Region’s food and drink exports rose 11% during 2017

Exports of Yorkshire and the Humber food and drink rose by 11% in 2017 compared to the previous 12 months, the latest HMRC figures show.

The amount of food and drink exports from the region increased to £1.14bn in the year to December 2017. Best sellers overseas included meat (£157m), dairy/eggs (£73m) and beverages (£58m).

The national exporting picture shows that total goods exports from the UK increased by 11.5% to £625.9bn and total food and drink exports increased by 8% to £22bn in 2017.

One Yorkshire business that’s experienced this growth first-hand is Northern Monk Brew Co. The business has exported to 22 different countries, including Norway, Iceland, New Zealand and Japan, in just four years of operation.

Exporting has helped the firm to double its turnover each year, with Northern Monk Brew Co expecting to hit a revenue of £4m in 2018. The business is now ranked amongst the top 100 out of 24,000 worldwide breweries, according to Rate Beer Best.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for International Trade (DIT) have been supporting food and drink businesses in the region as part of Food is GREAT.

As part of Defra and DIT’s support, in 2017 the government departments took a number of Yorkshire and the Humber based companies to markets around the world on trade missions, including the Food and Hotel China (FHC) show in Shanghai and Gulfood in Dubai.

Mark Robson, Regional Director at the Department for International Trade in Yorkshire and the Humber said: “These latest figures back up the first-hand experience of the many companies in Yorkshire and the Humber that are already feeling the benefits of increased global trade and finding success in overseas markets.

“We want firms to export their products and take advantage of the support available through DIT.”