SOME well-known Welsh food and drink companies will be celebrating St David’s day a little further afield this year as they show off the best of our local produce at the annual Foodex show in Japan.
The seven businesses, which will be supported by the Welsh Government under the Food and Drink Wales banner, include Pembrokeshire’s own Tan y Castell Food Ltd. Other producers include the Snowdonia Cheese Company, The Purple Moose Brewery, and Anglesey-based seafood business The Lobster Pot.
Gregory Summerly of Tan y Castell, explained how the chance to show their produce to a new audience would benefit his company: ‘We specialise in traditional baked food such as Welsh cakes and bara brith and, while our products can be seen in most food outlets across the UK, we are in a position now to consider options further abroad.
‘The chance to exhibit at Foodex and to discuss with distributors will allow us to identify consumer needs within those markets and respond accordingly. For a company of our size this would not be possible without Welsh Government support and, if all goes well, I hope that our Welsh cakes will be seen further afield in future.’
Tristan Wood from The Lobster Pot agreed that the show offered a valuable chance for companies to expand their export markets: ‘Foodex in Tokyo will give us a fantastic opportunity to showcase our produce and meet face to face with key buyers and distributors. Hopefully it will be the first and important step for us into the Asian market,’ he said.
There is no better time to celebrate and appreciate Welsh food and drink than around St David’s Day, according to the Deputy Minister for Farming and Food Rebecca Evans:
‘St David’s Day celebrations will obviously be an important time for us in Wales, but there will also be celebrations across the world. There is a strong Welsh society in Tokyo which is very proud of its Welsh ancestry, and this year some of our best Welsh food and drink companies will be there to help them celebrate.
‘Supporting this key sector is crucial for the Welsh economy as food and drink exports are worth over £300 million per annum – and we are looking to grow that year on year. Events such as Foodex open up many possibilities for new distributors and buyers and I wish all our producers the very best in Japan.
‘In addition to the export aspirations, this visit will also give us an opportunity to promote inward investment possibilities in Wales. We have a long tradition of co-operation with Japanese companies within Wales and further high quality investment will be of great benefit to our economy.’
The four-day show begins on March 3, and takes place in Makuhari Messe Halls, Chiba. Now in its 40th year, organisers expect to see 75000 buyers and visitors attend, who will sample the produce of 2800 exhibitors from 83 countries.