Mark Best, one of Australia’s most celebrated chefs, will visit Taiwan (27 Sept-4 Oct) in support of an Austrade initiative to promote premium Australian food and wines to consumers in the region. A leader in contemporary French cuisine, Best has achieved rave reviews from food critics and recently claimed the 2010 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Best Chef Award. Later this year the Executive Chef of Marque will present at Madrid Fusion, making him only the second Australian chef after... ...Read more »

The Fine Food Australia award winners were announced on Monday night, with Foods Pacific Limited and Rubens Fine Foods sharing the prize for Best New Australian Retail Product.Australia’s largest food industry trade show is in full swing this week, with the food industry showing their wares to international and domestic buyers. Austrade is confident the show will boost food exports, having brought more than 250 food buyers from over 30 countries to attend. Last year, $32 million worth of export... ...Read more »

International food buyers from more than 30 countries are making their way to Sydney next week to savour and spend up on the best of Australia’s food offerings at Fine Food, according to Exhibition Organiser, Diversified Exhibitions Australia. “Fine Food, in conjunction with Austrade, has a successful track record of matching buyers with suppliers,” Exhibition Manager, Minnie Constan, suggested. “Austrade estimate export sales resulting from the 2007 show in Sydney were valued... ...Read more »

Federal Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, has joined Trade Ministers from the 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and New Zealand in signing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).This represents the largest FTA Australia has ever signed and will reduce or eliminate tariffs across a region that is home to 600 million people and has an annual GDP of A$3.2 trillion. Australia’s two-way trade with the ASEAN region is worth $80 billion a year... ...Read more »

Aussies are endeavouring to teach the Brits a thing or two about food with the launch of an Austrade food trends report in the UK this month. Austrade’s Senior Trade Commissioner for the UK, Kylie Hargreaves, said the Austrends 2009 Report was developed to create some buzz in the UK Market around the interesting and unique food trends coming out of Australia, during a difficult time for new product development and marketing. “Retailers here in the UK are a little bit behind some of the... ...Read more »

Tasmanian cherry grower Reid Fruits has overcome market access challenges to ship 17.5 tonnes of premium Japanese-variety (Satonishiki) cherries which retail at A$50 per kilo in Japan – the homeland of the unique cherry.The non-fumigated white-flesh cherries, initially developed by Japanese growers in the 1930s, have been an instant success with Japanese consumers, renowned for being some of the most discerning in the world. This is the first time Reid Fruits – the only large-scale southern... ...Read more »

While the nation stopped to celebrate Australia day, Australian exporters and Austrade were hoping to make the most of the heightened international awareness of Australia and help enhance international trade and investment opportunities. Austrade’s Chief Economist Tim Harcourt said that, in a globalised world, Australia day was increasingly becoming a global event, offering many opportunities for Australian business to leverage the Australian brand. “It is important in the current international... ...Read more »

Ballarat-based Hakubaku Australia has completed the largest ever export deal for Australian-made organic retail products into Korea with a $300,000 shipment of organic ‘Somen’ noodles to leading Korean food brand Sajo Haepyo, with the assistance of Austrade. Hakubaku’s products will be sold to approximately 420 stores across Korea the country, representing the second largest retail coverage for any Australian-made product behind Australian beef. Hakubaku’s organic varieties complement... ...Read more »

All the world wanted for Christmas this year was an enviromentally friendly feast and Aussie exporters were showing the way, according to Austrade Chief Economist Tim Harcourt. “Two of the staple Christmas feast items that (graced) the world’s tables this festive season (were) sustainable Aussie foods,” said Mr Harcourt. “Rainbow Valley Turkeys and Pudding Lane’s Macadamia and Brandy Pudding will be a big hit at Christmas feasts around the world. The great thing about... ...Read more »

‘G’Day USA’ Australia Week 2009 has commenced with gourmet Australian food and wine from more than 35 Australian food businesses enticing American palates during the annual month-long supermarket promotion being held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco (1-31 January). Entering its sixth year, G’Day USA is the largest foreign country promotion held annually in the US. This year’s supermarket promotion has been expanded to include San Francisco’s renowned... ...Read more »