SINGAPORE, Aug. 14 IE-Singapore-foods
SINGAPORE, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Top US retailers, suppliers and
distributors, food services companies and food media were in Singapore
recently as part of the annual business programme "Tasty Singapore Culinary
Mission" (16-20 June 2008). They include Safeway, HEB, Westpoint, Food
Services of America and Compass Group as well as Sigma Alimentos from Mexico
and Sodexo Canada.
Organised by International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, the government
agency promoting overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises and
international trade, this unique programme provides a platform for leading
food & beverage (F&B) players from Americas to get an in-depth understanding
of the diversity of Singapore's culinary landscape, the capability of its F&B
industry and to provide a platform to build a strong business network and
alliance between both countries.
With this year's theme of 'Asian Flavours, International Quality',
participants visited various restaurants and food centers (hawkers) sampling a
wide variety of Singapore cuisine and tried out Singapore-manufactured F&B
products through cooking demonstrations, hands-on sessions and even through a
cooking competition!
Said Robin Rhee from Korean Farm, "It has been an amazing experience. You
really don't understand what Asian fusion is until you come to Singapore, see
the people, see the culture, see how it all intertwines together, especially
at the hawker centers. I think IE and the people here did an exceptional job
and I'll definitely recommend the programme to anybody in the United States,
especially those people who really have a lot of experience in the food
industry."
Agreed Jean Lee, Windsor Foods, "I've never been to a hawker center before
and the fact that you have such a big variety and people were just sitting
around and enjoying the food. And you have all these people cooking around us
and the food just kept coming and we were trying all these different foods."
The five-day programme included a conference and business meetings with
Singapore food manufacturers, which are already retailing in or who have plans
to expand into the U.S. Some of the products that got participants excited
include Singapore's famous chili crabs, Indian prata (a local version of the
tortilla) and the piquant laksa sauce (a rich coconut-based gravy with herbs
and spices).
Said Jeff Anderson, Safeway, "The thing that seems so unique to me was the
versatility of the ingredients, the amazing depth of flavor, the balance of
sweet, salty, sour and spiciness, the freshness and the vibrancy of the
cuisine."
Said James Ching, Center Director of IE Singapore's New York office,
"Situated at the cross-roads of Asia, Singapore cuisine is best described as
the best of the Chinese, Malay and Indian food culture. Found in the
cosmopolitan city-state, Singapore food is characterized by a diverse mix of
cultural traditions, innovativeness in product development and dynamism of
food influences and tastes. Consumer confidence is high as many of our
manufacturers have attained the HACCP standards for their quality and safety
in food processing or preparation."
Last year, the US imported US$177.8 million worth of food from Singapore,
an increase of 8% from 2006. Some examples of products available in the US
include Chye Choon's Peacock brand of rice vermicelli, Yeo's Asian beverages,
Tiger Beer and Asian Home Gourmet's pre-mixes and sauces.
IE Singapore hopes that through such programmes which familiarize US food
retailers and chefs with what Singapore has on the culinary front, more of
Singapore's food offerings and products will be available to American
consumers.
Jeff Anderson, Safeway, continued, "I think Singapore has a very unique
story. I would promote the culture, the blend in the culture, the seafood, the
freshness and vibrant presentation of the food, the texture and the taste. I
would like to introduce to other chefs the ingredients of Singapore to other
chefs and let them incorporate the flavors of Singapore into their cuisines."
Certainly there does appear to be a growing American appetite for
Singapore food. In a poll of 1,000 American consumers in February 2008, more
than half the respondents said they were willing to prepare a Singaporean meal
at home with pre-packed ingredients. In addition, over 60% of respondents
stated they were willing to pay an average of US$5.99 for a pre-packaged
Singaporean meal.
Chris Ivens-Brown, Compass Group summed up his experience, "It's been a
fantastic experience! It has been a roller coaster experience the flavors, the
people, the portion of food and the culture here is just mind blowing. The
chefs were so innovative with Singapore dishes such as the chili crab and the
black pepper crab."
And in independent food and wine writer Deborah Grossman's words, "I don't
want to leave the island because I haven't eaten enough although I had about
six meals a day and each meal got better and better and better! It all started
out with Ya Kun when we had the toast with coconut jam and the cold butter.
And the hawker market, I could just stay here all night and just go from stand
to stand and eat and eat and eat. I love the John Bread (Roti John) which is
like French toast but only better. The best part was when Jeff (Anderson)
bought the bee hoon satay noodle which was a little spicy and very good."
About the Singapore food manufacturing industry
Some 700 food manufacturing establishments in Singapore are engaged in
various aspects of food production. More than half cater mainly to overseas
markets. In 2007, total trade generated by the industry was US$11.6 billion,
up from US$10 billion in the previous year. Of this, 40% was made up of
exports to key markets like Japan, Malaysia, China, and Indonesia.
Annex 1: List of delegates
Delegate Organisation About the organisation
1 Jon Shockey, Product ConAgra FoodsOne of the three largest food
Development Chefcompanies in the US, the
12-billion dollar business is
behind many of the most
recognized packaged food brands
in the industry.
2 Jeff McClure, Director Sodexo USA Applies restaurant-style that
of Culinary Services/ focus on nutritious fresh food
Exec Chef (Campus in markets like corporations,
Division) health care, senior living and
the education sectors.
3 Suman Roy, Executive Sodexo CanadaManages 760 units of F&B
Chefservices and facilities across
Canada, offers fresh,
nutritious meals catered to the
ethnic, cultural and
nutritional needs of their
clients.
4 Richard Vernon, CEOWest Point A signature grocery store with
Market specialized departments and
outstanding customer service,
it offers gourmet selection of
fresh foods and restaurant-
quality prepared foods.
5 Jeff Anderson, VP Safeway Inc. A leading food and drug
Culinary Exploration/ retailer in the US grocery
Director Conceptindustry with an annual
Development turnover of S$60.5 billion.
6 Greg Hoffman, Compass GroupMarket leader in providing food
Corporate Chef of and a range of selected support
R&D Trainingservices. Operates in around 64
7 Chris Ivens-Brown, VP countries to corporate clients
of Culinary including Sony, Boeing, IBM and
Development Bank of America.
8 Lawrence Oates, Owner Kitchen Art -Offers a 4,000 square ft retail
The Store fordestination for gourmet
Cookskitchenware and specialty foods
in Indiana state. Also offers
wildly popular recreational
cooking classes at its in-house
culinary facility.
9 Chandra Ram, Culinary Plate Magazine A definitive source of creative
Editor recipe and menu ideas for
culinary professionals, the
award-winning magazine goes out
to 27,000 readers monthly.
10 Michelle Moran,Gourmet Retailer A leading trade publication for
Executive Editor Magazine gourmet kitchenware product
buyers and specialty grocers.
Circulation reaches 25,000,
with 37,000 unique visitors to
its website per month.
11 Mike Callaghan,Food Services of One of US's largest full-line
Director of Marketing America suppliers to the foodservice
and Businessindustry, they deliver to
Development clients ranging from fine
dining restaurants to schools
and military institutions.
12 Lisa Smith, ManagerHEB Central A chain of European-inspired
Business Development/ Market destination fresh markets, it
Culinaryalso manages in-store 'Cafe on
the Run' locations providing
quality home cooking with the
freshest ingredients.
13 Ken Jenner, Director Noodles &World's first quick-casual,
of Culinary R&DCompany globally inspired noodle
restaurant, known for its fresh
ingredients and nutritious menu
inspired by a wide range of
cuisines.
14 Jesus Lobo, Marketing Sigma (Mexico) Mexico's top producer of
Manager for Foodrefrigerated and frozen foods,
Preparationsit also distributes leading
15 Jose Francisco Sainz, foreign F&B brands within the
Key Account Manager country while exporting to the
US and Latin America.
16 Deborah Grossman, Grossman Writing An independent food and wine
Writer Services writer whose articles have been
published in many food
magazines, she also edits
cookbooks.
17 Jason Henderson, Exec Applebee's Develops, franchises and
Chef/Menu Development International, operates the Applebee's
& Innovation Inc Neighborhood Grill and Bar (R)
brand. With over 1,900
restaurants, it is the largest
casual dining restaurant
concept in the world.
18 Robin Rhee, Owner Korean Farm The west coast distribution
center for Rhee Bros, Inc, one
of the largest Asian food
companies in the US. Supplies
several large food
manufacturers and restaurant
chains like Heinz and
Masterfoods.
19 Jean T. Lee, Director Windsor FoodsManufactures a full offering
of R&D Company/Golden of Italian, Pan-Asian,
TigerSouthern and Mexican food
products. Its subsidiary Golden
Tiger, is one of the largest
suppliers of dim sum in the
industry.
20 Paul Carr, Director of Aramark Offers fresh and creative
Culinary Development Innovation culinary solutions and menu
Center programs to a wide range of
institutions and facilities.
About International Enterprise Singapore
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.
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.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Singapore
Ms Celine Sim
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications Group
International Enterprise Singapore
Tel: + 65 6433 4815
Mobile : + 65 9760 9288
Fax : + 65 6337 8136
Email:celine_sim@iesingapore.gov.sg
United States
Mr James Ching
Center Director, New York Office
International Enterprise Singapore
Email james_ching@iesingaapore.gov.sg
Mr Sunil Sabnani
Center Director, Los Angeles Office
International Enterprise Singapore
Email sunil_sabnani@iesingapore.gov.sg
SOURCE IE Singapore
