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U.S. Pulled Pork, Pre-Cooked Bacon a Hit at Foodservice Australia

Published: Jun 29, 2018

Creating greater awareness of U.S. pork in Oceania and reaching out to foodservice operators to develop a larger market for U.S. pork products, USMEF participated in the 2018 Foodservice Australia, a food and hospitality event that alternates between Sydney and Melbourne. Funding for this year’s show at Darling Harbor in Sydney came from the National Pork Board.

Samples of U.S. pulled pork and pre-cooked bacon were displayed and sampled at Foodservice Australia, which attracted more than 300 exhibitors and 9,000 visitors

More than 300 businesses and organizations exhibited this year – a 30 percent increase compared to the 2016 show in Sydney – and more than 9,000 visitors from the foodservice and hospitality industries attended, a dramatic 80 percent increase over 2016.

U.S. pulled pork and pre-cooked bacon stole the show, according to Sabrina Yin, who oversees USMEF activities in Oceania.

“Many competitors of U.S. pork were also offering samples of pulled pork at their booths, but visitors who tried U.S. pulled pork overwhelmingly preferred it,” said Yin. “They told us that U.S. pre-cooked bacon tastes much better than similar bacon products sold in Australia. We heard many favorable comments throughout our samplings.”

USMEF’s display booth was decorated with U.S. pork posters and impactful messages. USMEF representatives gave away promotional materials, including U.S. pork charts, pre-cooked bacon brochures and U.S. pork foodservice factsheets.

With samplings and educational information at the USMEF booth, Foodservice Australia participants learned about U.S. pork and compared it to competitors’ products

A chiller at the booth displayed U.S. pre-cooked bacon and pulled pork, courtesy of Colby International, a distributor of U.S. pork in the region.

“This was an excellent platform for targeting foodservice operators from cafés, quick-serve restaurants and the region’s catering sector,” said Yin.

Nicole Dehnert, a representative of Colby International who greeted visitors at the USMEF booth and answered questions, commented that the show was an ideal opportunity to showcase U.S. pork’s capabilities in the Australian market. She added that the larger attendance meant connecting with more buyers, foodservice operators and chefs.

The next Foodservice Australia is June 23-25, 2019, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center.