Pioneer Foodservice welcomed more than 600 customers to its 21st catering food show and the highly anticipated event didn’t disappoint.

On Sunday 24th and Monday 25th February, the Cumbrian food service company took over The Shepherds in Carlisle to welcome national and regional suppliers and customers.

Customers travelled from far and wide to take advantage of money-saving deals from over 60 suppliers. Suppliers were showcasing their product ranges and many new product launches were on display. Household names such as Heinz, Whitby Scampi and Nestlé were in attendance alongside an array of regional suppliers from Cumbria, Northumberland and Scotland.

The show saw the launch of premium brand ice cream from the Handmade Ice Cream Company. Steven Darvill, owner of The Handmade Ice Cream Company, praised the food show saying: “Working with Pioneer is a fantastic way of reaching new customers across the north west of England and southern Scotland and the show has given me an opportunity to speak with these customers face-to-face. We have had an amazing amount of excellent feedback about our products and I really enjoyed the show.”

The Handmade Ice Cream Co is based in Ulverston and uses only the best ingredients for its quality produce which is exclusively available into the hospitality trade through Pioneer Foodservice. In acknowledgement of its ongoing support and promotion of local entrepreneurs and business owners, Pioneer recently picked up regional and national awards at the Family Business Awards.

The show was also the first appearance for Cumbrian brewer Ben Clementson of Brack n Brew. Its quality ales have proved a hit with Pioneer customers since their launch back in June 2018; in both Pioneer’s foodservice and retail businesses. Ben was kept busy throughout the show saying: “It’s been a huge success for us and it’s great to put faces to names of existing Pioneer customers and reaching new ones. Our ales are not only proving to be a hit with Cumbrian customers, Northumberland customers have shown a great interest in the ales too. The show is a great way to spread the word of local produce.”

Managing Director of Pioneer Foodservice, Graham Jenkins says: “This was our 21st show and we were immensely excited about this year’s event. We think it’s been the busiest and best so far. The event brings together our suppliers and customers to celebrate our passion for food.

“We were also honoured when the Mayoress of Carlisle, Councillor Jessica Riddle, visited the show. I accompanied her and she thoroughly enjoyed meeting our suppliers and sampling some of the excellent produce on offer.”

The Carlisle-based company is proud to be a supplier of new product innovation and is always keen to be at the forefront of trends to ensure their customers are ahead of the game. Veganism has seen a huge gain in popularity and much of the new product development on show at the event was aimed at those following a plant-based diet.

Paramount 21 is a global food producer well known for keeping ahead of food trends and their vegan and gluten free dishes certainly went down well with Pioneer customers. Debs Casey-Smith, Senior National Account Manager with Paramount said: “Veganism has certainly arrived in Carlisle. Our vegan chip shop bites was just one of our vegan products which was a hit with all visitors. Even those who hesitate to try vegan foods can’t believe the quality of produce available now. It has been a super show, one of the busiest.”

Jenkins added: “The demand for vegan foods has certainly grown and we think it’s here to stay as more people follow not only vegan but flexitarian diets. Our buying team works hard to source innovative, tasty new products which tick all the boxes for a wide range of diets.”

Andrew Keen who runs the House of Meg tea rooms situated in Gilsland, visited the show to take advantage of the deals and to sample the new products showcased. Andrew is a loyal customer of Pioneer and says: “I’ve visited every show since I opened 12 years ago and each time the discounts can’t be missed. I love the new products on show and they definitely help me in my menu development for bistro nights at the tea room. I’ll be taking on board the new trends shown here today.”

Graham commented: “It’s rewarding to meet our customers who enjoy our show, take advantage of the offers and sample new products. Our hard work doesn’t finish when the show is over, we will continue to supply and source quality products at the right price for all our customers as we approach our 142nd year of trading.”

Pioneer Foodservice is now planning their next food show for 2021.

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