<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/O3poC9gX_brtpq3clH02TPiWQADG362cWNjw12p2O5IPYAA/641?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/O3poC9gX_brtpq3clH02TPiWQADG362cWNjw12p2O5IPYAA/641"/> Author | Restaurant Owner Insider Insider Jun
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Fresh, Organic, Geographical Indication...
Ingredients Become a New Battlefield in Restaurant Competition
Currently, the quality of ingredients has become the focus of competition in the restaurant industry.
On one hand, open kitchens and freshly made dishes have become standard in restaurants.
From the &#34;mountain cuisine&#34; that emphasizes natural flavors and organic freshness, to the Jiangxi stir-fry known for its wok-fried freshness and spicy appeal, and to the Hunan cover rice that is stir-fried and seasoned on the spot... the booming restaurant sectors in recent years have all broken through with freshness.
The collective investment by leading brands has further intensified this &#34;freshness competition.&#34;
By 2025, HAIDILAO plans to establish over 100 fresh-cut and live theme stores, and by November of that year, there will be more than 20 new fresh-cut products; the newly opened seafood stalls that year will also solidify product advantages with &#34;on-site fresh-cut beef and freshly ordered seafood.&#34;
Tai Er has also started a &#34;fresh upgrade&#34; since last year, modifying some stores and launching a menu classification centered on ingredient freshness, expanding products from sauerkraut fish to include &#34;fresh ingredients Sichuan cuisine&#34; featuring live fish, live shrimp, fresh beef, fresh chicken, and fresh pork, precisely meeting consumer demand for &#34;freshness.&#34;
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OWneDbUYfernQNBkHQGAqTNHt97xhhHDixTJCZOZ_RWHYAA/641?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OWneDbUYfernQNBkHQGAqTNHt97xhhHDixTJCZOZ_RWHYAA/641"/>
On the other hand, traceability of origin and geographical indication ingredients are becoming new competitive points for restaurant brands.
Walking through shopping malls, the frequency of the word &#34;origin&#34; appearing on restaurant posters, alongside tempting dish images, is increasing.
For example, Xiao Fang Niu will launch a &#34;Winter Selection&#34; series in December 2025, establishing a selection team that focuses on national geographical indication protected products such as Yanchi sheep, Hongshan vegetable, and Wenxian iron stick yam as core ingredients to create seasonal limited delicacies;
Hunan brand Tian Xiao Gou emphasizes ingredient display as a key aspect of its stores, clearly publicizing the origin, price, taste, and standards of each ingredient. Its new store opening at the end of 2025 will introduce high-quality regional products such as Guangdong Qingyuan chicken and Chaoshan lotus root based on local Hunan chicken intestines and chili, creating diverse flavors.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OcWWmvomZz4KQOFlrILljSXndHgTofCT3P8QTKd9ibyGAAA/641?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OcWWmvomZz4KQOFlrILljSXndHgTofCT3P8QTKd9ibyGAAA/641"/>
Not only the main meal brands, but the fast food sector has also sparked a &#34;ingredient upgrade&#34; war. For example, Laoxiangji's Feixi native chicken, Micun's Peruvian offshore squid and Ulanqab corn, Yuni Zai Yiqi's Vietnamese basa fish, Guangdong black fish, and Sichuan pickled vegetables, these ingredients with distinct local labels give affordable fast food a quality foundation.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/O3JQWWooEMPdC4NVXsJ3bANu5zT3r0xn-ycloiuIzqTdoAA/641?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/O3JQWWooEMPdC4NVXsJ3bANu5zT3r0xn-ycloiuIzqTdoAA/641"/>
When ingredients move from the kitchen to the front hall
The purchasing logic of restaurant owners must change
In the past, restaurant marketing emphasized &#34;delicious and inexpensive,&#34; but now it focuses on &#34;where it comes from.&#34; Ingredients are moving from the invisible kitchen to the front hall.
As &#34;using good ingredients&#34; becomes a consensus in brand competition, a deeper problem emerges: the threshold for obtaining high-quality ingredients is much higher than expected.
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
&gt; Profit: The high proportion of ingredient costs requires more professional procurement channels.
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
As the catering industry shifts from an &#34;incremental&#34; market to a &#34;stock&#34; market, the &#34;involution&#34; among catering brands intensifies. The &#34;2025 Catering Market Observation Report&#34; survey shows that by 2025, the proportion of ingredient costs in China will be about 40% and on the rise. Labor costs are decreasing due to technological applications, and rent is declining due to changes in site selection strategies, making ingredient costs the biggest cost pressure point for catering enterprises.
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
&gt; Expansion: The supply chain has become the core battlefield for scaling, requiring more efficient and stable supply chain platforms.
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
Meituan data shows that the national catering chain rate has steadily increased from 15% in 2020 to 23% in 2024. The increase in chain rate means that single-store replication and cross-regional layout have become the mainstream development direction for catering brands. This trend also raises higher requirements for ingredient quality uniformity, food safety control, and supply chain fulfillment stability.
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
&gt; Kitchen: The popularization of intelligent equipment such as cooking robots is forcing ingredient standardization.
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
On February 6 this year, the national standard draft for prepared dishes was officially released, but consumers still have some differences in their understanding of prepared dishes and central kitchens, and the demand for freshly cooked dishes in stores remains strong. This consumer preference also opens up broad development space for intelligent kitchen equipment such as cooking robots, further raising the requirements for ingredient specifications, forms, and quality control.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OtzYuELBr4vQpM5CBjjQoA7SRKV7IORAgwKXO8MBfk9ywAA/641?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OtzYuELBr4vQpM5CBjjQoA7SRKV7IORAgwKXO8MBfk9ywAA/641"/>
According to the &#34;2026 China Catering Ingredient Development White Paper,&#34; 66% of catering enterprises stated that they will pay more attention to the construction and development of corporate brands in the future. This means that ingredients are being elevated from &#34;raw materials&#34; in the kitchen to &#34;core assets&#34; in brand strategy.
Especially in the current turbulent market, a reliable ingredient supply chain partner is both a ballast for reputation and a foundation for navigating through cycles
To gain insights into consumer preferences, understand trends, and improve technological iterations, it is essential to go out and engage with more ingredient suppliers on a larger platform. Only in this way can one see the future earlier than others when changes come, using the certainty of the supply chain to combat market uncertainties.
Focusing on top exhibitions that gather resources from the entire industry chain is the best destination.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/O0Cu_pkU2gFuVi0KSHKfd9vBymBUxQ3pGwQOAS-BF9NhAAA/1000?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/O0Cu_pkU2gFuVi0KSHKfd9vBymBUxQ3pGwQOAS-BF9NhAAA/1000"/>
From March 28 to 31, the 14th China Ingredient E-commerce Festival 2026, hosted by Liangzhilong, will be held at the Wuhan International Expo Center. It is reported that this event will have the theme of &#34;Creating a Festival through Exhibitions, A Grand Gathering in the Food Industry,&#34; featuring an exhibition area of 350,000 square meters, gathering over 6,000 domestic and international ingredient companies, showcasing tens of thousands of high-quality ingredients, and hosting over 240 activities across six major festivals, creating a super platform for the industry that integrates ingredient procurement, dish development, communication and cooperation, and trend exploration.
At the same time, the 14th Exhibition of Catering Ingredient Processing and Packaging Equipment 2026, hosted by Liangzhilong, will be held at the Wuhan Living Room·China Cultural Expo Center, providing dual exhibitions in one city to continuously empower the industry.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OR8m2UbpEsK_VHjx7u3TXK0JqaK-BugYgOf8IyfKju5VcAA/641?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OR8m2UbpEsK_VHjx7u3TXK0JqaK-BugYgOf8IyfKju5VcAA/641"/>
March 28-31 · Wuhan National Expo
Super Specification Exhibition Matrix + Full Ecosystem Catering Resources
Seeing the Future of Catering in Advance
After thirteen sessions, the Liangzhilong China Ingredient E-commerce Festival has become a highly influential benchmark exhibition in the domestic food and catering industry, each session continuously leading the development direction of the food and catering industry with abundant high-quality resources, precise and efficient connections, and forward-looking industry insights.
This year's exhibition reaches new heights, providing multi-dimensional support for catering companies to break through growth.
<ol>
<li>Gathering Quality Source Manufacturers, One-Stop Global Ingredient Supply.</li>
</ol>
As market competition intensifies, the demands of catering companies are becoming increasingly diverse, and the trend of segmentation in the upstream supply chain is further deepening, with specialized &#34;single champions&#34; emerging in areas such as shrimp paste and chicken wings.
This year's Liangzhilong exhibition gathers leading catering supply chain companies, covering all categories of ingredients including domestic and international meat, poultry, seafood, pastries, condiments, and fruits and vegetables, showcasing over 100,000 products to meet all demand scenarios from basic ingredients to specialty materials. Catering owners can achieve &#34;one-stop price comparison, one-stop ordering, and one-stop connection&#34; here, significantly saving procurement time and costs, and easily finalizing the annual procurement list.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OIwWrb94BDeTZRaxAq60pCnkXXmJf4CGEB1F15GSyhJMoAA/641?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OIwWrb94BDeTZRaxAq60pCnkXXmJf4CGEB1F15GSyhJMoAA/641"/>
<ol>
<li>Dual Drive of Masters + Competitions, Incubating the Next Hit Dish
Innovation in dishes is the core competitiveness of catering enterprises. At this exhibition, Liangzhilong will focus on showcasing innovative applications of ingredients in the &#34;Great Beauty C Zone Chinese Master Hall,&#34; with top industry masters on-site for exchanges, providing practical guidance on ingredient pairing, cooking techniques, and flavor improvement.</li>
</ol>
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OX-R263GsVzEMFKleljPdU_I3DH0oAgSbxUOFpqewDnW8AA/1000?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OX-R263GsVzEMFKleljPdU_I3DH0oAgSbxUOFpqewDnW8AA/1000"/>
At the same time, this exhibition will also host multiple innovative cooking competitions, where culinary elites will compete on the same stage, showcasing the ingenuity in ingredient selection and creative cooking techniques, providing rich sources of inspiration for catering operators to help create blockbuster dishes for the 2026 catering market.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/ONiKjs05e-RKk0753N1HGMLGjEdO5Q8ytKftE1Ga438oAAA/1000?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/ONiKjs05e-RKk0753N1HGMLGjEdO5Q8ytKftE1Ga438oAAA/1000"/>
<ol>
<li>240 events densely output to understand next year's catering trends.</li>
</ol>
Liangzhilong has carefully planned six major festival activities for this exhibition: Food Customer Festival, Food Brand Festival, New Ingredient Festival, Food Ecology Festival, Food Going Abroad Festival, and E-commerce Ordering Festival, with a total of 240 themed activities, comprehensively covering the core dimensions of industry development, helping catering owners connect with quality resources and interpret new trends in Chinese cuisine development for 2026.
At the conference, industry experts, leading enterprises, and representatives from various sectors will gather to share cutting-edge views and practical experiences on key topics such as popular product recommendations, category innovation paths, precise supply-demand matching, industrial ecological cooperation, trends in large product development, and strategies for Chinese cuisine going abroad, assisting catering owners in efficiently linking quality resources in the upstream and downstream, accurately capturing industry opportunities, and finding new directions for enterprise development while accumulating core strength.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/ON8LVrilrMae3tm1SUvgJANG9E9Fs76d8J_GKgkG_vGmMAA/641?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/ON8LVrilrMae3tm1SUvgJANG9E9Fs76d8J_GKgkG_vGmMAA/641"/>
<ol>
<li>Smart device scenarios landing, making cost reduction and efficiency enhancement visible.</li>
</ol>
Currently, the catering supply chain is accelerating towards digital intelligence. The concurrently held Liangzhilong·2026 14th Exhibition on Catering Ingredient Processing and Packaging Equipment will gather the &#34;Industrial Dream Team&#34; in the field of domestic ingredient processing and packaging equipment, covering five core areas: ingredient pre-processing, smart cooking, pastry processing, automated packaging, and frozen cold chain, providing a one-stop showcase of cutting-edge technologies and smart devices, unlocking efficient production paths for the industry, and creating a precise supply-demand matching platform for kitchen equipment.
<img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OBEegM_B4PAe4nOc19Z9KgWO059BtPtz-NB8UUovBO22AAA/641?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="Image" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://inews.gtimg.com/om_bt/OBEegM_B4PAe4nOc19Z9KgWO059BtPtz-NB8UUovBO22AAA/641"/>
From March 28 to 31, at the Wuhan International Expo Center &amp; Wuhan Living Room·China Cultural Expo Center, Liangzhilong·2026 14th China Ingredient E-commerce Festival &amp; Exhibition on Catering Ingredient Processing and Packaging Equipment sincerely awaits your arrival to explore the infinite possibilities of ingredient applications and Chinese cuisine innovation together
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Rotating Editor-in-Chief | Trudy Dai
Visuals, Illustration | Zhang Jinying Operations | Xuegao

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As the quality of ingredients becomes the focus of competition in the catering industry, restaurant brands are increasingly investing in fresh, organic, and locally sourced ingredients. HAIDILAO plans to open over 100 fresh-cut and live-themed stores by 2025, while Tai Er has launched a menu centered on freshness. Traceability of origin and local ingredients have become new competitive points, with the word "origin" frequently appearing on posters at restaurant entrances. Fast food brands are also upgrading their ingredients to enhance quality and attract consumers

Crazy rush for "landmark ingredients," dining ingredients are "on the table"