The Italian Trade Agency is calling all trade operators, distributors, retailers, foodservice companies!

The Italian Trade Agency’s (ITA) recurring participation at the International Food & Drink Event is fast approaching at the ExCel centre in London, this year with an impressive line-up of 36 fantastic companies ready to shed light once again on the variety, heritage, quality and value of Italian agrifood products across all sub-sectors.

ITA is the Governmental agency that supports the business development of our companies abroad and promotes the attraction of foreign investment in Italy. Using the most modern multi-channel promotion and communication tools, it acts to assert the excellence of Made in Italy in the world.

The London Office oversees operations across the UK and Republic of Ireland, organising or participating in numerous promotional initiatives for Italian SMEs such as The Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, “Real Italian Food and Wine” exhibition, Plant-Based World Expo Europe, Imbibe, Borsa Vini Londra, Borsa Vini Dublino, and of course IFE.

Our office is particularly committed to helping Italian companies following the creation of a new EU border regime, by providing specific assistance via its Brexit Helpdesk, fully cooperating with British institutions on Brexit-related issues.

ITA’s pavilion at this year’s IFE will take you all across the whole country showcasing specialities from Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Toscana, Umbria, Lazio and coming along down to Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Apulia, Basilicata and Sicily.

The products on display range from the following: classic Italian charcuterie, hard and soft cheeses, coffee beans, pods and capsules, pasta, rice, baked products and patisserie, gluten free dry products, sweet and savoury sauces, spreads and jams, olive oils, vinegars, condiments, preserves, canned products, ready made and frozen meals, fresh produce, truffles and olives.

The appeal and ardour towards Made in Italy products is ever so present and alive in UK consumers and it’s an interest that goes beyond just London and Greater London which are renowned for their familiarity and appreciation for Italian products, dishes and beverages. The curiosity that they evoke is also perceived in other neighbouring cities as well as other regions in the country where the desire to savour and gain a deeper understanding about the culture and heritage of Italian products is clearly tangible.

The export data that’s recently been published for the full year 2023 shows a 6.75% increase YOY in the value of Italy’s exports of agrifood products and beverages towards the UK, reaching £3,822,412,250.

In terms of value, in 2023 Italy remained the main supplier of fresh tomatoes, tomato based products and pasta (raw, cooked, prepared dishes), the second largest supplier of wine from fresh grapes and olive oil, and the third largest for cheese and curd to the UK. On the other hand, in terms of volume Italy is the UK’s main supplier of wine of fresh grapes, fresh tomatoes and tomato based products, pasta (raw, cooked, prepared), and the second largest supplier of olive oil.

ITA has a packed event-line up for the rest of 2024 in the agrifood and beverage sectors. On the 30th April we’ll be taking part in the B2B event ‘Real Italian Wine and Food’ with a cohort of companies from Confartigianato, the most representative organisation of Made in Italy craftsmanship and micro and small businesses. On the 4th June we’re hosting the Borsa Vini Italiani in London as our largest annual event centred predominantly around wine. The following month on the 1st and 2nd of July we’re organising “Bar all’Italiana” at the Imbibe exhibition which is one of the key events in the UK catered to the spirits and mixology sub-sectors. One of our year long projects and marketing campaigns will be in collaboration with the Italian sector association ‘Assica’ that is the representative body of the Italian companies producing cured meats and products derived from other meat preparations, with the aim to develop the understanding, curiosity and taste of the UK market towards the highest quality Italian meat derived products. We’ll be hosting promotional activities in Cardiff and Manchester.

While the countdown for the long awaited International Food & Drink Event has well and truly begun, we suggest familiarising yourself with the 36 exhibitors in ITA’s pavilion by clicking HERE:

https://www.ice.it/it/sites/default/files/inline-files/IFE%202024%20-%20MEET%20THE%20EXHIBITORS.pdf