Bord Bia brought together Irish food and drink exporters and leading French foodservice experts in Paris today to explore opportunities in a market where eating out is a way of life for many.
The Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle addressed Bord Bia’s Foodservice Market Insights Seminar in Paris today and later this evening will host the annual Bord Bia trade reception at the Embassy of Ireland.
During the reception over 50 representatives from 25 Irish exporters will meet with in excess of 200 French food and drink buyers, deepening the long established trading relationship between the two countries.
Irish exporters already supply seafood, cheese, bagels, muffins, bacon and other cooked meats to the French foodservice channel and Bord Bia`s ambition is to help these exporters become the preferred supplies in each of their individual categories in France and build on their success.
France continues to be Ireland’s largest Eurozone export market for food and beverages in 2015 and is now in third place globally (behind the UK and the U.S), accounting for 6.6% or €703m of export revenue.
It is home to one of the largest “out of home” food consumption markets in Europe, valued at €80.66 bn. (+1%) in 2015. Over 60% of turnover is generated by the commercial food service operators, 25.1% by institutional foodservice operators (schools etc.) and the remaining 12.5% comprises impulse buying (including petrol stations, delis etc.).
Furthermore, CSO trade data for the first nine months of 2016 indicates renewed growth in Irish food and drink exports to France, up 4% in value and 6% in volume on the same period in 2015, driven by growth in the seafood, lamb and beverages categories.
France is Ireland’s most important customer for lamb and seafood, second largest customer for beef behind the U.K and third largest export market for Irish whiskey globally.
Speaking today, Minister Doyle commented, "As a country exporting 90% of our food and drink we rely on exporters like you to be innovative and ambitious. I hope that today’s insights have highlighted new business development routes that will deliver valuable growth for your business with our leading Eurozone trading partner."
He added, "Building enduring relationships with buyers in France is essential to success and an introduction from an existing Irish supplier to a customer with potential to buy a non-competing product from Ireland can prove invaluable. I would urge you therefore to share your contacts where possible to grow this potentially valuable market for the benefit of all Irish food exporters."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
