The mission took 18 red meat firms to HOFEX, the biggest food show in the Asia-Pacific region. EBLEX and BPEX joined forces to spearhead talks of meat traders as part of a 41 strong UK trade mission, the largest ever to Hong Kong.

All cuts were covered from prime beef and lamb joints to sausage and offal. Beef jerky and pork scratchings were also displayed.

Much confidence was taken out of the trip which showcased many businesses to a market with a growing appetite for quality meat.

“It was an extremely successful event and the firms which attended all did good business," said EBLEX and BPEX export manager, Jean-Pierre Garnier. “Hong Kong is a wealthy place so there is plenty of scope for us to export top quality beef, lamb and pork.”

Pork producer and processor Wicks Manor were in attendance and recevied interest for all cuts including boxed bones and offal.

“I have two lead books full of enquiries and pricing required, ranging from interest in Hong Kong and Japan for our branded bacon and sausages to boxed bones for Vietnam and stomachs to China," said Fergus Howie, Farming Partner at Wicks Manor. “There was lots of interest in UK pork all based on better traceability and confidence in our offering, this compared to continued food scares in Asian markets.”

Mark Hayward of Dingley Dell said: “It certainly was a great opportunity to be a part of the stand and we certainly hope to realise something from this.”