Image source, PS8/UK FDEA
image captionCheese was a big part of the British offering at Singapore's food showArticle InfoAuthor, Nick MarshRole, Business Correspondent, Singapore
30 minutes ago
In Asia, discussing food is like discussing the weather and can last for hours.
But a recent visit by the BBC to some of the region's leading food and drink events revealed that there are some dishes that leave even gourmets speechless.
“British food?'' asked a confused Thai woman. “Hmm…I'm not sure what that is. Is it like a sausage?
A Malaysian man nearby expressed his opinion without hesitation. Certainly nothing special,” he laughed.
These are sobering words for British exporters who were promised easy access to lucrative new markets after leaving the EU.
In 2021, for example, former International Trade Secretary Liz Truss told British food producers there was a “tremendous opportunity” to take British food to the “top of the world's food menus”.
The reality is that the UK still lags far behind major European countries, both in terms of sales and reputation.
“Educating people is a tough job,” says Stephen Jones, managing director of cheese exporter Somerdale International.
He introduces locals to strange-sounding cheeses like Stinking Bishop, Double Gloucester and Wensleydale at his stall at Singapore's FHA Food and Beverage Fair.
“The French, the Swiss and the Italians have been doing this much longer than we have. We are quite late in getting that message across,” he added.
It certainly brings a smile to my face when I see a group of travelers from South East Asia try Wensleydale for the first time and love it. But Britain's tiny pavilion dwarfs Italy's attention-grabbing exhibit just around the corner.
There, you'll see Michelin-starred chefs giving live cooking demonstrations, and Italian MasterChef winners chatting with their country's ambassadors. For Italy, selling food to Asia is not only good for the economy, it has long been a diplomatic act.
“Doing things like this is an important part of the job,” says Dante Brandi, who has been Italy's ambassador to Singapore and Brunei since last year.
image captionSteven Jones chats with visitors at a food fair and says it's a “hard job of educating people”
Speaking to the BBC under the Italian tricolor and the logo of his country's foreign ministry, Brandi explained how the trade fair forms part of the government structure.
“This is a holistic effort of what we call ‘Sistema Italia,’” he says. “This suite of institutions all aims to promote our food, gastronomy and way of life, which we spread around the world through our diplomatic and consular networks.”
However, it is clear that this type of success does not happen overnight. For example, panettone is now a Christmas staple in Singaporean supermarkets. But the woman who originally introduced the festive treat to Southeast Asia said it took “years of activism, tasting and promotion” before it finally hit Southeast Asian stores.
“Food is obviously an important export for Italy and something that Italians are very proud of,” says Giuseppina Pravato of Jupiter 57, an Italian delicatessen in Singapore.
“We have great relationships with Italian institutions, but 20 years ago it was basically just me, bringing in hundreds of panettones and literally giving them away to people who wanted to try them. ” she added.
It is not surprising that there is a rift between Britain and, in this case, Italy. In many cases, this is a long-term issue, predating Brexit and the current UK government, and speaks to the country's fundamental economic priorities.
Last year Italy exported food and drink worth €64.4bn (£55.4bn, $69.1bn) around the world, while the UK sold £24.4bn ($30.5bn). If you look at these figures as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), food and drink is 30 times more valuable to the Italian economy than it is to the British economy.
Many UK food exporters appear to be taking a realistic view of their place in the global food market. The problem, many argue, is that the government is not doing enough to match the rhetoric in terms of changing the situation.
Image source, PS8/UK FDEA
image captionBritish exhibitor at Singapore food show
Indeed, the British delegation in Singapore told the BBC that they could only attend because they paid for it out of their own pocket.
Karen Beston, from the Food and Drink Exporters Association, said: “Since 2019 we have not received any support from the government to support our participation in this type of show.”
“That makes it very difficult to stand out against other European groups and other world groups that are almost fully funded by their respective governments,” she added.
When the matter was brought to the UK Government by the BBC, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: “Promoting the interests of our farmers and food producers is a priority for our trade policy.” said.
Defra also pointed out that while suppliers do not receive direct public funding to support their participation in trade shows, last year they spent £1.6 million on events to promote the sale of British food, including tastings and networking opportunities. did.
The UK currently exports food and drink worth £3.5bn ($4.4bn) to Asia, an 18% increase on 2019. British ministers will say this is evidence that Britain's status as an “independent trading nation” has declined. The country's companies have benefited since leaving the European Union.
But over the same period, Italy's exports to Asia rose by 36% to €6.1bn (£5.2bn, $6.6bn).
“Having a supportive government is definitely important,” says Italian Ambassador Brandi.
“But the big advantage we enjoy, along with other EU countries, is the free trade agreements we have with a number of important Asian countries,” he added.
Nevertheless, opportunities exist for British producers in the wake of Brexit, great or not.
More than 60,000 people attended this year's event in Singapore. Analysts estimate that by the beginning of the next decade, people in Asia will spend $8 trillion annually on food.
“The potential is huge,” says Japnit Singh, chief operating officer at Spire Research and Consulting in Singapore.
“A few years ago, it was all about local food. We said that would never change, but we were wrong. We are seeing a change in habits. People want to eat Western food. and are willing to pay for it,” he added.
According to Singh, Asian tastes are becoming increasingly adventurous due to rising incomes, increased travel and, importantly, the influence of social media.
Image source, Somerdale International
image captionBritish cheesemakers want to export their products to Asia
Pursuing this market is central to the UK government's post-Brexit trade strategy. Last year, the UK signed an agreement to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a free trade agreement between 11 countries.
At the time, British Chancellor Rishi Sunak hailed the move as demonstrating the “real economic benefits of post-Brexit freedom”.
However, the government's own estimates suggest that the deal will only increase the size of the UK economy by 0.08% over 10 years. Furthermore, it already has free trade agreements with all CPTPP member countries except Malaysia and Brunei.
British food exporters are being steered towards regions such as Asia, but the EU market is currently still four times larger.
The problem is that trade with European countries is now increasingly problematic post-Brexit. Recent estimates estimate that the exporter's additional administrative costs last year amounted to he £58 million.
“Because of the new regulations, it's actually easier to sell to China than to France, which is crazy,” said Somerdale International's Jones.
The UK government insists it is considering the long-term situation. Last year, International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch told the BBC that these new markets would not “replace” EU trade, but rather “add to” it.
“You don't buy a small business and expect to be able to deliver it the same day. We're thinking about that possibility,” she added.
As for the possibility, Somerdale International's Jones agrees. “Union Jack actually has a decent reputation overseas when it comes to prestige and food safety. This is particularly important in China.”
After sampling his cheese, the skeptical Thai customer from earlier gave a thumbs up. For Mr Jones, this is all part of the educational process and part of Wensleydale at once.