The global food system is undergoing a rapid transformation, and British food and drink innovation took centre stage at Sial Paris (17–21 October).

Held at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre, Sial Paris served as a premier international platform where 30 of the UK’s fastest-growing challenger brands showcased the future of food to buyers from around the globe.

What the campaign offered brands

The UK Pavilion’s Innovation Zone and broader export campaign offered high-growth, innovative food and drink businesses a direct gateway to international scale and market penetration:

• Direct access to global buyers: as part of the broader UK export programme, participating brands gained unprecedented visibility before international buyers. Ahead of the Paris show, over 75 global buyers gathered in London for a dedicated GREAT Food and Drink Meet the Buyer event, establishing early connections before SIAL Paris.
• High-level government & diplomatic backing: the showcase featured on-the-ground support from Stephen Morgan MP, Minister of State at DEFRA, as well as a dedicated recognition reception hosted by the British Embassy in Paris.
• Alignment with export goals: the campaign directly supports the UK industry’s ambitious goal of reaching £35 billion in food and drink exports by 2035 (up from £25.7 billion in 2025). The strategy focuses heavily on driving export growth through high-value, premium, and branded products that international buyers cannot source anywhere else.
• Favourable trade trajectory: the campaign coincides with ongoing UK-EU discussions regarding a future Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, designed to make agri-food trade simpler, faster, and more predictable while maintaining strict quality standards. France remains a key strategic market, having imported £2.9 billion of UK food, feed, and drink in 2025 alone.

Key benefits to challenger brands

For challenger brands looking to disrupt traditional categories, the UK Pavilion offered distinct advantages:

• Credibility & quality validation: brands in the Innovation Zone demonstrated exceptional craftsmanship, backed heavily by prestigious independent accolades. Among the exhibitors, nearly 200 Great Taste awards were represented — including 158 1-star, 29 2-star, and 4 coveted 3-star awards.
• Category-leading visibility: the Innovation Zone positioned challenger brands directly in front of buyers actively seeking disruptive, trend-forward solutions — ranging from gut health to sustainable agriculture.
• Overcoming market entry barriers: through structured buyer meetups and high-profile showcases, challenger brands bypassed traditional export barriers, placing their products directly in the hands of key decision-makers.

Trend-setting UK innovation

The UK Innovation Zone brought together a curated selection of dynamic businesses addressing key global consumer trends, including regenerative farming, functional health, plant-based alternatives, and premium ingredients. Featured pioneer brands included:

• Wildfarmed (regenerative agriculture & flour)
• Bio & Me (gut-friendly breakfasts)
• XOXO Soda & TRIP (functional drinks & better-for-you beverages)
• Bold Bean Co, Symplicity, & Tiba Tempeh (premium plant-based & protein innovation)
• Crosta Mollica (premium bakery & authentic convenience)

Barney Mauleverer, FDEA chairman and founder of Future of Food noted how buyers come to SIAL to find what’s next and this week a lot of them found it on the UK stand.

“These brands are changing the food system – from regenerative flour to gut friendly breakfasts – and they’re doing it with products people really want to buy. Provenance and heritage have always opened doors for British food. Innovation is what’s winning the orders,” he said.

“We’ve set ourselves an audacious goal – £35bn of UK food and drink exports by 2035. Easing borders and building exporters’ capability both matter, but nothing beats putting a great UK brand in front of the right buyer. That’s what Paris was about and it’s what we’ll keep doing – market by market, buyer by buyer.”

Stephen Morgan MP, Minister of State at DEFRA found SIAL Paris to be a fantastic platform to showcase innovation, ambition and quality that exists across the UK’s food and drink sector.

“The Innovation Zone highlighted businesses that are responding to emerging consumer trends and developing products that are attracting growing international interest,” he said.

“Combined with the GREAT Food and Drink buyer programme and activity at the British Embassy in Paris, the showcase demonstrated the breadth of talent, creativity and export potential that exists across the UK food and drink industry. We are delighted to see such strong engagement from buyers looking to discover the next generation of British food and drink success stories.”

John Farrand, managing director, Guild of Fine Food added: “The Innovation Zone perfectly highlighted the creativity and quality prevalent across the UK food and drink industry at the moment. Amongst the producers exhibiting were some real examples of innovation and craftmanship, with an impressive number sporting the Great Taste logo, a marker of exceptional quality.”

“Between the exhibitors, there are almost 200 Great Taste awards, including 158 1-star, 29 2-star and 4 much coveted 3-star accolades, given to extraordinarily tasty products. I was proud to see Great Taste again helping to move the dial in terms of quality, supporting truly outstanding products. It was encouraging too, to see so much interest from international buyers; further evidence that British food and drink continues to earn recognition on the global stage for both quality and innovation.”