As part of the program, the Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Environment organised the “Hanoi – Vietnam” pavilion at the fair. Photos Minh Huệ

HÀ NỘI The Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Environment recently led a trade promotion delegation to the United Kingdom and European markets to introduce local handicrafts, traditional village products, and OCOP (One Commune One Product) items.

The programme included working sessions with the Embassy of Vieejt Nam, the Vietnam Trade Office, and the Commercial Counselor in the UK, alongside Hà Nội enterprises participating in the 2025 Home & Gift Fair.

The 2025 Home & Gift Fair, held from July 20 to 23 in Harrogate, UK, marked the largest edition of the event to date, celebrating its 65th anniversary.

Visitors explore Hà Nội’s handicrafts, traditional village products, and OCOP items at the pavilion.

Visitors explore Hà Nội’s handicrafts, traditional village products, and OCOP items at the pavilion.

As one of the world’s premier trade fairs for giftware and handicrafts, the event gathered over 500 leading brands and more than 25,000 products from over 100 countries. These included both established international names and emerging players from markets such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, France, Spain, Germany, Colombia, Japan, Qatar—and Việt Nam.

The fair served as a strategic platform for Vietnamese enterprises to showcase their products, increase exports, and integrate into distribution networks across the UK, Europe, and beyond.

A wide range of handicrafts, traditional village products, and OCOP items from Hà Nội are showcased at the fair.

It was also a valuable opportunity for businesses and OCOP producers from Hà Nội to promote their brands, explore trade links, and enhance the international value of their offerings.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Nguyễn Đình Hoa, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment, said "As part of the programme, the department organised the ‘Hanoi – Vietnam’ pavilion at the fair. This key initiative supports Hà Nội-based enterprises in displaying goods and services, raising brand visibility for the capital city’s handicrafts, traditional village items, giftware, and OCOP products in the UK, Europe, and to international buyers attending the event. It also helps open new export opportunities into European distribution channels."

The “Hanoi – Vietnam” pavilion was strategically located in the main exhibition hall and featured a distinctive design themed Hanoi Craft Villages – Traditional Values, Modern Design, reflecting the cultural identity of Thăng Long – Đông Đô – Hà Nội – Việt Nam.

The Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Environment’s delegation works with international partners to promote trade and market access for local products.

Nine enterprises from Hà Nội participated in the showcase, displaying a wide range of strong export-oriented products such as household goods, lacquerware, mother-of-pearl inlay, baskets, rugs, home décor, kitchenware (trays, bowls, dining sets), handcrafted quilts, decorative pillows, fabric bags, wallets, coasters and placemats, and textile accessories including laptop sleeves, phone cases, and glasses pouches.

On the sidelines of the fair, the department also held a working session with Ambassador Đỗ Minh Hưng and the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK.

The delegation meets with Ambassador Đỗ Minh Hưng at the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK to strengthen the promotion of Hà Nội’s handicrafts, giftware, and OCOP products.

Discussions focused on strengthening promotional activities for Hà Nội's handicrafts, giftware, and OCOP items, exploring market demands, consumer trends, and opportunities for long-term cooperation. The two sides also discussed ways to enhance connections between designers and wholesale buyers, aiming to improve the effectiveness of Vietnamese enterprises entering the UK and Northern Ireland markets.

Mr. Nguyễn Đình Hoa – Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Environment and head of the delegation (third from right) – poses for a group photo with officials of Stoke-on-Trent, considered the cradle of the UK’s ceramics industry

Throughout the four-day event, the 'Hanoi-Vietnam’ pavilion attracted significant attention from international visitors, resulting in multiple export contracts being signed.

The fair also offered local enterprises valuable insights into international production processes—from sourcing and design to display aesthetics and digital trade promotion via social media platforms. VNS