Santander organises food & drink trade mission to Singapore

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 week-long mission sought to build relationships and create opportunities in an economy that imported $6.2 billion 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 included: Burt’s Snacks, Crème d’Or, Eat Natural, Franklin and Sons, 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 says, “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.

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