Barbados hosts inaugural CARIB Food & Hospitality Expo
UK food and drink trade mission to Barbados forges relationships with stakeholders from Barbados and the Caribbean.
UK exhibitors at the inaugural CARIB Food Expo
Representatives from a selection of UK firms recently attended and exhibited at the inaugural Carib Food & Hospitality Exhibition held in Bridgetown, Barbados 6 to 8 July 2017.
The Carib food event is a food and beverage conference designed to link international food and beverage producers with contacts in the food sector from Barbados, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the wider Caribbean.
According to organisers, over 300 stakeholders from the food industry in Barbados, the US, UK, Colombia, Spain and the wider Caribbean visited the exhibition.
UK food and drink companies at CARIB Food & Hospitality Expo
The Department for International Trade section within the British High Commission in Barbados organised the UK food and beverage stand within the exhibition. UK companies exhibiting included:
- TG Teas
- Par Foods
- Franklin & Sons
- British Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB)
The UK companies represented were manufacturers and distributors of UK food and beverage products, each with an interest in expanding sales of their products to food retailers, restaurants, hotels and food distributors in Barbados and the eastern Caribbean markets.
Developing awareness of UK food and drink products
Overall, the UK exhibitors were successful in spreading awareness of their food and beverage products to the food buyers and business representatives that attended the event.
Many of the UK products on display were particularly well received by general visitors and business reps as these products are the latest innovations in gluten free and health-conscious food items. This category of food is increasingly popular amoung consumers in the Caribbean.
For Tg Teas, Par Foods, Franklin & Sons and the AHDB, several local businesses requested further follow-up meetings to discuss pricing and product details. These meetings will further develop relationships and likely yield potential sales contracts and partnerships for the participating UK firms.
On the whole, a successful inaugural food event! Our High Commission looks forward to being involved with future editions of the CARIB food exhibition in years to come.