Hamburg and Britain remain close trade partners

Yet, Hamburg's historical ties to Britain have never taken a real hit and direct flights from Hamburg to London, Manchester, and Edinburgh are a great boon. And trade relations, which had been dealt a blow by Brexit in 2020, are recovering. According to the Northern Statistical Office, Hamburg’s exports to Britain came to €5.1 billion in 2024 making it the second most important destination after the US. In 2023, exports to Britain came to €2.6 billion, putting Britain sixth place while imports came to €2.3 billion. In that year, Britain ranked seventh up one place over the previous year.

Around 1,000 companies in Hamburg have close business ties with Britain. Relations were first established in 1266, when Henry III granted the Hanseatic cities the right to trade with England. Elizabeth II, in turn, is the namesake of some of the Cunard Line's most popular cruise ships, the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Anne, Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2. Founded in 1839 as the "British and North American Royal Mail Steam-Packet Company", the shipping line is now part of the British-American cruise company, Carnival, and has its German headquarters in Hamburg. Since the Queen Mary 2 first docked in the Port of Hamburg in 2004, a lively fan culture has developed around the four Cunard queens. The arrivals of ocean liners have morphed into lucrative and popular tourist magnets. The luxury hotel, Louis C. Jacob, invites guests to boisterous cruise events with gun salutes from a Jacob cannon. And the enthusiasm for the Cunard ships is a boon for the cruise sector, which is a key economic factor for Hamburg with an annual gross value added of €420 million.

The City of Hamburg's recently established Food Cluster is hoping to shine an even brighter international spotlight on its growing food industry. Unilever, a global British food company, is now one of the movers and shakers in the Hanseatic city. Around 4,500 companies and 123,000 employees make the food industry a key economic factor in the Hamburg Metropolitan Region. Spotting global trends is a crucial success factor and Unilever's Knorr brand is focusing on the growing snacking trend. "Dry ready meals are forecast to grow from €48.8 billion to €66 billion by 2028," the company said, adding that it is well positioned in this regard: "Unilever's snacks category has grown in the mid-single digits over the past five years." Hamburg's food scene is also attracting British investors, after the London-based Peckwater Brands acquired the Hamburg-based eatclever in 2023. Peckwater Brands is Europe's largest operator of virtual food brands, while eatclever specialises in the delivery of healthy, freshly prepared meals. Founded in 2015, the company delivers meals prepared by regional restaurants using specially developed recipes across Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Britain.

What could be more British than afternoon tea? The tradition allegedly dates back to the Duchess of Bedford, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria, who had sandwiches, scones and tea served outside the strictly regulated meal times. More and more luxury hotels in Hamburg including the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten and The Fontenay now serve afternoon tea. And the Grand Elysée Hamburg began serving sweet and savoury treats in a safe this year. The district of Hamburg-Ottensen has been home to "Britain in miniature" since 2018. There, the Queen Elizabeth Afternoon Tea in the Eaton Place tearoom serves sandwiches, pastries, scones and clotted cream on a three-tiered étagère. Tea lovers are spoilt for choice with over 30 types of tea and can combine them with a glass of port in an exquisitely English setting with the Union Jack, coats of arms, portraits of monarchs and silver Queen Anne teapots. And, of course, there are also the Staffordshire porcelain dog figurines that traditionally adorn English mantelpieces. What could be more English!.
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