Meet the Buyer
Seminars and Workshops
Exhibition
Introduction
Organised by Food and Drink Wales (Welsh Government), BlasCymru/TasteWales 2023 will be the fourth international food and drink trade-only event for the industry in Wales.
BlasCymru/TasteWales is the flagship trade event of the Welsh food and drink industry. Bringing together Welsh food and drink producers, national and international buyers and food industry professionals, the two-day event will offer an unrivalled opportunity to network with leading industry stakeholders from across the globe.
Featuring a showcase of the best products Wales has to offer, the event will:
– Showcase producers and their products to national and international audiences
– Broker producer and buyer relationships through partnering meetings
– Feature themed zones showcasing the best of Welsh food and drink, along with a compelling seminar programme with leading industry experts
Trade brokerage linking buyers and producers
At the heart of BlasCymru/TasteWales will be the business-to-business brokerage.
This is a bespoke and unique service matching buyers and producers for highly efficient trade conversations.
For more detail and if you are interested in participating, if you are a buyer please contact buyers@tastewales.com;
if you are a producer, please contact producer@tastewales.com. We are happy to help.
Event Success
The key achievements of BlasCymru/TasteWales 2021 were:
- Over 927 delegates taking part.
- Over 1695 one-to-one business meetings facilitated.
- 244 new and innovative Welsh food and drink products launched.
- Over 200 trade buyers attended, meeting over 102 Welsh food and drink producers.
World-leading innovations
The event will feature a series of themed zones highlighting some of the latest developments in the world of food and drink. These include:
International Zone: Business Finance, Export, Inward Investment, International Trade
Bringing together the world of international finance, export and inward trade investment, the zone will include representatives from:
- Finance and investing into business growth (BIC Innovation)
- Inward investment: Welsh Government Food Division (Inward Investment)
- Export: Welsh Government Food Division (International Business Food and Drink)
- Global trade context: Welsh Government International Trade (Welsh Government Overseas Offices)
Innovation Zone: Research, Innovation, Technology, Skills
Area showcasing some of the innovative work currently taking place in Wales, and promoting the business support, technology, and innovation programmes available to Welsh food and drink businesses to help them prosper. Exhibitors include:
- Food Innovation Wales
- AMRC Cymru
- Aber Innovation
Sustainability Zone: Sustainable Food and Drink, Hospitality, Tourism
Sustainability is at the heart of the Vision for the Food and Drink Industry in Wales from 2023. This area will showcase good practice, including vertical farming, minimising food waste, and other exciting examples of what sustainability can do for businesses.
Other key industry stakeholders
The event will also feature Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales, Welsh seafood, and – present throughout the zones – our themed clusters
Thought provoking seminars
The event will feature a range of brief, focused talks, seminars and other activities including tastings. Key themes include the current challenges and opportunities our food and drink industry is facing, such as how sustainability makes business sense, the latest on new technology in the industry, through to finance and export support.
Sessions will feature industry speakers and panellists, and include opportunities to network over fantastic food and drink from Wales. The programme is constantly evolving and we will share further news on speakers and activities in due course.
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Who should attend?
BlasCymru/TasteWales is for you if you’re a Welsh producer, a national or international buyer, along with anyone involved in:
- Food service and hospitality – caterers, cafes’, guest houses, hotels, pubs and restaurants.
- Retail – delicatessens to farm shops and grocers, supermarkets to independents.
- Public sector – schools, colleges, hospitals.