‘Rice Up Your Life!’ - The Rice Association calls on companies to support National Rice Week

National Rice Week is returning for its fifth year this September (12th – 18th), with a multichannel consumer campaign that sets out to raise the profile of the UK rice sector. Led by The Rice Association, the campaign will invite the nation to "Rice Up Your Life" and highlight all the great things rice has to offer - from its versatility and convenience as a recipe ingredient, to its proven nutritional content and health benefits. The Association is calling on food businesses, wholesalers and retailers to make the most of National Rice Week this year and join the celebrations.

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The Rice Association is a members’ body of UK businesses who are actively engaged in importing, processing, packing or marketing rice. Associate membership is also open to businesses which are in some other way supportive of the rice trade.

The 2022 National Rice Week campaign will engage with consumers on social channels and via relevant influencers, and support this with media outreach. The activity will showcase the many ways people can use and enjoy the different rice varieties, both in and out of home. Content will range from inspirational recipe and serving ideas to myth busting facts and nutritional information.

Jon Calland

“National Rice Week presents a great opportunity for the food industry engage with our customers, celebrate rice, and ultimately increase consumption," said Jon Calland, Chair of The Rice Association. "As people get more adventurous with their cooking, rice meets their needs and UK consumers today enjoy the widest selection of rice varieties from across the world. The rice sector is currently worth over £900m annually to the British economy, with 88 per cent of UK households buying rice each year. There are 11 rice mills in the UK, each catering to different segments of the market, all of whom stepped up supply during the pandemic to meet record demand. We’re now calling on the whole food industry, from brands, and retailers, to wholesalers and foodservice to get involved and celebrate National Rice Week this September.”

How your business can make the most of National Rice Week

• Feature National Rice Week in your promotional campaigns and marketing activity – use the logo (available from The Rice Association) to highlight the campaign on packaging, in-store and on in-house material
• Use National Rice Week to launch new products
• Hold in-store tastings, promotions or competitions
• Work with customers and suppliers to create events and promotions around National Rice Week
• Share content online across websites and social media channels using #NationalRiceWeek and #RiceUpYourLife and inspire social media followers to cook with rice, whether that be innovative new recipes or old favourites
• Ensure that your whole business knows about National Rice Week – from the sales and marketing teams, through to those working in-store.

The Rice Association hopes that every kind of business in the UK that works with rice will want to get involved in this year’s National Rice Week. The Rice Association is also refreshing its website in time for the Week, to spread the message about how consumers can "Rice Up" their lives and add excitement, flavour and health benefits to their meal times.