The Real Food Festival establishes itself as the hottest date in the food industry calendar

6th February 2009 "...this is simply the best festival in the calendar. Visually, last year looked great and there was a very informal, friendly and approachable attitude from all the producers. I was so impressed...looking forward to this year." David Anthony, Carluccio's For businesses founded on delivering great products it’s a certainty that customers will come back time and again, even in the toughest economic climate. The Real Food Festival is the event where buyers from all sectors of the food & drink industry, from food service to retail, public institution caterers to wine merchants, come to discover the best ingredients available in the UK and meet the people who produce them. Many of them have already recognised that buying direct from the producer means really competitive prices. Everyone from retail buyers to public service caterers will find plenty to inspire them on the exclusive Trade day at the Real Food Festival Friday 8th May 2009: 500 small producers that have been hand-picked by the Real Food selection committee and subsidised to take part. For many, this will be their first ever trade event so discovery will be the order of the day A chance to sample delicious food produced ethically, sustainably and fairly that customers will love Time to talk directly to the producers themselves, discovering the individual stories behind their produce An opportunity to join our expert panels as they debate the real food issues that will have a direct impact on the sustainability and profitability of many businesses Philip Lowery, Festival Director of the Real Food Festival comments: “We directly subsidise producers to be at the show because we believe that they should have an equal opportunity to find both individual customers and commercial buyers alike, regardless of the size of their business. It’s one of the reasons why we have to charge an entry fee for our trade buyers. But, by buying a ticket these buyers and their organisations are directly supporting the individual producers with the very special products that we know our trade visitors are looking for.” At last year's Real Food Festival, the trade day was packed with key buyers from every sector of the food industry: Restaurants, food service & catering; including Compass, Tate Catering, Four Seasons Hotel, Starbucks Coffee Co, The Fat Duck, British Airways, The River Café, Connaught Hotel, Fifteen London, The Dorchester, BB's Coffee & Muffins Public institutions: Brent Council, Thames Valley University Trade associations: Fairtrade Federation Retail: John Lewis, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer, Selfridges & Co, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, Mars, Waitrose Wine Merchants: Bibendum Wine Notes for editors