Rodda’s of Redruth, famous for its clotted cream, is among an enterprising group of dairy businesses on a trade mission in Shanghai to promote Britain’s high-quality dairy produce to the Chinese.

Exhibiting at FHC, China’s global food trade show, they are joining Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss to take advantage of the growing demand for British foods such as cheese and ice cream, and drive exports to strengthen our dairy industry’s reputation as a provider of premium produce.

A family business that exports its Cornish clotted cream to Hong Kong, Rodda’s is spreading the word about Britain’s culture of afternoon tea. Cornish clotted cream holds EU Protected Designation of Origin status, meaning it has to be made in Cornwall with Cornish milk and Cornish traditional processes.

It is this recognition and the product’s unique role within the afternoon tea that Rodda’s aims to share with the Chinese consumers. Gaining a better understanding of the afternoon tea’s culture and importance within mainland China is a significant element of this process.

Nicholas Rodda, managing director of Rodda’s, said: “This event will allow us to gather more cultural information about Chinese consumers. Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream is integral to the ‘perfect afternoon tea’ and we aspire to deliver the quality experience that our customers have become accustomed to, so we need to understand how different countries and cultures experience this.”

With a population of 1.3 billion, a rapidly growing middle class and a total specialist food import market expected to be worth £39bn next year, China offers huge potential for the future of the food and farming industry. Since 2010, British food and drink exports to China have more than doubled to £280 million, the fastest-growing of which are dairy products, pork, beer and tea.