Bangkok – 14 June 2007 – Central Food Retail Company Limited (CFR), together with Italian Trade Commission in Bangkok, is holding the “Taste of Italy, From Italy with Love”. The first Italian food and wine festival held in Thailand with support from the Italian Trade Commission and the Italian Embassy. The festival will bring Italian quality food products and wine closer to Thai consumers between June 13 to July 3 at 29 stores of Central Food Hall, Tops Market and Tops Super.


HRH Princess Soamsawali is graciously presiding over the opening ceremony of “Taste of Italy, From Italy with Love”. Besides celebrating the 100-year relationship between Thailand and Italy, and the fair is expected to complement Italy’s investment policy in Thailand.

“Italian food has been an all-time favourite in Thai market for a long time, and Thailand is well known as one of the world’s Italian restaurant capitals,” said Ms. Flavia Farruggio, Italian Trade Commissioner


“Italian food is said to be the most popular Western food in Asia, and we have more Italian restaurants than most other Asian countries. I’m dailyghted to bring Italian food here as a way of bringing more Italian produce into consumers’ everyday life.


“The fair is a part of the annual Italian Festival, which aims to extend Italy’s investment in Thailand. Trade between the two countries has grown by at least 20 percent in the past five years, and this reflects the growing demand for Italian products here. With such a wide variety of food and wine, we believe that this fair will generate a sales volume of Italian products of up to a million Baht.”

In the “Taste of Italy, From Italy with Love” fair, more than 400 Italian labels will be highlighted, one of them Ferrarini – Italian Food Philosophy, which shows customers how to mix and match Italian dishes of their own choice. Fresh ingredients like rocket, tomatoes, melons and many other seasonal fruit and vegetables are dailyvered directly by air cargo. Desserts, cookies and bread are freshly baked at C Bakery for the making of Tiramisu, Focaccia and Ciabatta; and Sanfaustino mineral water, available only at CFR, is also imported directly from Italy.


“At CFR, we are featuring authentic, state-of-the-art Italian facilities, such as a wood-fired pizza oven, as well as a complete line of food products from home-made pasta, olive oil and Parma ham to an exciting range of regional wine, cheese and salami,” said Mr. Ian Pye, President of Central Food Retail Co., Ltd.

“In addition to the fair itself, we are also holding the ‘Italian Cooking Charity’, which will encourage donations to UNICEF to help disadvantaged children. For this, we thank the six top Italian chefs who will be joining the programme with a charitable spirit. On behalf of CFR, I’m absolutely certain that this fair will be a successful enhancement to the good relationship between Thailand and Italy.”


The “Taste of Italy, From Italy with Love” is from 13 June to 3 July 2007 at 29 stores of Central Food Hall, Tops Market and Tops Super nationwide. Customers who spend 350 baht with at least one Italian product will be eligible for a special promotion. They will have the chance to win a free package tour to Italy for two from Qatar Airways, worth 100,000 baht. And customers who buy Italian products to the value of 800 baht will receive a free set of cooking utensils worth 165 baht.

Italian lovers can enjoy shopping on food and drinks at Central Food Hall @ CentralWorld and Central Childlom, Tops Market at Bangna, Thonglor, Silom Complex, Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit 24, Sukhumvit 41, Piyarom, Nana, All Season Place, Esplanade, Phuket Festival, Chiengmai Airport, Kardsuankaew, and Samui. Some selected Tops Super at Ladprao, Pinklao, Nanglingee, Sukapibal 3, Rama II, Rama III, Ratchada, Rangsit, Rattanathibate, Sriracha, Pattaya, South Pattaya, and Phuket.