Austrade media release
Monday, 24 December 2007
A selection of Australia’s finest foods will tempt American taste buds from coast to coast throughout their holiday season and into the New Year, during the supermarket promotions and Winter Fancy Food Show as part of G’Day USA: Australia Week 2008.
The supermarket promotions of gourmet Australian food and wine will be held simultaneously at upmarket food chains Bristol Farms in Los Angeles and Citarella in New York from January 2-31, while Winter Fancy Food Show takes place in San Diego from January 13-15.
The boutique supermarket promotions will have a distinctively Aussie flavour throughout January, enticing shoppers on both coasts to buy up local specialities such as wagyu beef, lamb, olive oils, fruit paste, cheeses, seafood and wine.
Sally-Ann Watts, Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner in Los Angeles, said that Australian fine foods have made significant inroads into the competitive fine food and wine marketplace across LA and the Big Apple.
“If you want to find a top-end product from almost any country in the world, you’ll find them in New York or LA and in such a competitive marketplace it is often hard for small Australian suppliers to stand out from the crowd,” said Sally-Ann Watts.
“This month-long promotion will increase the profile of Australian fine foods and target American consumers and key decision makers at some of America’s top speciality food retailers in one of the largest markets in the world, home to some 42,000 supermarket stores.
“Australian companies have made the most of this increased profile, with many of the participating companies enjoying long-term success as a result of the Bristol Farms promotions over the past three years and more recently across New York with the Citarella promotions,” Ms Watts said.
Boutique supermarket chain Bristol Farms on the west coast, has 15 stores located across Los Angeles’ high net worth suburbs, Beverly Hills, Newport Beach and Pacific Palisades, and is commonly known as the supermarket to the stars.
While on the east coast, New York’s Citarella is one the Big Apple’s most celebrated fine food stores with seven stores across Manhattan and the prestigious Hamptons, all of which are participating in the promotion for the second consecutive year.
Some of the Aussie products lining the shelves this year will include Greg Norman’s Signature Wagyu Beef, Australian Lamb, Brookfarm macadamia mueslis, nuts and oils, Valley Produce Company truffle-infused honey and fruit pyramids, Red Island and Yellingbo olive oils, King Island and Dairy Vale cheeses.
These Australian culinary delights will also be on show at Winter Fancy Foods 2008 in San Diego, one the most significant specialty food trade shows, which attracts over 30,000 buyers from leading supermarkets, restaurants and other food related businesses from across the US.
“The event provides attendees the opportunity to review over 100 different Australian food and beverage products and reinforce to trade buyers the depth and variety of Australian capabilities, as well as providing opportunities to leads, deals and media exposure.
“A networking reception event, a new event in 2008, will also be held at ‘Bondi’ restaurant in San Diego to provide an opportunity for more than 35 Australian companies participating at Fancy Food to meet with US food and beverage buyers,” Ms Watts said.
Austrade has a network devoted to the US market providing extensive support for Australian exporters in the US market with representation in 18 US cities, eight specialist industry teams and a dedicated network of US Export Advisers around Australia.
G’Day USA: Australia Week 2008 is produced by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tourism Australia, Austrade and Qantas Airways. Australia Week is also supported by six State Governments and over 35 sponsors.
For further information on events being held during Australia Week please visit www.australia-week.com.
ENDS
Media contact
Sarkis Khoury, Senior Media Adviser
Tel: +61 2 9390 2118
Mob: +61 414 401 072
Email: sarkis.khoury@austrade.gov.au
For further news and information from the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) visit www.austrade.gov.au/mediacentre. |