Showcasing Brunei delicacies in Japan

5 native companies just lately participated in Japan’s main F&B tradeshow FOODEX 2022 for the primary time to hunt market validation and discover potential export alternatives.

DARe (Darussalam Enterprise), the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Japan and the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) collectively collaborated for the participation of Brunei companies as a part of a wider, ongoing product growth challenge known as Bettering High quality of Brunei Merchandise.

This 12 months’s FOODEX Japan ran from March 8 to 11, 2022, on the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, drawing hundreds of members from over 90 nations. Native merchandise from Ghanim Worldwide Company, Volco Enterprise, Sabli Group of Corporations, Taurean Bakeshop & Café, and Syarikat Rizqussalam had been shipped to Japan and exhibited at Brunei’s sales space which was visited by distributors, retailers, and different potential enterprise companions.

The Embassy of Brunei Darussalam and AJC initiated the Bettering High quality of Brunei Merchandise challenge in 2020 in collaboration with DARe to evaluate and develop present Bruneian-made merchandise for the Japanese market. The challenge engaged product specialists from the Japan Affiliation of Worldwide Enterprise Advisors (AIBA) to supply consultancy to 10 native producers over bettering completely different elements of their merchandise, together with branding, packaging, and style.

The inaugural participation of Brunei companies in FOODEX can also be a part of DARe’s Market Entry initiatives, aiming to supply alternatives for native companies to entry new markets domestically and overseas via enterprise matching, tradeshows, and the supply of direct on-line and offline gross sales channels.

Market Entry additionally affords coaching and consultancy programmes that may assist companies enhance inner competencies and obtain worldwide requirements.

Chargé d’affaires on the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Japan Pengiran Mohd Azian bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Maidin mentioned Brunei’s participation in FOODEX is a part of an ongoing and joint efforts to assist native merchandise enter the Japanese market.

“Japanese clients have at all times been naturally curious to know extra about Bruneian merchandise. Our participation in FOODEX is a worthwhile alternative because it showcases what we are able to provide in addition to elevate consciousness about Brunei as an entire,” mentioned Pengiran Mohd Azian.

“With assist from DARe, the embassy will proceed to work exhausting to interact with Japanese distributors and importers to penetrate the market right here.”

Volco Enterprise, a home-based producer of scorching sauce, mentioned their participation in FOODEX and the Bettering High quality of Brunei Merchandise challenge have introduced ahead their plans to broaden to an industrial location quickly.

“We have now been producing our scorching sauce since 2014, promoting largely via social media and phrase of mouth.

“Two years in the past, we had been in a position to enter retail shops due to DARe’s Bruneian Made grocery store cabinets, and at the moment, we at the moment are promoting at greater than 12 retailers throughout the nation,” mentioned Mohd Vol Momin, who runs the enterprise along with his daughter Nadiatul.

“Now, we need to see what’s the potential of our product abroad, and FOODEX is a chance to have our product showcased not solely to the Japan market however the Asian area as properly.” For FOODEX, Volco equipped their signature Lanun scorching sauce in 255ml bottles within the flavours of Tom-Tom Lemongrass and Pineapple Dawn.

In the meantime, native bakery Taurean exhibited 5 flavours of their oatmeal-based cookies, with modified packaging on the recommendation of AIBA.

“Our participation in FOODEX helps us collect extra suggestions on our merchandise for us to have the ability to repeatedly enhance and make our merchandise extra aggressive for potential export,” mentioned Taurean’s proprietor Tsang Poh Yee. Taurean’s cookies, offered domestically in jars of 150g to 160g, had been modified to have every cookie within the jar individually wrapped for FOODEX, an method her advisor believes would assist enchantment to Japan’s sanitary-focussed market.

“The worth of the Japanese consultants has been to assist us perceive in higher element what the retailers and shoppers in that market search for, and in flip, see how we are able to apply these insights to enhance the marketability of our native merchandise,” added Poh Yee.