Exports for UK bakery manufacturers have accelerated over the past two years, new data from the Food & Drink Federation (FDF) has shown.
Total value of UK bakery exports for the year to June 2025 was stated as £579.4m, up 8.6% from the £533.6m recorded during the prior period. Exports had previously risen by 8.3% after totalling £492.6m in June 2022-2023.
Inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages in the UK hit a peak of 14.3% in 2023 but fell to 2.7% the following year, according to ONS data.
The sales results from the FDF were provided in addition to the release of its latest Trade Snapshot covering H1 2025. This revealed how food export volumes were up 7.2% in the first half of the year, with the UK sending out 4.5m tonnes and 590m litres of food and drink, respectively, to over 200 countries worldwide.
The increase follows a decline in exports last year and, given that volumes are still more than a tenth (13%) lower than 2023 levels, the FDF is now calling on government to work with industry on ambitious targets to ensure exports continue to grow.
Recent growth has been largely driven by trade with non-EU countries, noted the FDF. This increased by more than a tenth (10.6%) in value compared to the first half of last year, while trade with the UK’s largest partner, the EU, grew by only 4.2%.
The US had a significant impact on the trade outlook in the first half of this year, with food and drink exports jumping 18.9%, to £1.4bn. This growth continued even after the additional 10% tariff from the second Trump administration took effect in April, reflecting the UK’s comparatively better deal in some categories of food and drink than some other nations, said the FDF.
In addition, UK exports to New Zealand were up by almost a fifth (19.7%) in H1 – this comes two years after the countries and Australia singed a trade deal.
India also saw 11.6% growth. A new trade deal signed in July 2025 and expected to come into force in 2026 is to help build on this trend by removing or reducing of high Indian tariffs on selected UK food and drink exports, including pastries, over the next decade.
The FDF said it wanted to work with the government on a plan to maximise new global trade opportunities, whilst providing businesses with the support and guidance they need to take advantage of these – particularly SMEs who might be new to selling abroad. This is particularly important given the overall volatility of trade at the moment, and it would insulate UK manufacturers from any downturn, it added.
It also suggested that a new SPS agreement – which applies to all sanitary and phytosanitary measures affecting international trade – with the EU will also help remove significant barriers to trade, including complicated and expensive checks and certification.
“It’s positive to see an increase in export volumes compared with last year, and now we need to go further,” commented Balwinder Dhoot, director of growth and sustainability at the FDF. “Government and industry can work together to use this as a springboard to turbocharge export growth.”
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