Spanish chorizo finds perfect market conditions in the UK
The Consorcio del Chorizo Espanol (Spanish Chorizo Consortium) has reported that, throughout the pandemic, the Spanish cured meats industry has established itself as one of the steady pillars of the Spanish economy in both the domestic and export markets.
The cured meats industry was the only food sector to see a historic 38% increase in worldwide exports during the first half of 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.
The United Kingdom continues to be one of the greatest importers of Spanish sausage products, second only to France: in 2019, over 12.4 million kilos of Spanish cured meat products were exported to the UK, with 9.5% of that volume certified by the Consorcio del Chorizo Espanol – chorizo certified with a quality seal. In the first six months of 2020, the average value of Spanish sausage exports increased from 6.32€ per kg to 6.62€ per kg in the first six months of 2020.
Despite the pandemic, in the first half of 2020, the consortium saw a very promising increase in production figures, already 550,000 kg more than in 2019. 1.7 million kilos of the certified chorizo were exported worldwide, 600,000 kilos more than the volume exported in 2019.
Alejandro Alvarez-Canal, Technical Director of the Consorcio del Chorizo Espanol, said: “The current situation with the pandemic and its effect on the Spanish chorizo industry for the remainder of 2020 still remains extremely uncertain. For a project as relatively new as the consortium, achieving nearly 3 million kg in total production volume already this year is undoubtedly a success.
That being said, our overall aim is not only to maintain these healthy production figures but also to establish the brand’s presence abroad, especially in the UK as the consortium’s largest export market.”
The UK is the consortium’s largest export market, followed by France, Hong Kong, Belgium, Germany, Colombia, Ireland, Czech Republic, Portugal and the Dominican Republic.
So far in 2020, the consortium has practically doubled its market quota in the UK. A record volume of 1.04 million kilos of certified chorizo has been exported to the UK alone, therefore accounting for 18.4% of the Spanish export sector.
Alvarez-Canal added: “These record results reflect the hard work of our members to strengthen their position in the key British market. The results also reinforce the importance of the promotional activity that has been carried out in collaboration with ICEX, the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office and Foods from Spain, as a part of the Chorizo Sector’s promotional plan.”
This year’s promotional campaign aims to position the Chorizo from the Consortium as a high-quality product in the UK market. Campaign activity included recipe placement in national consumer print titles that encouraged the versatility of Spanish chorizo as a product beyond its use as tapas or served with fish.
Between the businesses that make up the Consorcio del Chorizo Espanol, approximately 8 million euros have been spent over the past year to invest in new machinery and equipment. These investments have updated the technology used in the Spanish chorizo industry by the way of installing new production and packaging lines, new drying and slicing machinery, and reducing plastic waste in production.
The Consorcio del Chorizo Espanol is a voluntary association that groups companies in the Spanish meat sector, all experts in chorizo production and export, with the aim of producing and marketing authentic high-quality Spanish chorizo. All companies associated with the consortium must comply with the quality regulations and certified procedures. Chorizos with the consortium seal are distinguished by their appearance, texture, smell and taste, and their impeccable presentation. The consortium is made up of 22 producers/exporters and was established in 2016.
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