In the historic Russian city of St. Petersburg, retail, hotel and restaurant sectors are rapidly growing, and Russian consumers are increasingly conscious of food safety and nutrition. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) had such success with its first-ever U.S. Pork Festival in 2004, that it conducted a second (Nov. 21-Dec. 21, 2005) to increase the popularity of U.S. pork, introduce it to the menus of a greater number of high-class restaurants and hotels, and, of course, increase sales of U.S. pork. U.S. pork juiciness, tenderness, taste, and the excellent safety standards and record of the industry are ideal for consumers with discerning palates and expanding incomes.

Seven restaurants — the most famous in St. Petersburg — and three 5-star hotels promoted U.S. boneless and bone-in pork loin and boneless pork chops. USMEF, in cooperation with retail supplier Grand Foods, carefully selected the holiday season for the promotion when Russians dine out more frequently, and both industry participants and diners can be drawn to noticing the superb quality products the U.S. pork industry sends to Russia.

All the participating restaurant chefs developed special U.S. pork dishes and created a la carte menus with at least two or three U.S. pork dishes. Before the promotion began, television advertising underscored the safety and quality of U.S. pork, and restaurant personnel attended USMEF seminars to increase their understanding of the product and its preparation to ensure the promotion’s success. After one seminar led by St. Petersburg’s most famous chef, Nikolay Akulichev, four magazines featured the U.S. Pork Festival in their columns.

Hotels posted information about the U.S. Pork Festival in rooms and elevators, and restaurants advertised the event in advance on menu holders and posters in their entrances.

When patrons ordered U.S. pork dishes at participating restaurants during the promotion period, each received a questionnaire surveying their thoughts about U.S. pork. Completed questionnaires entered participants in a drawing for prizes and were used by USMEF for market research and follow up.

The promotion set the stage for a U.S. pork retail promotion launched a week after the U.S. Pork Festival ended. Most of the participating restaurants kept U.S. pork dishes on their menus after the promotion ended, and sales of U.S. pork were twice what they had been prior to its beginning.

The promotion was funded by the U.S. pork checkoff and the USDA Market Access Program.

U.S. pork (including variety meat) exports to Russia in the first 11 months of 2005 were up 61 percent in volume at 38,275 metric tons (mt) compared to 23,728 mt in the same period of the previous year.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation 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, lamb, corn, sorghum and soybean checkoff programs.

– USMEF –

Photo 1 — Renowned chef Nikolay Akulichev cooks U.S. pork dishes for chefs and restaurant staff prior to the U.S. Pork Festival. Chef Akulichev described the advantages of U.S. pork and prepared several dishes with U.S. pork.

Photo 2 — Cote Jardin menu for the U.S. Pork Festival featured the USMEF and U.S. pork logos.

Photo 3 — Putting U.S. meat on the world’s table. USMEF St. Petersburg Manager Anna Puzyrevskaya addresses a pre-U.S. Pork Festival seminar.