The Country Range Group’s annual trade exhibition and conference took place on Thursday 26th June with over 500 delegates and 100-plus suppliers in attendance to kick-start their summer plans.
Run for over 25 years, the event forms a key part of CRG’s calendar and took place outside the mainland UK for the first time since its creation with Belfast’s ICC and iconic Titanic Museum Belfast playing host to the two-part event. The main theme of the event was ‘focused on foodservice’ – celebrating great food, industry innovation, and a nod to Belfast’s rich culture.
Last year’s ‘Summer of Love’ Foodfest was a tall act to follow but this year’s exhibition proved to be the best ever.
A vital hub for groundbreaking insights, networking and innovation, over £4.3 million in orders were placed on the day with foodservice exhibitors from major brands and small suppliers in attendance including Agristo, Belazu, Flora Professional, KP Snacks, Mademoiselle, Nestle Professional, Radnor Hills, Rich Sauces, Tayto Group Ltd and Unilever Food Solutions.
Exhibition and Conference
Over 100 exhibitors from major brands to small suppliers showcased over a thousand products specifically for chefs and caterers across the foodservice spectrum with a host of live demonstrations, on-trend ingredients and samples for delegates to try from around the world.
The Country Range stand transformed into an elegant culinary showcase, featuring a sophisticated chef’s table experience inspired by the grandeur of the Titanic, providing the perfect backdrop to present the latest own-brand products. The focus of the stand was the highly anticipated finale of the Signature by Country Range competition. This exciting initiative invited every member wholesaler to contribute their own signature recipe; the final two entries battled it out to be crowned Signature Champion! Meanwhile, the Winter Wonderland display captured the magic of the approaching festive season, showcasing the 2025 Group-supported Christmas product range.
All of the surplus stock and samples from the day were donated to FareShare, who are a project operated by the charity Homeless Connect in Northern Ireland, to be distributed to local frontline charities and community groups.
Chief Executive Martin Ward provided a business update detailing:
- Group Growth & Vision: He welcomed the newest members to a Group and updated attendees on the Groups scale who are now serving over 44,000 customers a month with over 250,000 monthly deliveries. Martin outlined the Groups ambition to achieve a £1.5 billion turnover by 2028.
- Technology Investment: Martin updated progress on the launch of the Authenticate platform which is already beginning to deliver improved operational efficiencies and enhanced supply chain visibility for the Groups members.
- Brand Development: He also shared updates on the Group’s expanded own-brand range, the positive impact of the increased presence of the brands at member customer events and the hugely successful launch of the Signature by Country Range brand in April. Martin shared that across the industry 62% of chefs say they regularly use own brands, with 45% willing to use more in the next 12 months highlighting the fantastic opportunity for the Group’s own brand portfolio.
- Country Range Sponsorship: It was also announced that the Country Range brand will be a headline sponsor for the 2025/2026 Springboard FutureChef competition, building on the success of the Country Range Student Chef Challenge to support emerging culinary talent.
- Strategic Planning: Lastly Martin shared that development is already underway for the Group’s next 3–5 year strategic roadmap once the current Group strategy ends in 2026.
In a difference to previous years the conference attendees were also provided with a market update from TWC’s Tanya Pepin, an interesting Belfast panel and a CRG Member panel consisting of Edward Munro of Country Valley, David Cattrall of Harlech Foodservice, Julie Dunn of Dunns and Carla Van Barneveld of Europ Foods, who discussed the Future of Foodservice and navigating the challenges of the industry.
The most anticipated announcement was the reveal of the venue for this years prestigious ‘An Evening with CRG’ member and supplier awards evening which will be held at the iconic National Portrait Gallery in London this December.
Gala Dinner & Evening Entertainment
The stunning Titanic Belfast played host to the evening entertainment with attendees able to relax and have fun following a long but successful day. A charity raffle took place throughout the evening with attendees raising over £7000 for The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and the Mines Advisory Group.
Country Range Group Chief Executive Martin Ward said: “This year’s event in Belfast has been nothing short of spectacular. From the incredible energy on the exhibition floor to the insightful panels and dazzling gala dinner, it was a truly unforgettable occasion. The enthusiasm and innovation on display show just how bright the future of foodservice is – and we’re proud to be right at the heart of it.”
