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Harlech Foodservice reports record footfall at annual trade show

A leading foodservice wholesaler from North Wales has hailed the success of its annual trade show after it achieved record footfall.

Harlech Foodservice, which is a member of buying and marketing group Fairway Foodservice, welcomed its largest ever number of delegates and opened 30 new accounts at its flagship event.

The two-day exhibition, held at Venue Cymru, Llandudno, focused on educating caterers about the latest industry trends, with 170 suppliers, including specialist development chefs, on hand to discuss new techniques and products.

Staff from the wholesaler’s Bwydlyn butchery took centre stage with demonstrations of their expert service, which includes bespoke cuts of meat.

And with stands already being booked for next year’s show, providing attendees with insight has paid off, says Ian Woodcock, purchasing director at Harlech Foodservice.

He said: “It’s fantastic to have set a new record for footfall, with attendees placing orders on the day as well as in the immediate days after. And to add 30 new customers to our growing list of caterers was the icing on the cake.

“The event was also about building relationships with our clients and inspiring them to be creative with their menus.

“As a proud Welsh foodservice wholesaler, we were pleased to have a dedicated row of Wales-based producers and suppliers as part of a celebration of Welsh produce.

“Thanks to the hard work of our marketing team, more decision makers from the catering industry were able to speak with us and our suppliers, than ever before.

“And such was the demand for stands, we booked out a second room at the venue.”

Richard Ellison, marketing and events manager at Fairway Foodservice, which exhibited, said: “The Harlech trade show was our first event since our rebrand, and it was a fantastic opportunity to speak to caterers to introduce our relaunched own-brand range, Fairway Assured.

“We were able to update them on the new packaging and photography, as well as upcoming launches and our future plans for our exclusive 600 products in the range.

“We are looking at new initiatives on how we can support our members and are thrilled the Harlech trade show was a resounding success.”

Ashley Cooke, sales executive at Stoke-on-Trent-based Churchill, which provides tableware into hospitality, said: “This was our second time exhibiting at the Harlech trade show and we love having the chance to show industry professionals the latest innovations.

“Our conversations ranged from new products and ranges to what’s hot in foodservice. We also had a live demonstration of products being made using a traditional pottery wheel, which went down really well. We can’t wait to be back for a third year.”

Chloe Scott, account manager at Wrexham-based Village Bakery, said: “The chance to talk to caterers directly about our wide-range of bakery products is invaluable.

“Gluten-free continues to increase in demand and we were on hand to talk about new product launches, as well as provide education on the best way to cook and implement them into menus.”

Harlech Foodservice, which is headquartered in Criccieth, Gwynedd, has a turnover of £32m, employs 200, and has 45 vehicles in its fleet. The wholesaler also has a depot in Oswestry & a new depot in Chester which features a specialist butchery team onsite.

Fairway Foodservice is a buying and marketing organisation made up of 20 independent wholesalers from across the UK, Ireland, and Spain.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Harris .