A LISKEARD-based company has been showcasing its products at a major Japanese trade show.

Ideal Foods were delighted to take up the invitation from the Department for International Trade Japan to be a virtual exhibitor at Foodex Japan 2021.

With 19 years of international trading experience, the company exports fish, shellfish and fish by-products to customers in more than 40 countries, specifically in the Far East, Europe and the USA.

Tony Horner, managing director, said: “Although Japan is an existing marketplace for us, the opportunity to exhibit at Foodex Japan will enable us to promote business and our products to a wider Japanese audience.

“We specialise in Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar) but our catalogue of products covers a wide variety of fish and shellfish products, including Monk Fish Livers, Cod Bladders, Dabs, Sardines, Mackerel, Brown Crab, Spider Crab, Velvet Crab and King Crab.”

Over the past 13 years, Ideal Foods has seen consistent year-on-year growth. Last year, the company recorded another record year, with turnover increasing to £13.4 million. This equates to 11,520 tonnes of fish, 91% of which is sold overseas.

This year, the company is predicting turnover to increase once again to over £15 million, partly the result of a new supply agreement that was signed last Summer with Fife-based Mowi Consumer Products UK, part of Mowi ASA, the world’s largest producer of Atlantic Salmon.

Sustainability is at the heart of Ideal Foods’ core values and the company strives to ensure that no parts of the fish go to waste.

Fish heads and other fish by-products are exported to Asia, supplying the large retailers in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

The frames, bellies, trimmings and offcuts are exported to the Ukraine, Poland and Latvia to name but a few.

The safest part of the fish, Ideal Foods supplies to Europe’s largest baby food manufacturers.

This is a highly regulated industry, and the company has become a long standing and trusted supplier of fish that meets some of the strictest food safety specifications.

Three years ago, Ideal Foods launched its own pet food brand, ‘Purely Fish’, with a range of 100% natural treats, canned wet food, toppers and raw food for cats and dogs, all made from fish.

The company has its own export department and is proficient in the processing of export documentation including health certificates, certificates or origin and bills of lading.

The staff at the company’s cold store in Grimsby closely monitor quality control on all collections and deliveries to ensure that customers receive an outstanding service on every individual order.

For more information, please visit www.ideal-foods.co.uk.