Today's Guardian bigs up British food exports. The Belgians want our chocolate, the Indians want our curry and the French want our cheese. No, the earth has not spun off its axis, but it's clearly (almost) officially mad. Food From Britain, a government/food industry funded export marketing consultancy reports that British food exports hit a mighty £11bn this year. As if emphasising this report, I found the French cheese bloke on my local market this morning defending British cheese - specifically Stilton - to a stunned French customer. Take that Jacques.
It doesn't surprise me that Green & Blacks is doing well overseas or that whisky accounts for nearly a quarter of all food and drink exports. It does surprise me that the Greeks go a bundle on our breakfast cereal, although the report does temper Greek zeal with a more rational (and slightly sad) explanation:
It may in part be due to the number of British holidaymakers and expats demanding a bowl of milky cereal to scoff by the poolside every morning.
Interestingly, for no-fruit, no-fibre, no-nuts, no-diet friendly breakfast cereal freaks like me, Weetabix - possibly the blandest of all breakfast cereals - is largin' it in China with posh Chinese in search of a taste of western exoticism. Conversely, I doubt you'd find Weetabix in too swanky British larders. If it's the best of cereals you're after, it's neither posh nor British that wins the day. Frosties for an indulgent morning, closely followed by the more restrained, bikini friendly Special K.
