The British Embassy and UK Trade and Investment in partnership with Prudential are running a series of events from March 13 to 19 to celebrate British food and drink and show businesses and consumers the quality, heritage, and creativity that make British food some of the best in the world, according to the British Embassy in Hanoi.

To promote UK food in Vietnam, British food ambassador and Michelin-star chef Gary Rhodes is coming to visit the country.  

Mr. Rhodes will be on Happy Lunch on VTV6 on March 13 and in the evening will be at AEON Mall Long Bien for a cooking demonstration, where there will be the opportunity to try British products.  

The Metropole will be hosting the first Great British Bake-Off in Vietnam on March 14.

On the evening of March 15 Mr. Rhodes be at the InterContinental showcasing Scottish whisky, including R&B distillers who have brought their whisky to Vietnam for the first time.  

The highlight of the week will be on March 17 in Ho Chi Minh City, where guests will be treated to a dinner cooked by Mr. Rhodes and Masterchef Mr. Hai.

Some of the guests are the winners of an online cooking competition run through the campaign’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GREATBritaininVietnam, which has attracted over 40,000 followers.

Business-focused events include a food safety event with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) in Hanoi on March 14 and a branding event in Ho Chi Minh City on March 18.

Both the Metropole and InterContinental hotels in Hanoi are offering a British menu.

British food came from humble beginnings. In the early 19th century it was largely comprised of bread. On average, families of six people consumed 55 lbs of bread a week to sustain dietary requirements of 6,500 calories a day.

Things have changed to what the British regard as one of the most varied and delicious diets in the world.

British food and beverages include well known favorites such as Scotch whisky and salmon and also a surprising array of delicious cheeses, yoghurts, fresh fruit and vegetables, scrumptious cakes, and biscuits.

But even food once considered exotic are now grown in Britain. As a result of modern farming techniques and scientific research the British now grow chilies in Devon, wasabi in Dorset, and sweet potatoes in Kent. And Cornerways in Norfolk produces tomatoes virtually year-round using the heat created from a sugar factory.