WELSH FOOD AND DRINKS COMPANIES SET FOR PARIS SHOWCASE

Welsh food and drink companies set for Paris showcase

A host of Welsh food and drink companies are set to attend one of the world’s largest food innovation exhibitions in Paris later this month (21-25 October 2018).

The biennal Salon International de l’Alimentation (SIAL) is the world’s largest exhibition of food innovation and will feature over 7,000 companies from 109 countries. Aiming to raise the international profile of the industry will be a Food & Drink Wales delegation of thirteen leading companies from across the sector, who will be exploring new markets and developing links with overseas buyers.

The Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths will be in attendance at the event on Monday 22 October, where she will host a reception on the Meat Promotion Wales/Hybu Cig Cymru stand in the Meat Hall with existing, as well as potential, international customers and buyers.

Commenting on the forthcoming visit to Paris, Lesley Griffiths AM said:

“As Brexit approaches, SIAL Paris is an important showcase for our food and drink companies. It is about investment in innovation and new technologies, along with discovering opportunities for growth and new trends. It gives our companies a platform for testing new markets, launching new products and meeting key professionals in the sector to discuss the challenges that lie ahead.”

“We have a clear ambition to continue to grow the food and drink industry in Wales, with our Food and Drink Action Plan underpinning our aspirations and continued support to Welsh producers, with overseas visits such as SIAL being proof of our commitment to drive growth.” 

One Welsh manufacturer attending SIAL and who has experienced significant growth in the last 12 months is north Wales company Nimbus Foods, who specialise in high quality inclusions, decorations and toppings.

Nimbus Foods Sales Director Jack Proctor, said:

“Nimbus is one of the most successful and progressive manufacturers in Europe of inclusions and decorations for the ice cream, dairy, bakery, biscuit and confectionery industries. We have experienced significant growth, and our turnover has increased from £9m and we expect to clear £13m this year. This has also resulted in an investment of £1.25m in our site in Dolgellau during 2018 with the installation of a new production line and additional coating capacity which has increased the overall output of the site by 40%.

 “In addition, we have had to recruit an additional 30+ employees this year to cope with this growth. We expect this to continue into 2019/2020 and we are already planning the installation of a 4^th production line for 2019 with a further £1m + investment.”

 Premium cheese producer, Snowdonia Cheese Company will showcase its latest innovations in authentic cheese at SIAL, with Nature’s Nectar being a mature cheddar with rum, marinated figs and honey.

Sue Beck, Commercial Director for Snowdonia Cheese Company said,

“Buyers from all over the world are present at SIAL so the opportunities are there to showcase our products in front of an international audience. For companies like ourselves, it is also a chance to meet in person with some of our worldwide customers and promote new and existing products and to highlight the significant merits of Welsh food and drink.”

 The award winning mid Wales bottled water company Tŷ Nant Spring Water Ltd, is a well-known global brand, and General Manager Nick Taylor knows the value of attending trade events,

“Tŷ Nant natural mineral and spring waters are currently stocked in many of the world’s most exclusive hotels and fine dining establishments and is internationally famed for its award winning bottle designs and pure, clean refreshing taste. However, we still believe there is great value in attending trade events such as SIAL.

 “We were at SIAL two years ago and buyers from all over the world were present, making it possible to further increase our international business and provide an opportunity to meet in person with some of our global customers, whilst promoting the quality of products emanating from Wales.”

 Welsh companies are hoping to build on the success of SIAL 2016 where producers secured sales of £276,000.

Thirteen Welsh businesses will be present this year under the Cymru/Wales banner, presenting products that range from dairy, baked goods, water to sea salt and cereals.

SIAL is held in Paris, France from 21-25 October 2018.