The first Chinese customer for Irish beef has received her online order in Shanghai, with a special letter of thanks from the Irish ambassador to China with her delivery.

Ireland gained beef access to China in April this year for frozen boneless beef, with a number of meat processors gaining approval to export including ABP Nenagh, Kepak Clonee, Dawn Charleville, Slaney Foods and Foyle Donegal.

Meat sales on online platforms were worth an estimated €3.75bn last year and Irish beef is being sold on two of the largest platforms – Alibaba’s Tmall Supermarket and Yiguo Fresh.

Strategy

“The development of online sales is a key part of Bord Bia’s strategy for Irish beef in China,” said Bord Bia’s trade marketing specialist in China Conor O’Sullivan.

Bord Bia has also hosted a week-long event in Shanghai, livestreaming cookery demonstrations with celebrity chef Jacqueline Qiu, using Irish beef.

To date, Irish beef is only available in Shanghai, but Bord Bia stated that they hope Irish beef will be sold nationwide in China once larger shipments by sea begin to arrive later in the year.