Nigel Jenney & Jenny Palmer from the Fresh Produce Consortium joined Anne Kamau, Second Counsellor at the Kenya High Commission and a group of key people from the Kenya Commercial Bank to facilitate networking opportunities between owners of small and medium enterprises based in Kenya and Western International Market in London.
The group, including several businesses from the fresh produce and flower sector, met at the market early in the morning before trading finished for the day. Paul Smith of Smith & Sons welcomed the group to the market and gave a brief overview of the history of the market from its previous site to the current site close to Heathrow Airport.
Once inside the market, the group had the opportunity to meet with the traders on the buying floor. Jay Thakrar, a board member of the market tenants association and owner of Shipleys led the tour and the group had the opportunity to speak to many of the traders and sample some of the fruit and vegetables.
Jay Thakrar explained the importance of developing a recognised product when selling produce to the UK market and the group looked at different types of packaging and labelling currently used to endorse brands.
The tour concluded with some very lively discussion about the possibilities to grow new crops in Kenya. Nigel Jenney commented: "FPC was pleased to facilitate this networking opportunity between our members."
