As Welsh food and drink companies are preparing to exhibit at one of the UK’s most prestigious trade events – Northern Restaurant & Bar 2023 – chefs working in North West England say they have seen an increased awareness of Welsh produce in the region.
Northern Restaurant & Bar 2023 will be held on March 14th &15th at the Manchester Central Convention Complex, and will feature ten Welsh food and drink producers*.
The Welsh showcase is part of Destination North West – a Welsh Government Food & Drink Wales Fine Food Cluster project to expand the reach and awareness of Welsh produce and explore new market opportunities in North West England.
Northern Restaurant & Bar 2023 is the first major hospitality show of the year, and last year attracted more than 8,400 trade visitors, 92% of whom came from the North of England, with 76% of attendees looking to find new products and suppliers.
Two Welsh producers* will be featured each day as part of the Fine Food Cluster Showcase (stand D28), along with a further six businesses** under the Cywain Micro Clients umbrella.
Jayne Jones Fine Food Cluster Manager, said,
“Northern Restaurant & Bar is an excellent opportunity to show the hospitality sector in the North West England area some of Wales’s fantastic products. We look forward to meeting visitors to our stand and telling them about Welsh food and drink.
“Welsh produce is making good inroads into the region, and Northern Restaurant & Bar follows on the heels of a very successful Welsh food showcase held at The Hollies Farm Shop in Cheshire just a few weeks ago. Such was the positive response from shoppers that the showcase was repeated the following week, and The Hollies have subsequently listed five additional Welsh producers.”
Welsh produce is taking a bite into menus in professional kitchens across North West England. Welsh chefs working in the area say they have seen an increased awareness of Welsh produce in North West England as chefs increasingly look to source quality ingredients from their near neighbours.
Harri Alun, Head Chef at the Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire, says his dishes are influenced by his Welsh roots and the quality and provenance of produce from Wales.
He says, “I was brought up on a farm in North Wales, and I know the whole food chain. That’s important to me because you understand the work that’s gone into something and gives a sense of pride, and for me, there is nothing quite like PGI Welsh Lamb.”
As such, he is keen, where possible, to share his experience and enthusiasm for Welsh produce. He does this by featuring Welsh ingredients in his dishes, creating celebratory menus for occasions such as St David’s Day.
Also by attending international events where Welsh produce is on display – namely the Seafood Expo Global show in Barcelona where he took to the Welsh Seafood Cluster stand and cooked samples to order throughout the event.
“Events like Seafood Expo Global are a great opportunity to support Welsh seafood and see new products. As a chef it is always good to be able to have that link to what’s being produced and what’s new.”
Dylan Owen is Head Chef at The Tunnel Club at Manchester City Football Club’s Etihad Stadium. He champions Welsh produce at every opportunity, not only because of the quality of the ingredients but also because it supports local independent businesses. Salt marsh lamb from Caernarfon, Sea salt from Anglesey, and Welsh cheese are particular favourites.
Dylan says, “I’m proud to say wherever possible we use Welsh produce. This enables us to talk to our customers on the ethos of the menu. Our carbon footprint is on everybody’s radar, there is no better sense of pride when talking to customers about quality of ingredients and also the story behind it from where it’s come from to the level of detail needed to produce.”
He adds, “Post the pandemic it’s great to see independent businesses changing/creating new ideas by utilising the raw ingredients we have in Wales to create some fantastic produce which we can use in the stadium to enhance the experience of our customers.”
Dylan says in a changing industry, it is critical to inspire and encourage the next generation of chefs to consider the quality and provenance of ingredients.
“Price is at the forefront of every catering establishment. This doesn’t mean that quality or provenance of product should be jeopardised. Young aspiring chefs need to learn that quality needs to be at the forefront and that we can save cost by utilising the ingredients better.”
