Flying the flag for British dairy

From Singapore’s bustling supermarkets to Saudi Arabia’s vibrant retail scene and Bangkok’s international trade halls, the past three months have seen our Export team take British cheese and dairy products to new audiences around the world.

With over 38,000 kilometres travelled, 25 companies involved and a presence in five international cities, the quarter has been about more than just miles, it’s been about impact, relationships and new market opportunities.

The quarter began in Singapore, where we partnered with Cold Storage, one of the country’s leading retail groups, to launch a six-month campaign under the banner ‘Flavour of the Month – Quality Dairy from Britain.’

The opening roadshow in late July was a crowd-pleaser, featuring in-store tastings and promotions that drove an impressive 72.9% uplift in sales compared with the previous week.

Five British dairy brands have since rotated through their 50-store network.

For many shoppers, this was their first taste of British cheese and early feedback has been encouraging, with children developing a taste for Red Leicester and Oak Smoked varieties.

In September, the team turned to Saudi Arabia, running a ‘Back to School’ promotion in Lulu hypermarkets.

The campaign showcased the products from nine British exporters, introducing shoppers to a wide range of British favourites, including Cheddar, Cheshire, Red Leicester, yogurts, creams and cottage cheese, all of which continue to perform strongly in this market.

Meanwhile, in Bangkok, we joined three exporters for Food Ingredients Asia, a leading food ingredients event.

Before that, the team travelled to Cambodia with Agri-food Attaché Ricki Jennings for a market insights mission, uncovering promising opportunities for British exporters in an emerging market that is keen to explore dairy imports.

Momentum shows no sign of slowing. October kicked off with a retail promotion in Chicago with Caputo Markets, introducing British dairy to US consumers through education and sampling.

Attention then turned to Cologne for Anuga, the world’s largest food trade fair, where we hosted a hub stand for 13 British exporters on the British pavilion, alongside  another 8 who were walking the show.

Mid-month, the Dairy Export Conference in London brings together exporters, government representatives and our export teams.

The month also features a mission to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to strengthen existing relationships.

In November, we return to Food Hotel China in Shanghai with a collaborative dairy and pork stand, featuring tastings and consumer education.

Later in the month, Thailand hosts a ‘Taste of the UK’ promotion with Central Retail, running across 1,890 stores and reinforcing the country as a priority market for the year ahead.