Trade Minister wants more local brands exported to the UK

MINISTER of Trade Paula Gopee-Scoon is advocating for greater trade in food and beverage products between the UK and TT.

In her opening remarks at the inaugural Great British Food and Drink Showcase hosted by the British High Commission on April 24, Gopee-Scoon said her ministry is working to get more local brands into the UK.

“We too will be working to ensure that we get some more of our brands into the UK market, in addition to brands such as Angostura and Chief Brand Products that are already successfully exporting to the UK,” Gopee-Scoon said.

A ministry release on April 24 said TT’s food and beverage sector has been a net importer from the UK for the period January 2022 to August 2023. While this country’s main exports to the UK are methanol and energy-related products, some food and beverage products – including Angostura aromatic bitters and some alcoholic beverages – have successfully penetrated the UK market.

The release named whiskey, chocolate and cheese as the top food and drink imports from the UK.

To further boost TT’s food and beverage exports with “key strategic trading partners in the UK,” the release said the Government has assigned a commercial attaché in the UK to promote TT’s export profile and expand market access.

Gopee-Scoon also said her ministry is utilising the Cariforum-UK economic partnership agreement which gives local exporters preferential, duty-free market access opportunities into the UK.

British High Commissioner Harriet Cross told Newsday the commission wanted to bring traditional British brands that are already established in domestic market as well as newer brands to educate local consumers about those companies’ novel offerings.

“This is our first ever Great British garden party and we have done it so we could bring some traditional brands like Twinings tea and Cadbury’s chocolate which have been in the TT market for many years. We wanted to bring them here to talk about what they are doing that’s new and different so that the consumers can learn a bit more about the companies.

“And then we’ve also got some brand new companies like Highclere gin and Wee Smokey Scotch whiskey. We wanted to introduce those to consumers here. So we’ve got people sipping tea, eating cake and having some lovely cocktails.”

Cross said the response to the event was positive and she encouraged guests to network and make new connections.

“We heard from Mr Twining some really interesting facts about how he is making Twining’s tea greener. And, I think something UK manufacturers can really bring to the TT business world is how we are making products be more environmentally friendly and it doesn’t have to be an expensive process.”

Stephen Twining, a tenth-generation member of the Twining family’s tea business told Newsday the company is always looking at trends hence their interest in manufacturing a ginger tea for TT and by extension the Caribbean market.

“We are always looking at trends – what is popular here and what is popular there – and we try and react accordingly.

“…We’ve had lemon and ginger before but that is a herbal tea. We wanted to expand the usage of ginger which I have to say is a delight.”

Twining said consumers will have to wait until October to try the company’s ginger tea.

Guests were treated to live entertainment from a violinist as well as live sampling and booth tours of brands which included Twinings Tea, Beanie’s Flavour Coffee, Dash Sparkling Water, Bombay Gin, Whitley Neill Gin, Highclere Castle Gin, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Whisky, Wee Smoky Scotch Whiskey, Tunnock’s Wafers, Cadbury, Campbell’s Shortbread, Grandma Wild’s Biscuits and Kestrel Liner Agencies.