Cotswold gin celebrated in Osaka

Business News

By Nicky Godding

16 April 2019

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Cotswolds Gin, made by Shipston-on-Stour based Cotswold Distillery was one of just 14 drinks brands included in a showcase event aimed at driving up exports in Japan at Osaka’s British Food and Drink Tasting Gallery.

Japan is a key market - the world’s third-largest importer of sparkling wine by value behind the USA and the UK in 2017 and 2018; and, the sixth largest importer for Scotch Whisky in 2018.

The evening, organised by the Food is GREAT campaign which showcases UK food and drink to the world, brought together British drinks brands including Johnnie Walker Whisky, Fever-tree tonic water and Gloucestershire-based Cotswold Gin, and paired them British beef, Welsh lamb and Scottish salmon for a true taste of the country.

Renowned Japanese mixologist Ryu Okada and chef Makiko Miyoshi were tasked with showcasing the products and ingredients for a Japanese audience.

The event was held in partnership with British Airways, which has just unveiled its inaugural flight between London and Osaka. The evening was also the first of several activities happening across Japan to celebrate the best of British food and drink ahead of the country hosting the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics and Paralympics.

The British Food and Drink Tasting Gallery is now open to consumers for three days over the weekend.

Food Minister David Rutley said: “For years the UK has punched well above its weight when it comes to quality food and drink and Japan is a particularly exciting export market.

“As the largest net importer of food products, Japan’s growing appetite for British exports - ranging from meat and fish to spirits and sparkling wine - presents huge opportunities for our food and drink producers. I look forward to seeing more UK companies embracing these opportunities."

Food is GREAT, led by Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in partnership with Department for International Trade (DIT) and VisitBritain is part of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign.

The campaign showcases UK food and drink to the world to increase international consumer demand and exports and to date has brought in £3.4billion to the UK economy.

By Nicky Godding

Nicky Godding is editor of The Business Magazine. Before her journalism career, she worked mainly in public relations moving into writing when she was invited to launch Retail Watch, a publication covering retail and real estate across Europe.

After some years of constant travelling, she tucked away her passport and concentrated on business writing, co-founding a successful regional business magazine. She has interviewed some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs who have built multi-million-pound businesses and reported on many science and technology firsts.

She reports on the region’s thriving business economy from start-ups, family businesses and multi-million-pound corporations, to the professionals that support their growth and the institutions that educate the next generation of business leaders.