Northern Ireland Minister for the Economy attends Gulfood 2022

Dubai, UAE: Gordon Lyons, Minister for the Economy, Northern Ireland, visits Gulfood 2022, leading a representation championing the world-class offer of the region’s food and beverage sector to the Middle East. This will be the 15^th consecutive year that companies from Northern Ireland will be represented at the world's largest food expo, with over 20 companies continuing to actively do business in the Middle East.

Commenting on the region’s successful sector in the event, Minister Lyons said: “Northern Ireland produces award-winning food and beverage, with the sector worth £5.4 billion to the economy. This success is down to our pure, lush countryside, and farmers and producers who are dedicated to traceability and passionate about quality. Our country delivers high-quality raw ingredients, state-of-the-art processing facilities, and has a world-class food security record too.”

Continuing, Mr Lyons said: “I am delighted to be here at Gulfood, to support and showcase our 13 companies and their products, as we continue to bring the incredible flavour of Northern Ireland to tastebuds across the Middle East.”

Companies attending the show are seeking to build on continued growth, with exports to the Middle East totalling over £70 million. This year, Northern Ireland brings a diverse range of products, including grass-fed dairy produce, infused rapeseed oils, health foods including super foods, gluten free bakery products, teas, coffees, award winning crisps and gluten-free fruit and vegetable snack products, in addition to a range of porridge oats and oat-based cereals.

Mel Chittock, Interim CEO, Invest Northern Ireland, said: “Gulfood remains a cornerstone event for us to participate in, with our companies committed to their export journeys to the Middle East.  It is no surprise that events like these provide a fantastic platform for both new to market and growing exporters to connect with the right partners and build relationships which ultimately help them grow sales.”  

Finnebrogue, a company new to market, recently secured listings with a leading supermarket chain Spinneys, supplying five lines to its stores across the UAE, including its new plant-based products. A number of companies are also working closely with regional retailers to provide private-label lines.

Northern Ireland’s expertise also features prominently within the UK’s Eat programming at Expo 2020 from 17 - 20 February, which will bring together experts from Agritech and food and beverage sectors to explore how we will be able to feed ourselves in the future, end hunger, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture to ensure solutions for generations to come.

”This is a great testimony to Northern Ireland as we are at the forefront of agricultural innovation, digital food technology, transparency in the food system, and helping to increase productivity around the world with cutting edge technology,” Mr. Chittock concluded.

Invest Northern Ireland’s stand is located in Sheikh Saeed Hall 1 Stand A26 at Gulfood at the World Trade Centre in Dubai from February 13 – 17.

-Ends-

Participants in the attached photograph are (left to right):

• Robin Wall, Export Director, Tayto
• Jago Pearson, Chief Strategy Officer, Artisan Finnebrogue
• Mel Chittock, Chief Executive, Invest NI
• Mark McCaffrey, Commercial Director, Crust & Crumb
• Minister Gordon Lyons, Minister for Economy, Northern Ireland
• Mark Gowdy, Commercial Director, Whites Oats
• Peter Meeke, Regional Director, Greenfield International
• Stuart Best, Business Development Manager, Whites Oats
• Charlie Miller, Director MENA, Greenfields International

The companies which will comprise the Northern Ireland Pavilion at Gulfood 2022 include:

• BFree is a market-leading gluten and wheat free bakery brand with a range of Pitta Breads, Pizza Crusts, Wraps, Loaves and Rolls which are free from major allergens as well as high in nutrients. Each product is low in fat, high in fibre and most carry an additional product claim from high protein to low calorie. BFree's brand positioning allows us to target the health-conscious consumer in the free-from market as well as Coeliacs.
• Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil is a multi award winning (single seed) cold pressed rapeseed oil that is grown on one type of soil. (FREE FROM GM, Erucic acid, glyphosates free, and no neonicotinoids used on the farm)
• Crust and Crumb Bakery operate from four BRC “AA” approved production facilities in the UK (Northern Ireland) and Europe (Republic of Ireland), with one dedicated Gluten/Vegan Free production site. We are Ireland’s largest manufacturer of chilled pizza along with an extensive range of ambient, chilled and frozen flatbread products. Crust & Crumb Specialise in private label Pizza, Pizza Bases, Naan Breads, Pitta Breads, Garlic Flatbreads and Tortilla Wraps and currently export to the UAE market.
• Foods Connected cloud-based solutions innovate and transform food supply chain processes, helping you improve efficiency, minimise risk, streamline key processes and boost profitability. Our tools cover 8 core areas: Food Safety & Quality, CSR, Procurement & Supply Chain, Reporting & Analytics, Specifications & NPD, Supplier Compliance and Traceability.
• Greenfields Ireland Ltd is an international dairy trading company supplying dairy ingredients, specialist milk products and finished dairy products to customers throughout Europe, the Middle East, South America, Far East and Africa. We source an extensive range of products including Butter, AMF, Milk powders and a range of Cheese on a worldwide basis. We offer dairy products solutions to a wide range of industrial buyers/distributors of Industrial, Catering and Retail Dairy products.
• Johnsons Coffee - Fourth generation family owned, Johnson Brothers (est 1893) started roasting coffee in 1913. Operating from a purpose built roastery, coffees are sourced from around the globe, all high grown Arabicas, blended and roasted and supplied to the foodservice and grocery sectors under two main brands, Johnsons Coffee and Bellagio Espresso
• JS Global Brands provide healthy snacking for all the family. Heavenly Kids provides snack products for children from 6months old to any age. Products such as Italian breadsticks, veggie crisps and teething wafers create delicious and nutritious snacks for babies and are sold in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Mackle Snack Foods is a food Company specialises in the development and manufacture of private label extruded and air-popped snacks to niche markets such as organic, free from, baby food, functional and many more. Supporting snacking brands since 2005, Mackle Food Company is the partner of choice for healthy, innovative snacking. The company has a respected and trusted reputation within the snacking and extrusion industry.
• Lakeland Dairies, a farmer-owned, farmer-controlled dairy co-operative, is a market leader in the production of dairy-based products for chefs around the world. Its portfolio of high-performance products includes premium dairy creams and dairy blends, milk portions, butter and milk powder, which it supplies to industry professionals in over 70 countries worldwide.
• Linwoods Health Foods - as leaders in Health foods, Linwoods aim to enhance the health and wellbeing of all their customers through nutritiously dense, healthy foods using the finest organic quality ingredients and sustainable production methods.
• Tayto Group - The family owned Tayto Group Ltd has expanded rapidly in the last few years confirming its’ place as the UK’s third largest manufacturer of crisps and snacks. Since the acquisition of Golden Wonder in 2006, Real in 2008, Tayto Group Ltd is your one stop shop for crisps and snacks.
• SUKI Tea Makers is a leading choice for ethically sourced tea in UK and Irish cafés. Now an established, trusted, and award-winning brand it has a loyal following. SUKI drinkers fall somewhere between eco, healthy and premium buyers. SUKI has a small team of 10 tea aficionado’s, and the company exports to 22 countries.
• White’s produce a range of porridge oats and oat-based cereals from Organic Jumbo Oats to granolas and Toasted Oats which have won over 50 Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Food over several consecutive years within the luxury breakfast cereal category- (including best in category double gold).

For more information, please contact:
Invest NI team | scott.hanna@investni.com

FTI Consulting for Invest Northern Ireland | FTIInvestNITeam@fticonsulting.com 

About Invest Northern Ireland

Invest NI is the regional economic development agency for Northern Ireland. Our role is to grow the local economy by helping new and existing business to compete internationally and by attracting new investment to Northern Ireland. In the Middle East, we have International Business Offices in Dubai (Dubai Internet City), Jeddah (British Consulate General), Qatar (British Embassy in Doha), and Johannesburg, South Africa.  

Invest NI’s International Business Offices help Northern Ireland companies to increase exports, develop international collaborations and seek new investment, bringing greater prosperity to this part of the United Kingdom. 

https://www.investni.com/ 

© Press Release 2022