A taste of France at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair

For the second year running France will take a strong foothold at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair taking place at Olympia, London (5-7 September 2010) with a 200sqm dedicated area where 36 companies and trade associations will be exhibiting their delicacies.

The French Zone is designed as a one-stop shop to give visitors a taste of what France has to offer and source Gallic specialities. Well nearly…as there will also be French exhibitors within the Speciality Chocolate Fair.

The diversity and heritage of France’s fine food sector should not however mask its dynamism. To sustain its position as market leader, France has never stopped innovating. This drive for evolution allows France to cater for trends, an evolving lifestyle, and the demand for contemporary, high quality products and attractive packaging. It translates into a vast range of products from cheese and dairy to high quality frozen and vegetables, to a tea-meets-wine concept or spring water packaged by Philippe Stark.

True to France’s long tradition and expertise in the fine food sector, the French Zone will showcase some of the country’s best regional specialities including cheese, charcuterie, fish products, crêpes and biscuits, sweets, liqueurs, beer, olive oil, preserves, the famous Agen dried prunes and much more… Also on show will be the emblematic garlic or snails, and intriguing vintage sardines.

This year there will be a special emphasis on two regions Bretagne and Nord-Pas de Calais (Northern France), which will work in partnership with trade associations to display a large range of regional products.

Bretagne is renowned for its butter biscuits and cakes; delicious crepes which can be sweet or savoury; scrumptious sea salt caramel; cider (a must with crepes!); and of course thanks to the region’s long maritime history, high quality fish products including a wide selection of canned fish and spreads.

Nord-Pas de Calais region, headed by the dynamic city of Lille, is one of the three major food-processing regions in France. It is famous for a wide variety of food products including:

• Strong-character beers (brown, pale or amber ales), like Vivat or Abbatiale
• Traditional confits & chutneys for cheese, terrines or wines from companies such as Lucullus
• Eco-innovative and healthy products from SEAnov’ which are revolutionising seafood gastronomy
• Frozen crumbles for aperitifs and desserts from Zeste
• A wide variety of processed vegetables (like smoked onion & garlic), fresh & organic soups, tasty toffees such as Lille's Babelutte or the fruity and refreshing sparkling gooseberry wine Perle de Groseille.

The French Zone will be hosted by Sopexa and a quick-reference guide will be available to help visitors easily locate the different types of companies in which they are interested.

For more information, visit: specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk