MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

IE Paves Inroads for Singapore food Companies to and North America

Efforts include hosting a 22-participant strong European culinary delegation to Singapore and cooking outreach programmes hosted by K F Seetoh in Canada and America.

MR No.: 017/09 Singapore, Monday, 30 March 2009

1. In a concerted effort to market Singapore’s multi-cultural smogasboard of food offerings and services to key markets like Europe, Canada and the United States, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore has organised two business missions concurrently to carve more inroads for Singapore food manufacturing and services companies on the global food map under the Tasty Singapore branding initiative.

2. Launched in April 2004 by IE Singapore in collaboration with the industry associations, Tasty Singapore aims to unify the diversity of Singapore’s food offerings under a common branding platform. Culinary missions are just one amongst the many efforts initiated by IE Singapore to generate more interest and awareness in Singapore food businesses and services in the international arena.

Tasty Singapore Culinary Mission Europe

3. Key F&B industry players from Europe including Selfridges & Co. from the UK, Ginza Project and Vesta-centre International from Russia, as well as a Michelin star chef Mario Lohninger have been in Singapore since yesterday under the invitation of IE Singapore. The 22-strong delegation, comprising big names from the United Kingdom, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands are participating in a week-long interactive programme packed with food tours, hands-

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Media Release 30 Mar 09

on cooking demonstrations and meetings with some of Singapore’s key food manufacturers, food service operators and restaurateurs.

4. This is the first time that IE Singapore is hosting such an extensive and targeted group of European F&B connoisseurs (chefs, restaurateurs, buyers). Delegates will embark on a culinary adventure that includes visits to popular local food haunts such as Lau Pa Sat, Katong, as well as cooking classes at At Sunrice Culinary Academy. They will learn how to cook local favourites such as Laksa, Rojak, Chilli crab, Char kuay teow and Chicken rice. Delegates will also get to experience the food in rich cultural settings, such as attending a rice dumpling demonstration held in a Peranakan restaurant housed in a pre-war townhouse. Scheduled in the agenda also are meetings with Singapore food companies such as Chye Choon, Prima, Eu Yan Sang, Chinatown Foods and Sin Hwa Dee, which are household names associated with popular food products and ingredients here. This multi-faceted programme aims to help the delegates appreciate the distinctive characteristics of Singapore cuisine, the companies’ export capabilities and strengths, which may open up more future business opportunities in Europe and beyond. (Please refer to Annex 1 for the delegate list).

5. Apart from sampling local delights, the delegates will also have a taste of interesting food concepts from the republic’s repertoire of famous restaurant groups and food services such as a tour at Food Republic’s niche and boutique food court concept at Vivocity. Business meetings with big industry names like Tung Lok, Jumbo Group, Breadtalk Group, Super Bean, Bengawan Solo, Paradise Group and Prima Group have also been arranged to explore the feasibility of exporting their food concepts over to Europe. Some of these concepts have taken off overseas, such as Food Republic in Hong Kong, Tung Lok in , Seafood Republic in and Prima Group in Sri Lanka, USA and Europe.

6. Said Mr Tan Soon Kim, IE Singapore’s Deputy Director, Lifestyle Services, “Singapore cuisine is an infusion of cultures and flavours that are representative of our melting pot culture. This Europe mission is aimed at generating business opportunities for our food industry by placing Singapore favourites on the European food map, and encouraging demand for Singapore cuisine and corresponding Singapore-made F&B products. We hope that these key decision makers will bring back with them a piece of Singapore cuisine to Europe and in turn explore possibilities of featuring Singapore cuisine on their menus, hence using our Singapore food products and services. ” Media Release 30 Mar 09

7. “Countries like the UK and Sweden are looking for the next big thing, and it is timely for Singapore companies to explore these markets. The recent fall in property and rental prices in prime locations and less selective landlords provide an even more conducive environment for market penetration, yielding opportunities for first-timers looking to enter the European market, Food remains a necessity despite the crisis. Singapore’s multi-cultural smorgasbord positions us in a unique advantage in the global food arena.” said Ms Gina Lim, IE Singapore’s Regional Director overseeing Europe. Following suit from this reverse mission, IE Singapore is planning for a targeted Singapore food promotion event in the food halls of Selfridges & Co,’s, an internationally renowned luxury UK retailer this coming October . Added Ms Lim, “We’re excited about the Selfridges project, which will provide the right platform to generate awareness about our Singapore brands in the most cosmopolitan food city in Europe.”

US Culinary Mission to Sodexo, Aramark and Compass Group

8. Concurrently taking place in Canada and America is another culinary mission comprising 6 Singapore companies who are showcasing their products to Sodexo, Compass Group and Aramark, global market leaders in food and facilities management services, via a cooking demonstration road show. Singapore’s most famous food guru, K.F Seetoh, was appointed on behalf of IE Singapore to promote Singapore foods by conducting a series of food workshops and cooking demonstrations in Canada and America.

9. This mission is a follow-up from last year’s reverse mission for the North America market. The food demonstrations would be made to the end consumers of Sodexo and Aramark and also to the Buying Team of Compass Group. Chefs and buyers from the three companies – suppliers to numerous institutions in Canada and the US were introduced to Singapore food products last year in Singapore in a Tasty Singapore Culinary mission organised by IE Singapore. This series of roadshows will travel to Canada, and the US. Held from 22 March to 17 April, the mission will help bring brands: Yeo’s, Chye Choon, Asian Home Gourmet, Prima, Tai Hua and Chinatown Foods a step closer to being featured on the menus of Sodexo, Compass Group and Aramark.

10. IE Singapore hopes that this outreach effort will translate into real numbers for the companies involved. “IE Singapore has identified the growth potential available in Media Release 30 Mar 09

these markets, especially so in the area of listing Singapore food products in mainstream food service operator networks.It takes time and effort to cultivate business, from business matching, to identifying growth opportunities, to follow-up. We took the first step last year to fly in the key decision makers for Sodexo, Compass Group and Aramark, and this year we are intensifying our efforts on the leads generated from last year’s mission. Presenting directly to the customers and buying teams of these American Food Service Operators in their operating countries through this mission enables us to influence the purchasing decision in a significant way,” added Mr Tan.

Singapore’s food trade with Europe and America

11. Some 700 food manufacturing establishments in Singapore are engaged in various aspects of food production. More than half cater mainly to overseas markets. Singapore companies which have established distribution networks in Europe so far include Food Empire in Russia, and Prima which exports to ethnic supermarkets in London. Chye Choon is also enjoying success retailing in supermarket chains like Whole Foods, Roundy’s and CUB Foods in the US.

Annex 1: List of Delegates

---End--- Note to Editor Please use ‘IE Singapore’ or ‘IE’ if an acronym for ‘International Enterprise Singapore’ is required. In addition, unless otherwise stated, the use of statistics cited in our media releases, website or Statlink, should be attributed to IE Singapore.

Issued by IE Singapore. For media enquiries, please contact:

Ms TAN Mei Yin, Jennifer Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications Group International Enterprise Singapore DID : + 65 6433 4738 Fax : + 65 6337 6898 Mobile : + 65 9489 0715 Email : [email protected] ______About International Enterprise Singapore Media Release 30 Mar 09

International Enterprise (IE) Singapore is an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry spearheading the development of Singapore’s external economic wing.

Our mission is to promote the overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and international trade. With a global network in over 30 locations and our 3C framework of assistance – Connections, Competency, Capital, we offer services to help enterprises export, develop business capabilities, find overseas partners and enter new markets. At the same time, we work to position Singapore as a base for foreign businesses to expand into the region in partnership with Singapore-based companies. Please visit www.iesingapore.com for more information.

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Media Release 30 Mar 09

Annex 1

List of Delegates

GERMANY

Dr Hans Koch, Vice-Director, Asia Gourmet – Administration and Holding Mario Lohninger, Chef de Cuisine/Partner, Hören-Sehen-Schmecken GmbH & Co. KG

RUSSIA

Vadim Fadeev , Brand Chef of Japanese Concepts, Rosinter Restaurants Holding Roman Groysberg, General Manager, Yaposhka-City/Ginza Project Alexandra Kolesnikova, Marketing Director, Planet Sushi/ Rosinter Restaurants Holding Andrey Kuznetson, Commercial Partner/ Commercial Director, LLC ST Group/ Smart Catering Vitaly Mun, Head Chef, Yaposhka-City/ Ginza Project Alexei Romanov, Yaposhka-City/ Ginza Project Mishankov Stanislav, Head Chef, Vesta-centre International Sladvok Vladislay, President, LLC Terra-Lex

SPAIN Alberto Gomez, Head Chef, Comess Group

SWEDEN

Lennart Karlsson, Director, Stureplan Group and Baldakinen Group Johan Lindqvist, Executive Chef/ Restaurant Owner, Berns Salonger/ Restaurant Spring/ Restaurant Stureof Robert, Anders Stierngranat, Manager Private label & tenders, Menigo

UNITED KINGDOM

James Richard Newton Brown, Group Executive Chef, Selfridges & Co. Rohit Khattar, Managing Director, Old World Hospitality Group Franck Jean-Pierre Pontais, Managing Director, Food Creation