British red meat is carving out a growing reputation on the global stage — and this week, buyers from four continents came to the UK to see exactly why.
Twenty-eight buyers from the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East took part in the largest-ever inward trade mission for the UK red meat sector, organised by AHDB and held from 2–5 June.
Over four days, delegates visited farms and processors across the West Country to learn first-hand about the production of world-class British beef, lamb, and pork.
The mission culminated in a ‘meet the buyer’ event and gala dinner at Butcher’s Hall in London, attended by exporters and UK Government representatives.
The evening also featured a panel discussion, during which guests heard from AHDB market analysts and the international trade development team on the quality of UK red meat, current market access, and future trade potential.
Jonathan Eckley, AHDB’s international trade development director, said: "Connecting with people is essential to helping ensure UK red meat exports thrive.
"We were delighted to welcome key industry figures from a wide portfolio of markets to take part in our inward mission.
"It provided the ideal platform for buyers from across the world to gain further insight at source into how we produce our world-class red meat.
"The mission provided the full pasture to plate experience, with delegates joining us at the gala dinner to taste this quality produce for themselves."
Last year, UK red meat exports reached a value of £1.77 billion, bolstered by strong demand for beef shipments to Europe and beyond.
The value of beef, lamb, and pig meat exports in 2024 grew by 3.3% compared to the previous year.
Mr Eckley acknowledged that last year was a positive one for British red meat exports: “The figures underlined the global appetite for our red meat produce."
He stressed the importance of maintaining this momentum through activities such as the latest inward mission, which forms part of AHDB’s broader international trade strategy.
This includes efforts to improve market access, participation in major international trade shows, outward trade missions, and ongoing support from AHDB’s in-market representatives.
Looking ahead, he highlighted that in October, “we will be joined by exporters from our red meat and dairy sectors at Anuga in Cologne, this year’s biggest global trade show, which will attract industry buyers and key decision-makers from around the world.”
Mr Eckley added that this on-the-ground activity is backed by market analysis from AHDB, helping to equip UK exporters with the insights and practical support needed to succeed internationally.
“Recent headlines have highlighted the importance of international trade, and we should be rightly proud of the quality red meat we offer to markets around the world.
“It has been a pleasure to highlight this to our international delegates, with the support of our exporters and colleagues in government.”
Mr Eckley concluded: “We look forward to continuing to work with industry and government to help ensure our exporters are best placed to keep our world-class produce in pride of place on the global table.”
