Variety is the spice of life

Birminghams' Balti Belt will be well represented at the European Ethnic Food Show. The Birmingham Pavilion, funded by Birmingham City Council and managed by specialist advisors 3b will host a number of specialist food producers from the area.

Last year's Pavilion attracted around 900 enquiries, producing direct orders resulting in the creation of 31 new jobs in the city. This year's Pavilion is 50 per cent larger than last year's, positive evidence if any were needed of the rising interest in ethnic foods.

Next to the Pavilion visitors can find Nice Trading, a fledgling business exhibiting unusual food items for Asian and Chinese markets, and Giro Foods, wholesale suppliers of spices and ingredients to the trade.

In the main part of the exhibition, find Baba Enterprises, stand, reputedly the country's largest producer of fresh poppadums with a full range of pappads and snacks. Cleone Foods, manufacture Caribbean patties while a new business, Bakes, also stand 206, specialises in Caribbean sweet breads.

Eastern Foods, stand 207, produces Nan and pitta breads.

Tiger Tiger, the UK's largest importer and distributors of ethnic foods, is showcasing its huge range of Chinese, South East Asian and Indian products on stand 307. Activities on the stand witll include a celebrity chef cook-off and gourmet tasting sessions.

Chip Shop Style Curry Sauce from Dilita, stand 304, is available in 2.5 litre catering packs. George Neville, will be showing off its range of more than 16 chafing dishes with prices starting at £49.50 for stainless steel 1/1 Gastronorms up to £460 for the regency roll top model. Stand 341.

Motu Gosh Food, manufactures, markets and sells authentic traditional Indian and Chinese handmade snack foods.

H M Custome & Excise, will be on hand on stand 206 to advise food producers and retailers on rules and regulations throughout the show.