Seventeen Sri Lankan food and beverage companies exhibited at Fine Food Australia at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, marking the country's strongest showing yet at the trade exhibition.
Twelve of those businesses were showcased under the first-ever Sri Lanka National Pavilion, a dedicated space bringing together exporters of tea, coconut products, spices, bakery goods and seafood. A number of additional Sri Lankan manufacturers and exporters presented their products through individual stands elsewhere at the show.
Sri Lanka's Consul General in Melbourne, Pradeepa Saram, and Consul Fazal toured the exhibitors with their team, spending time with the Sri Lankan companies and exploring the wider range of Australian and international food brands on display.
Also present were Australian Institute of Technical Chefs (AITC) President Emeritus Sarah Maric and the institute's General Manager and Communications Executive and Vice President, Arlan Fredrick Van Rooyen, alongside senior food and beverage professional Fairley Wijesinghe. Johann Dias Jayasinha, from the Strategic Multicultural Team, also attended, connecting culinary industry figures with Sri Lankan Australian business networks.
A separate visit to Franklands Foods highlighted the role Australian importers and distributors play in bringing Sri Lankan coconut-based products, including coconut milk and coconut cream, into the country's foodservice and manufacturing markets.
The Sri Lanka National Pavilion was organised by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board in collaboration with the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Melbourne, bringing together exporters including Akbar Brothers, Derana Marketing Services, Ceylon Coco Infresh and Ocean Foods Manufacturing under one stand at the show.