Slingsby Gin exhibits drinks at SIAL China event

Harrogate-based Slingsby Gin showcased its range of traditionally made gins at a dedicated Food is GREAT Gin Bar in SIAL’s UK Pavilion.

One of the biggest food tradeshows in the world, SIAL China attracts more than 110,000 visitors and 3,400 exhibitors annually.

The Food is GREAT campaign is a cross-departmental initiative between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for International Trade (DIT).

The campaign aims to showcase UK food and drink overseas, and to help businesses export.

Slingsby Gin was launched in 2015 and is produced by Spirit of Harrogate.

The company sells to overseas markets including New Zealand, Germany, Malta, Finland, Denmark and Croatia and continues to work closely with Defra and DIT to target new foreign market opportunities.

During the trade show, John Edwards, British consul-general of Shanghai gave key industry attendees a tour of the UK Pavilion to allow them to get a taste of British produce.

The tours were also streamed live on WeChat, a popular messaging and lifestyle app, to 9,000,000 consumers across China. To promote the provenance and of British gin ahead of the show, Defra and DIT also hosted two events where Chinese buyers got the chance to taste-test UK gin and learn how to mix their own cocktails.

Mark Robson, head of region for Yorkshire and the Humber at DIT, said: “Gin sales are booming right now with 2018 alone seeing exports of UK gin reaching a record £614m, up 15 per cent on the previous year.

“Our job is to help businesses from Yorkshire and the Humber maximise these opportunities. Providing support through trade shows like SIAL China is a great way to help companies meet people in person and build a rapport face-to-face.

“Spirit of Harrogate is just one example of a firm from Yorkshire and the Humber using this opportunity as a chance to target new overseas markets and grow as a business.