Total exports for Scottish food and drink worth £1.4 billion in first quarter of year as whisky and salmon continue to play vital role in UK’s exporting success

Food Minister David Rutley will celebrate the UK’s world leading food and farming sector at the Royal Highland Show today, as new figures show Scottish food and drink exports achieved a record-breaking £1.4 billion of sales in the first quarter of 2019.

Exports grew by 14% over the past year, driven by a surge in sales for Scotch whisky and salmon, the latest figures show.

Through the government’s Food is GREAT campaign, Defra helps drive exports of UK food and drink, opening new international markets and supporting UK companies in their ambition to trade on a global scale. Overall food and drink exports from Scotland reached £6.3 billion last year, with Scotch whisky accounting for three-quarters of this total.

Food Minister David Rutley said:

British food and drink is highly sought after around the world, with Scottish whisky, salmon and gin playing a vital role in this exporting success.

More people worldwide are placing a greater importance on the quality and provenance of food and drink, and Scottish farmers and food producers are in an excellent position to benefit from this.

In the years ahead we can unlock new export markets for our finest British produce and I look forward to discussing these opportunities at the Royal Highland Show.

During the Royal Highland Show, Mr Rutley will meet with local NFU representatives, visit the livestock pens and meet attending food and drink producers to help champion the UK’s food and farming sectors.

Scottish beverage exports were worth £1 billion in the first three months of this year, up 16% on 2018 levels. Fish exports accounted for £210 million, while fruit and vegetables exports increased by 37% to £21 million and dairy & eggs sales rose by 24% to £17 million.

British whisky sales, almost all from Scotland, rose by 19% (£183m) at the start of this year. Salmon exports were up by 41%, the strongest growth of all the top 10 UK food and drink products. This represents a 20% increase in the volume of farmed salmon being exported from Scotland.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox said:

It’s no secret that Scotland is renowned for its high quality food and drink, and there is even greater demand out there. Recent HMRC statistics showed that goods exports from Scotland grew faster than any other part of the UK in the last financial year, now worth £32.8 billion.

The Department for International Trade stands ready to help Scottish businesses succeed overseas in ways that never happened before, so I urge more businesses to get in touch and take the first step toward breaking into international markets.

Across the UK food and drink exports were worth more than £22 billion last year, with our food and drink businesses are now selling their products to 217 markets.

The UK has an ongoing diplomatic dialogue with Iran. At this time of increased regional tensions and at a crucial period for the future of the nuclear deal, this visit is an opportunity for further open, frank and constructive engagement with the government of Iran.

Dr Murrison will call for urgent de-escalation in the region and raise UK and international concerns about Iran’s regional conduct and its threat to cease complying with the nuclear deal to which the UK remains fully committed.

The capital’s world-famous London Waterloo Station has been confirmed as the location for a permanent Windrush monument, the Prime Minister has announced today.

News of the monument’s landmark site comes as the nation today celebrates its first ever Windrush Day set up by Theresa May last year.

The national day is being marked by more than 50 government-funded community-led events across the country, including street-parties, workshops, performances and exhibitions.

London’s largest and busiest station was chosen from a list of potential sites by the Windrush Commemoration Committee, established exactly one year ago by the Prime Minister.

Chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE, the Committee will look to commission and work with designers and stakeholders over the coming months to consider how best to create a lasting, fitting tribute to the Windrush generation and their descendants, backed by up to £1 million funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

I’m delighted to announce today that London Waterloo Station has been chosen as the location of a new national Windrush memorial.

The Windrush generation helped lay the foundations for the country we know today, which is richer and stronger as a result of their hard work and dedication to the UK.

This monument will be seen by thousands of people from all around the world who pass through this station each year, and will be a lasting legacy to the tremendous contribution the Windrush Generation and their children have made to our great country.

Baroness Floella Benjamin, Chair of the Windrush Commemoration Committee, said:

Having a Windrush monument located at Waterloo Station where thousands of Windrush pioneers – including children like myself – first arrived in London, will be a symbolic link to our past as we celebrate our future.

The Committee is determined to build a monument of great beauty and emotional impact which will lift the hearts of those who visit when it’s unveiled. I hope it will inspire pride and a sense of belonging to all those associated with the Windrush story.

Secretary of State for Communities, James Brokenshire, said:

Waterloo Station has been the gateway for generations of people coming to Britain. It stands at the heart of the Windrush story and will provide a central location to allow us all to reflect on our shared history and heritage.

As communities across the country celebrate National Windrush Day, people in years to come will have a permanent reminder of the outstanding contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants.

Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of Network Rail, said:

The Windrush generation has made a profoundly positive contribution to our society and their families continue to do so. We are honoured to host this monument to them at London Waterloo station. There can be few more fitting locations for such a monument than Britain’s busiest station which was the gateway to London for so many of them and where it will be seen by hundreds of thousands of passengers every day.