China became the eighth-largest importer of food and drink from the United Kingdom in 2017, according to new data that shows a growing Chinese appetite for British milk powder, salmon, whisky, and beer.
UK food and drink exports to China grew by 28 percent last year, to reach 564.4 million pounds ($783.6 million) in value, according to trade figures released by the UK's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which is also called Defra.
China rose up the rankings from ninth in 2016, when UK exports to China totaled 439.5 million pounds.
The United States is the only country outside the European Union to consume more British food and drink than China.
Milk powder was the top export product by value last year, when exports were worth 72.9 million pounds, up 44 percent on 2016. The UK exported 69.9 million pounds of salmon to China last year, up 28 percent. And the Chinese imported 61.8 million pounds worth of British whisky, up 47 percent on the previous year. British beer exports to China are also growing quickly in popularity, increasing to be worth 45.9 million pounds, which was 127 percent more than in 2016.
The UK Food and Drink Federation, which is also known as the FDF, said there is growing Chinese interest in the UK's "afternoon tea" products, which includes jams, scones, tea, and cakes. The UK sold 2 million pounds of tea to China last year. "The FDF has sought to highlight the opportunities a market the size of China can present to food and drink manufacturers and would-be exporters," said Dominic Goudie, FDF's export policy manager. "The government too is supporting businesses by negotiating new market access for certain products, with meat being a prime example, which has helped businesses begin to exploit the value of China as an export destination."
In January last year, China announced plans to lift a ban on British beef imports. And in November, two companies in Northern Ireland gained approval to export pig trotters to China in a deal that could generate 20 million pounds a year for UK farmers.
Defra said that, in total, the UK exported 22 billion pounds of food and drink products last year, up 9 percent on 2016. The top five exports were whisky, salmon, chocolate, cheese, and beer. The UK's top export destinations were the Republic of Ireland, France, the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany.
NB GIN
It is the most frequently selected Gin for events and parties including Royal selection for Queen's 90th birthday, Sony music event, top 100 brands in the world by Rolls Royce, etc. NB Gin is a pure and clear grain spirit, uses only the fi nest of 8 botanicals.
Esker GIN
Multiple awards winning GIN - the only Scottish GIN brand to win Gold in International Wind & Spirit Competition 2017 and 2018. The Gin Champion in Scottish Gin Blind Challenge 2017, beating 59 Scottish Gins competitors. Esker Gin is produced in a Scottish highland estate.
Penderyn
Baijiu is made at the Penderyn Distillery, in Brecon National Park, in Wales, UK. Penderyn Distillery is the home of Penderyn Single Malt Whisky, Brecon and Brecon Botanicals Gin and Five Vodka – an internationally award winning range of spirits crafted by a team of passionate experts, that combine the best of traditional practises, with some modern advances to improve quality.
BORDER BISCUITS
BORDER BISCUITS, originating from a traditional Scottish handmade biscuit brand in 1984, is still a family-run business. Over the years, every biscuit has been made with care to ensure the original taste and high quality of the product, so that people can not only enjoy the authentic taste but also share happiness. The company’s traditional recipes for biscuits come from local villages and markets, using traditional natural materials such as fresh butter, fi ne sugar, rich milk chocolate and white raisins to create delicious, fl uffy biscuits that instantly melt in your mouth.
Hartridges
Hartridges is a family soft drinks company that prides itself on producing premium quality soft drinks and juices loved by generations. The range of quality tonic water will delight on fl avour and price; made using the finest ingredients and inspired by our original Tonic recipe 130 years ago.
Story Drinks
Story is a company that has 30 years experience across all sectors of the drinks industry, supplying to the hotel, restaurant and bar market, restaurants, cafe bars, coffee shops, health clubs, conference centres and the like. The lightly sparkling, natural fruit Pressés, are a blend of fruit juices and sparkling natural spring water, which has been filtered through the 250 million year old pebble beds of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, resulting in a delicious range of light, refreshing, low calorie, natural products, with nothing artifi cial added and "always a pleasure" ... whatever the occasion.
USR (Shanghai Urban shock retail Co., Ltd）
USR is a British company based in China. It is committed to providing authentic, branded and well-known British and other overseas foods for Chinese consumers. USR is founded by British entrepreneur Richard Archer-Perkins, an native Englishman who has lived in China for years and owns many international companies such as ET2C. He has been committed to improving trade relations between China and the UK, and providing Chinese consumers with British snacks that are more British, more authentic, and more delicious. With more than 20 years of Sino-British trade experience, Richard has accumulated quality credit and resources from Chinese and British enterprises, which makes it possible for him to identify excellent brands for Chinese consumers and bring it to the China’s market in a fast and professional way.
Fujian North Star Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.
It is an enterprise integrating aquaculture, processing, sales and import and export of aquatic products. The company is also engaged in the import of high-end aquatic products,such as cold water shrimp, toothfish, smoked salmon, black gold abalone and other high-end aquatic products. Fujian North Star cooperated with Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd in 2016, imported Loch Fyne smoked salmon from the UK and became the exclusive importer and distributor of the Loch Fyne branded smoked salmon products within Mainland China through all sales channels. Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd are dedicated to providing the world with Scotland’s finest seafood. Loch Fyne Oyster Ltd mainly produces smoked salmon and other products of Loch Fyne brand, and has won various awards and honors in the catering industry over the years, especially the queen of England award in 2014. Responsibly farmed in the cool,clear waters of Scotland’s West Coast.Loch Fyne smoked salmon is renowned for its quality and depth of flavour.
BURTS
Burts is the imported potato chips at the top of the pyramid in the UK. It represents the potato chips used by the British middle class, the real local high-end potato chips brand in the UK. It is also the online potato chips of the UK's local social media INS and Facebook. After BURTS has been competing in the WEST AWARDS and Great Taste AWARDS since 13 years ago, Every Taste has won a large number of AWARDS almost from the beginning. Tractor stamp of approval – the UK’s largest food assurance scheme – for being the first licensed crisps manufacturer to use accredited British potatoes which are farmed responsibly, processed and packed in the UK.
Source: www.food2china.com
