APRIL 05: OVERSEAS BUYERS FALL FOR TASTE OF NORTH EAST FOOD

Some of the finest food from the North East could soon be tickling the palates of customers in Europe and the Far East After seven regional food producers took part in the recent International Food and Drink Event in London.
Although Northumbria Larder, the regional food and drink group, had one of the smallest stands at the exhibition, there was "tremendous enthusiasm fro our members' produce from UK and international buyers "according to Sandy Duncan, the organisation's head of business development.

The seven producers who took part in IFE05 all reported particularly keen interest from more than 30 international buyers representing many countries, including the United States, Japan, Poland, Belgium and France. The buyers were invited to the event by the trade export body Food from Britain in association with UK Trade and Investment.
Ann Hustwit, who runs cake makers Jenkins and Hustwit Limited of Bishop Auckland with her partner Hilary Jenkins, said there was great interest from overseas buyers in traditional British produce. "as a result, we have received numerous enquiries about our traditional farmhouse fruit cakes and Christmas puddings. The greatest enthusiasm came from buyers from France, the United States, Canada and Greece. We are hopeful orders will soon follow. It was an excellent show."

Anthony and Lucy Carroll, who farm at Tiptoe, near Cornhill-on-Tweed, found there was keen overseas interest in their heritage potatoes, which they started growing small-scale four years ago. Now the business has taken off and they will have to devote more acreage to growing gourmet varieties if the interest shown by buyers from Italy, France, Belgium and Hong Kong results in fresh orders. "We also had a lot of enquiries at the event from UK hotels, delis, farm shops and wholesalers," said Anthony.

Another north Northumberland company, Heatherslaw Bakery Limited, of Crookham, near Cornhill, took orders at the exhibition for their cakes and biscuits, including one from the Country Harvest Farm Shop at Ingleton in Lancashire. They ordered cherry cakes sticky toffee cakes and almond tarts.. There was also the strong possibility of future orders from a buyer representing a French delicatessen group in the South of France.. "We got a very positive response to our cakes and biscuits," said managing director Colin Smurthwaite. "We only started showing nationally last year and I am greatly impressed by the results. There is another national speciality food exhibition in London in September and I hope to attend that." Heatherslaw Bakery is now in its 13th year and employs 30 people at its Crookham bakery. Colin w2as helped at IFE05 by his daughter, Jennie, 24, w2ho took a break from her studies at Edinburgh University to support the company.

One of the North's leading artisan cheesemakers, Mark Robertson of the Northumberland Cheese Company at Blagdon, near Morpeth, celebrated his company's 21st birthday at IFE05 and said he was "upbeat" about its export prospects judging by the number of international buyers visiting his stand.

Two of the region's newest food producers, The Tanfield Food Company, operating out of Tanfield Lea South |Industrial Estate, near Stanley, and the Redemption Food Company, of No1 Industrial Estate, Consett, also took part in the London event as an important part of their marketing strategies.

Keith Gill, who runs the Tanfield food business with Roger McKechnie, says IFE05 has given their new company a terrific boost. "We have jumped from stage one to stage three of our marketing plan simply by attending the event. We did remarkably well. We were approached by over 200 independent UK delis, food halls and food shops and there was great interest from overseas buyers. We are talking business with Hong Kong, Singapore, the Middle East and the Republic of Ireland. We are also in talks with multiples and food hamper distributors." Tanfield has launched a range of gourmet ready meals cooked in its kitchen and given an extended shelf life using the latest packaging technology. The Look What We Found range is based on quality produce from repected sources. Keith and Roger, who founded the successful Derwent Valley Foods range of Phileas Fogg branded snacks and sold the company to United Biscuits in 1993, already employ 24 people at Tanfield Lea.

Ian Blair, sales director of the Redemption Food Company, says IFE05 was the first national show they had taken part in and it proved a great launchpad for their range of fresh soups and sauces. "We sell to wholesalers and a result of the London event we are now in discussion with a couple of new wholesalers in Ireland, " he said. Set up a year ago, Redemption employs nine people at Consett and is set to expand.

James Ross and Son (Newcastle) Limited, makers of Ross's Pickles, attracted a lot of attention at the show. "We're busily sifting through the sales leads," said Gavin Ball, sales development manager. "Now it's all about conversion."