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North East food goes to big apple

The North East of England Regional Food & Drink Group has gone to New York as part of a UK Trade & Investment visit to a top US food show. Northumbria Larder is the recognised Regional Food Group for the North East of England and the prime source of regional quality food and drink. It consists of independent food and drink producers from County Durham, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and Tees Valley. Jeff Bean, UK Trade & Investment’s Regional Specialist International Trade Adviser for the Food and Drink Sector, said: “The North East has a growing food and drink industry, with many speciality products already being exported to markets around the world. In 2004, 28% of food export sales to the USA were from the North East. This visit offers an opportunity to build on that success and give businesses the chance to make new contacts which could help open the doors to new overseas markets.“A Stockton drinks company Thorncroft Drinks are one of the companies to go to New York. The firm specialises in the healthy soft drinks sector with a range called Healthy Thirst, which includes unusual flavours such as Cranberry and Hibiscus, Elderflower, Pink Ginger and Kombucha. Now exporting to around 20 countries, the cordials have proved very popular in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, and the company’s success was recognised nationally when it became health food chain Holland and Barrett’s Product of the Year 2005.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .