Vietnamese businesses attend vegan fair in London

They introduced a range of typical Vietnamese products such as rice, coffee, tea, cashews, dried fruit, dried noodle, instant noodle, spices, and vegetarian food, along with environmentally-friendly products like wooden straws and paper cups.

Notably, those Vietnamese enterprises that were unable to directly take part in the fair had the chance to display their products and profile at VEGFEST 2022 through the Vietnamese Trade Office in the UK.

Nguyen Canh Cuong, Vietnamese Trade Counselor in the UK, said that VEGFEST presented a golden opportunity for plant-based food enterprises as they seek new business partners.

Fair organisers also allowed participating enterprises to gain access to a database of all exhibitors and visitors, providing a valuable source of information for them to expand business co-operation opportunities, said Cuong.

Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, deputy director of Minh Tien Group, stressed that the opportunities for Vietnamese exporters in the UK market remain huge. However, she suggested local firms develop a strategy for increasing the value of export items, especially organic products, in order to meet the requirements of the market.

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnamese agricultural exports to the UK have recorded rapid growth over recent years, with export turnover expected to rise 12% this year to US$1 billion.

So far, more than 500 Vietnamese agricultural products have hit the shelves of UK supermarkets.

VEGFEST 2022, one of the UK's most prestigious vegan events, attracted the participation of up to 230 exhibitors, 100 speakers, and 10,000 visitors.