Meat and dairy showcased in Singapore

Exporters have been flying the flag for meat and dairy products from Britain at an event in Singapore in a bid to grow our overseas trade to Southeast Asia.

Under the banner ‘Food is GREAT’, 11 meat and dairy producers from across the country attended the Meat and Dairy Showcase to exhibit the high quality and superior taste of their products to restaurant and catering buyers in Singapore.

Organised jointly by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the Department for International Trade (DIT), the event attracted a wealth of key influencers from the food service sector and has been hailed a huge success.

AHDB Senior Export Manager Susan Stewart said the event, which was held at the High Commissioner’s residence, offered the perfect platform for exporters to meet with potential buyers and build on new and existing relationships in Singapore.

“This event was incredibly important for our meat and dairy exporters as it allowed them to network with potential buyers from the hotel and high-end restaurant sector,” she added. “It was very well attended and created quite a buzz.

“As well as developing new opportunities in this important market, guests were given the chance to sample some of our high quality products, including sausages and cheese. There was also a butchery display to highlight the wide variety of meat cuts as well as a Cheese Sommelier Tasting pairing artisan British cheeses with wines.

“Singapore is a key target market for our exports as it is a gateway into the Asian marketplace. It also has a large number of expats with high disposal incomes and we know from our research that people in Singapore eat out at least once a week, so targeting the food service sector could prove beneficial in growing our exports.”

Singapore is the UK’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, with two thirds of UK exports to this region flowing into Singapore. There is also more than 30,000 British nationals and some 700 British companies in Singapore.

Last year, the UK exported 2,700 tonnes of dairy products to Singapore, up 55 per cent on 2017 – worth £7.8 million. This growth was particularly driven by an increase in exports of skim milk powder and cheese. And in 2018, red meat exports were worth £2.7 million, according to HMRC data.