By Emily Tubb
Many New Zealand exporters are doing it tough because of the high dollar, but food and beverage companies are faring better than most.
There were more opportunities for Kiwi companies at the Fine Food Exhibition today, showing their products to international businesspeople looking for the next big thing.
It was a showcase of the finest and the most innovative the food and beverage industry has to offer, from a coffee machine that takes its orders from a smart device to the very latest tea party craze – Flora tea. It is a flower that after the hot water is poured onto it blossoms before your eyes, and tastes good too.
"It revolutionises the traditional way of serving tea," says Flora's Zaid Ismail. "It's no longer just leaves and water; it's now something to experience, something to enjoy and share with friends."
With food and beverage exports growing at 7 percent a year, traders such as Te Mata Figs know this exhibition can open up doors for them.
"It's really exposure to the market in a broad sense and maybe international market as well, and maybe some people will be interested in our product and take them up into restaurant trade and maybe even retail trade," says Murray Douglas of Te Mata Figs.
It is a huge event for more than 250 businesses that were there today to try their luck with more than 6000 buyers – 300 of them from overseas.
"You have to remember they are owners, operators, CEOs – they are heads of big business, so they are not coming over for a holiday," says North Port Events chief executive Donna White. "They're big buyers, a very high quality group."
Many of those are from the United States, India and Australia, and from our biggest export market, China.
"We have a group of eight Chinese coming specifically to look at New Zealand meat," says Ms White. "We have such a good reputation for our food and beverage, so I think the meat companies will be really benefitting from the next three days."
For the budding businesses, the ideas are already brewing for the next event.
3 News
source: newshub archive
