Exporters have been flying the flag for British meat and dairy products at a trade event in Singapore in a bid to grow post-Brexit trade in Asia.
Eleven meat and dairy producers attended the Meat and Dairy Showcase to exhibit high-quality British produce to the Singaporean market.
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.
Organised jointly by AHDB and the Department for International Trade, the event was hosted under the banner ‘Food is GREAT’.
AHDB Senior Export Manager Susan Stewart said the event 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.
“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.”
The event hosted 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 has a large number of expats with high disposal incomes. Research shows that people in Singapore eat out at least once a week, so targeting the food service sector could prove beneficial in growing British exports post-Brexit.
The event follows news of China opening its vast market to British beef imports for the first time in twenty years.
British beef is now exported to China for the first time since the BSE, or 'mad cow', crisis in 1996.
