USMEF, California Wine Institute Play Host to Russian Restaurateurs
USMEF, California Wine Institute Play Host to Russian Restaurateurs
USMEF-Russia and the California Wine Institute joined forces for an elegant reception last week in St. Petersburg, highlighting U.S. pork and beef and pairing these items with a selection of California wines.
The venue was the refurbished residence of the U.S. Consul General to St. Petersburg, with more than 300 guests from Russia’s restaurant, hotel and catering sectors attending.
U.S. Consul General to St. Petersburg Sheila Gwaltney
Consul General Sheila Gwaltney addressed the gathering while pork tenderloin and beef ribeye was prepared and served by the U.S. Consulate chef. Grand Foods Company partnered with USMEF to provide these elite cuts of pork and beef, which received compliments from many of the guests in attendance. Founded in 1999, Grand Foods specializes in providing high-quality meat and other menu items to restaurants, cafes and hotels in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other regions of Russia.
Russia accounted for more than $570 million in U.S. pork and beef exports last year, including variety meat. USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng says that while export activity has slowed recently due to Russia’s economic situation, it remains a very important destination for U.S. pork and beef.
“We’re dealing with some tough economic circumstances in Russia right now, so there is a definite slowdown in the volume of product we are moving there,” Seng said. “But from a long-term perspective, Russia offers a significant opportunity for growth. We have to keep our product in the forefront and remind Russia’s foodservice industry leaders of the great quality and value delivered by U.S. pork and beef. This event is an excellent example of those efforts.”
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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.
USMEF, California Wine Institute Play Host to Russian Restaurateurs
USMEF-Russia and the California Wine Institute joined forces for an elegant reception last week in St. Petersburg, highlighting U.S. pork and beef and pairing these items with a selection of California wines.
The venue was the refurbished residence of the U.S. Consul General to St. Petersburg, with more than 300 guests from Russia’s restaurant, hotel and catering sectors attending.
U.S. Consul General to St. Petersburg Sheila Gwaltney
Consul General Sheila Gwaltney addressed the gathering while pork tenderloin and beef ribeye was prepared and served by the U.S. Consulate chef. Grand Foods Company partnered with USMEF to provide these elite cuts of pork and beef, which received compliments from many of the guests in attendance. Founded in 1999, Grand Foods specializes in providing high-quality meat and other menu items to restaurants, cafes and hotels in St. Petersburg, Moscow and other regions of Russia.
Russia accounted for more than $570 million in U.S. pork and beef exports last year, including variety meat. USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng says that while export activity has slowed recently due to Russia’s economic situation, it remains a very important destination for U.S. pork and beef.
“We’re dealing with some tough economic circumstances in Russia right now, so there is a definite slowdown in the volume of product we are moving there,” Seng said. “But from a long-term perspective, Russia offers a significant opportunity for growth. We have to keep our product in the forefront and remind Russia’s foodservice industry leaders of the great quality and value delivered by U.S. pork and beef. This event is an excellent example of those efforts.”
# # #
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.