Last week I spend 4 days at the NEC at the 2010 Food and Drink Expo.  It’s a bi-annual show and this year had been combined with 7 other shows to make a kind of mecca-show.  I had a stand in the Regional Food area, and was exhibiting with other producers from the Eastern Region in the Taste of Anglia area.

The show was great……very busy, with an ecclectic mix of large producers [including Mars] and smaller local producers.  A really diverse mix of visitors at the show too which made it really interesting and enjoyable. Unlike the London shows the visitors had travelled from all over …the beauty of the NEC being its realitively central location, easy access and plentiful parking. The time just flew by, and there were a couple of days when I simply forgot to eat…….time just passed so quickly and it was busy-busy-busy!

I launched the two new varieties – Strawberry & Rhubarb and Pear & Elderflower at the show and they were really well received.  I literally went through hundreds of sampling glasses, and I got some amazing feedback – being so closely involved in making it, that means a great deal so thank you to everyone who came by!

Helping me on the stand for Sunday,Monday, Tuesday was the truly ledgendary Mike Skipper…….aka Skippy!  Skippy was a colleague of mine at Mars, and when he very kindly volunteered to come and help man the Breckland Orchard stand.  He was simply wonderful, brimming with enthusiasm and helping to talk to visitors to the stand – a million thanks to him!

We had some great neighbours too….including the Pie Minister crew who were opposite.  Rachel [Sales Minister] got topped up with Ginger Beer and has been in touch since with some lovely advice. The photo is of big-boss Pie Minister with a bottle of my Pear & Elderflower.

As everyone will know though the real work starts after the show……had lots of valuable leads to follow up.  As for Food and Drink Expo….yes, we’ll definitely be there in 2012!

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