Buyers Show A Healthy Appetite For The Return Of The Natural Food Show 2013

With visitor registration now open for this year's Natural Food Show at Natural & Organic Products Europe, over a thousand retailers and buyers from across the world have already booked their free trade pass to the UK's only dedicated natural and organic products event, which returns to London's Olympia on 7-8 April 2013.

Showcasing thousands of speciality food and drink brands from over 300 exhibitors - from established big brands such as Green & Black's, James White Drinks, la BIO IDEA, and Community Foods, to a host of innovative new artisan suppliers in the Soil Association Organic Marketplace and Organic Trade Board Pavilion - the Natural Food Show annually provides thousands of professional food buyers with the widest choice of natural, organic, biodynamic, Fairtrade, eco-friendly, free-from and special diet products from suppliers all around the world.

The Natural Food Show's ever-diverse cross-section of exhibitors - over a third of which are new to the event this year - reflects the astonishing growth of producers and suppliers within this sector over the last decade.  Whilst a rising demand for more natural/clean label products has been fuelled by consumers of all ages who have become increasingly interested in the provenance, sustainability and nutritional benefits of their food and drink. 

It's a trend that's set to continue, according to a recent Global Industry Outlook 2013 report (source: Leatherhead issues global food industry outlook for 2013, 18 December 2012) by UK-based independent research organisation Leatherhead Food Research, which says sustainability, health and wellness, natural, ethical and free-from will be among the key drivers of innovation within the food and drink industry for 2013. This can only be good news for prospective Natural Food Show visitors - who range from specialist retailers, multiples and contract caterers, to delis, restaurants, farm shops, cafes, and wholesalers - as the two-day event is already firmly established as the leading trade event for this lucrative market.

"Food is changing - today's consumers are better informed and much more discerning about the products they consume," says Carol Dunning, the new event manager of Natural & Organic Products Europe.

"Whether their purchases are driven by a lifestyle choice, their personal ethics or special diet requirements, they expect to see more choice available in their local stores and eateries, and from a health perspective they are often looking for natural and organic products that are designed to have more functional benefits too.  And as the natural food movement transforms the way Europe eats, there are many lucrative opportunities out there for entrepreneurs that truly grasp this booming market," says Dunning.

With just under three months until show open, exhibition space at Natural & Organic Products Europe is now 90% sold out.  The Natural Food Show's 2013 exhibitor line-up includes Biona Organic - showcasing everything from juices and pasta to soups and cereals; Kallo Foods; Alpro; Doves Farm Foods; Food For Life Baking Company; Dragonfly & Tick Tok Teas; Organico Realfoods; Carleys of Cornwall - a leading UK manufacturer of organic nut and seed spreads, fresh organic pestos, vegetable spreads and hummus; Plamil Foods, creators of delicious dairy-free chocolate and egg-free mayonnaise; natural and organic Mediterranean foods specialist George Skoulikas; fruit-based snack supplier Clearly Scrumptious; TOPAS Klaus Gaiser GmbH, founders of vegan, meat-free alternative Wheaty; Provamel; Alara Wholefoods; Amy's Kitchen; and sustainable seafood supplier Wild Planet Foods, Inc.  Plus there's also hundreds of products to enjoy from some of this industry's best known wholesalers, such as Essential Trading, Tree of Life, Infinity Foods, Suma Wholefoods, Clearspring, Eskal Foods Europe, The Health Store, and Marigold Health Foods.

New features include the Natural Food Show's first ever dedicated Raw Food Village.  Plus, there'll also be plenty of opportunity for buyers to refresh their international ranges, with new pavilions from Poland, Canada, Argentina and the USA; joining France, Italy, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.  Whilst the show's mainstays - The Fairtrade Trail, Vegetarian Trail, Free-from Trail, New Product Showcase, FoodLovers Approved pavilion, the Vegan Pavilion, The West Country Food & Drink Pavilion all return with an eclectic mix of real food delicacies and ingredients.

It's not just the exhibitors at The Natural Food Show that promises to draw in the crowds for 2013.  This year's live Natural Food Kitchen sessions will see a host of celebrity chefs and nutritional experts, including TV nutritionist and detox specialist Amanda Hamilton, The Medicinal Chef Dale Pinnock, Conscious Food's Kristina Locke, vegan food guru Tony Bishop-Weston and more, demonstrating delicious organic, free-from, and sustainable cookery.

The Natural Food Show, taking place on 7-8 April 2013 at Olympia London, is part of Natural & Organic Products Europe, which also includes Natural Beauty & Spa, Natural Living and Health & Nutrition sections.  The event is free to attend for pre-registered trade visitors and relevant press representatives. To register please visit www.naturalfoodshow.co.uk (http://www.eventdata.co.uk/Visitor/NPE.aspx? AffiliateCode=NPE1328 quoting priority code NPE1328.