Welsh food and drink producers are heading for Dubai and the biggest trade exhibition in the Middle East, Gulfood 2010.
Held at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre (21-24 February 2010) Gulfood is the primary business platform for food, drink, foodservice and hospitality equipment for the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Sub-Continent.
Five Welsh companies will be exhibiting at the event assisted by International Business Wales on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government’s Food, Fisheries and Market Development Division.
Among the Welsh contingent is The Abergavenny Fine Food Co which is exhibiting at Gulfood for the first time. In addition to the retail range that is currently being sold in UAE, Abergavenny will also show its new range of frozen food service lines designed to suit all formats including QSR chains, pubs, restaurants and high end hotels.
Focusing predominantly on the finger food and appetiser market, Abergavenny produce a wide range of core products including Jalapeño Peppers, Mozzarella Sticks, and mini coated Camemberts. In addition to these classics, new products on show at Gulf Food include Mature Cheddar & Bacon Filo pastry moneybags, Mini filled potato skins, Smoked Salmon & cream cheese puffs and Spinach & Ricotta wraps.
Winner of the inaugural award for Export Achievement at the Wales the True Taste Food & Drink Awards 2009/10, The Anglesey Sea Salt Company will be showing its range of Halen Môn sea salt. The salt is available in pure flakes, combined with warm organic spices, cut with Tahitian vanilla, smoked over Welsh oak and mixed with organic celery seeds.
Used by chefs around the world, the sea salts can be used to finish sweet as well as savoury dishes and can be added at the table to personal taste. Increasingly they are being used by innovative mixologists - the vanilla Halen Môn in a watermelon margarita and the celery Halen Môn is an essential part of a Bloody or Virgin Mary and, of course, the pure Halen Môn is the perfect lick to tequila. Chocolate makers including organic Rococo in Britain and the USA’s Fran’s Chocolates in Seattle use Halen Môn to sharpen the flavour of their products.
Packs range from 25kg to 3g single portion servings, with everything in between. The sea salt flakes are available in different grades from finely ground- perfect for seasoning crisps, biscuits and butter- to astoundingly beautiful, long lasting garnishing flakes called Diamonds of the Sea.
Real Crisps which recently re-launched the brand with bright and contemporary new packaging, as well as new flavours and pack sizes; is taking a wide range of its handcooked crisps to Gulfood. The company, which is owned by the Tayto group, started making genuine handcooked crisps at its South Wales manufacturing base in 1997. Using the best potatoes and combining classic and innovative flavours, the company’s crisps are available in 35g, 50g, and 150g packets.
Flavours range from traditional favourites such as Sea Salt & Black Pepper and Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar, contemporary taste sensations including Ham & English Mustard, Roast Ox, Jalapeno Pepper, Oriental Spice, and Pepperoni.
International award winning bottled water, Llanllyr Water will be exhibiting both still and sparkling water in 750ml and 330ml glass bottles and 330ml 100% recyclable cans. The water is drawn from certified organic land and the company supplies many of the world’s top Michelin star restaurants and hotels.
Exported to over 26 countries the company’s accolades include: Wales the True Taste Awards, 2007 Best Tasting British Water (Imbibe Magazine), Food From Britain UK Drinks Exporter of the Year, Welsh Food & Drink Exporter of the Year, and in 2008 Llanllyr received the Queen’s Award for International Trade.
Hybu Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales will be accompanied by Welsh meat exporters when it promotes high quality Welsh Lamb at Gulfood. HCC views Gulfood as the gateway to a potentially vast market for Welsh Lamb in the Middle East. Its aim at the show will be to create new trading opportunities, generating improved returns for producers and processors back home in Wales.
HCC has been successful in helping to supply Welsh Lamb to shops, restaurants and hotels in Dubai and its stand will showcase the virtues of fresh Welsh Lamb to chefs and buyers from across the Middle East. A full range of Welsh Lamb cuts will be on display.
In 2009 the event attracted 45,000 trade visitors from 152 countries with visitors including representatives from some of the Worlds most prestigious organisations.
Dubai is recognised as the hub and gateway to markets such as Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, offering great potential for Welsh companies. Historically, this regional has been reliant on imported foods, with Dubai the world’s third largest re-exporter with 72% of imports being re-exported to over 160 countries.
Although Dubai alone was set back by the economic downturn in 2008/09 the economy in the rest of the Gulf region remains buoyant, a positive factor for Welsh exporters.
There are over 150,000 UK ex-patriots in the Gulf States, of which just over 100,000 are based in the United Arab Emirates, based mainly in Dubai. In addition the area’s growing reputation as an up market tourism destination attracts more than 700,000 ex-pats to the region each year,
Further sizeable opportunities for food and drink exporters are afforded by other Middle East residents also wanting to enjoy Western food and drink products. In 2008 the UK food and drink exports - excluding alcohol - to the Dubai municipality alone grew by 21.6% to £51.9m.
NOTES TO EDITORS
For further details about Gulfood 2010 please log on to: www.gulfood.com
For more information about Welsh food and drink in general go to: www.walesthetruetaste.co.uk
For more details about companies exhibiting at Gulfood please contact:
Hybu Cig Cymru / Meat Promotion Wales
Tŷ Rheidol
Parc Merlin
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion
SY23 3FF
Contact: Alan Morris
Tel: 01970 625050
Email: amorris@hccmpw.org.uk
Website: www.hccmpw.org.uk
Llanllyr Water Company
Talsarn
Lampeter
Ceredigion
SA48 8QB
Contact: Patrick Gee
Tel: 01570 470 788
Email: patrick@llanllyrwater.com
Website: www.llanllyrwater.com
Real Crisps
Units 17/18 Willow Road
Pen-y-Fan Industrial Estate
Crumlin
Newport
NP11 4 EG
Contact: Robert Brown
Tel: 01495 241960
Email: real@tayto.com
Website: www.realcrisps.com
The Anglesey Sea Salt Company
Brynsiencyn
Llanfairpwllgwyngyll
Anglesey
LL61 6TQ
Contact: Alison Lea-Wilson
Tel: 01248 430871
Email: alison@seasalt.co.uk
Website: www.seasalt.co.uk
The Abergavenny Fine Food Co
Castle Meadows Park
Abergavenny
Monmouthshire
NP7 7RZ
Tel: 01873 850001
Email: enquiries@abergavenny.uk.com
Website: www.abergavenny.uk.com
Sheila Coleman
Partner
Coleman Roberts Communications
01792 410994 / 07968 357474
www.colemanroberts.co.uk