Primulator at POLAGRA: Technology in Practice – From Gelato to Professional Coffee Service

Over three decades of technology for the hospitality industry

Coffee, gelato, chocolate, pastry and the professional kitchen – although each of these areas has its own specific requirements, technology is playing an increasingly important role in all of them. Today, the right equipment is expected not only to make work easier, but above all to help maintain quality at a larger scale, reduce service times and waste, and ensure consistent results.

Primulator has been observing and contributing to these changes for more than three decades. The company began its operations in Poland in 1991, initially supplying professional equipment for cafés and ice cream parlours. Today, it provides comprehensive solutions for the HoReCa sector – including cafés, ice cream parlours, pastry shops, bakeries and hotels – covering technological design, equipment selection, training and after-sales service.

Primulator’s portfolio includes solutions for many areas of modern gastronomy: from professional coffee machines and grinders, through equipment for producing gelato and soft serve, to pastry equipment, chocolate tempering machines, refrigeration systems and rapid cooking technologies. The company works with brands including Carpigiani, WMF, Faema, Mahlkönig, Selmi, Merrychef and Irinox.

Primulator and POLAGRA also share a rich history of cooperation. Over the years, the company has regularly participated in the trade fair, accompanying the development of the hospitality market and successive generations of foodservice technologies. This year’s meeting will therefore be another chapter in this long-standing relationship – with a strong focus on practical applications.

During POLAGRA 2026, Primulator will invite industry professionals to take part in three workshops demonstrating technology where its value can be seen most clearly – in action. The programme will cover modern desserts and gelato, efficient production in a professional kitchen, and contemporary coffee service.

Gelato, soft serve and chocolate – desserts from a practical perspective

The first workshop will be aimed at professionals interested in modern pastry and gelato production. The starting point will be artisan gelato – participants will be introduced to the production process, while two gelato flavours will be prepared during the demonstration and available for tasting.

But the programme goes well beyond gelato. It will also include desserts based on soft serve, as well as Baked Alaska – a particularly interesting example from a technological perspective, combining ice cream with rapid thermal processing.

A separate part of the session will focus on chocolate. Participants will see the tempering process and learn how to prepare simple chocolate elements and creams. The workshop will demonstrate how traditional pastry and gelato-making techniques can be combined with modern technology.

A modern kitchen – where the process matters as much as the taste

The second workshop will address a challenge familiar to virtually every professional kitchen: how can dishes be prepared quickly and in larger quantities without compromising quality?

The answer increasingly lies not in a single piece of equipment, but in a well-designed production process. The presentation will therefore demonstrate how several technologies can work together – from combi-steam cooking and rapid finishing to chilling, freezing and subsequent regeneration.

Advance production will be another important part of the workshop. Preparing certain components or dishes ahead of service can significantly improve the efficiency of a kitchen team, provided that the entire process – from thermal processing and chilling to storage and final service – is properly planned.

The workshop will therefore look beyond individual recipes and present the kitchen as an integrated production process. The focus will be on improving workflow, reducing waste, maintaining consistency and responding efficiently during the busiest periods of service. All of this will be demonstrated using actual dishes rather than discussed only in theory.

Good coffee should be consistent

The third workshop will take participants from the kitchen to the coffee station. Contemporary coffee service has to meet several expectations at once: beverage quality, speed of service, workstation efficiency and consistency.

There is no single solution suitable for every venue. Coffee service operates differently in a restaurant, hotel, café or high-volume location serving many guests within a short period of time. During the workshop, Primulator will therefore present different coffee preparation models and discuss how technology can be selected to suit the specific character and needs of a business.

The practical part will cover workstation automation, the preparation of milk-based coffees and other popular beverages, as well as ways to increase efficiency without compromising quality. The session will conclude with a tasting – because when it comes to coffee, even the most detailed technical parameters ultimately have to be verified by what is in the cup.

Technology is best demonstrated in action

All three Primulator workshops share one common principle: equipment will be presented through practical applications. Gelato needs to be made, chocolate tempered, dishes chilled and regenerated, and coffee brewed and served. Only then can professionals see how a particular technology performs under conditions similar to those encountered in everyday foodservice operations.

This is precisely the idea behind the workshops at POLAGRA – not simply to look at equipment, but to see it in operation, talk to specialists and follow the entire process step by step. From dessert and professional kitchen production to the final cup of coffee.