Cooperation and team work proved beneficial for a group of eight local speciality food processors who collectively represented the province of Prince Edward Island in a recent Canadian Fine Food Show in Toronto.
The group's participation was coordinated by the PEI Food and Beverage Processors Association, in cooperation with Enterprise PEI and the ADAPT Council. Given the challenge of limited markets for speciality foods in PEI, the association identified the invaluable opportunity the show presented for PEI businesses to make contacts and gain access to other markets.
The association, in its second year of existence, aims to promote growth and development for its members in areas such as marketing advocacy, education training, and information sharing.
The Canadian Fine Food Show is particularly beneficial to small processors of speciality food because of the high concentration of buyers, brokers and distributors in attendance, providing ample opportunity for the creation of business partnerships. Participating as a group allowed Island businesses to reap the benefits of a larger space at the show, a greater chance to promote the high quality image of Island products, and the opportunity to make market contacts from each other. Rhysia Smith, co-owner of Embers Products Limited, a local business that makes specialty mustard sauces, claims that "going under the Island flag was tremendous. We made a real impact and there was an energy about the PEI booth that was definitely noticeable -- we out-did ourselves."
Although it is too soon to get a true assessment of the increase in sales, all eight companies have given the show a high ranking and indicate a strong interest in attending the show again. Participants have enthusiastically expressed their confidence in the success of meetings with distributors and the promotion and exposure of their products. They have received positive feedback by way of numerous phone calls, inquiries, and potential leads.
Seaman's Beverages had its Grapefruit and Lime nominated for an award in the beverage category and achieved first runner-up. The company was interviewed by several media and has received over 50 phone inquiries on its 1-800 line. Several new distributors and customers have started selling Seaman's Classic Flavours throughout Ontario.
"It was an incredible opportunity for Prince Edward Island manufacturers to showcase our Island and our world class products to the specialty market," said Kim Griffin, Seaman's Marketing Director. "We have been overwhelmed with the response to our old fashioned premium soft drinks."
"It was wonderful to see these Island companies come together and pool their efforts along with the PEI Food and Beverage Processors Association," said Wes MacAleer, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. The impact the group made at the show and the increased awareness of the top quality of Island specialty foods will undoubtedly improve market development."