Dina Foods celebrates its 30th birthday at IFE
The Background
Thirty years of Dina Foods
It was back to the future for Suzanne Howe Communications’ client Dina Foods, as it celebrated its 30th anniversary at the International Food & Drink Event at London’s Excel centre from March 21-23, 2022.
The Mediterranean food specialist, which has been an SHC client for several years, showcased its range of artisanal flatbreads, authentic vegan savouries, including falafel, and premium confectionery at its well-located stand at the Show.
Dina Foods LIVE!
The three-day IFE Show, back on this year after a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, was an opportunity for Dina Foods to meet customers face to face and make new contacts.
Dina Foods has come a long way since its founding fathers brought Lebanese food to the UK in the 1980s, opening a series of highly-acclaimed restaurants before moving into bakery manufacture.
The Haddad brothers, Fadi Haddad, Samir Haddad, Suheil Haddad, and the highly talented chef Amin Haddad, set up one of the first Lebanese restaurants in the UK, Fakhreldine, in London’s Mayfair in the 1980s.
The brothers’ original 220-cover Fakhreldine soon became a destination restaurant, with queues for tables every night. A second site was then opened, the seafood-specialist venue Lucullus.
It was from here that Dina Foods was born in 1992, originally launching in Hackney, before moving to the Park Royal area in North West London over twenty years ago, when it outgrew the original site.
From the start the company was the leading supplier of Mediterranean flatbreads in the UK. In fact, Dina Foods launched the UK’s first Middle-Eastern flatbread with a high street retailer.
The Objectives
The objectives were to promote and celebrate Dina Food’s 30th anniversary and its leading position in the marketplace.
As it celebrates its 30th year, Dina Foods is focused on building on its firm foundations, working towards its latest goal of a zero-carbon footprint by 2030, and sharing its authentic Mediterranean products with an ever-wider audience.
The company is now BRC AA+ accredited and has a multi-million pound turnover. supplying foodservice businesses and national and international retailers. Some 160 staff now play a part in the Dina Foods family business.
The Strategy
Dina Foods took the opportunity of exhibiting at IFE to unveil an updated brand identity and an eye-catching 30th logo to mark its 30th birthday.
In addition, a bespoke event, took place on the IFE Future Food stage to celebrate the company’s 30 years milestone.
Suzanne Howe Communications supported Dina Foods at the show in a number of ways including managing a specific social media campaign across the key platforms; writing and deploying a news story to gain coverage prior to the event and organising the Dina Foods’ 30th anniversary event.
The Results
New leads and positive PR was generated, and Dina Foods’ social media engagement more than doubled on its growing Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook platforms. What is more the event was attended by numerous key industry figures from retailers, distributors, suppliers and the media.
Dina Foods’ founder Mr Suheil Haddad and daughter Wilda Haddad, now the second generation of the Haddads in the family business, gave speeches at the event, reflecting on the company’s growth over the years.
Guests from across the sector enjoyed the opportunity to network and catch up, and left with a goodie bag of Dina Foods’ Paninette® flatbread and Baklawa to taste.
Dina Foods’ attendance at the show and 30th birthday was covered in nine publications, with a reach of 262,500 online and offline, with 39 brand mentions.
“We felt that participating in a UK based exhibition, especially one in London, where our story started, was an appropriate step to mark the occasion.
“The show was well-organised and well attended. It was very good to be meeting other exhibitors, businesses, and visitors to the exhibition after a couple of years of not being able to.
“Suzanne Howe Communications and Dina Foods all worked together as a team which I believe ensured Dina Foods was able to maximise the opportunity presented at IFE.”
Dina Foods Project Director Wilda Haddad
