The industry association’s commissioned research indicates that the sector is “bucked the recessionary trend”, as UK exports overall were down 13.4 per cent.
The biggest rises were seen in ice cream (up 55 per cent to £43.4m), soups (up 37.5 per cent to £17.1m), and sauces and condiments (up 28.1 per cent to £96.4m). Some 80.8 per cent of the imports were destined for the European markets, with The Netherlands, France, Italy and Spain showing strong sales.