Exports of all UK food and drink grew to £5.9bn in the third quarter of 2017 – up 14.7% on 2016 figures and 11% or £16.1bn from January to September 2017.

The figures from Food and Drink Federation also point to exports to non-EU markets, out-performing sales to EU countries, at +18.2% and +12.5% respectively. Exports to non-EU markets rose to 41.2% in total.

Notably, the UK's top three fastest growing export products for the period from January to September, come from the dairy sector to include liquid milk and cream, butter and spreads, and vegetable oils.

Top five fastest growing export markets by value for the same period (YTD 2017) were the Philippines (+289%), Latvia (+116%), Iceland (+73.2%), South Korea (+55%) and Romania (+48%).

Branded goods also saw an improvement in sales with such products up 12.7% to £4.3bn YTD 2017.

Once again, Ireland, France and the United States remained the top three destinations for UK food and drink in terms of overall value for the January to September 2017 period, with the US on top as the UK's No 1 non-EU market for exports of food and drink, which reached £1.6bn, +7.7%. Growth was reported in all top 20 markets during that time period, apart from Spain, which saw a 7.1% decrease due to reduced sales of barley and wheat (-78%).

The balance between exports to non-EU and EU markets shifted slightly in the third quarter, with growth to non-EU markets (+18.2%) out-performing EU markets (+12.5%). There has been notably rapid growth in the sector’s exports to the Philippines (+289.1%), Latvia (+116.1%), and Iceland (+73.2%).

The surge in growth to the Philippines was led by higher demand for pork (85%), whisky (277%), cheese (1608%) and salmon (226%), while exports to Latvia more than doubled from £60m to £129m, driven by sales of whisky (131%), wine (239%), gin (86%) and fish fillets (125%).

Exports of branded products grew by 14.3% in Q3, reaching £1.5bn, and up 12.7% to £4.3bn for the first nine months of the year. This means branded export growth is firmly on track.

Despite the growth recorded, the UK’s food and drink trade deficit increased by 0.7% to -£5.6bn in Q3 2017, as our trade deficit with EU countries widened.

Ian Wright CBE, director general, FDF, said: “The continued growth of food and drink exports demonstrates the strength of UK production in international markets. UK food and drink is recognised throughout the world for its quality and we must be ready to take advantage of the opportunities created from leaving the EU.

“Exports to non-EU markets did outperform those to EU markets in the last quarter but the EU remains our No 1 trading partner. With fewer than one in five food and drink manufacturers exporting, it is vital that we continue to work closely with Government in order to take advantage of the opportunities to sell Great British and Northern Irish food and drink abroad.”