Abrafrutas Wows the West End!

A Taste of Sustainability at The Embassy of Brazil on June 10th was a hit with guests and organised by The Chefs’ Forum. The special event highlighted the new ways Brazil’s fruit sector, Abrafrutas, is initiating sustainability.

Abrafrutas ESG Director, Priscilla Nasrallah talked about the commercial opportunities and how important it is for growers to promote responsible use of natural resources, in line with The Guidelines on the management of Environmental, Social and Governance risks (ESG).

Priscilla said

“I am extremely passionate about promoting best practice in helping fruit producers adopt best practice in line with global standards.  As a grower myself, I recognise the importance of conserving our land for the future generations who will benefit from increased market share as a result of fantastic international trade events like this one here today.”

Commercial Director, Jorge de Souza discussed marketing insights, he added

“Brazil is the third largest producer of fruit in the world, we say that Brazil is like a big tasty fruit salad, because of all of the varieties of fruit that grow in the natural environment.  We aim to climb up the ladder to improve our place of being the 24th largest exporter of fruit in the world and with the support of UK buyers, we can absolutely do this.”

Top Chef Brasil Winner and event curator, Luciana Berry showcased mango, table grapes, papaya and limes in beautiful caipirinhas and fruit canapés, she said

“We have all the right people in the room today, to really galvanise and support our growers, producers and exporters.  I have been working with Abrafrutas for many years and I think that this event is the best yet in helping to promote the sustainability and welfare practices that have been put in place to enable UK chefs and wholesalers to source top quality exotics  from Brazil, safe in the knowledge that carbon footprints are being heavily monitored and farming practice is sustainable.”

Guest Alan Tang, Restaurant Director of upmarket Gouqi restaurant (next door to the Embassy) summed-up the afternoon on Instagram:

“What an incredible evening we had at The Brazilian Fruit Industry: A Taste of Sustainability! It was such a pleasure to be part of this exclusive event, organised by @catherine.farinha of @the_chefs_forum and hosted at the el @brazilembassyuk, in collaboration with @abrafrutas.

“In addition to the informative sessions, the event provided a wonderful networking opportunity, allowing us to connect with fellow fruit enthusiasts, industry professionals, and like-minded individuals who share our passion for sustainability and delicious fruits.

“We left the event inspired and motivated to explore new horizons within the Brazilian fruit industry. A special thank you to Catherine Farinha, @franciane.tartari and @lucianaberry for the incredible canapés, @abrafrutas , the event staff, all the sponsors, and the @brazilembassyuk for making the event possible!”

Jorge informed the audience of 70 importers, wholesalers, fresh produce media and top chefs, that there are big plans to introduce new, never-seen-before fruit varieties to the UK and the chefs got very excited.

Brazilian Chef Marcillio Da Silva said

“This event has made me very proud indeed.  To see so many food industry professionals come out to show their support of the rich tapestry of the Brazilian fruit production sector is so wonderful to see and I am delighted to be here today.”

Catherine Farinha, Director of the Chefs’ Forum played MC for the day and introduced all of the speakers, she said: “Brazil is one of the leading fruit producers in the world and we can expect to see more of it on menus in the future. The spread of different fruits was something to behold and everyone loved the canapes. A great success.”

Abrafrutas: A Taste of Sustainability Menu by Luciana Berry

Caipirinhas:

Fruit canapés:

For more information on Abrafrutas, how to source Brazilian exotic produce in the UK or to find out more about producers and exporters, contact Telma.martes@abrafrutas.org