31 October 2022, 11:56 AM
  • Quality rice has long been a staple of British storecupboards, and USA Rice is proud to have been celebrating and promoting America’s rice varieties within the valuable UK market for 20 years
Celebrating 20 years of American rice in the UK

In fact, 13th October 2022 saw the 20th anniversary celebrations of this partnership.

The anniversary event was held at the US Embassy in Nine Elms, London, and showcased the quality, variety and availability of US-grown rice to an audience of 97 food industry professionals who enjoyed presentations and informative demonstrations, on everything from the heritage of American rice to how it can be best enjoyed.

In an ever-changing marketplace, the aim of the event was to ensure that trends and consumer requirements continue to be satisfied by American rice, and to grow its dedicated audience in the UK.

Long-standing sustainable credentials
With the eco-friendliness of food products being more important than ever for British shoppers, USA Rice is proud to hold solid sustainability credentials – indeed, the sector’s dedication to supporting the environment in which it works goes back generations, long before it became the hot topic is it today. American rice fields are a valuable ecological landscape; during the winter months, many species of migratory birds utilise the flooded fields for food and foraging – in fact, in the regions where American rice is grown, 35% of these birds’ food resources are supplied by USA Rice members and farmers.

In order to highlight these sustainable credentials, The Rice Foundation commissioned a report to demonstrate the environmental, economic and social pillars that feed into its sustainability mission including land use and soil conservation, biodiversity, energy use and air quality, and water use and quality.

Read the report here.

Satisfying consumer appetites
In order to demonstrate the versatility of American rice, USA Rice has created a large number of delicious recipes which are available to view here.

A variety sure to be popular with discerning British foodies is American wild rice, which can be utilised in a number of dishes which cater to the growing demand for healthy, versatile and plant-based meals – for example, slow cooked lamb with a mango and rice salad, rice salad with pickled grapes, walnuts and Brie, and a gingered rice and papaya salad. Also on the menu are a number of family favourites – classic recipes such as treacle tart, sausage rolls and rice pudding ice cream – that are sure to satisfy foodies of all ages.

With an impressive array of varieties for Speciality Food readers and consumers to choose from, and enviable sustainability and foodie credentials, now is the perfect time to learn more about USA Rice.

For more information about USA Rice and to find out how to get involved, visit the USA Rice website.