UK showcases the best of British food and drink at Taste of Dubai and Gulfood 2025
Last week, the UK Government's GREAT Campaign delivered exciting activations at two of the region's notable food and beverage events – Taste of Dubai and Gulfood 2025 – highlighting the UK's contribution to quality, innovation and sustainability in the food and drink sector.
TASTE OF DUBAI: A TASTE OF UK SHOWCASE
At Taste of Dubai, the 'Taste of the UK' stand provided festivalgoers with an immersive experience of British gastronomy. Featuring a curated selection of premium British and Northern Irish products, the stand highlighted the UK's world-class food and drink heritage, from award-winning artisanal snacks, products and drinks.
Canape tasting and live mixology demonstrations showcased the versatility of British ingredients, with dishes and mixed drinks inspired by the UK's diverse culinary landscape.
Visitors were treated to canapes made by the renowned Chef Russell Impiazzi that incorporated Scottish salmon, Welsh yoghurt from Rachel's Organic and White's oats and much more. These flavoursome bites demonstrated the versatility and quality of UK produce, while inspiring visitors to experiment with these exceptional ingredients at home.
Cocktail samples were served to represent the four nations of the UK, AU Vodka from Wales, Chapel Down English Sparkling Wine from England, The Botanist Gin from Scotland and Bushmills Whiskey from Northern Ireland, all kindly donated by drinks distributor African & Eastern.
GULFOOD 2025: STRENGTHENING UK-GCC TRADE TIES
Building on Taste of Dubai success, the GREAT Campaign amplified the UK's presence at Gulfood 2025, the world's largest annual F&B trade exhibition. The UK Government pavilion hosted a dynamic lineup of over 20 UK businesses, spanning heritage brands and emerging disruptors in the food and drink industry. National pavilions for Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland further underscored the depth and diversity of UK products available to the region.
UK exhibitors engaged with key GCC buyers, distributors, and retailers, exploring opportunities to expand market access and strengthen trade ties. The UK and GCC are currently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that could significantly enhance UK food and drink exports by reducing tariffs on key products such as cereals, chocolate, and baking goods, making them more accessible and cost-effective for consumers in the region.
Santander UK were the UK Government's Official Partner for Gulfood 2025 and talking about the support Monika Kemp, Country Specialist UAE & Australia said, 'We were pleased to attend Gulfood this year, as part of our ongoing partnership with the Department for Business & Trade, helping boost international growth for UK businesses.
'The food and drink sector is important to us all and, our global connectivity means that we can introduce businesses to the people they need to know. Whether they're just setting out on their international journey or are an established multinational, we're here to support every step of the way.'
With the GCC market's increasing appetite for premium and sustainable food products, the UK Government's strategic participation at both Taste of Dubai and Gulfood has further solidified its trade relationships in the region. The UK food and drink sector, valued at £146.7 billion and supporting 4.2 million jobs, continues to be a key global player, with the GCC serving as a vital export market.
Natalie Best-Garrett at the British Embassy in the UAE, added, 'We would like to thank our official Gulfood partner Santander UK and all of our supporters from UK food and drink sector, from producers to buyers and distributors. We've had numerous businesses donating their products so we can showcase them on the international stage at these events in Dubai, and we are very grateful.
'The UK's presence at Taste of Dubai and Gulfood 2025 reflects our commitment to strengthening trade ties with the GCC and showcasing the very best of British food and drink.
'The demand for premium, high-quality, and sustainably produced food is growing rapidly across the region, and UK producers are well-positioned to meet this demand. Through the GREAT campaign, we are reinforcing the UK's leadership in food innovation, sustainability, and excellence, ensuring that British products continue to be a preferred choice for consumers and businesses in the Gulf.'
The GREAT Campaign remains committed to supporting UK businesses in expanding their international footprint, reinforcing the UK's position as a trusted supplier of high-quality food and drink products worldwide.
For more information on the GREAT Food & Drink campaign in the UAE visit https://greatbritishfood.ae/.
Follow on social media @greatbritishfood #GREATBritishFood
Full list of sponsors and partners:
Taste of Dubai 2025
African & Eastern
Au Vodka
Belvoir Farm
Bonds of London
Borna
Burren Balsamics
Bushmills
Castle Dairies
Chapel Down
Dosha
Drooly
Folkington's
Golden Hooves
Halen Môn
Harvey & Brockless
Hilltop Honey
Pro Hydrate
Joe & Seph
Kan-nrg
London Tea Exchange
Mornflake Oats
Mr Filbert's
Mowi
Pep & Lekker
Rachel's Organic
RoniB's Kitchen
The Botanist
The British Hamper Company
The Fine Cheese Co
Unrooted
Walker's
White's
Welsh Lady Preserves
Gulfood 2025
Santander UK
Hybu Cig Cymru, Meat Promotion Wales
Rachel's Organic
Halen Môn
Hilltop Honey
Mowi
JK Thomson
White's
Mornflake
Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
Harvey & Brockless
Burren Balsamics
Castle Dairies
Seafood Scotland
Golden Hooves
Santander UK
Santander UK was the UK Government's Official Partner for Gulfood 2025. Santander had representatives at the UK stand to talk about the ways the bank help boosts international growth for UK businesses. For more information visit: Moving into international markets | Santander Corporate and Commercial Banking
GREAT Campaign
The GREAT Food and Drink Campaign brings the best of the UK's exceptional food and drink produce to consumers across the globe. From Scottish salmon and English sparkling wine, Welsh Lamb to Northern Irish gin, our food is recognised at home and abroad for its great taste and high quality.
In the UK, we often do things a little differently. British producers aren't afraid to push boundaries and adapt to diverse audiences and changing tastes. But it's not all about the next best thing, we do the classics well too. This uniquely British blend of the old and the new is driving international demand, with UK food and drink exported to 220 countries and territories across the globe.
https://greatbritishfood.ae/
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arabian Post
33 minutes ago
- Arabian Post
Why is the dollar falling?
Matein Khalid My macro crystal ball begins to vibrate ominously whenever a perma-bull talking head joins the Squawk Box on CNBC, my spiritual, philosophical and financial lodestar in life and La Dolce Vita of the mercati monetari globali. After all, our beautiful business began as a money lender's bench in Renaissance Florence 600 years ago and if we ever ran out of cash, they ruptured our banco – i.e bankrupted us. The biggest money lenders in Europe were the Medici, whose family bank was the Citicorp of medieval Europe, a family that provided Christendom with a succession of Roman Popes and two Queens of France, both evil murderesses. Sadly, the Banco Medici did not survive the English King Edward IV's sovereign default during the Wars of the Roses. Trump, Modi and Putin have taught us an ancient lesson that we ignore geopolitical risk at our own peril since money is the greatest aphrodisiac in the chancelleries of power as another great Florentine Niccolo Machiavelli taught us in his magnum opus – The Prince. ADVERTISEMENT I have been warning investors in the GCC to protect their purchasing power by bailing out of the US dollar in favour of gold, the Euro and sterling since early January with all the subtlety of a broken record. The DXY was 110 then. Gold traded at 2640 an ounce, the Euro was 1.0260 and the British pound was 1.22. Hopefully you drank the currency kool aid the pied piper of Dubai offered you in successive money rants since gold is now 3377 an ounce, the Euro is 1.1431 and the British pound is 1.3540. So I must pay homage to the values of my real homeland Italia – Mamma, Pasta, Discoteca, which is a lot more fun than unity, faith and discipline, three fronts where I have dismally failed to excel in my life. Viva Italia, il paese più bello del mondo! The Bible says that man does not live by bread alone and I say that the $28 trillion US economy does not live on ChatGPT alone. Housing is the ultimate supersector and US homebuilder stocks are down 30-35% on Wall Street since a 7% 30-year fixed mortgage rate and a 2% real Fed funds rate virtually guarantees a recession that will begin sometime when I am doing my best to forget the world woes on the beaches of Cap d'Antibes and my beloved Villefranche on the exquisite Côte d'Azur in August. Powell is resisting Trump's pressure to cut rates since he is paranoid about tariff-ignited inflation risk at a time when the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada, the RBA, the ECB and Swedish Riksbank have all pivoted to easy money. This means the US dollar should strengthen but exactly the opposite is happening. Why? Because the cognoscenti know that the hard data will turn soft very soon and Powell will be forced to bring the Fed funds rate back to neutral at the September FOMC conclave with a 'shock and awe' 50 basis point rate cut. The money market is insane since it prices in only two rate cuts. To me, a neutral Fed funds rate is 2.5%, so I expect at least 6 or 7 rate cuts till the summer of 2026. This means the US dollar will be leprosy for those poor souls who still believe in Pax Americana, whose only sacred rule is 'In Trump We Trust', all others must pay cash or TrumpCoin! My macro view also takes me to Euro defense stocks, British inflation linked gilts, Swedish banks and South Korean chaebol/securities firms. This is an opportune moment to accumulate long duration treasury notes now that the yield on the 10 year is 4.46% and the TLT tracker trades at 84.50. I want to buy call options on TLT to generate a 20% USD return to compensate me for Trump's foreign exchange goonda tax, which Lord Keynes euphemistically called seigniorage when the apostles of supermoney met all those years ago at Bretton Woods in the morning of creation. ADVERTISEMENT In my valuation paradigm, the S&P 500 index offers a negative risk premium and the equity bulls will be left with as bloodier derriere as those locos who run with the bulls in Pamplona. I have seen the festival of San Fermín and it is a carnival of human insanity run amok as the bulls charge to gore the fleshiest backsides on offer with their razor-sharp horns. There was a reason why the commodities king Marc Rich was known as the matador as he loved to kill every energy bull market he saw. RIP to the King of Oil and King of Zug! Also published on Medium. Notice an issue? Arabian Post strives to deliver the most accurate and reliable information to its readers. If you believe you have identified an error or inconsistency in this article, please don't hesitate to contact our editorial team at editor[at]thearabianpost[dot]com. We are committed to promptly addressing any concerns and ensuring the highest level of journalistic integrity.
Zawya
35 minutes ago
- Zawya
India's iron ore imports to trend higher, but it's no China: Russell
(The views expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.) LAUNCESTON, Australia - The rise of India's steel sector is touted as a boost for iron ore miners seeking to find new markets as China's output eases, but the reality is likely to fall short of the hype. India's steel-making capacity is currently about 200 million metric tons per annum and the South Asian nation has ambitious plans to reach 300 million by 2030. Working on the assumption that these plans come close to being realised, how does that alter the dynamics in the global seaborne iron ore market? In order to get to an answer, it's important to work out how much of the demand for iron ore from the new steel mills can be met by India's own mines. India is the fourth-largest iron ore miner and its production hit a record 289 million tons in the fiscal year from April 2024 to March 2025, according to preliminary government data. This was up from the previous fiscal year's 277 million tons, but is also well short of what would be required to supply a 300 million tons per annum steel-making sector. Depending on the grade of iron ore used, it takes about 1.6 tons to make one ton of steel using the blast furnace/basic oxygen furnace process, the most common method in both India and top steel producer China. Is it possible that India's domestic iron ore output could rise to around 460 million tons by 2030, and if it could, is it also possible that the infrastructure required to transport ore to steel mills can be put in place? Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal told the Business Standard last month that India has the potential to overtake China and Brazil to become the second-largest iron ore miner after Australia. Vedanta owns Sesa Goa Iron Ore, one of India's major producers, and while Agarwal is correct in pointing to India's large reserves, it's unlikely that such a large increase in iron ore output in a relatively short period of time is possible. The Indian Steel Association expects that there will be a shortage of iron ore of more than 100 million tons in coming years, meaning imports will have to increase. IMPORTS RISING India is currently a net exporter of iron ore, usually shipping lower-grade ores to China while importing higher-grade material to blend with domestic ore. India's exports for the first five months of 2025 were 13.67 million tons, of which 11.11 million went to China, according to data compiled by commodity analysts Kpler. Exports have been trending lower as more ore is used by domestic steel plants, with the monthly average of 2.73 million tons for the first five months of 2025 down from the average of 3.13 million for 2024 and 3.70 million for 2023. Imports have also been trending higher, with arrivals of 4.57 million tons in the first five months of 2025, according to Kpler. This puts India on track to more than double imports this year from the 6.72 million tons in 2024 and the 6.67 million in 2023. But even if imports do rise to around 10 million tons this year, it's a long way to get to 100 million tons by 2030. Much will depend on how quickly India builds up steel capacity and how domestic iron ore miners respond. India has about 20 million tons of steel capacity currently under construction and a further 155 million planned, according to data compiled by the Global Energy Monitor. The under-construction plants will likely boost demand for iron ore imports, but the volumes are likely to be modest, at least for this year and next. What is likely is a continuation of current trends, with India's exports of low-grade iron ore trending lower and its imports of higher-grade ore moving higher over time. The views expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters. (Editing by Stephen Coates)
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Over a million Hajj pilgrims gather in Makkah amid soaring temperatures, tightened laws
More than a million Muslim pilgrims poured into the holy city of Makkah ahead of the annual hajj, with authorities vowing to hold a safer pilgrimage amid searing desert heat and a massive crackdown on illegal visitors. Officials have beefed up heat mitigation measures hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's hajj, which saw 1,301 pilgrims die as temperatures reached 51.8 degrees Celsius (125.2 Fahrenheit). Temperatures were forecast to exceed 40 degrees Celsius this week as one of the world's largest annual religious gatherings starts on Wednesday. The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means. As of Friday, more than 1.3 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for the multi-day pilgrimage, according to officials. This year, authorities have mobilised more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials, doubling their efforts against heat-related illness following the lethal heatwave of 2024. Shaded areas have been expanded by 50,000 square metres (12 acres), thousands more medics will be on standby, and more than 400 cooling units will be deployed, Saudi Arabia's hajj minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah told AFP last week. On Monday, with temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius, the health ministry said 44 cases of heatstroke had already been treated. The latest artificial intelligence technology will also help monitor the flood of data and footage, including video from a new fleet of drones, from across Makkah to better manage the mammoth crowds. Despite the punishing heat, pilgrims were overjoyed as they arrived in Mecca. 'Very, very, very hot' "This is really a blessing from Allah," Abdul Majid Ati, a Filipino lawyer and Sharia counsellor, told AFP near the Grand Mosque. "We feel so peaceful and safe in this place." Abdulhamid, from Nigeria, said he was "very happy" to be performing his second pilgrimage in a row at just 27 years old. But the young man said he never walks out without his sunglasses, describing the temperatures in Makkah as "very, very, very hot". The rites in the holy city and its surroundings, which follow a lunar calendar, fall again this year during the hot month of June. Last year, most of the deaths were among unregistered pilgrims who lacked access to air-conditioned tents and buses. "They were caught by surprise because the intensity of the heat was so high that their adaptation measures failed," said Fahad Saeed of Climate Analytics, a think tank based in Germany. In the run-up to this year's hajj, Saudi authorities launched a widespread crackdown on unregistered worshippers, using frequent raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts. Arrest and deportation Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota system and distributed to individuals by lottery. But even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs prompt many to attempt the hajj without a permit — though they risk arrest and deportation if caught. Along with hefty fines, those found illegally entering Makkah during the hajj face a potential 10-year ban from Saudi Arabia. Large crowds at the hajj have proved hazardous in the past, most recently in 2015 when a stampede during the "stoning the devil" ritual in Mina, near Makkah, killed up to 2,300 people in the deadliest hajj disaster. Saudi Arabia, which is home to Islam's holiest sanctuaries in Makkah and Medina, earns billions of dollars each year from the hajj and pilgrimages known as umrah, undertaken at other times of the year. The pilgrimages are a also source of prestige for the Saudi monarch, who is known as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques of Makkah and Madinah. For Mariama, a 52-year-old pilgrim from Senegal, the journey to Makkah has fulfilled a life-long dream. "I was dreaming about it, thinking about it every time to come here to do the hajj," she said.
