To officially mark our success in Asia, we decided to create a grand tour of our main Asian markets. Accompanying me on this exciting trip was John Stone MBE himself. We spent much of the trip meeting and eating with existing and new customers. 

We exhibited at Gulfood Trade Show, the world’s largest annual food and beverage trade exhibition, showcasing our exceptional produce on the Board Bia Irish exports stand. Our show-stopping stand generated plenty of interest, providing significant opportunity to engage with local and international buyers. We also had the pleasure of visiting 5-star dining destination, Bleu Blanc at the Renaissance Hotel, and discussed meat produce with Head Chef, Alexandre Szkaradkiewicz. 

Our time in Singapore was spent with key partners, building trade relationships and networking. A whole host of exceptional chefs used John Stone produce to create some phenomenal dishes for us to enjoy including; Paul Hallett (SKAI, Swissotel), Isaac Tan (Bedrock Bar & Grill) and Heidi Flanagan (Shangri La, Origin Grill). Some successful meetings were also held with distribution partner, Classic Fine Foods.

As part of their efforts to ensure all ingredients they use are sustainable, ethical and traceable, the Grand Hyatt has launched an insightful ‘Meat the Butcher’ series, bringing in suppliers to educate diners on the produce on their plates. I’ve been invited to talk about how John Stone meat is not only high quality but sustainable too. As a precursor for my talk, I visited the Grand Hyatt to meet talented Head Chef, Fernando Gojan. Whilst in Hong Kong, John and I also took the opportunity to meet with distribution partner, Classic Fine Foods.

We enjoyed some unforgettable dining experiences whilst in Tokyo. At the restaurant Artisan, Head Chef Takeshi Sato demonstrated his originality and excellence in the kitchen with his preparation of John Stone beef. Takeshi grilled the beef with Japanese Whiskey and smoked with Japanese cedar before serving, creating incredibly succulent meat. John and I enjoyed similarly wonderful food at the Ritz Carlton and Ukaitei, courtesy of chefs Thierry Martin and William Khala (Ritz Carlton) and Kenichi Hosobuchi and Daisuke Sato (Ukaitei). Our visit to Tokyo concluded with some productive meetings with Classic Fine Foods.