Barrie Meats

The Great British Banger takes on the world.

Barrie Meats Ltd, manufacturers of British sausages and burgers, took their first steps into export when they showcased their products at Food from Britain Spain’s Iberia Roadshow in Alicante on 14 November 2007. The Hertfordshire-based company, which employs 25 people and turns over £1.5m a year, was able to attend the Roadshow with support from the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), designed to help food and drink businesses increase productivity by developing overseas markets.

Winning business and being inspired

The Iberia Roadshow put key buyers and distributors from Spain and Portugal in front of British food and drink manufactures showcasing their products. As well as winning new business at the show, including business with fellow British exhibitor Yearsleys, Barrie Meats found their eyes opened to the international potential of their products.

Stephen Andrew, Director of Barrie Meats, commented:

“As a result of the Iberian Roadshow we are now talking to Mas Y Mas in Spain and Dinaport in Portugal. We also found out from one of our biggest competitors we met at the show that burgers were also being very well received by the ex pat community. Since the show we have purchased a small burger machine and are now in production. We have also developed a "British bangers at their best box" which Yearsley are now promoting to all their Spanish customers. All this came from the show.
 
At this moment in time it is very difficult to put a figure on how much additional revenue we have received from the show. New customers gained from the show have probably grown our sales only by approx 8%. But what it did do was open up our eyes to the potential of the export market and we have now also found a customer in Greece, who is taking over 200,000 sausages every 7 -8 weeks.
 
The Iberian Roadshow was the very first show we had done at home or abroad. We had not exported any products prior to joining Food from Britain.
 
The show definitely made us look at a wider customer base other than the UK market."

For more information about how Food from Britain can work with you to grow your business overseas, or about the EEDA support programme for international busines for East of England companies, contact Richard Sainter on rsainter@foodfrombritain.co.uk