Australian buyers have Wellington foods in their sights

Australian buyers have Wellington artisan foods in their sights

Food and beverage buyers from Sydney are talking export deals with Wellington producers after having their taste-buds tempted at the Visa Wellington On a Plate Supplier Showcase.

Over 50 of the Wellington region’s top food and beverage suppliers exhibited at the Showcase with products ranging from craft beer to gourmet meats. The event is part of the annual Visa Wellington On a Plate festival and attracts restaurateurs, chefs and retail buyers.

Ben Horne, buyer for Bondi Wholefoods in Sydney, says he found the Showcase a stand out from similar international events he has attended while sourcing products. He is keen to discuss supply deals with several producers. “The Showcase was full of passionate and well-informed producers with quality products,” says Mr Horne.

Grow Wellington’s Sector Development Manager for Manufacturing, Grant Lumsden, says feedback from international buyers at the Showcase is invaluable for the industry. “The Showcase is primarily an event focused on helping suppliers and chefs make those vital connections for the forthcoming festival. They can collaborate on menus and events, and this ensures exciting new offerings.”

However, the Showcase is also a platform to build the profile of the region’s food and beverage producers with retail buyers, explains Mr Lumsden. “We want to see participants grow from being local, to national, to international exporters. Buyers enjoy the mix of big food companies and boutique suppliers which brings diversity and strength to Wellington’s industry.”

Mr Lumsden says Grow Wellington will continue to help suppliers take on board the constructive advice offered by retailers which ranged from the need to build product volumes, keep up high standards of packaging design, and be ready to close a deal by having pricing and freight information at their fingertips.

Mr Horne says his customers expect quality organic products and are prepared to pay premium prices for them. Primarily a bulk buyer, he is also interested in smaller producers. “Quality always comes first. We sometimes support suppliers to help them grow so they can re-invest and get their quantities up.”

He was particularly impressed with kombucha tea blends from Wainuiomata’s GoodBuzz Brewing company. “Kombucha is a fizzy fermented drink and it’s hard to get the sweetness right. This one was just right,” says Mr Horne. Greytown juice company Mela also caught his attention with its unusual fruit and vegetable combinations and quality production process.

Alex Campbell, owner of Goodbuzz Brewing in Wainuiomata, says he was delighted to catch the eye of international buyers and also to interact with many hotel and restaurant owners at the Showcase. Many are interested in stocking his products and he hopes they will now consider them for inclusion in menus for the coming VWOAP festival.

“It was great to be a part of a showcase which features local products and new talent. It gave us relatively inexpensive exposure for our product in front of new people, but also to meet up with contacts I’ve already made.”
Other Sydney buyers talking deals with Wellington producers were Salt Meats Cheese owner Stefano De Blasi and buyer Valentina Vurchio who run a gourmet wholesale warehouse business.

The two were impressed with offerings from the Wellington Chocolate Factory and Upper Hutt’s Bees Blessing honey cordials. Mr De Blasi says he was delighted to discover other new products including Beer Belly Jellies and crackers from Arobake, both produced in Wellington city.

Food and beverage production contributes around $450 million to the region’s GDP, with that number growing steadily since 2010. The Showcase took place on 2 February, 2015 and is an annual event organised by Grow Wellington, the region’s economic development agency, and the Wellington Culinary Events Trust.

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