sales could reach 14 trillion rubles by 2030. More than 60% of Russians have bought ready meals at least once, and 17% do so weekly. Key trends: freshness (important for 44% of consumers), expansion of Asian cuisine (+81% year-on-year), development of snack formats, and construction of new central kitchens by retailers in the regions.

Business program – Gotovo

March 24 featured the GOTOVO Conference – the key event for the ready-to-eat food industry. The program included the plenary session "Ready-to-eat food market trends 2026–2027" (trend discussion with industry leaders), the session "Competitive central kitchen," and the session "Safety and quality of ready-to-eat food. Standards." Session moderators: Elena Vorontsova (FoodRetail.club) and Sergey Belyakov (APPGE). Among the speakers and discussion participants: Nikita Kuznetsov (Ministry of Industry and Trade), Elena Saratseva (Roskachestvo), Elena Krupskaya and Alexander Pridnya (X5), Inna Kostenko ("Magnit"), Andrey Chursin and Sergey Geraskin ("Azbuka Vkusa"), Sergey Drozhzhin ("Yandex Lavka"), Evgenia Grets ("Dostaevsky"), Alexander Rozhnikovsky ("Grabli Food bar," "Grabli box"), Ivan Skvortsov (Food Production Competence Center), Valentina Chibiryak ("Neftmagistral"), Galina Bezlepkina (ILPRA RUS), Elena Balaeva (Mr. Food), Mikhail Parashkin (Ozon Fresh), Yulia Bagmut ("Healthy Food Factory"), Natalia Stavtseva (Air Liquide), Pavel Leple (M-Group), Maria Rudyaeva (ITLE KITCHEN).

March 25–26 brought the 8th annual conference "In-house production as a competitive advantage of a retail chain" (co-organizer – Retail.ru), which covered topics: the ready-to-eat food industry in numbers and forecasts, technologies for operational efficiency, strategy and launch of effective production, IT solutions, automation, operational management, and logistics. Among the conference participants: "Lenta," "VkusVill," "Perekrestok," "Doverie," "Bim," "FREAKAKE," "Georg Polymer."

Master classes

Renowned chefs, master bakers, pastry chefs, chocolatiers, and technologists shared their knowledge and skills. This year, for the first time, master classes on ready-to-eat food featuring celebrity chefs took place.

Educational projects

Two professional development courses for food production technologists were held during the exhibition.

The School of the Modern Baker and Confectioner "ProIngredients" – 3 days, 24 hours, 20 experts, including a visit to an operating bakery – "Karavay-SV." Co-organizers: Union of Food Ingredient Producers, State Research Institute of the Baking Industry, Research Institute of Quality, Safety, and Technologies of Specialized Food Products of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, and the V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems.

Technologist School. Ready-to-eat food – 2 days, 16 hours, 8 experts, 2 excursions to "Bratya Karavaevy" central kitchens (Volgogradka and Varshavka). A joint project of the GOTOVO exhibition and the Neftmagistral & Bratya Karavaevy Academy.

Special project: "We are on the same plate!"

Interactive photo zones were set up in the foyer of the exhibition center – a continuation of the traditional "I ❤️ Bread" project, reimagined creatively.

The photo zone aims to popularize bread, the developing ready-to-eat food sector, and the professions of baker, confectioner, and technologist, emphasizing the exhibition's cultural mission – "Create your bread, your story, your success!"

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3 industries – 1 venue

Modern Bakery | Confex | Gotovo is an international exhibition cluster uniting bakery and confectionery production with the ready-to-eat food industry. It is a unique space for cross-disciplinary exchange of experience, creating points of intersection between three key areas of the food industry.

Baking, confectionery production, and the ready-to-eat food industry act here as interconnected directions, where quality, safety, taste, benefit, and aesthetics are the result of specialists' work and the continuous improvement of processes. The cluster fulfills not only the utilitarian function of a venue for demonstrating advanced technologies and building business connections but also a cultural mission – paying tribute to masters, ancient traditions, and culinary art, uniting professionals of all three directions for the joint development of the food industry.

Modern Bakery | Confex | Gotovo is a business exhibition environment that also performs a strategic, cultural, and industry-shaping function. The development of the cluster contributes to consolidating the professional community, strengthening industry ties, spreading best practices, and forming a unified ecosystem focused on sustainable growth, innovation, and enhancing the value of the food industry as a whole.

📊 Short Report. Facts and Figures →

Thanks to our partners

Official support: Federation Council, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, Moscow Government, Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Contacts

Organizer: Gefera Media

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