Local Wine Events

2009 marks the launch of a dedicated French food and wine area at the Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2009 taking place at Olympia, central London (6-8 September). The new French Zone will be by far the largest national pavilion with a dedicated 200 m2 space, giving visitors a chance to source their Gallic delicacies in one easy-to-negotiate area.

The 35-strong French presence reflects the interest and commitment of French companies to the UK market. The French Zone will demonstrate the rich diversity and quality of France’s food and drink offer; from charcuterie to snails, sweets to biscuits, cheese to jams, wine to truffles and much more. France will also have a foothold in the Speciality Chocolate Fair with a fine chocolatier winner of “Best Craftsman in France” awards.

France market leader

France is the market leader in the fine food sector with a long history and expertise. However, French producers also consistently build on their existing know-how and gourmet traditions in order to create modern, innovative and accessible foods fitting today’s lifestyle and the increasing consumer demand for high quality and original products.

France is also at the forefront of current food trends and the French Zone will feature a number of ranges that are at the top of the UK consumers’ want list, including: ethically produced and environmentally friendly food and drinks; speciality foods with balanced nutritional content and of course authentic products with clear provenance.

Regional specialities

All corners of France will be on show but four regions will come out in force with trade associations displaying a large range of products from the regions of Burgundy, Corsica, Nord-Pas de Calais and Provence.

French food has strong regional identity, reflecting the diversity of the range on offer. Each region boasts its own food heritage which will be showcased at the Fair: Provence for instance is renowned, among other specialities, for its sweets and preserves, while Corsica is famed for its charcuterie and confectionery, and Burgundy for its legendary snails and unique cheeses.

Quality guarantee

For many years France has relied on a quality system for foods based on provenance for AOP or strict production process for quality labels (label de qualité). Visitors to the French Zone will be able to taste an array of distinctive AOP cheeses, along with various AOP products such as Puy lentils, Agen prunes and Label Rouge chicken.

The French Zone will be hosted by Sopexa and a quick-reference guide will be available to help visitors easily locate the different types of companies in which they are interested.