Boost for UK booze exports, FDF reports

Total food and drink exports saw the biggest boost in first quarter sales on record, the FDF have reported, with sales rising 10.7% on last year’s figure to £5.8 billion.

Whisky topped the list of the UK’s top ten food and drink exports, rising in value by 19.2% in the first quarter of 2019, a boost of £183.6 million to take the total value of whisky exports to £1,139 million, it said, compared to the same period the previous year. Volumes sales also rose, up 15.8%. The value of Whisky exports equate roughly to the combined exports of the next five categories, salmon, chocolate, cheese, wine and gin.

Total wine exports (which includes wines bottled in the UK) also grew 19.7% by value to £173.3m (an increase of £28.5m) with volumes up 8.6%, but predictably it was gin that saw bumper sales of nearly 30%. The spirit saw value growth of 29.6% to £155.4m, a rise of £35.5m, on volumes up 19.5 %, while beer also rose by £21.4m, a rise of 19.6%, on volumes up 51.5%.

Overall exports to non-EU markets outpaced those to EU markets (+12.2% compared to +9.9%) but the FDF warned that despite the positive results, feedback from businesses at international trade fairs showed this was unlikely to continue. Key buyers in some of the top 20 markets said they were no longer willing to buy from UK exporters due to ongoing Brexit uncertainty, which could have a significant impact on food and drink export figures later in 2019.

FDF chief executive Ian Wright CBE said the food and drink industry had delivered an exceptional quarter of exports growth despite the damaging Brexit uncertainty that businesses have to contend but could deliver “so much more” with the right support in place

“We urge Government to co-invest in our Sector Deal proposals and help us to provide the support our industry urgently needs to further enhance this growth,” he said.