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Visitors
and exhibitors to World Food Market reported a major success as the
show returned to London ExCeL for the third year running on November
21st and 22nd 2007.
As the UK's only exhibition
dedicated to covering the entire scope of ethnic and world speciality
foods, the show pulled in hundreds of big names from the world of
retail from Tesco, Waitrose and Morrisons to Sainsbury's, Asda and
even Harrods. The foodservice sector was equally well represented
with senior buyers from Accor, Gate Gourmet, Compass Group and Pizza
Express visiting. Independent retailers, as well as wholesalers,
importers and major players from the distribution channel also
attended as exhibitors gathered from more than 20 different
countries, showcasing everything from Eastern European and
Afro-Caribbean to Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Show Director Jon Irwin,
comments: "The feedback from across the industry from
operators and suppliers alike has been extremely positive from this
year's World Food Market. Exhibitors were reporting the biggest
number of inquiries ever generated, which just goes to reflect the
increasing demand in the UK for authentic ethnic and speciality
foods, fuelled by existing ethnic communities food becoming
integrated to UK palates as well as internal growth of new and
emerging communities."
With a dedicated focus on
community foods, most notably Halal and Kosher varieties, World Food
Market remains at the heart of sourcing authentic ethnic ingredients
and products. World Food Market is also the only place where visitors
can hear leading industry experts and see some of the country's most
renowned chefs, all under one roof.
Exhibitors
and Launches
This year's show attracted many
big names in the world of global cuisine including Polish Quality
Foods, Welsh Country Foods and Unidex UK, as well as exhibitors who
returned to build on the success of previous years such as Reggae
Reggae Sauce, Forest Tree Foods and Park Royal Partnership (PRP).
Sabih Chaudhry, Finance &
Development Director, Sandwell Foods, a leading Halal food processor
based in the Midlands considered this year's show to be the best
World Food Market she has visited so far. "We've come here
looking for new products to import. The level of choice is great, as
you can see so many exhibitors that aren't normally here in the UK.
We've definitely found some good contacts, which we now need to
follow up. We will certainly be back again next year, we only wish it
could be open for longer!"
Meanwhile, some of the industry's
biggest suppliers to the market reported robust trading on the show
floor.
Larry Hands, Dina Foods,
producers of the fine quality Mediterranean bread, commented: "We
attended World Food Market with the idea to expand the business
abroad. We've had a steady stream of visitors to the stand over both
days and have made a number of potential contacts."
Paul Luther, company director,
Curry Special, exhibiting their range of ready-made chilled products
commented: "This is our first year exhibiting at World Food
Market, and I must say we have been thoroughly impressed with what we
have achieved. The quality of the visitors has been superb. We had
visitors to our stand representing Sainsbury's, Costco, Spa and Gate
Gourmet to name a few. We can now go away from the show with a number
of promising leads to follow up, and if just one of them comes to
fruition, we will definitely be back again next year, with a bigger,
bolder, more exciting stand!"
Visitors to World Food Market
witnessed a number of product launches. The Street Food Company made
a return appearance to showcase their new range of regional,
authentic hand made products now aimed at the out of home market such
as restaurants and pubs, while Secretos Mayas made its first time
appearance in the UK with a range of chilli sauces, oils and vanilla
essence.
Other product launches included a
new brand of pork spareribs from BHJ UK Foods and seven organic
Indian pickles and chutneys from Ginger Dragon.
Educational
Seminars
As well as a host of leading food
and drink exhibitors, visitors to World Food Market also had access
to a wealth of free information. The seminar programme offered
visitors the chance to hear a variety of industry experts discussing
the rise in popularity of authentic world foods in the UK and the
world over.
Peter Grove, editor of Menu
Magazine, kicked off the seminar programme, with a discussion on the
'Trends in ethnic foods: health, nutrition and portion control'.
Peter comments: "The UK has 60% of total European ethnic food
expenditure at 4.12bn Euro with France 13% and Germany 10%. Customers
now have a wider choice than ever before in the UK."
Following on from the smoking
ban, Peter believes that taste has become all the more important, and
as a result, chefs need to up their game in terms of quality.
He also predicts portion size
will be a big issue for operators in 2008. "Twenty five per
cent of food is being wasted, particularly as supermarkets and
restaurants try to provide greater value meals with larger portion
sizes. In light of obesity, operators need to seriously take a look
at portion control," comments Peter.
Other seminar topics included
'Green Food: healthier, wealthier business', 'Purchasing trends and
issues in ethnic food in public sector foodservice' and 'New Markets:
Poland and eastern Europe'.
World Food Market also saw the
return of the Spotlight on Religious Food and Ritual Slaughter, with
the UK Halal Corporation, Halal Food Authority and Halal Monitoring
committee taking part in three separate 30 minute discussion sessions
on Halal food, while the London Beth Din and the Manchester Beth Din,
tackled the subject of kosher foods and ingredients.
Mr Nizar Boga, an independent
consultant, spoke at the show on behalf of the UK Halal Corporation
arguing the urgency for one uniform standard. He says: "Currently,
there is no consistent or common approach to what Halal is.
According to the Quran, Halal incorporates Tayyiban, which means
hygiene, safety and wholesomeness of food. This is hardly understood
or enforced. On the religious side of animal slaughter alone there
are conflicting opinions of scholars adding to the confusion of the consumers.
"This is allowing many
producers to get away with selling unfit meat as Halal. Enforcement
agencies can only help if there is a consensus on how Halal is
defined. Presently the Muslim consumers rely on across-the-counter
assurance that the meat they purchase is Halal. This is less than
satisfactory and open to all kinds of abuses. They need assurance
from a recognised central accredited body, properly regulated and
enforceable through trade description laws."
World
Kitchen Live
Providing a real centrepiece for
the show was World Kitchen Live. Organised and run by the UK's
leading chef association, The Craft Guild of Chefs, the live theatre
kitchen filled the hall with aromas as the two day event saw some of
the world's most renowned chefs prepare ethnic dishes ranging from
Kosher, Caribbean and Mediterranean to Indian, Lebanese and Malaysian.
Andy Twells, executive chef and
general manager at Compass SAP, kicked off the event with Indian
influences in British food. Using British produce, his demo reflected
the techniques of Indian cookery combining spices and marinades,
whilst highlighting the synergy of two cultures cuisine.
Andy was followed by Bernard
Engledhardt, group executive chef at Seasons Food, who showcased the
art of 21st century modern German cuisine, and Mathew Shropshall, Pub
Chef Award 2006, who focused on ethnic foods for pubs.
With ethnic cuisine a mainstay on
every pub menu, Mathew, comments: "The UK has one of the
fastest growing markets for ethnic food, with an increasing number of
consumers moving away from eating traditional English foods and
opting for more ethnic cuisine."
Day two opened with Vijay Anand,
Ethnic Chef Award 2007, with other chefs including Ricky Idris,
Dennis Mwakulua, London Chef of the Year, and Samir McHeik, who
cooked up a feast of Indian, Chinese, African and Lebanese cuisine
respectively.
World Food Market will return to
London ExCel on 26th-27th November 2008, plans are already underway
to ensure the show continues to grow year on year.
For further information visit www.worldfoodmarket.co.uk.
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