Nord-Pas-de-Calais goes to market at SIAL 2010

The Nord-Pas-de-Calais companies will be set up in various areas within the trade show, such as those devoted to meat products, fruit and vegetables, seafood, confectionery, biscuits and pastry, and grocery products. Some of the French companies will be on the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region’s stand (Aisle M, Booth 092), in the the Regions of France area (Hall 5A).

The Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional booth is the ideal meeting point for potential investors, buyers and visitors, and it will also give pride of place to the finalist and the winning products of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Food Innovation Competition. On Tuesday 19 October, the Consumer Prize will be awarded on the Nord-Pas-de-Calais stand.

For the first time at SIAL, there will be an entire area devoted to beer, which is one of Nord-Pas-de-Calais’ major food-and-drink products. Four of the region’s breweries will present their speciality beers, which have been brewed according to traditional techniques passed down the generations.

The region’s breweries that will showcase their speciality beers at the French Brewers Booth (Hall 4, Booth S034) are the Castelain brewery, the Duyck brewery, the Saint-Germain brewery, and the Saint-Sylvestre brewery.

Castelain has three beer varieties. The Ch’ti’s (blonde, amber or white beer) subtle aroma is achieved through slow brewing. Castelain’s Maltesse variety is a strong, yet subtle luxury beer, and the Jade Organic beer has a pleasant grainy taste.

For more information, please go to: www.chti.com

Duyck has been producing Jenlain beers for four generations. Jenlain’s unique taste results from the subtle blend of three malts and hops brewed in water pumped from an artesian well located right beneath the brewery.

For more information, please go to: www.jenlain.fr

Saint-Germain produces the Page 24 – an unpasteurised, unfiltered Bière de Garde, or ‘keeping beer’, which is traditionally brewed in the region. The beer comes in nine different varieties, and is a regular winner at the Concours Général de Paris.

For more information, please go to: www.page24.fr

Saint-Sylvestre produces the golden 3 Monts, with the taste of traditional ale that has been poured from a wooden keg. The company also produces the Gavroche, which is a red beer with a hearty, balanced flavour.

For more information, please go to: www.brasserie-st-sylvestre.com

The Nord-Pas de Calais regional booth is supported by various regional institutional partners, who are keen to promote the region’s diversified food sector. These include the Regional Council; the Regional Food, Farming and Forests Authority; the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Chamber of Agriculture and its Promotional Committee; the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the Certia Interface centre; Aquimer and Nutrition Santé Longévité, the two clusters of competitiveness (with the latter focusing on nutrition and health); and, finally, the Food Industry Cluster of Excellence.

A comprehensive, English-language catalogue listing all the French exhibitors will be available at the Nord-Pas-de-Calais booth. The catalogue will also give an introduction to the region’s companies and their new products.

About Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Nord-Pas-de-Calais is a national leader in terms of food and farming exports. Vegetable production reached €262m in turnover in 2008, over a surface area of 27,000 hectares. The region ranks first in France in the potato sector, producing 1.8 million tonnes. It is also a world leader in chicory production, with an output of 140,000 tonnes in 2008.

Located between London, Brussels and Paris, the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region benefits from a prime geographical location and an effective logistics network. This is demonstrated by its three major international harbours: Boulogne, a leading fishing port, as well as Dunkirk and Calais, which are among the top ports for freight transport in the country. The region’s rail network boasts 145 freight terminals, and its river network is the largest in France. Nord-Pas-de-Calais is also home to a number of successful SMEs and major companies, as well as a significant consumer base.

For more information on SIAL 2010, please go to: www.sial.fr

For more information on the region, please go to: www.agroalimentaire-npdc.com/uk