The Isle of Harris Distillery and Fever-Tree drinks were among the British businesses invited to the Downing Street market on Tuesday, designed to celebrate international trade.
Boris Johnson hosted a festive food and drink market at Downing Street on Tuesday (30 November) to showcase British businesses who are making the most out of our international trade policy, ahead of Small Business Saturday.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, Food and Agriculture Secretary George Eustice, Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan as well as Minister for Exports Mike Freer joined Johnson in celebrating businesses exporting their goods internationally.
Twelve businesses held market stalls in Downing Street, including Welsh cheese company Snowdonia Cheese, Northern Irish snack company Tayto, Scottish seafood company Loch Fyne Oysters and English chocolate company Montezuma’s.
Those invited to the event also include the co-founder of Fever-Tree Drinks, the homegrown premium soft drinks company established in 2004, which is now the world’s leading premium mixer brand, exporting to over 80 countries worldwide and selling more than 500 million bottles in 2020.
Isle of Harris is an award-winning Scottish gin business which took part in the event. Isle of Harris export their products to over 20 different countries, supporting the UK as the world’s biggest exporter of gin.
Calum Barker, business development manager at the Isle of Harris Distillery told db: “We were truly honoured to be the only British gin selected by Downing Street for the event.
“It was an extraordinary opportunity to be able to exhibit our Isle of Harris gin right outside ‘Number 10’ in the company of some fabulous British food and drink brands who are all finding success in exporting around the world. We were able to meet politicians, diplomats and other influential people and we are sure that this can only help us in our ambitions to become a truly global brand.”
UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said: “It’s great to see the best of British food and drink here in Downing Street, especially in the run up to Christmas.
We currently export to 207 countries but this government is supporting British food and drink exporters to sell even more of their brilliant produce abroad.
As it’s St Andrew’s Day, I’m looking forward to sampling a Clootie McToot dumpling, some Loch Fyne Oysters and a winter warmer from the Isle of Harris Distillery.”