Trade fair, Taste of Queensland, has gone online this year with exporters and importers negotiating via online meetings. Over 60 Queensland companies have pitched a variety of food and drink products to importers and distributers in 12 major Asian cities.
The virtual trade fair will allow most buyers to taste test the food and beverage products upon receiving dispatched samples during negotiations.
This year’s Taste of Queensland will reinforce in key Asian markets that the state is open and keen for more business which is vital to economic recovery, according to premier and minister for Trade Annastacia Palaszczuk.
“This novel, month–long promotion has already generated very keen interest in our Asian markets with so many potential buyers already signed up for online meetings,” Palaszczuk said.
“In the last two years, the Taste of Queensland events have chalked up more than $10 million in sales for Queensland exporters.
“Queensland based Nutrafruit is an outstanding exporting success story with an expected 300 per cent rise in export volumes this year alone, for its antioxidant products made from the Queen Garnet Plum.
“And it’s exciting that more Queensland businesses – some like Nourishing Bites, who’ve never exported before – are getting their products in front of Asian buyers this year too.”
Nourishing Bites, Indigenous-owned health treats manufacturer, was established as a Townsville market stall in 2013 and now operates online and in a café and baking class. It will present its product in Singapore after undertaking detailed product development and market research.
“We’ve spent the past two years refining our product range to suit overseas taste profiles, understanding the export landscape and deciding which markets we’re best to target,” Nourishing Bites owner Shelley Grainger said.
“We’re so proud to showcase amazing Indigenous Australian agriculture and ingredients and very hopeful for our first ever export deal. All the support, including even getting our products freighted to Singapore has been just amazing – freight costs have gone up, so that practical support has been absolutely crucial.”
In 2019, Nourishing Bites received Deadly Deals funding from the Advance Queensland Deadly Innovation Strategy and is included in the Advance Queensland Indigenous Native Food Program.