Harrogate-based Slingsby Gin brought a taste of Yorkshire to international buyers at food innovation exhibition SIAL China in Shanghai when it showcased its range of traditionally made gins at a dedicated Food is GREAT Gin Bar in SIAL’s UK Pavilion.

Attracting more than 110,000 visitors and 3,400 exhibitors annually, SIAL China is one of the biggest food tradeshows in the world.

The Food is GREAT campaign aims to showcase UK food and drink overseas, and to help businesses export. It is a cross-departmental initiative between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for International Trade (DIT).

Launched in 2015 and produced by Spirit of Harrogate, Slingsby Gin is exported worldwide including Germany, Denmark Malta, Finland, Croatia and New Zealand. The company continues to work closely with Defra and DIT to target new foreign market opportunities.

During the trade show, British consul-general of Shanghai John Edwards, gave key attendees a tour of the UK Pavilion to enable them to get a taste of British produce.

The tours were also streamed live to 9,000,000 consumers across China via WeChat, a popular messaging and lifestyle app. As part of the activities to promote British gin ahead of the show, Defra and DIT so hosted two events for Chinese buyers to give them the chance to taste-test UK gin and learn how to mix cocktails.

Mark Robson, head of region for Yorkshire and the Humber at DIT, said: “Gin sales are booming right now with 2018 alone seeing exports of UK gin reaching a record £614m, up 15 per cent on the previous year.

“Our job is to help businesses from Yorkshire and the Humber maximise these opportunities. Providing support through trade shows like SIAL China is a great way to help companies meet people in person and build a rapport face-to-face.

“Spirit of Harrogate is just one example of a firm from Yorkshire and the Humber using this opportunity as a chance to target new overseas markets and grow as a business.”