Celebrity chefs have been tucking in to a True Taste of Wales as Welsh food and drink producers continue to gather plaudits and customers across the UK.
When you have got a good product, size doesn’t matter, and Welsh food and drink companies have been successfully promoting their goods at a range of events in the run-up to the festive period.
Over the past few weeks producers have been taking the opportunity to exhibit under the auspices of the Welsh Assembly Government’s True Taste banner, at UK shows and via the small screen.
A number of companies took the opportunity to travel to London and Birmingham for the BBC Good Food Shows, which attract thousands of visitors and industry experts, making it one of the best UK showcases for Welsh producers.
Montgomeryshire based Welsh Farm Organics, which last month saw its lamb declared the best at the True Taste Wales Food and Drink Awards is a regular exhibitor at shows, including the BBC Good Food Show.
“It is all about raising our profile and building relationships,” says Jonathan Rees runs the business with his wife Sally at their farm at Mochdre near Newtown.
“This year was the best BBC Good Food Show we have ever done. We had great interest in our meat from the public and chefs,” says Jonathan, who also recently took part in the ‘True Taste of Wales’ show on UK television shopping channel, QVC.
“Ainsley Harriott ordered some of our Montgomeryshire air dried ham, and Brian Turner and Thane Prince loved our beef. We were sharing the stage with Jimmy Doherty from Jimmy’s Farm, while John Torode is interested in our beef for his restaurant.”
He adds, “There is no way we would be able to go to events such as these on our own. We are a small business but through the Welsh Assembly Government we have been given a high profile and people don’t see us as a small company just an award-winning one.”
Flintshire company, Harvies Pies has been wowing television and exhibition audiences with its range of sweet and savoury pies.
“Being able to interact with the public at shows and meet with a wide target audience has been excellent for us as a business, “says the firm’s Managing Director, Carol Harvie.
“The Welsh tie in with QVC has been fantastic for all the Welsh producers involved, we cannot believe how lucky we have been to get on television and I know we could not have done it without help from the Assembly.”
Newcomers to the BBC Good Food Show, Caerphilly based Castle Chocolates, are delighted at the response their exposure has produced, exhibiting at both the London and Birmingham shows.
The firm, which makes every single chocolate by hand to Belgian recipes, also made its debut television appearance last month (November) through the Welsh Assembly Government on QVC as part of the ‘True Taste of Wales Show’.
Says founder partner Dave Hughes, “The response has been marvellous, we’ve had people coming into the shop who saw us at the show and on television who have never come in before.
“The help and support we have had along the way has been marvellous, and we are looking forward to working closely with the Assembly in 2008.”
True Taste winner, Trioni Ltd, which produces the Daioni range of organic flavoured milk, regularly participates in exhibitions and events through the Assembly’s Food and Market Development Division.
“It is really important once you have a UK distribution network that you get out and tell people about your products,” says Teleri Thomas, the company’s Marketing Manger.
“The BBC Good Food Show is a great way to promote to the consumer, let them taste your products and tell them where they can buy.
“We had visitors from many parts of the UK as well as people from the industry and it is an important part of our marketing mix.”
