Buyers Missions - Case Studies

Asturex - November 2011

We have just completed a highly successful Buyers Mission for the gourmet food sector to the Asturias region of Northern Spain.

Seven buyers were flown to Asturias for the intensive programme of events over three days that showcased the outstanding gourmet food on offer in this renowned region of Spain. The buyers, who were contacted by Hispanic, represented UK importers and distributors along with wholesalers who specialise in gourmet food.

The Hispanic team was headed by Gerald Lawson-Tancred who has over 10 years of experience ensuring the buyers were given the opportunity to visit key producers and enjoy the produce from the region. Hispanic liaised with Asturex, the Spanish Government body promoting Asturias, to ensure the time on the ground was maximised and the buyers visited nine specialist producers during the Mission.

This buyers mission gave the buyers face –to-face time with the producers and first hand experience of the gourmet food on offer such as cheeses, cider, cured meats, fabada (Asturian Beans) and Asturian pudding in the region where it is produced. Following the successes of this latest trip, we are now putting together the next Buyers Mission to Spain.

Comments from Buyers who came to Asturias:

'Asturias was an amazing trip, it is always good to meet suppliers and see Spanish food in the making. It was also valuable to meet other UK suppliers/importers in terms of building local relationships and sharing our experiences.'

'The suppliers were very approachable and the quality of produce very good. We will definitely be putting in orders with two suppliers immediately and two more in the new year.'

'Very useful trip. We will be ordering from four companies in January 2012.'

Fenavin

The success rate for Fenavin just gets better and better! Hispanic’s extensive knowledge of the Spanish wine market has helped us organise the UK and Republic of Ireland Buyer’s Mission since 2005 for the Fair organisers. Our director, Gerald Lawson-Tancred escorted a group of 35 buyers and press around the Fair. We take all the hassle out of the visit, organising travel, accommodation and helping with meetings and translations, leaving buyers free to concentrate on what's important - the wine!

This is to thank you all at Hispanic for all the care and support you gave me before and during the recent Fenavin Fair. Everything went very smoothly and I enjoyed every minute of it. I also hope that some good business will derive from it.
C & D Wines Ltd

From the moment I left Liverpool to the moment I returned, everything was professionally organised and it really took the hard work out of attending the fair. Fenavin itself was excellent with plenty of choice of producer and the general quality level was well above my expectations. The only difficulty it now gives me is selecting what to order now and what to leave until later in the year

Five

FIVE (www.five-bio.com) aims to become the premier showcase for organic wines from South Western Europe. The Fair is exclusively for professionals and AEN (the Association representing the organic winegrowers of Navarra) created the Fair as a meeting point where organic viticulture can find the prominence it deserves. Hispanic Limited, as the official UK and Republic of Ireland trade promoter for the Chamber of Commerce of Navarra, recruited a small group of UK organic wine buyers to travel to the first FIVE Fair, taking place on May 11th and 12th 2010.

Alimenta

Alimenta is the most important international trade event in the Navarra food and wine industry calendar and for the 5th year running, Hispanic has been asked to recruit UK and Republic of Ireland buyers to attend an iconic regional food and drink workshop in Tudela. This year, Hispanic has organised for two wine companies and one food company to travel on this Chamber of Commerce of Navarra funded trip and sample the rich and varied food and drink from the Navarra region.