Stats at a Glance
These statistics have been compiled from the latest industry data on food and
drink manufacturing and the most recent Office of National Statistics Annual
Business Enquiry.
-
The food and drink manufacturing industry is the single largest manufacturing
sector in the UK, with a turnover of £72.6bn , with a gross value added of
£21.6bn[1] , accounting for 14% of the total manufacturing sector.
- The industry employs some 440,000 people. This represents 14% of the
manufacturing workforce in the UK.
- Our sector is an important trading partner with Europe: exporting almost £7.5bn
of food and drink products a year, two-thirds of which go the EU. We are the
world's eighth largest exporter of food and drink[2].
- The industry is a key partner for British farmers: buying two thirds of all the
UK's
agricultural produce. All this economic activity is carried out by 7,051 food
and
drink enterprises – many of which are small companies, many employing less than
10 people.
1. Information taken from latest ONS Annual Business Inquiry
2. Food From Britain
Last reviewed: 04 Mar 2010