WELCOMING REMARKS
U.S. CONSUL GENERAL GREGORY W. SLAYTON

Food Service Demonstration: Tastes, Trends, and Profitability

March 20, 2006

Good afternoon to everyone and welcome!  This event is part of a larger, more comprehensive food service promotional activity being carried out to promote U.S. products in the Caribbean and Bermuda, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

I would like to begin by acknowledging and thanking those who have brought this event to us today:
·        Ms. Antonella da Camara - U.S. Dairy Export Council
·        Mrs. Elizabeth Wunderlich - U.S. Meat Export Federation
·        Mr. Ernesto Baron - USA Poultry and Egg Export Council
·        Mr. Eric Pope - The Wine Institute in California
·        Mr. Omar González – USDA Caribbean Basin Agricultural Trade Office.

I also want to thank the U.S. suppliers of food and beverages for bringing their fine products here from every corner of the United States.  Thank you also to the Bermudian food and beverage professionals and other guests who have come to sample some of our fine U.S. products. You have all made a big investment in terms of your time, money, and product samples and we appreciate it.

Special thanks are also due to our Guest Chef, Lars Kronmark.  Chef Kronmark is a Certified Executive Chef and a Professor of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America at the Greystone Campus in Napa Valley, California. We are honored to have him here today and we are looking forward to indulging in his culinary creations.  

Sourcing quality U.S. food and beverage products to Bermuda is big business.  The Caribbean islands and Bermuda are the 7^th largest market in the world for U.S. agricultural, fish, and forestry exports.  In 2005 alone Bermuda imported $71.3 million in agricultural products, an increase of 7.6 percent from the previous year.  Beef and veal together accounted for $8.3 million in US exports to Bermuda in 2005, followed by poultry at $6.6 million, wine at $2.7 million and cheese products at $1.2 million.  So yes, Bermuda is important to the commercial health of the U.S. agricultural sector.

One of the best things about food is that occasionally something special comes along that takes our taste buds for a ride.  Although everything we sample may not suit our particular taste, one thing remains true - experimenting is half the fun! 

With this in mind, I will leave you with a few words from the celebrated American author, Mark Twain, who wrote:  “Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”

Thank you very much and enjoy!