- Firms include Burt’s Snacks, Crème d’Or, Eat Natural, Franklin and Sons Ltd, Millennium Group, Taylors of Harrogate and Tiptree
- Trade mission seeks to open up opportunities in cuisine market worth over $6bn
Ten of the UK’s leading independent food and drink manufacturers took part in the first Santander trade mission to Singapore where they had the chance to meet with some of the country’s largest supermarket chains and leading buyers and distributors.
Organised by Santander Corporate & Commercial, in conjunction with Singapore bank UOB, British Chamber of Commerce Singapore (BritCham) and the Department of International Trade (DIT), the weeklong mission has sought to build relationships and create opportunities in an economy that imported $6.2billion worth of consumer-orientated food in 2017.
The requirement to meet the needs of a diverse population and workforce means that a large percentage of Singapore’s food must be imported, representing an enormous opportunity for UK firms wishing to tap into a desire for high-quality traditional British produce, as well as providing the perfect platform to grow into the wider Southeast Asia region.
The firms were able to take advantage of the Food & Hotel Asia Tradeshow, one of the largest in the region, where visits were arranged with a range of local buyers and distributors. Meetings were also setup with Cold Storage and NTUC FairPrice, two of Singapore’s largest supermarkets, and smaller luxury food chains including Culina Quality Food & Beverage, Euraco Fine Food and Associate & United Distributors.
The companies that attended the trip were Burt’s Snacks, Crème d’Or, Eat Natural, Franklin and Sons Ltd, Millennium Group, Paramount, Rakusen’s, Somerdale, Taylors of Harrogate and Tiptree.
The initiative is part of Santander Corporate & Commercial’s regular series of international trade missions across a range of UK sectors that are aimed at helping businesses export and capitalise on trade opportunities.
Richard Cuda, Head of Strategic Alliances, Santander Corporate & Commercial said: “Singapore and the wider Southeast Asia market represents an excellent opportunity for dynamic UK firms to meet the high demand for quality food and drink produce. Santander is perfectly placed to help those business connect with key distributers and buyers and working alongside our colleagues at UOB.
“The trade mission has also provided us with an excellent opportunity to showcase our Singaporean trade activity and demonstrate our in-country capabilities. Food and drink is a key sector for Santander Corporate & Commercial and we are committed to ensuring that British food and drink firms have the best opportunities possible when it comes to exporting overseas.”
The trade mission is part of Santander Corporate & Commercial’s drive to help the UK food and drink industry invest for growth and expand – in both the UK and abroad. The sector is one of the UK’s most successful and fast-growing markets and Santander is positioned to help firms capitalise on this momentum.
The trade missions are unique in the wider SME banking market – Santander regularly and proactively gets UK firms out to markets to meet buyers and network with key stakeholders. Previous trade missions have covered Chile, Argentina, the US, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.
UOB and Santander’s Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) alliance connects businesses to a global ecosystem of local bank and non-bank partners to facilitate greater cross-border trading between Southeast Asia and the UK. UK firms interested in attending future trade missions can read more about Santander’s ASEAN alliance in our guide to doing business there on our website www.santandercb.co.uk or contact International@santander.co.uk.
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Notes to Editors
More information about the businesses who participated on the Trade Mission is included here:
Creme d’Or
Established in 1991 and employing in excess of 30 people, Creme d'Or is the leading UK importer and distributor of quality confectionery, chocolate and fine foods, sourcing products from over 50 manufacturers across the UK and Europe to supply the UK retail trade.
Eat Natural
Eat Natural bars are made with love and care from delicious, honest ingredients. Eat Natural make everything themselves in small batches, pretty much by hand, at their very own “Makery” in Essex and keep recipes beautifully simple, so customers can taste exactly what’s in them.
Franklin & Sons’
Franklin & Sons’ products were first introduced in 1886 by the Franklin brothers who quickly established themselves as experts in creating authentic, high quality recipes made from delicious hand-picked ingredients. This ethos continues today with the range of premium soft drinks, tonics and mixers.
Millennium Group
Specialists in alcoholic and soft drinks, Millennium Group distribute international brands and their own range of water and energy drinks, to wine and cider from their London base and offices in Dubai and west Africa.
Paramount
Paramount are an independently-owned family business, founded in 1988 in the UK. Paramount specialises in creating premium, value added, frozen seafood, vegetarian and vegan products for today’s fast-paced global foodservice industry.
Rakusen’s
Rakusen’s has been around since the beginning of the last century, producing high quality delicious crackers baked using their unique open flame baking method. Beginning life as a provider of products to the local market in Leeds, Rakusens has developed into the supply of healthy, wholesome and natural products, catering to a need for those seeking simplicity and provenance with their food.
Somerdale
Somerdale is the leading exporter of British cheese to the USA with shipments leaving for New York every week. In addition, it has grown its presence in key markets, such as; China, Japan and the Far East, to the Caribbean, Australia and also emerging markets such as the Middle East and north Africa to Brazil.
Taylors of Harrogate
The story of Taylors starts back in 1886, when Charles Taylor and his two sons set up a tea and coffee company. C. E. Taylors & Sons became known for quality, and the flagship store at 1 Parliament Street, Harrogate became famous across the region.
Tiptree
The Wilkin family have been farming at Tiptree, Essex, since 1757 and making quality preserves since 1885. They grow a wide range of traditional English fruits and use them to make conserves and condiments in their nut-free factory by the farm.
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