The food and drink industry is an important sector in the English economy consisting of hot and alcoholic beverages[a], spices, cereals, livestock, fisheries, sugar and honey.[1]
The total value of England's food and drinks exports is £10.2bn as of 2021.[2]
Examples of food
and drink in England
Trade
The value of food and drink exports in England were down by 9% from 2020 and 15% from 2019.
England's best selling beverages were worth 2.3bn, up 8% in 2021, however England's fruit and vegetable exports were hit hard with sales down by 36%.
The top export destination for food and drinks exports from England is Ireland with 15% of all exports at a value of 1.5bn in 2021, this is down by 25% from 2020.
France and US with exports up 12% and 10% respectively along with Germany and the Netherlands are also among the top 5 markets for the English food and drink exports.[3]
In 2018 England sold 550,000 bottles of English to 50 countries worldwide, this is up from 256,000 in 2018.[8]
In 2022 the total value of English wine exports was £9.6 million ($11.8 million) with 800,000 bottles sold.[9]
Some major English Wine brands include: Ridgeview Bloomsbury, Bolney Wine Estate, Lyme Bay, Aldwick Court Farm, Hattingley Valley, Lyme Block, Chapel Down, Brightwell Vineyard, and Stopham Estate.[10]
As of 2023 there are currently 38,000 casks of English whisky maturing with an estimated 50,000 casks expected to be laid down by 2024, the estimated value of the maturing whisky stock is £1bn.[11]
As of 2024 there are currently 36 active geographical indications for England: 14 cheese, 9 alcoholic drinks, 4 seafood, 6 meat, 1 dairy and 2 Fruit and vegetable products.[14]
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