By John Redmond

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) will hold the “New Zealand Food Connection 2011” at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul on Nov. 15. beginning at 5 p.m.

Finishing at 8 p.m. the event includes 20 representative New Zealand food and beverage companies.

The second event of its kind aims to introduce fresh and safe premium food and beverage (F&B) items of New Zealand to Korean F&B industry experts and promote long-term cooperation between the two country’s F&B industries.

Larger in scale than last year’s event, it will include 20 representative F&B companies such as Zespri, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, Fonterra and will showcase products such as meat, fruits, honey, organic juices, liquor, dairy and sauces, many of which will be on display for the first time in the Korean market.

“We have expanded our range of New Zealand F&B export products and a good example is the recent launch of Airborne Honey, which was introduced to Korean market through E-mart,” said Graeme Solloway, Trade Commissioner of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. “I fully expect all first-time F&B participating companies from New Zealand to achieve success here in the Korean market as our events have been of special interest to industry professionals from major hotels, restaurants and wine bars.”

New Zealand Food Connection 2011 will begin with presentations from Graeme Solloway of NZTE and Dr. Choi Jia, a professor at Ewha Womans University, on the “Vision of the New Zealand Food Industry” and “Conceptualizing NZ's product through story” respectively, and then be followed with a fantastic display of premium New Zealand food and beverage products for all in attendance to savour.

NZTE is the New Zealand government’s economic development agency. It works to connect innovative and internationally competitive New Zealand businesses into markets around the world, through a network of 38 international offices. NZTE helps New Zealand firms build strategic alliances and develop commercial relationships internationally. It also assists international investors to relocate their businesses to New Zealand, to establish green field operations, and to invest in and work with New Zealand companies.

In 2008, NZTE was judged “best of the best” at the World Trade Promotion Organization Awards.