International buyers welcomed at annual trade event
Published: 22, October 2025, 8:48 am
By: Dae Hong
Article link: https://retailworldmagazine.com.au/meet-the-buyer-exhibitor-trade-floor-sold-out/
Local food and beverage producers came together with buyers from across Australia and around the world for Western Australia’s food and beverage trade event, Meet the Buyer.
The annual event, held at Crown Perth, featured more than 80 exhibitors showcasing over 500 products to chefs, distributors, wholesalers, retailers and hospitality businesses.
For the first time, Meet the Buyer welcomed international buyers and showcased products from every region of Western Australia. More than 20 international buyers from 12 countries attended as part of the Taste WA trade delegation.
“Today’s event is a fantastic platform for our food and beverage sector, and by enabling buyers and sellers to connect, we’re ensuring WA’s premium quality, regional diversity and growing global reputation are front and centre,” said agriculture and food minister Jackie Jarvis.
The delegation was facilitated by the Western Australian Government through the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, along with Austrade TradeStart advisers from the Great Southern Development Commission, South West Development Commission, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA.
Now in its fifth year, Meet the Buyer has established itself as the state’s premier food and beverage industry trade exhibition and networking forum, presented by the Buy West Eat Best (BWEB) program.
The WA government contributes $1.1 million annually, through the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, to support the BWEB state-of-origin food and beverage labelling program and initiatives including Meet the Buyer.
Products showcased at this year’s event included seafood, honey, fresh chicken and red meat, dairy, smallgoods, pasta and noodles, beverages, ready-made convenience meals, oats and value-add grocery lines.
Brownes Dairy and Great Southern Truffles displayed a new truffle cheddar, the result of a collaboration formed through a previous Meet the Buyer connection. Damaged Goods Distillery joined with Carnarvon-based grower cooperative Sweeter Banana to showcase a new vodka made using waste fruit materials.
Other exhibitors launched new ingredients and value-add products for retail shelves and drinks menus, including Funk Drinks Co’s new Farmers Ale and Amaise Popcorn, featuring Western Australian oils and flavour infusions such as buttery lobster seasoning.
Together, Western Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing industry and food service sector employ more than 120,000 people and generate an annual turnover of about $22 billion.
“The mix of exhibitors this year saw all of our WA regions represented – the Kimberley, Gascoyne, Goldfields-Esperance, Great Southern, Mid West, Peel, Pilbara, Perth, South West and the Wheatbelt – providing a genuine state-wide networking event,” said regional development minister Stephen Dawson.
“Increasing trade not only benefits agrifood businesses but also provides the right ingredients to boost economic growth and job opportunities in communities across our state, including each of our regions.”