Amid challenging times in the food industry, SMEs found success at this year’s Fine Food Australia expo. Last week, they were among the 870+ exhibitors who descended upon the B2B trade event to showcase their wares to the wider food industry. The event, which aims to connect chefs, producers, suppliers, and food professionals from around the world, celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.
Many small food businesses exhibited this year; from vegan butter-maker Bu Deli, to compostable pallet-wrap maker Great Wrap.
Gareth Whitton, owner of Melbourne’s two Tarts Anon bakeries, was one of the pack. Whitton, who did a cooking demonstration on Tuesday, said he found the experience “rewarding”.
“It’s a really great way to reach people, not only the general public, but also industry,” said Whitton. “A lot of people were receptive to the process we go through to make our pastries. We had a lot of people come forward with questions, and we sold 10 copies of the cookbook at the end.”
Laura Hindson, founder of the tiger nut milk brand Madame Tiger, was an exhibitor at the event.
“A huge room buzzing with excitement and passion for food and beverages was the perfect place for us to be showcasing our tiger nut milk,” she said. “It was amazing to connect with complimentary businesses exhibiting at the event, and of course the sales leads and opportunities we have gained from the last four days is epic for us.”
