Building on Europe's multi-million pound appetite for British sheep meat has this week been in the spotlight with buyers from across the EU heading to the UK as part of a major trade mission.

Twelve delegates from France, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands have taken part in the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) mission to enhance the reputation of Quality Meat from Britain by showcasing British farming and food production.

The three-day visit (September 15 to 17) included visits to farms and processors to learn more about production of world class British lamb. It also included visits to butchers and retailers, as well as the chance to taste quality British lamb at a showcase dinner.

AHDB's mission followed the recent publication of figures for the first half of 2025, highlighting the value total UK red meat exports, including offal, were up nearly 10% on the year at £966 million. Fresh and frozen sheep meat exports to the EU from January to June increased in value by 13% to £323 million year on year.

Gareth Renowden, AHDB Head of International Marketing, said: "Making strong connections with people is key to helping ensure UK red meat exports thrive. We were delighted to host delegates from across the EU for them to gain valuable insight into how we produce our world-class lamb.

"Our export trade adds value of £40 per head for the sheep meat sector and the EU remains our biggest trading partner and a key destination for British lamb. It was a real privilege to welcome delegates from across Europe and to show them, first-hand, the passion and expertise that goes into producing our world-class lamb. These kinds of visits are a fantastic opportunity to build trust, understanding and appreciation of our world-class production standards."

The mission followed a busy first half of 2025, including AHDB's launch of a Quality Meat from Britain multilingual website site aimed at providing consistency of messaging around provenance and high production standards for British red meat in the European market.

AHDB also continued its partnership with Interbev – the National Interprofessional Association of Livestock and Meat in France – to expand the delivery of the "Changeons l'Agneau" ("Let's Change Lamb") campaign in France. The campaign has played a major role in upskilling butchers and focusing on smaller cuts to help drive demand among younger French consumers.

Next month (October) AHDB will be joined by red meat export businesses at Anuga in Cologne – this year's largest international trade show which attracts industry buyers and key decision makers from around the world.

Gareth added: "We've been very active, working on behalf of our levy payers to add value to the red meat sector and this inward mission is part of a wider portfolio of international trade development activity. This includes work on market access, participation in international trade shows, outward missions and the work of our representatives in-market. This work on the ground, coupled with consumer and international market analysis from our Market Intelligence team, helps equip our exporters with insight and practical support to succeed.

"Following this mission, we are looking forward to Anuga next month to support our exporters in building on existing business relationships and to develop new ones. We look forward to continuing working with industry and government to support our exporters in being best placed to ensure our world class produce thrives internationally."

Further information about provenance and high production standards for British red meat in the European market can be found on the Quality Meat from Britain website.

Further details about export opportunities for British red meat and dairy can be found in the AHDB analysis Prospects for UK agri-food exports.