Welsh firms to attend top food and drink trade event in Dubai
GULFOOD is one of the world’s largest food trade events and Wales has a long association with it, helping bring an array of Welsh produce to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
Supported by the Welsh Government, 10 companies from the food and drink sector in Wales will be present at Gulfood 2020 in the Dubai World Trade Centre on February 16-20, under the Wales (UK) banner, to promote Welsh produce and help the firms achieve export success.
The Welsh firms exhibiting include Daioni Organic, Dairy Partners Cymru Wales, Rachel’s Dairy, Gut Instinct Foods, Billington Foodservice, Frank’s Ice Cream and Flawsome!. Alongside these will be representatives from HCC Meat Promotion Wales, Llaeth y Llan/Village Dairy, and Calon Wen Organic Dairy.
Lesley Griffiths, Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, believes it is vital for the industry to take advantage of such opportunities to strengthen relationships with priority markets such as the UAE
She said: “Wales has a long association with the Gulfood event that has helped bring an array of Welsh brands to the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Welsh food and drink exports have increased 84% since 2014 and we consider the UAE region a key market for Wales.
“We are delighted to once again be participating at Gulfood to showcase our wide range of high-quality food and drink products and look forward to another successful event as Wales continues to build on its strong connection with the food and beverage industry in the GCC as a whole.”
It promises to be a lucrative year for Billington Foodservice, with the opening of a brand-new state-of-theart dessert and cake facility at their site near Newport.
Billington Foodservice was created in 2018 by the Billington Group following the acquisition of two separate, highly regarded foodservice businesses in the UK (Bar Foods and Dunkleys Ltd). The new group provides the UK’s foodservice market with sauces, soups, pies, bakes and desserts.
Over the past 18 months, the market has seen a growing demand for desserts and cakes – and Billington Foodservice has seen significant growth in this category. At the south Wales factory, there is space to create a new standalone facility to meet current demand and to expand the offering into new markets.
Billington Foodservice will be exhibiting and showcasing the new dessert and cake capabilities at this year’s Gulfood.
Exhibiting at Gulfood for the first time is south Wales fruit juice company Flawsome! Founded by Karina Sudenyte and Maciek Kacprzyk, the brand is inspired by their grandmother’s tasty recipes, transforming imperfect fruit into perfectly crafted coldpressed drinks.
After 24 months of new product development, they launched a range of lightly sparkling juice drinks in November 2019.
Flawsome! drinks are made from 60% “wonky” and surplus pressed fruit, free from any added sugar or sweeteners. The range is school-compliant in the UK and vegan friendly.
Also attending will be plant-based food and drink brand Gut Instinct, which was born out of a desire to help consumers achieve physical and mental health through proper diet and nutrition while lessening their carbon footprint. Products include Barista Oat Edition (crafted for coffee); Oatstix Dairy-Free Milk Alternative (single-serve 10ml portions) and Vegan Mayo (egg-free and singleserve 9g portions).
Wales has a proud tradition of producing outstanding food and drink, but underpinning this is a growing innovation landscape, bustling with unique products, diverse flavours and exciting new developments.
Investment in innovation and new technologies has not only generated growth for traditional Welsh brands and products, but has also attracted international players and their creations, inspired by the Welsh landscape, climate and heritage.