‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign will be located at Stand 2732, International Pavilion 2, Excel London
The European Union’s ‘More than Only Food & Drink’ campaign will showcase more than 50 speciality food and drink products at this year’s International Food Exhibition (IFE) at Excel London from March 17-19, with ingredients from all 27 Member States available for sampling.
The ‘More than Only Food & Drink’ campaign, which launched in 2024, has been created to promote EU food and beverage products to industry professionals in the UK, highlighting the key characteristics of the ingredients (safety, quality, authenticity, and sustainability). It also shines a light on products recognised by EU quality schemes – Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) – as well as the EU organic label.
Located at Stand 2732 in the International Pavilion, it is the first time that products from all six categories from the campaign (dairy, confectionery and bakery, fresh produce, meat, wine and beers and spirits) will be represented at the same time, at an international event. Produce from all EU Member States will be showcased, including a number of PDO, PGI and organic ingredients.
Further enhancing the quality of the ingredients will be chef and cookbook author Danilo Cortellini who will host live cookery demonstrations on the stand every day. There will also be an opportunity to meet a trio of More Than Only Food & Drink advisors – Patrick McGuigan, Veryan Bliss, and Katherine Shipley – specialists on the sectors of dairy, fresh produce and confectionery, respectively. On 18th March, Patrick will host an engaging speaker session in the New Product Tasting Theatre to champion undiscovered cheeses from across the European Union.
The show will provide an opportunity for buyers and retailers to learn more about the key characteristics, heritage and unrivalled taste of the EU’s robust selection of food and drink products, many of which are yet to hit UK shelves.
Over 50 delicacies can be discovered at the More Than Only Food & Drink stand (2732), including:
- Sustainably produced fresh and processed meats such as Gornooryahovski sudzhuk PGI from Bulgaria (Stefanov Dried veal flat sausage), Hungary’s smoked goose breast fillet, Salam de Sibiu PGI from Romania (premium quality salami) and Alheira de Mirandela PGI from Portugal (sausage).
- The EU’s diversity of cheeses will be highlighted with geographically protected gems such as Tiroler Bergkäse PDO a cheese made with cow’s milk from the Alpine pastures of northern and eastern Tyrol (Austria) or from farms in the valley where the livestock is fed with fresh grass; and Noord-Hollandse Gouda PDO a cheese exclusively produced with pasteurised cow’s milk from the Noord-Holland province of The Netherlands, as well as lesser known cheeses such as Slovenia’s Jošt.
- Those seeking to fulfil consumer demand for organic fruit and vegetable products can sample organic wild blueberry powder from Estonia, organic blackcurrant juice from Finland and organic Throuba Olives from Greece.
- Sweet teeth will also be satisfied with confectionery and bakery products ranging from Loukoumi, a traditional sweet from Cyprus, Tiramisu Flavoured Milk Chocolate with Biscuit Pieces from Estonia, Cioccolato di Modica PGI from Italy and Latvia’s Black Balsam Currant Marshmallow.
- The stand will also play host a wide range of wine, spirits and beers – such as organic Carnuntum PDO from Austria (red wine), Poland’s Honey Beer and Vodka of Finland PGI.
Veryan Bliss, advisor to the EU’s More Than Only Food & Drink campaign, says, “IFE is a fantastic opportunity to bring the ‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign to life and I am delighted to be attending on behalf of the campaign to help showcase the incredible quality of EU food and drink products.
“We will be championing outstanding ingredients from the length and breadth of the European Union, with all 27 Member States represented on the stand. There will be the chance for guests to sample everything on display – from more well-known produce such as Sauerkraut from Poland and Speck Alto Adige PGI from Italy; to undiscovered confectionery from Estonia and Slovakia, PGI meat from Croatia and Romania and lesser-known fruit and vegetable products such as Squash Caviar from Latvia and Rose Jam from Bulgaria.
“In today’s market, consumers are increasingly looking for transparency, provenance, and sustainability in the products they choose. The ‘More Than Only Food & Drink’ campaign is about bringing those values to life, demonstrating why EU products are more than just ingredients—they are part of a legacy of taste and quality.”
