Vietnamese lychees make sweet impression on UK consumers. — VNA/VNS Photo

LONDON – A Vietnamese Lychee Week is taking place in London from June 17 to 24 to promote the tropical fruit to UK consumers, drawing interest from both the Vietnamese community and local residents.

The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Trade Office in the UK and TT Meridian, a local importer of Vietnamese fresh produce, aims to build a national lychee brand and encourage broader recognition of Vietnamese fruits in a competitive, high-end market. Promotional materials, special displays, and discounts on fresh lychees are featured in Vietnamese supermarkets across London.

A dedicated website, www.vietnameselychee.uk, has also been launched to provide product information and retail locations.

According to Trade Counselor of Việt Nam in the UK Lê Đình Ba, the campaign is part of a long-term strategy to foster consumer habits and market presence for Vietnamese goods in Europe. He expressed his hope that the model could be expanded to other regions of the UK and applied to other Vietnamese agricultural products in the future.

On the opening day, the event drew many customers at Bảo Long supermarket in Deptford, an area with a large Vietnamese population. Consumers from various backgrounds showed their interest in the fruit after encountering eye-catching posters or learning about the promotion via social media.

TT Meridian’s product development manager, Sarah Lam, said the initiative helps UK consumers better understand Vietnamese lychees and compare their quality with other tropical imports. She emphasised the importance of consistent product standards and urged continued government support in origin traceability, regional planning, and trade facilitation.

Lam also highlighted TT Meridian’s collaboration with Mova Plus, a Vietnamese exporter, as a successful model, noting the strong potential of Vietnamese enterprises to access major markets like the UK. — VNS