On 23 September 2013 we were delighted to host a visit from Kiwao Komiyaof the Japanese Foodservice Companies Association and the heads of six of the biggest foodservice companies in Japan.

They were on a fact finding mission in the UK before flying to Germany to meet counterparts over there.

Kiwao and his colleagues toured the facilities at Pioneer’s Rosehill head office before a brief trip into town to visit the company’s city centre shop and Carlisle cathedral.

At lunchtime our visitors joined us for a traditional lunch of roast beef, baked ham and Cumberland sausage with all the trimmings, followed by homemade sticky toffee pudding and English Lakes dairy ice cream, washed down with a glass of real ale.

It was a pleasure to meet such lovely people who, whilst from a completely different culture, share the same passion that we do working in and supplying to the catering trade.