Brexit Didn't Kill This $5.2 Billion Trade Love Affair

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-02

When Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016, plenty of people predicted trade with Europe would take a serious hit. And in some sectors, it did. But there's one corner of commerce that seems almost immune to politics: the British love affair with Italian food and drink. Italian food, drink, and tobacco exports to Britain hit $5.2 billion in 2025. That's up from around $4.9 billion the year before, and it keeps Italy's food sector as the country's single largest export category to the UK. Not bad for a relationship that was supposed to be strained by new borders and paperwork. So what's going on here? Let's dig in. ### Why Italian Food Keeps Winning in Britain First, there's the simple fact that British consumers genuinely love Italian products. Pasta, olive oil, prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano, prosecco — these aren't niche luxuries. They're staples in millions of British kitchens. - Pasta imports alone account for a huge chunk of the total. - Olive oil has seen steady growth as health-conscious cooking takes hold. - Prosecco continues to outsell champagne in the UK. - Cured meats and specialty cheeses keep finding new fans. When people already love a product, they'll pay a little more and wait a little longer to get it. That's the power of brand loyalty — and Italian food has it in spades. ### The Brexit Effect Wasn't What Anyone Expected Here's the thing: Brexit did add friction. Exporters now deal with customs declarations, health certificates, and border checks that didn't exist before. Some smaller Italian producers simply gave up on the UK market. But the big players adapted. They hired customs experts, built new distribution partnerships, and absorbed some of the extra costs. The result? The overall trade volume kept climbing. "The UK remains one of the most important markets for Italian food," said one industry analyst. "The demand is too strong to be derailed by bureaucracy." That quote sums it up nicely. When the appetite is there, businesses find a way. ### What This Means for European Startups If you're building a food or beverage startup in Europe, this story carries a few lessons. - **Demand beats friction.** If your product is genuinely wanted, customers will tolerate inconvenience. - **Adapt to regulation.** The companies that thrived post-Brexit were the ones that treated new rules as a puzzle to solve, not a wall to hit. - **Think long-term.** Trade relationships don't reset overnight. Brand equity compounds. It's also a reminder that the EU single market still matters enormously. Italy's export success isn't just about Italian producers — it's about a broader European supply chain that includes logistics firms, packaging companies, and yes, plenty of startups. ### The Bottom Line Britain's taste for Italian food shows no sign of fading. If anything, it's getting stronger. And that's a useful signal for anyone watching EU-UK trade: politics can change the rules, but it rarely changes what people want on their dinner tables. For European founders, the takeaway is simple. Build something people actually want, and you'll find a way through the red tape. The market rewards persistence — and a really good bowl of pasta doesn't hurt either.