A strong Scottish contingent is heading for the world''s largest seafood show, the European Seafood Exposition (ESE) in Brussels (April 27-29), where companies exhibiting on the Scottish Pavilion expect to generate sales leads in excess of £20 million.
A record year is forecast as demand for quality Scottish produce continues to outstrip supply. The value of business generated from the exhibition has increased year-on-year recently, rising from £16 million in 2007 to £20 million in 2009.
Sales resulting from last year's attendance were generated from around £400,000 of public-private investment in the Scottish Pavilion, providing a direct return to the Scottish Economy of £50 for every £1 spent.
Seventeen companies representing the pelagic, whitefish, shellfish and salmon sectors will be present on the Scottish Pavilion, including several with increased stand sizes compared with previous years.
Helping to attract international buyers to the Scottish Pavilion is a Seafood Bar, hosted by Seafood Scotland, where chefs from the Federation of Chefs Scotland expect to serve more than 15,000 samples of Scottish seafood.
Libby Woodhatch, chief executive of Seafood Scotland, said: "We are focusing on crab, langoustine and monkfish because they have been chosen for use by finalists in the internationally renowned Bocuse d'Or competition in Lyon in January 2011. At this competition, the world's top chefs will vie to be No 1.
"The Bocuse d'Or committee's choice of Scottish seafood for the first time in the competition's history is an honour and a mark of respect for its quality and reputation. We aim to reinforce this by showcasing these species to global seafood buyers at ESE."
