A SPECIAL food and drink event organised by business support initiative FinditinWorcestershire was "jam packed" with ideas for county firms to do business.

Held at Sixways, Warndon, the extended business breakfast heard from keynote speakers, including representatives of supermarket chain Aldi and later met with the best of the county’s small local producers in a food and drink hall.

Lorna Jeynes, Worcestershire County Council's project manager for FinditinWorcestershire, said: "Worcestershire is recognised for its thriving food and drink sector that holds many award-winning establishments using locally sourced produce. Through this morning’s event, local businesses were able to meet and build relationships with the county’s food and drink producers in our exhibition, while also receiving invaluable advice in our presentations about how to pitch their products to buyers and approach selling their goods overseas. This was an event jam-packed with opportunities for the food and drink sector and beyond and we are delighted to have received such positive feedback from both seasoned FinditinWorcestershire regulars and newcomers alike."

Leading the presentations was Aldi, which discussed the steps suppliers could take to be "Aldi ready" to sell products into the discount supermarket chain. Suppliers and producers were advised to know their product, know the market and be honest when presenting to a buyer, in order to have a long term future with the supermarket.

Julian Valentine, owner of Valentine Foods Ltd and former head of high-end Northern England supermarket Booths, gave four key steps to success when presenting products to buyers. He advised producers to know everything about their product, the customer, the competition and the marketplace. He also provided key insights about preparing to meet buyers, delivering a presentation and how to follow this up in order to maintain strong working relationships.

There was also a presentation by Alison Avery, international trade advisor for Department for International Trade, introducing the company’s newly launched fast-track programme that will help food and drink producers sell their goods overseas. The programme offers training and ongoing support for new and experienced exporters to help them improve and grow their business.

More than 150 businesses attended the event, meeting a wide range of local exhibitors including breweries, farm shops, restaurants and hotels.

I