The lamentable loss of Food from Britain

Enrique Guillen MD, Alifoods Spain

Sir;  Alifoods is a Spanish food and drink distributor specialising in imported products from the UK with a turnover of €7m. Alifoods distributes British brands including Dorset Cereals, Typhoo, Jacob’s biscuits, Chivers marmalades and Fray Bentos pies within the Spanish market. We feel abandoned by Defra, having heard the news that from April 2009 no support will be given to British food and drink via FFB. Defra should bear in mind that there are more than 600,000 British residents in Spain and 16.4 million British tourists visiting Spain each year, who are likely to eat here as they do at home. There is also an important international and Spanish community consuming British food and drink. FFB is an export facilitator of British food and drink and plays an important role in helping British food and drink companies introduce their products in Spain and other countries.