Musgrave Group extends reach across GB with Delifresh acquisition
Musgrave Group, the Irish retail, wholesale, and foodservice company, has announced the acquisition of Bradford-based company, Delifresh.
Trade
How will the Budget impact the food and drink industry?
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered her Budget in the House of Commons revealing a £26 billion increase in taxes.
Chancellor Reeves promises ‘targeted action’ on cost of living amid rising food prices
UK CPI inflation for October has fallen from 3.8% in September to 3.6%. However, food inflation edged up from 4.5% to 4.9%.
Accessing finance for food and drink exports
Tim Reid, chief executive at UK Export Finance, highlights the benefits of going international and how UKEF can help support food and drink companies secure the financial backing to make it happen.
Trade deals – What’s in the bag and what’s coming up?
Discover the latest trade deals secured for the UK market and what’s currently on the negotiation table. Plus, get inspired by Creative Nature, the free-from snacking and bakery brand, as it shares its real-world exporting journey and offers practical...
‘It’s our livelihoods, our mortgages on the line’: SME boss slams SPS delays
Charles Baughan, founder and MD of Westaway Sausages, says government must accelerate its SPS agreement with EU, following announcement of an 18-month rollout target.
Food businesses welcome MPs to discuss SPS agreement, as political storm brews
Food businesses big and small have welcomed the announcement of a landmark sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU, with ministers visiting sites to discuss it further. However, opposing political parties have slammed Labour’s approach to...
Cancelled: Extra checks on EU live animal imports
The rollout of extra border checks on live animal imports from the EU, and on specific animal and plant goods from Ireland, have been suspended.
5 Years on from Brexit: What’s working, what’s not, and what’s next?
Nicola Thomas, director of the Food and Drink Exporters Association (FDEA) outlines the findings from the FDEA’s 2025 member and EU distributor survey.
Is the UK tiptoeing back towards Brussels?
Is the UK government quietly easing its position on EU-UK food regulatory alignment to stimulate growth without attracting ‘Brexit betrayal’ accusations?
£19M pork deal signed with Mexico
Twelve businesses across England and Northern Ireland have secured approval to export British pork to Mexico.
European Commission says French environmental labelling law violates free movement
The European Commission is bringing legal action against France before the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) due to French legislation on environmental labelling of packaging.
EU trade focus: Navigating borders and solving sample shipping woes
Whilst the EU-UK trade agreement is being settled, the Department for Business and Trade offers guidance for navigating EU borders, including shipping samples of food and drink.
What does US-EU tariffs mean for UK?
President Donald Trump has threatened a 30% tariff on goods from the European Union, prompting the EU to delay any countermeasures it was considering. Negotiations ensue - but what impact would such actions have on the UK?
Trade triumph or work in progress?
Rod Addy, director general of the Provision Trade Federation explores the real state of UK trade agreements between the US, India and EU.
UK-US trade deal signed: Will domestic beef farmers and canned food suffer?
The trade deal has been signed off by President Donald Trump at the G7 summit in Canada, which will bring into force sections of the agreement established between the UK and US.
SNP criticises Labour ‘mismanagement’ of post-Brexit border controls
An MSP for the Scottish National Party (SNP) has criticised Labour for its ‘mismanagement’ of the UK border after Brexit.
The new UK-EU trade deal: Reasons for optimism in the F&B sector
Alex Forwood, partner in the corporate team and member of Birketts’ Food and Beverages Sector Group at Birketts LLP explains why the food and beverage sector may begin to feel the pressure ease following the UK-EU trade deal.
How does EU deal impact gene editing?
The UK’s new deal with the EU came on the heels of gene editing legislation passing through parliament. So how will a closer relationship with Europe impact gene editing moving forwards? Katie Vickery, regulatory and compliance lawyer at Osborne Clarke,...
UK and EU strike deal making F&B trade ‘easier’
The UK has come to a trade agreement with the European Union after six months of ‘extensive’ negotiations.
Co-op members vote to cease trading with Israel
Members of the Co-op have voted in favour of a motion that called for the supermarket to cease all trading with Israel.
Guinness owner preparing for $150m tariff costs
Drinks giant Diageo has estimated that new tariffs on imports into the US will cost the business around $150 million per year.
Ireland’s largest oat miller and breakfast cereal producer lands six figure deal
The new deal between White’s Oats and Lulu is expected to double turnover leading to a contract with an estimated annual value of approximately £500,000.
Defra secretary meets US counterpart to mark tariff deal
Defra secretary Steve Reed met with US agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins this week after the announcement of a new tariff deal between the UK and the US.
UK and US strike tariff deal impacting beef and protecting food standards
The UK and US governments have reached a deal to reduce tariffs on a series of goods traded between the two countries.
Made in Britain applications ‘surge’ in face of Trump’s tariffs
Applications to trade organisation Make in Britain have ‘surged’ since the introduction of US president Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on goods imported into the country.
Germany Foot and Mouth outbreak: Defra apologises for communication failures
The UK’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) has expressed concerns regarding the Government’s response to foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Germany, Hungary and Slovakia.
UK secures ‘landmark’ trade deal with India
The UK has secured a ‘landmark’ free trade agreement (FTA) with India that could bring billions of pounds to the economy, boost wages and deliver on the government’s ‘Plan for Change’.
UK trade deals could threaten welfare standards
The UK Government’s hunt for low- and no-tariff deals with its trading partners threatens to undermine both British values and higher welfare UK farmers, according to a new report from Animal Policy International, Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA.
What businesses need to know about exporting to new markets
Businesses are urgently looking to diversify from US dependency, but face the challenge of overcoming EU compliance requirements that can make entering these markets difficult and time-consuming, writes Kathryn Szymonowicz, managing director of Rubicon...
Getting started with food and drink imports and exports
With US tariff hikes, war in Ukraine and extreme weather events due to global warming threatening the future of global trade, what opportunities are there for food and drink manufacturers looking to export?
UK Government slashes import prices
The UK Government has cut prices on the imports of everyday essentials, including pasta, fruit juices, coconut oil, pine nuts and spices.
Trump tariffs threaten decades of progress in the global food system
Dr Ricky Volpe, professor of Agribusiness at Cal Poly, examines the impacts Trump’s tariffs may have on food and drink businesses and how industry is likely to respond.
Welsh gin, oysters and honey granted protected status
Four new Welsh food and drink products have secured protected status under the UK’s Geographical Indication Schemes (GDIs).
Trump’s Tariffs: UK food and drink industry’s reaction
US president Donald Trump’s suite of tariff increases on all products imported into the country has been met with derision by the UK food and drink industry and has sparked uncertainty of future trade with the global superpower.
Trump tariff war: Threats and opportunities
Food Manufacture summarises the back and fourth trade war threats between the US and others, examining the threats and opportunities for UK producers.
67% of retailers plan price hikes
Food and non-alcoholic drink inflation remained steady in December 2024 compared to the last year, but prices rose on the month – with retailers painting a bleak picture for future trade.
UK food and drink exports continue to spiral downwards
UK food and drink exports have fallen 10.2% to £16.3bn in the first nine months of 2024, driven by a sharp drop in alcohol sales.
UK trade in a Trump-tariff world
Concerns are mounting around the impact president elect Donald Trump could have on global trade, as he threatens eye-watering tariffs on BRICS nations and between a 10-20% tax on other areas, including the EU and UK.
How will the CPTPP trade agreement impact UK food and drink producers?
In a matter of weeks, the UK will join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
News
UK growth could halve under Trump presidency
As Donald Trump is elected as America’s 47th president, fears are raised over potential tariff impacts.
Opinion
IMTA CEO discusses South Africa reopening for British poultry meat exports
An important milestone has been reached with the lifting of the ban on unprocessed UK poultrymeat exports to South Africa. IMTA’s Katie Doherty explores what this decision means and what the UK Government should be considering in future.
News
82% of consumers agree this is missing from supermarket shelves
There is good news for international brands wanting to target the UK market, as research finds 90% of Brits are open to trying new international flavours.
Long read
BTOM: Food for thought on a growing problem
Dan Culverhouse, UK&I managing director of Customs Support, analyses whether the recent relationship ‘reset’ with Europe will help resolve border issues.
News
South Korea and South Africa open their borders to UK poultry
UK poultry processors will soon be able to export their products to South Korea for the first time since 2020, as South Africa reopens its borders to British produce.
News
Government scraps UK-wide ‘not for EU’ labelling plans
The UK Government has scrapped plans to introduce ‘not for EU’ labelling on food products put on sale in Britain.
News
UK exports to EU down almost a quarter
Food and drink export values fell in the first six months of the year, a 6.1% decline compared to the first half of 2023.
News
Food and drink inflation rate falls to 1.3%
The food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation rate fell marginally to 1.3% during August 2024, new Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has shown.
News
Global poultry market buoyant but oversupply could tip the scales
Following years of slow growth, the global poultry market is returning to historic levels as worldwide poultry consumption is forecast to reach 2.5-3% in 2024.
Short read
‘It took us 6 months to export 4 pallets of gluten-free ham and cheese toasties’
Food Manufacture investigates one UK processer’s issues with the EU TRACES system, that resulted in severe exporting delays.