Handmade Cake Company

FFB's events team helped this small producer stand out from the crowd at international exhibitions.

The issue

The Handmade Cake Company was ready to move into export but unsure of its next step. FFB’s expertise and knowledge of international shows enabled the company to showcase products that may otherwise have been lost in the crowd at one of the biggest food and drink exhibitions in Europe.  

What we did

Following a presence on the FFB British Pavilion at SIAL in 2004, The Handmake Cake Company secured a distributor partner in Hamburg and its first ever export order. Keen to meet other regional partners in Germany – a market where the product has strong potential – The Handmade Cake Company took the decision to exhibit with FFB at ANUGA in October 2005.  “We had such a positive response from so many of the people we met at SIAL, we wanted to exhibit at ANUGA as well and show potential customers that we are serious about export.  We are also hoping to consolidate with those buyers we met at SIAL but so far haven’t traded with,” explained Simon Law, Sales Director.

The company used its experiences from SIAL to shape the product range displayed at ANUGA, ensuring it is suitable for the local market.  A raft of contacts made at SIALwere also invited to visit the stand, plus a carefully targeted list of prospective customers from countries where the brand has the strongest potential. 

“As a small company, we have found Food from Britain’s support invaluable in helping us prepare for our ANUGA debut. With its vast experience of international exhibitions, FFB helped us with stand arrangements as well as offering sound advice on the show itself,” continues Simon. “We aim to take away from ANUGA a greater in-depth understanding of the northern, and potentially central, European market place, in particular Germany, Scandinavia and Benelux.”

Sandra Sullivan, head of exhibitions and events at Food from Britain said, “Without our support, it can be hard for companies to make an impact, but with logistics now in place, our publicity and targeted buyer mailings aim to ensure a productive result for the British exhibitors.” As a direct result of exhibiting at ANUGA with Food from Britain, within a month of the show the Handmade Cake Company had shipped pallets of cakes to Spain and Norway, both of which are new markets for the business.