Nordic products showcased at HOFEX 2017

With an impressive 240sqm Nordic Pavilion, Finland, Sweden and Denmark will present food and beverages to an audience of 40,000 regional buyers at HOFEX 2017, Asia's leading food and hospitality trade show which takes place from 8-11 May at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The theme for the Nordic pavilion is Premium by Nature, or 自然瑰宝.

In Finland where produce is grown in extreme conditions, the short but intensive growing season generates inimitable food with health-promoting properties. Cold winters kill off bugs, so farmers use less if any pesticide.  The country is also known for using low quantities of antibiotics in food-producing animals. Animal disease burden is extremely low (e.g. the salmonella prevalence in beef, pork, poultry and egg production chains is < 1 %). Moreover, Finland’s pure soil, water and air help growers yield pure ingredients and products.

Finland is also a benchmarked leader in food innovations which are usually recognized at international competitions. They develop numerous products in the functional and free from sectors.

“In Finland, we take for granted that we know where our food ingredients are coming from and that the ingredients are safe to enjoy. Cooperation across the food processing chain, from raw ingredients to finished products, is transparent,” says Esa Wrang, Director of the Food from Finland export program at Finpro. “We are very glad of our Nordic cooperation and that we can present the Naturally Delicious Finnish food and drink offering at Hofex. The Nordic region is small in terms of population, but it is globally known for its high quality of life, clean nature, and safe products. The further away we travel from our home countries, the stronger we are together.”

Finnish berries (Photo: Riitta Weijola/Vastavalo)

The Food from Finland stand, as part of the Nordic Pavilion at HOFEX 2017 is located at 3C-126 featuring these companies:

Alberga Brewing is a Finland-based brewing company in founded in 2016. Its vision is to become the ”apple” of the brewing and beverage industry by making super premium, high quality beers with cool branding and developing alcoholic beverages with unique stories. Recipes are developed in collaboration with top brew-masters and highly recognized chefs to create a perfect harmony between beer and food.

Finnish Cheese Company specializes in gourmet spreads. Silva cheese spreads are made with the finest ingredients: real smoked reindeer, blue cheese, fresh garlic and black trumpet mushrooms. In addition to Silva, Finnish Cheese Company also offers ILO Hummus-vegetarian spreads.

Hartwall is a strong leader in the beverage industry. Its journey started with mineral water in 1836. Currently the product portfolio includes beers, ciders and long drinks, bottled waters, soft drinks, juices and specialty drinks as well as, through the subsidiary Hartwa-Trade, wines and other alcoholic beverages.The Hartwall Original Gin Long Drink  – the only cocktail served in a can - was launched in 1952 for the Helsinki Olympics, having been developed to ease the workload of restaurant staff serving Olympic tourists. Already iconic in Finland and now most important export product for Hartwall.

Helsingin Kalatalo is a modern fish and food processing facility near Helsinki, Finland. The main products are fish products (fresh, smoked, fried and salted), roe products (fresh, pasteurized and frozen roe) and ready-made-meals (from sushi to traditional Scandinavian dishes). Kalatalo facility has the FSSC 22000 Food Safety System Certification. All the products are made out of premium quality ingredients. No wonder the products have found their client base also in the most selective fine-dining restaurants.

Hunajainen SAM is a family-owned Premium Honey Company. The company has over 25 years of experience in category extension through high product quality, innovative product development, consumer driven concepts and active brand support. Hunajainen SAM Oy is the retail and wholesale market leader in Finland.

Kotipellon Puutarha (Kotipelto Farm) is a small family business that is focused on vegetables from unpolluted Finnish grounds. Handpicked and packed salads go through several inspections in order a boxful of greens to be a collection of the finest part of the crop. Salads are watered with the world´s cleanest groundwater. If you want to see what happens on the farm on daily basis please see on Instagram #mimisversot.

L’Uomu Nokka organic broiler chickens are Hubbard CY, an organic breed that is free range. The broilers enjoy plenty of daylight and fresh air as they run around in gardens, digging and socializing. Finland’s expansive coniferous forests, thousands of lakes and variance in daylight between the seasons, gives Finnish organic broiler a distinctive clean taste. Food safety is world class.

Mahla Forest is specialized in natural health company. The company is located amidst clean forests and alongside clear bodies of water. Flagship product, Lagrima Arctica, the Arctic Tear, is a Finnish festive drink made from the sprouts of spruce trees, picked in early spring when they are still soft, sweet and pale green in colour. Lagrima Arctica is a fine drink made for special occasions, to be served alongside champagne, or as a part of delicious cocktails. Mahla Forest stands for ecology, Finnish identity, service-mindedness, reliability, tradition and continuous product development.

Sinebrychoff is the oldest brewery in the Nordic countries since 1819. Apart from hops, all raw materials for beer are acquired near the brewery: Finnish barley malt, water and yeast.

Hops are usually imported from Germany, the Czech Republic or USA. The commitment of Sinebrychoff is to create value and great moments for consumers, customers and distribution partners with high quality brands. Sinebrychoff is part of the international Carlsberg Group.

VEEN Waters is internationally awarded Water Company from the Finnish Lapland. The water origins from an amazing spring in the wilderness of the Arctic Circle providing the smoothest water in the world. The exceptional waters of VEEN Waters have seduced the international juries by their character, their taste and their elegance.