Spain Food Nation Summit highlights huge scale of UK trade opportunity

The Spanish food and wine industry has a great opportunity to deepen ties with the UK and boost sales of a wide range of products from fresh fruit and vegetables to cheese and ham.

That was the key message from the 2024 Spain Food Nation Summit, held at the Royal Over-Seas League in London on 9 September. Leading figures from both the Spanish and UK food and wine sectors met at the summit to discuss the importance of trade between the two countries and the opportunity to further promote quality Spanish products.

The high-level event was organised by promotional body Foods and Wines from Spain, and was attended by nearly 100 senior figures including both Spanish agriculture minister Luis Planas and the ambassador H.E. José Pascual Marco.

At the summit, RED Communications managing director John Valentine presented the findings of the Wine Advisory Council that met earlier this year. They included the advice that the Spanish should invest more heavily to promote their wines in the UK, where they are lesser known by consumers, and that there is the chance to boost awareness through the development of premium own-label wines. Sherry and Cava are large enough to warrant dedicated campaigns to reposition them in the eyes of both consumers and the trade, the panel found.

Exploring specific product categories in detail, Edwin Reyes, agri-food consultant at Promar International, outlined the potential to increase sales of Spanish cheese in the UK. Noting that production is on the rise, Reyes forecast that exports could rise from the current 5,000 tonnes to as much as 14,300 tonnes over the coming years.

In the restaurant and tapas bar sector, suppliers should look to gradually introduce other cheeses beyond Manchego, Reyes said, with a focus on protected PDO/PGI varieties. In retail, the target should be the top-tier quality categories.

With the UK only accounting for 3% of Spanish cheese exports and Spain representing just 1% of the UK’s imports in the category, the scale of the opportunity is clear. However, Reyes stressed that change will require a genuine long-term commitment by Spanish exporters to supply the UK market, as well as close stakeholder engagement and greater promotional support with a strong Spanish narrative.

Meanwhile, three roundtable discussions at the summit focused upon the particular challenges and opportunities within key product sectors. Moderated by Harpers Wine & Spirit editor Andrew Catchpole, the Wine discussion featured Berkmann Wine Cellars’ Alex Canneti, Bar 44 Tapas Group founder Owen Morgan, and award-winning wine writer Sarah Jane Evans MW.

The Gourmet Products roundtable was hosted by Charlotte Smith-Jarvis, digital editor of Speciality Food Magazine. She was joined by Chef Publishing co-owner Claire Bosi, Westminster Kingsway College senior chef lecturer José Souto, and Brindisa founder Monika Linton.

And the Fresh Produce debate was chaired by Fruitnet Europe MD Mike Knowles, with panellists G’s executive chairman John Shopshire, AMFRESH UK chief commercial officer Mark Player and Ventina Partners founder Matt Hancock.

Spain is already the largest fruit and vegetable supplier to the UK, but in his analysis of the market, Reyes said there is further opportunity for Spain to cement and even increase its share by adopting a more strategic approach to both the leading retailers and wholesale markets, together with focusing on introducing new and premium produce varieties.

Aside from the presentations and discussions, the Spain Food Nation Summit featured product sampling and a Cava Bar. “The event was a great success and a brilliant opportunity for key figures in both the UK and Spanish food and wine sectors to discuss both the barriers and potential for getting more high-quality Spanish product into both UK restaurants and supermarkets,” said Fernando Muñoz, director of Foods & Wine from Spain . “From the high-level presentations and conversations it was clear that despite an already strong and well-established trading relationship in a number of categories, there is still plenty of room for further growth.”