- Cook Government connecting WA food and beverage businesses with prospective buyers
- Fourth annual Buy West Eat Best Meet the Buyer trade event on today
The Cook Government is backing Western Australia's biggest food industry trade show, which connects local food and beverage producers with buyers from across Australia and around the world.
The annual Meet the Buyer trade event kicks off at Crown Perth today, with 80 exhibitors showcasing more than 550 products to chefs, distributors, national and independent retailers, and hospitality businesses.
The initiative is part of the Buy West Eat Best program, assisting local food and drink producers to promote their products to Western Australian consumers, business and industry.
The Cook Government contributes $1.1 million annually, through Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, to deliver the Buy West Eat Best program.
Bibra Lake-based family business Smokey Q is one of the Meet the Buyer success stories, with its range of premium barbeque rubs now stocked by major retailers in more than 1200 stores across Australia after attending the event in 2021 and 2022.
New-to-market products include Good Earth Dairy camel milk ice cream, Omega walnut oil and Kepa Kwab non-alcoholic soda, along with freeze-dried banana slice snacks and frozen bananas from Carnarvon-based Sweeter Banana Co-Operative.
Perth Brittle Company returns as an exhibitor, after last year successfully showcasing its unique nut brittle, with the product picked up by an independent retailer.
The Margaret River region's Amelia Park Restaurant is also back after last year securing two new suppliers at the event.
Western Australia's food and beverage manufacturing and food service sector employs more than 100,000 people with a combined annual turnover of around $17billion.
For more information visit https://meetthebuyer.com.au/ .
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis:
"Meet the Buyer is a premier event on the WA food industry calendar, helping our local food and beverage suppliers get their products in front of domestic and international buyers.
"Today's event is expected to attract and connect 600 buyers and importers with producers and manufacturers eager to forge new business relationships that promote products grown, farmed, fished, processed, prepared and served in WA.
"This important initiative will help boost the State's food and beverage manufacturing and food service sector, which is a vital contributor to our economy, regional communities and critical to our Diversify WA strategy."
As stated by Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
"Meet the Buyer offers an unparalleled platform for building business relationships and networking, whether it be a well-known brand or a new player innovating and capturing emerging trends.
"It is pleasing to see a strong representation from regional producers at today's event, including the Wheatbelt, Gascoyne, Mid West, Great Southern, South West, Southern Forests, Swan Valley and Perth Hills."
