Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson will arrive in China on Monday to fly the flag for British food.

He will be joined by a delegation of 35 British food and drink businesses, tapping into the Chinese market at the Food and Hotel China exhibition in Shanghai. The British companies span the food and drinks market, from tea and beers to cheese, smoked salmon, desserts and confectionary.

Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson said:

“With Britain’s global reputation for quality and China’s increasing demand for Western-style food and drink, there is no better time to tap into the Asian market. I will be doing all I can to promote our products and make it easier for aspiring British entrepreneurs to strike new export deals with China.”

The food and drink industry contributed a staggering £96.1 billion to the UK economy last year, employing nearly four million people. It’s the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, creating more than 8,500 new products a year.

The UK is continuing to cash in on its global reputation for quality food and drink, increasing exports by nearly 50% in the past decade, to the value of £18.2 billion.

Defra and UKTI recently launched an international export action plan to encourage more food and drink companies to venture into overseas markets by getting the right support to business at home and championing British food abroad.

WHO: Pukka Herbs, organic tea, herbal products, skincare

LOCATION: Office – Bristol, Factory - Gloucester

CONTACT: Sally Ann Fry sally-ann.fry@pukkaherbs.com 0117 3015451

WEBSITE www.pukkaherbs.com

ABOUT:

Pukka Herbs established in 2001, is the the number oneorganic fruit and herbal tea brand in the UK and is growing at 66% year on year

Globally, they sell tea to over 40 countries and international sales represent over 50% of our total business.

WHO: Imporient, tea  

LOCATION:  London

CONTACT: Daniel Graham Email: tea@imporient.com - 0208 699 0511

WEBSITE: http://www.imporient.co.uk/

ABOUT:

Tea company based in London and Kenya, est. in 1974 and family based..

Only UK independent tea company to handle tea at all levels of the supply chain; from point-of-origin through to point-of-sale.

Majority of their staff based in Kenya, 10 staff in the UK based in London

No current presence in China, keen to exploit food service and retail markets

WHO: Trioni, UHT milk

LOCATION: Pembrokeshire, Wales / Somerset

CONTACT: HLaurence Harris Email: Laurence@trioni.com 07967581492

WEBSITE: http://trioni.com/

ABOUT:

Third generation organic dairy farmers on 2,000 acres.

Pool milk into cooperative OMSCO, then buy back milk from Welsh producers to process in Somerset factory, Framptons.

Realised massive opportunity for UHT milk abroad.

Earlier this year they were successful in securing the first organic certificate in China allowing them to supply to the booming Chinese retail dairy market.

Worked with government department UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), the China-Britain Business Council, and Chinese distributor, Silver River Foods, to help overcome complicated market regulations.

First shipment about to arrive this  week in Hong Kong

WHO: Somerdale International Ltd, cheese

LOCATION: Somerset

CONTACT: Stephen Jones, Managing Director, Stephen@somerdale.co.uk / 01823 653533

WEBSITE: www.somerdale.co.uk

ABOUT:

Entirely focussed on export markets – it represents 100% of their business.

Help smaller cheese suppliers by acting as a kind of ‘agent’ through which they can export their products.

Wholly supports SME’s being encouraged to develop their export markets.

Says it is a steep learning curve to breaking in to the export market.

Been exporting to Shanghai for the last few years.

Chinese market increasingly Westernised – big cities and regions like Shanghai and Hong Kong are influenced by American and British cultures so people are eating Western foods like cheese that traditionally there hasn’t been much appetite for. Also a status symbol for the burgeoning middle classes.

Sell flavoured cheeses with mango, ginger and cranberry as Far East prefers sweeter, milder cheeses.

WHO: Spencer and Fleetwood, chocolates, mints, bespoke edible gifts

LOCATION: Surrey

CONTACT: John Pritchard 01372 734070 /   sales@spencerandfleetwood.com

WEBSITE www.spencerandfleetwood.com

ABOUT:

Already export in Australasia, Europe, Scandinavia, North America and South Africa. 

Company has been going since 1986 but they are looking to expand

Domestic and Export sales 50:50

Certification is a problem in China

Supply to trade customers- for example River Island, New Look and Mr Simms

Testing the water

Following last years’ Food and Hotel China, they returned to Shanhai to agree an initial order, but they are still to ship it so they are returning to Shanghai to try and break the logjam.

WHO: New York Delhi, premium nuts

LOCATION: HQ in Barnes, a few factories in Cambridgeshire and London
CONTACT: nina@newyorkdelhi.com, 0208 876 7057
ABOUT:

Import nuts from China, add spice then plan to sell back

Already export to Hong Kong - want to export to mainland China

Sell to retailers, hoteliers at premium end of the market

China ‘just want British brands; it’s gone beyond having a mulberry bag, now they want to open their fridge and show international food’

Find lots of paperwork hurdles exporting to China

Business is booming - exports grew from 2% to 45% in one year

WHO: Maclean’s Highlands Bakery, shortbreads and oatcakes

LOCATION: Morayshire, Scotland

CONTACT: 01309672859 (General number for the company)

EMAIL: info@highlandsbakery.co.uk

WEBSITE: www.macleansbakery.com

ABOUT:

Bakery has been running for four generations

Attended Food and Hotel China exhibition last year and seen big rise in exports.

WHO: Good Carb, granola and cereal bars wholesaler

LOCATION: Wales but uses foods manufactured in England

CONTACT: Nigel Bryan - nigel@good-carb-food.co.uk / 01554 755009 / 07713 332463

WEBSITE: www.lizis.co.uk

ABOUT:

Export to 35 countries, which is 25 per cent of business.

Biggest export market at the moment is Middle East, Dubai and Kuwait.

Targeting Asian market – Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Working with distributors to find seller in China

There foods are health foods and low-sugar so particularly good for people with diabetes, which they say is a problem in China.

WHO: North Yorkshire Brewery

LOCATION: North Yorkshire

CONTACT: George Tinsley 01287 630200 sales@nybrewery.co.uk  George.tinsley@hotmail.co.uk

WEBSITE: http://www.nybrewery.co.uk/

ABOUT:

The Micro Brewery is based at Pinchinthorpe Hall near Guisborough, a privately owned Country House which is situated in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty.

North Yorkshire Brewing Co produces over 20 cask and bottled ales.

They currently distribute throughout the UK but now wish to export.

They are targeting Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

WHO: Weetabix

LOCATION: Kettering

CONTACT: Emma Varlow  weetabixchina@weetabix.com

WEBSITE: www.weetabix.com

ABOUT:

Weetabix, Britain's second-largest branded manufacturer of breakfast cereals and cereal bars, was founded in 1932 under the name, British and African Cereal Company. It changed its name to Weetabix in 1936.

Weetabix is a whole grain wheat breakfast cereal produced by Weetabix Limited in the United Kingdom.

It comes in the form of palm-sized biscuits. Variants include organic and Weetabix Minis (bite-sized) versions.

The UK cereal is manufactured in Burton Latimer, Kettering, England, and in Canada and exported to over 80 countries

In May 2012 they announced investment from China’s leading food group Bright Foods, which brought major investment which they believe will enable further international growth

WHO: Dale Farm

LOCATION: Belfast, Northern Ireland

CONTACT: Conor Greene 02890 372200 conor.greene@dalefarm.co.uk

WEBSITE: http://www.dalefarm.co.uk

ABOUT:

Dale Farm Limited manufactures and markets a wide range of dairy products covering milk, cream, milk powders, cheese, butter, dairy spreads, yogurts, ice cream and desserts.

Dale Farm is part of the United Dairy Farmers Group, a UK dairy farmer co-operative owned by over 1900 dairy farmers who supply it with fresh milk.

Dale Farm has operations throughout the UK and Ireland producing and distributing a wide range of dairy products which it sells across the UK and Ireland as well as exporting to over 45 countries world-wide.

WHO: Irwins Bakery

LOCATION: Co Armagh, Northern Ireland

CONTACT: Brandan Lappin blappin@irwinsbakery.com

WEBSITE: www.irwinsbakery.com

ABOUT:

Irwin’s is Northern Ireland’s largest independent bakery and supplies a wide range of traditional Irish breads to supermarkets throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The company has over 450 employees and they bake over 1 million loaves and morning goods every week.

25% of Irwin's products are sold in Great Britain, 12% in the Republic and the rest is sold in Northern Ireland.

They are now looking to export to China.