Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday hosted a Spring Showcase at Downing Street to fly the flag for British food and consumer goods and showcase small independent businesses who are exporting their goods internationally. Ten businesses held market stalls across Downing Street to exhibit their finest products including Blaenafon Cheddar Company, a Welsh family business, IGS Vertical Farming, based in Scotland and Dogtooth Technologies, a technology start-up building state-of-the-art intelligent robots for soft fruit picking.
The Prime Minister, left, was joined by Cabinet Ministers including the International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Environment Secretary George Eustice and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng who also met with stallholders. Johnson said: “Putting the best of British business on the global market is a vital part of growing our economy – with exports bringing £640.3 billion last year alone. Every corner of the UK is filled with exceptionally talented businesses and I’m delighted that today we have been able to showcase some of the best of what this country has to offer.”
Those invited to the event also include the Founder and CEO of Genius Foods, Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, also chair of Scotland Food and Drink, Michael Bell, CEO of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) and Chair of the Food and Drink Federation Karen Betts who works closely with the Department for International Trade as the voice of the UK food industry.
International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, left, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many examples of great UK businesses thriving thanks to the trade and export opportunities we’ve made available to them. As we continue our journey as an independent free-trading nation our Export Strategy offers a wealth of support for existing as well as new-to-market traders. We’re rightly proud of our small business exporters, and I want to see more of our brilliant products made here in the UK sold to the world.”
CEO of St Evals Ian Greaves said: “As a British manufacturer based in rural Cornwall, we are delighted to be given the opportunity to showcase St. Eval alongside some of the best of British business at this event. People and planet are at the very heart of all that we do and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to share our passion for sustainability far and wide. From using renewable energy to power our factory, through to plastic-free packaging and protecting and nurturing the natural world around us; high-quality craftmanship and minimising our environmental impact are of the utmost importance.
“In recognition of our commitment to sustainability, in 2021 we were honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. As the first-ever Queen’s Award for a candle manufacturer, we strive to set the standard for actions to preserve the natural world around us and pioneer leadership in sustainable British manufacturing.”
