WIREDGOV

Seven companies from Wales will today be fishing for business and showcasing the very best of Welsh seafood at this year’s Seafood Expo Global 2019 in Brussels, the world’s largest seafood trade fair.

Seafood Expo Global, which takes place between 7 and 9 May, provides an ideal platform to sample new products, open new markets and discover latest developments within the sector. The trade show attracts buyers and sellers from across the globe, with around 1,900 participants from 78 countries attending.

The exhibitors flying the flag for Welsh food and drink sector include:

• The Lobster Pot - supplier of fresh and sustainably sourced seafood, it is a family run business based at Church Bay in Anglesey, which also operates a seafood restaurant
• W M Shellfish - based in Anglesey, it supplies scallops, lobster, brown crab, spider crab, whelks and a variety of fresh fish to the wholesale, retail and catering trade
• Ross Shellfish Bigorneaux - based in Caernarfon, it supplies periwinkles to the European market
• Fowey Shellfish Company - producer of rope-grown mussels based in Swansea Bay
• Sabor de Amor - based in Wrexham, the company produces Spanish flavours for tapas and main meals using ingredients free from additives and preservatives
• South Quay Shellfish - based in Anglesey, the company supplies fresh fish, crustaceans and molluscs to specialised stores; and
• Dylan’s Restaurant - chain of restaurants which operates around the North Wales coastline.

Visitors will have the opportunity to sample the premium produce with an on-site chef cooking a variety of dishes at the Welsh pavilion.

The fisheries industry is an important contributor to the coastal economy in Wales with a total export value of around £22 million per annum. Wales’ contribution to the UK Seafood industry is also significant, contributing approximately 22% of total UK seafood exports by value.

Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, said:

Wales is renowned for its highly innovative shellfish and seafood producers. Their brands are renowned across the globe for their quality and the sustainable way in which they are produced.

This is a crucial time for the industry. As we prepare to leave the European Union, it is more important than ever that we have a presence at trade events like Seafood Expo. By engaging with global buyers and suppliers, our producers will have an invaluable opportunity to reach new markets and strike international trade deals.