LONDON, UK - This September, USA Rice is taking U.S.-grown rice on the road across the UK to showcase its quality, versatility, and variety. The branded USA Rice truck started its journey on September 8th at Wanis International Foods, a large wholesaler in London specializing in Afro-Caribbean and other ethnic food products. Following stops included Sainsbury’s HQ, as well as Chinese wholesalers, a visit to Chinatown, and several media houses. The tour is set to continue through mid-October.
The activations allow USA Rice to meet with buyers and industry professionals and share more about the many varieties of U.S. rice available to UK consumers and inspire these professionals to experiment with them in different global cuisines.
USA Rice chef ambassadors, William Chilila and Jeremy Pang also make appearances throughout the tour, bringing U.S.-grown rice to life with live cooking demonstrations. Chef William showcases a traditional Ghanaian Jollof featuring U.S. long grain parboiled rice, while Chef Jeremy uses his signature “clock wok” technique to serve up an Herby Rainbow Fried Rice, featuring U.S. milled long grain rice.
The roadshow builds on USA Rice’s recent UK consumer research conducted with the Grocer magazine, a leading UK trade title, which found 68 percent of UK consumers describe themselves as “adventurous” when trying foods from around the world, with 77 percent of younger shoppers wanting more rice varieties available in store to further satisfy their culinary curiosity, clearly showing an opportunity for different U.S. rice types on the market. For more details on this research, please click here.
In 2025, the UK imported 702,000 MT of rice (TDM). India and Pakistan were the largest suppliers, both providing mostly Basmati fragrant rice. U.S. rice exports to the UK are limited under the current TRQ system and amounted to 20,800 MT at a value of $15.4 million in 2025. Several U.S. rice types are present on the UK market, including long grain milled, parboiled, medium grain, and short grain varieties, providing an opportunity for growth in a multitude of market segments.
USA Rice continues to advocate for duty free access for all types and forms of U.S. rice exports into the UK.