UK food export facts

The UK food and drink industry is one of the most dynamic in the world. Its reputation for product quality, innovation and marketing is second to none - and its potential for market growth is enormous.

The UK industry

• The food and drink manufacturing industry is the single largest manufacturing sector in the UK, with a turnover of £74bn accounting for 15% of the total manufacturing sector.
• The industry employs some 470,000 people. This represents 13% of the manufacturing workforce in the UK. In addition, an estimated 1.2 million workers in ancillary activities depend on a successful food and drink industry for their jobs.
• The sector is an important trading partner with Europe: exporting over £11bn of food and drink products a year, two-thirds of which go the EU. We are the world's eighth largest exporter of food and drink.
• The industry is an important partner of British farming: buying 75% of all the UK's agricultural produce. All this economic activity is carried out by 6,657 food and drink enterprises – many of which are small companies, many employing less than 10 people.
• In 2007, the UK launched 8,000 new food and drink products, up 32.5% compared to the previous year.

Exports

• Total food and drink exports for 2007 were worth £11.5 billion, up 9% versus 2006
• Total food exports accounted for £7,340.8m in 2007, increasing by 8.8% versus 2006.
• Drinks registered even more positive results, rising by 9.8% to reach £4,110.1m.
• All major product categories recorded positive export results during the year, with the exception of Soft Drinks (-12.7% to £201.6m), registering a decrease of sales to a number of key European and North American markets.
• With the exception of Japan, the USA and Belgium/Luxemburg, declining respectively by 3.2% to £137.2m, by 0.5% to £896.8m and 2.0% to £311.8m, all the top 15 UK export markets put in a strong performance during 2007.
• In particular, Germany was the fastest growing European market (+28.3% to £779.7m) due to rebounding whisky and cereals results, followed by Greece registering 24.4% growth to £197.5m, due to growing exports of whisky and bakery products.
• Ireland remains the top UK export market and has continued to grow steadily during 2007, up by 12.4% overall to reach a value of over £2.2bn.
• Exports to the EU increased by 12.7% to £7,778.4m in 2007, accounting for a slightly larger share of total exports (67.9%) versus 2006.
• Exports to Non-EU countries have increased as well, going up by 2.3% to £3,672.5m.

Use the 'related links' on the right-hand side to access international market overviews.