A selection of Welsh food and drink companies strengthened ties with prospective partners and investors as they visited Paris, last week.

As part of the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Wales Trade Development Visit to the region, seven food and drink companies were given the opportunity to showcase their products to a host of distributors and retail buyers, all looking to secure new business.

France is the second largest export market for Welsh food and drink, and with the Rugby World Cup set to take place there later this year, it is being seen as a great opportunity to be promoting Welsh produce.

The Welsh companies who took part in the Trade Development Visit to Paris included Cradoc’s Savoury Biscuits, Cwmfarm Charcuterie Products, Hensol Castle Distillery, In the Welsh Wind, Meridian Foods, Sims Foods Limited – SamosaCo and Tŷ Nant.

Following the success of Welsh Government’s participation in SIAL 2022, there is great potential for Welsh food and drink companies to export to France. The aim of the visit is to leverage networking and collaboration opportunities between the producers, Welsh Government and France as well as strengthening business, trade, and tourism relationships.

Welsh Government Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales and Trefnydd, Lesley Griffiths, said:

“Exports for the sector have grown in the past decade and we are supporting companies in Wales to see this continue. Our export support programme is available to all food and drink businesses and helps aspiring, new and established exporters.

“It’s great Welsh companies have this opportunity to showcase their fantastic products and to build new working relationships in France ahead of the Rugby World Cup.”

During the visit, delegates had an opportunity to showcase products to selected buyers, importers and distributors and develop new business through a series of in-market briefings, store visits and meet the buyer opportunities.

France is the second largest export market for Welsh food and drink, with the value reaching £100m in 2021, up from £72m in 2020. The highest value export category was meat and meat products at £68m, followed by cereals and cereal preparations at £9m. The UK exported £2.3bn of food and drink goods to France in 2021.

France’s imports of goods rose by 21.2% in 2021, while they have the fifth largest packaged food market in the world. The French market is sophisticated with an appreciation for quality and traceability. Increasingly, France is opening to international flavours.

Highlights of the visit included meetings with a number of buyers, both in the retail and foodservice sector. There was also a retail market tour for delegates to experience what French food markets are like and included a visit to Rungis Market, the largest wholesale food market which serves the Paris metropolitan area and beyond, which is said to be the largest food market in the world.

Unlocking new markets brings even greater opportunities for these businesses to not only showcase their quality produce around the world, but also generate more revenue and increase profits.

For more information on how the Welsh Government can assist your business with exporting please visit: https://businesswales.gov.wales/export