Wensleydale Creamery among Yorkshire businesses joining UKTI trade mission to Gulfood in Dubai

Wensleydale Creamery is just one of a number of Yorkshire businesses that is joining a UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) Northern Powerhouse trade mission to the Gulfood and Halal World show in Dubai.

The aim of the mission is to increase export business in key Middle East markets.

Held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 19th to 25th February 2016, Yorkshire businesses will be attending the world’s biggest annual food and hospitality show, attracting almost 5,000 exhibitors from more than 120 nations to the trading hub of the Middle East.

Wensleydale, which also attended Gulfood in 2014 and 2015, achieves around 13% of its sales overseas due to its cheeses being available in North America, continental Europe, China, Australia, Scandinavia, the Falkland Islands and Dubai itself.

In the past year, the business based at Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales completed a major redevelopment of its premises, including the construction of a new creamery to enable it to increase productivity to meet rising demand for its products from customers abroad and in the UK.

Part of Wensleydale’s expansion strategy included the appointment of business and product development manager Phil Jones to support export manager Janette Scarth in an initiative to drive growth in new international markets and develop global partnerships.

The firm also recently created a new role of dedicated export administrator to support the processing, packaging and shipping of export orders.

Janette, who will lead a three-strong delegation from Wensleydale Creamery, said: “This year sees Wensleydale Creamery continue its focus on growing its export markets by returning with its award-winning cheeses to Gulfood to once again explore potential new markets and build relationships and partnerships in the Middle East and beyond.”

A total of more than 30 businesses from Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and the North East of England are joining the mission to represent the Northern Powerhouse, a region with a gross domestic product (GDP) of about £350bn and equivalent to the 21st largest economy in the world.

Stephen Noblett, food and drink sector specialist with UKTI Yorkshire and the Humber, added: “The Gulf, Middle East and North Africa and Halal markets can be complex and potentially a barrier to companies wishing to trade in them but by attending Gulfood with UKTI we will broaden their horizons and open doors and opportunities that they could never achieve by attending on their own.”