Top food and drink experts from across the south west will deliver insight and knowledge at the Taste of the West Trade Show 2009, the region’s leading food and drink business exhibition.

Responding to consumer demand for quality local and regional produce - a market valued at £4.8 billion in 2008 - and showcasing over 150 south west producers from every sector of the industry, the Show takes place at Exeter’s Westpoint Exhibition Centre on 30-31 March.

Centrally located in the heart of the UK’s top food producing region, over 1,000 trade buyers visited the Show in 2008, making it one of the UK’s most effective platforms by which retail, hospitality, food service and public procurement buyers can learn about and implement local sourcing solutions for their customers and stakeholders.

The winner of the 2008 Local Food Champion award, as part of the Taste of the West Awards, Roy Heath of the Cornwall Food Programme will be discussing his experience establishing an effective supply chain for local food and drink in the NHS in Cornwall.

This seminar will provide public procurement buyers with the perfect opportunity to learn from this successful project, helping boost the Government’s statistics when it comes to sourcing regional and British-produced food and drink.

Nigel Yeo, of Philip Dennis Foodservice will take a unique look at developing new innovative methods of utilising the whole carcase, including the cheaper cuts, and optimising butchery skills to enhance the bottom line.

For those buyers new to sourcing local food and drink, a number of seminars will focus on the finer things in life. Patrick McCaig, Otter Brewery and CAMRA will give any real Ale fan a treat as he takes a tutored ale tasting session. Award winning Antonia Corp of Ooh La La Chocolaterie will be showing of her skills and helping give visitors a different perspective about chocolate and the variety of ways it can be used in foodservice and catering environments.

The event will also feature TV wine expert Susy Atkins who appears regularly on the box presenting BBC1's Saturday Kitchenwho will be undertaking a tutored wine tasting using just those wines produced in the south west of England.

Topics