A cidermaker is looking to sell its Shepton Mallet-made drink in Argentina after taking part in an export advice event.
Worley’s Cider, which already sells in the US, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands, was one of more than 80 West of England food and drink producers to meet prospective buyers from all over the world at the two-day event in Bristol.
Some 15 buyers from nine markets – Argentina, Canada, India, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Spain, Sweden and Thailand – were on hand to discuss potential collaborations.
Worley’s Cider director Helen Burge said: “The meet-the-buyer events are a great, easy and cost-effective way to meet the people you need to get your products in front of.
“It would cost a lot for me to go to Argentina, so it’s great that Argentina have come to me. I would thoroughly recommend coming to these sessions. If a company like ours can find exporting success, many others can too.”
More than 200 one-to-one meetings were arranged during the event alongside 20 workshops, which were hosted to teach local businesses how to approach specific overseas markets and the legislation around packaging and labelling for each.
Run by the Great British Food Programme, it was part of the Food is GREAT campaign, a cross-departmental initiative by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for International Trade (DIT) to showcase UK food and drink overseas and help firms to export.
The potential buyers enjoyed a three-course dinner at Bristol’s Mansion House where South West produce was served, giving them a taste of the diverse range of food and drink the region has to offer.
Worley’s started when cidermaker Neil Worley began experimenting with apple varieties and blends, fermenting them to dry using natural yeasts. After initially buying fresh juice, the business began to find its own fruit in various small Somerset orchards.
Today its range of ciders are made without added flavourings, giving each one distinct characteristics, determined by the apple blends used.
