Proexport Colombia has announced that part of its 2007 campaign for exotics will focus on major players in the catering trade.
Astrid Duque, business and trade advisor at Proexport Colombia, said up to ten UK-based chefs from well-known hotel and restaurant chains will be invited on a one-week trip to Colombia in March.
She added: “This is our attempt to increase the consumption of exotic products in the UK.
“We are aiming to educate the chefs on the use of exotic fruits, share ideas and show them the points of difference, which is what they are all looking for.”
The visitors will be taken to a series of speciality dinners and events across Colombia.
Duque also said plans for a laboratory in Bogotá, which would provide guaranteed screening methods for pesticides in fresh produce, will be carried out within a year. She said: “We hope this will assure UK category managers about the quality of Colombian products.
“At the moment, Colombian producers have to send crop samples to EU labs, which can take 15-20 days. The new lab will allow us to be more efficient, and guarantee the standards of the products reaching the UK."
