Seventeen leading Northern Irish food and drink companies will showcase their produce at Gulfood 2021, scheduled to be held at the World Trade Centre in Dubai from February 21 to 25. 

 

This year will mark the 14th time that Northern Ireland has exhibited at the event, a statement said. Key displays will include a range of high quality, grass-fed dairy products, infused rapeseed oils, balsamic vinegars, natural cider vinegar, popcorn and gluten-free fruit and vegetable snack products in addition to a range of porridge oats and oat-based cereals.

 

The GCC is one of the fastest-growing global markets for Northern Irish produce and in recent years, Gulfood has proven to be a key enabler for Northern Irish food and beverage exports to the Gulf region. Last year, White’s Speedicook Ltd, a producer of porridge oats and granola across the UK and Ireland secured contracts in the Middle East estimated to be worth over £1million. 

 

As Northern Ireland companies set their sights on growing their presence in key Gulf markets, particularly in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Invest Northern Ireland looks forward to cultivating major distribution deals at the event. 

 

Speaking ahead of the event, Swathi Sri, Head of Territory IMEA at Invest Northern Ireland, said: “Gulfood continues to provide a fantastic platform to showcase the Northern Irish food and drink industry. The Middle East is an exciting region and the UAE has established itself as a global destination for fine dining. 

 

We are delighted to participate at Gulfood for the 14th consecutive year showcasing our wide range of high-quality food and drink produce underpinned by Northern Irelands’ commitment to Food Security and resilient supply chains. We encourage everyone to visit our stand and look forward to continuing to develop strong business relationships here in the Gulf throughout 2021 and in the years ahead.”

Commenting on Gulfood, Scott Hanna, Senior Business Development Manager for Retail, Hospitality and Technology at Invest Northern Ireland, said: “The UAE and the wider GCC are premium markets and have a high import capacity for products such as dairy, oats and gourmet food, which offers significant opportunities for Northern Irish exporters.

 

Consumers are becoming ever more mindful of the environmental impact of commercial farming practices. Northern Ireland’s food and drink sector is characterised by a commitment to high ethical and environmental standards with food producers who are dedicated to quality and traceability.  This has been key to our successful export growth to the Gulf and over 70 countries word wide. We look forward to showcasing the best of Northern Ireland’s foods to the region as we continue to build on our close relationships across the GCC.

 

Invest Northern Ireland’s stand will be located in S1 – D34. The companies which will comprise the Northern Ireland Pavilion at Gulfood 2021 include:

 

• Ballylisk Dairies, one of the finest dairy producers since 1820 now producing award winning white mould, single herd, full–flavoured cheese.

• BFree, a market-leading gluten and wheat free bakery brand.

• Broighter Gold, a specialised producer of single variety cold-pressed rapeseed oil, that is environmentally friendly and has a milder, unique flavour due to the variety and soil the rapeseed is grown in.

• Burren Balsamics, a small batch artisan producer creating naturally infused balsamic vinegars.

• Deli Lites, a specialist food-to-go business that produces more than 20 million products every year.

• Foods Connected, a software platform which innovates and transforms supply chain processes. 

• Kestrel Foods, a specialist in premium Dried Fruit, Nut & Granola snacks.

• Glens of Antrim Potatoes, the manufacturer of Glens of Antrim and Shindigs crisps. 

• Greenfields, 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.

• Heavenly Tasty, a provider of healthy organic baby and children’s snacking products to retailers and distributors across the UK, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

• Mackle Snacks, a manufacturer of organic puffed snacks under their own brand, Chloe’s and also for leading baby food brands. 

• Natural Umber, a multi-award-winning organic apple cider vinegar.

• Tayto Crisps, an internationally recognised crisps and popcorn manufacturer. 

• Suki Tea Makers, a company that ethically sources and blends over 50 award-winning loose-leaf teas, which are beautifully presented in 100% plastic-free packaging. 

• Thompson's Tea, an independent family business of four generations, born and blended in Belfast since 1896.

• Wafer Enterprise Ltd, one of the leading suppliers and distributors of ice cream cones, waffle cones, dipped cones and sundries in Ireland and the UK.

• White’s, one of Ireland’s oldest brands. It has been milling oats on the original site in Tandragee, Co. Armagh since 1841, producing porridge oats and oat-based cereals from Organic Jumbo Oats to granolas and Toasted Oats.--TradeArabia News Service