The scorching late summer sun of northern Portugal is ripening the black, super-sweet grapes that will go to make what European Union rules say is the only wine that can be called port.

Wine making has for several centuries been a way of life for many families here in the picturesque valley of the River Douro. It's a tradition the EU regulations are designed to protect.

"If it wasn't for wine, the Douro region would be on its knees," says 59-year-old Jose Pereira, a foreman for the Rozes port wine producer, as behind him two dozen local people pick the first grapes of the annual harvest. "Wine is our wealth."

For these workers and the local port wine producers, just like the makers of French champagne, Greek feta cheese or Italy's Parma ham, the EU's name-protection laws help ensure their livelihood by shielding them from industrial-scale, lower-cost copycats.

But port wine's second-largest export market is the United Kingdom, and the impending British exit from the EU is throwing port's almost 50 million euros' (58 million US dollars) worth of annual business there into doubt.

That's because London conspicuously isn't saying whether after leaving the EU next year it will keep the bloc's name protection rules. It could, for example, choose to let in rival port producers from the British Commonwealth, such as South Africa and Australia, as it casts around for post-Brexit trade deals.

Authorities in the United States have long fought against the EU's Geographical Identification (GI) laws, saying they amount to trade barriers - an argument that is not lost on the British government as it eyes closer business ties with Washington.

Product name protection is not a minor issue.

Last week, the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier singled it out as one of the three main outstanding questions, alongside a possible future border in Ireland and working out the post-Brexit EU-UK relationship.

Enrico Bonadio, Senior Lecturer in intellectual property law at City, University of London, says Geographical Identification laws are "a very sensitive issue which could jeopardize the whole Brexit negotiations."

He reckons the British government, aware that the UK is a major market for the more than 3,000 EU-protected items, is using the issue as "a bargaining chip" to win advantages in other areas of the negotiations.

EU protected names are prized by businesses. The labelling comes with strict regulations on production and is regarded as a quality guarantee that helps branding and sales.

The EU says the scheme seeks to protect local economies and cultures against misuse of names or imitations.

The policy has been a flashpoint before, being a factor in holding up a trade deal between the EU and the United States, where Geographical Identification rules fall under trademark law and where feta and parmesan, for example, are considered generic names.

Portugal's port wine industry offers a look into how a protected name earns its special status and what's at stake for families and businesses in the Brexit talks.

The Douro Valley has an abundance of arresting landscapes along an almost 200-kilometre (120-mile) stretch, reaching from the Atlantic almost into Spain. The spectacular scenery places it on a par with other outstanding European wine regions, such as the Rhine Valley in Germany or France's Loire.

The valley's steep and stony slopes are scored with contours of green vines that ripple back from the river in corrugated lines. Terraces of ancient walls, hand-built in local brown slate, hold gravity at bay. The quiet landscape is punctuated with ridgetop clusters of whitewashed houses and port wine estates called 'quintas.'

Several factors, producers say, make this a singular place: it has weather extremes, with summer bringing heat well above 30 degrees Celsius and winter bringing snow and ice; grape varieties such as Touriga nacional, Tinta roriz and Barroca are unique to Portugal; the poor, bone-dry soil means fewer grapes but a high concentration of sugar; and the slopes, up to 600 metres (2,000 feet) high, offer varying angles of exposure to the sun.

Tractors and trucks have replaced the mules and oxen of yore, but plenty has remained unchanged - including grape-treading in a knee-high granite tank called a 'lagar,' which remains common.

Port is the queen of Portuguese wines. A bottle of 19th-century vintage port, which is the top of the range, can fetch more than 3,000 euros (3,500 US dollars) at auction.

It is a fortified wine, made by adding grape spirit to halt the fermentation and keep the grapes' natural sweetness. It allows wine makers to produce deep, delicately textured wines admired around the world.

It is an ironic twist of Brexit that Britishness runs through the history of Portugal's port wine trade like marbling.

The port business was largely created by, and flourished because of, the British. The port companies, or 'houses,' are called Taylor's, Croft's, Churchill's, Warre's, Sandeman, and Symington, among others.

Taylor's, for example, was established in the Douro Valley in 1744 by Bartholomew Bearsley. After him came, among other bosses, Joseph Taylor, John Fladgate, Frank Yeatman and Alistair Robertson, whose son-in-law Adrian Bridge is now the Managing Director.

Bridge's office is in Vila Nova da Gaia, on the coast by the city of Porto, where the port companies have traditionally brought their wines for aging and shipping.

Standing amid hundreds of centuries-old barrels piled in rows in a musky cellar with granite walls and a wooden roof, Bridge notes that Brexit is already hurting business as the British pound's drop in value against the euro has pushed up port's price on UK shelves.

Taylor's sells port to 105 countries around the world, but Britain is far and away the most important he says, though plans are afoot to expand port's presence in other markets.

He adds, with typical British understatement, that he expects Brexit to "require some degree of readjustment."

Raymond Reynolds, owner of Raymond Reynolds Ltd, a specialist UK Wine importer is not too worried about geographical denominations, which he believes are superceded by historic links between suppliers and buyers.

"They are trusted in terms of their quality and through to retailers and consumers that works as well," he says, adding "the only problem with Brexit is the uncertainty."

Britain and the EU have not yet finalised their divorce agreement, stirring fears among businesses of disruption to trade.

Douro Valley, Portugal - 12 September, 2018

1. Pan of Douro River near Pinhao, Douro Valley

2. Wide of slope with green vines

3. Mid of Ferreira port wine slope

4. Mid of Alves de Sousa port wine slope

5. Wide of protected landscape with sign

6. Close of sign reading (Portuguese) "Douro Wine Valley, World Heritage"

7. Change of focus from slope to vine leaf

8. Workers arriving to harvest

9. Tilt up from bucket to workers going up the hill

10. Close of bucket with grapes

11. Mid of workers

12. Close of worker cutting vines

13. Close of bucket filled with grapes

14. Tilt down from sun to workers walking

15. Set up shot for Jose Pereira, foreman of Rozes port wine producer

16. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Jose Pereira, foreman of Rozes port wine producer:

"If it wasn't for wine there would be a crisis, both for our employers and for us. Without the wine the Douro region would be on its knees. Wine is our wealth."

17. Tractor carrying grapes up hill

18. Wide of Quinta da Gricha entrance

19. Workers receiving and processing grapes from the harvest for Churchill's port wine production house

20. Various of grapes being processed

21. Tilt down of Rozes wine barrels

22. Wide of old bottles of port wine

23. Change of focus between vintage port wine bottles

24. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Luciano Madureira, oenologist, Rozes port wine production:

"Port wine is good because it's from here, from this region. This is a unique region, where people are very important, the climate, the soil – which is not very rich, eager to produce more but that can't give more than what it already gives. We are in the mountains so what we do is always in small scale but with extraordinary quality."

Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal - 11 September, 2018

25. Entrance to Taylor's port wine cellars house

26. Close of Taylor's symbol

27. Wide of wine barrels at cellar

28. Set up shots for Taylor's managing director Adrian Bridge

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Adrian Bridge, Managing Director, Taylor's port wine house:

"Well, I think that clearly when we are selling a product like Port - which we have done for hundreds of years – we have seen many disruptions, of war and pestilence over the centuries and perhaps if one puts the context of Brexit in these terms of an unfortunate blip that may cause some problems and probably requires some degree of readjustment, I think that would be fair."

30. Wide of royal warrant of appointment

31. Close of royal warrant of appointment reading (English) "By appointment to H.M. Queen Elizabeth II suppliers of Port Wine, Taylor's Port Portugal"

London, UK - 14 September, 2018

32. Various set up shots of Enrico Bonadio, Senior Lecturer in intellectual property law at City, University of London

33. SOUNDBITE (English) Enrico Bonadio, Senior Lecturer in intellectual property law at City, University of London:

"I don't think the Europeans will accept, the EU will accept a Brexit deal which does not protect feta cheese, Parmesan cheese or champagne wine also because the entire final Brexit deal will need to be ratified by national parliaments, 27 national parliaments. Can we imagine the Greek parliament or the Italian parliament or the French parliament having to ratify a final Brexit deal that does not strongly protect feta, parmesan or champagne? It will be difficult. That's why a deadlock on this issue could jeopardize the entire Brexit deal."

London, UK - 19 September, 2018

34. Wide shot of the Raymond Reynolds stall at "The Dirty Dozen" wine and spirits tasting event in Glazier Hall, London

35. Attendee tasting a wine

36. Pan up from bottles of Niepoort port wine to wine tasters

37. Close up of wine being poured

38. Shot of Raymond Reynolds pouring some Niepoort Bioma port

39. Cutaway corks

40. SOUNDBITE: (English) Raymond Reynolds, Owner of Raymond Reynolds Ltd, a specialist UK Wine importer:

"I don't have any fear in that sense (of Geographical Identification ending after Brexit) because you know your sources of supply, we work with our growers, there is a historic link. They are trusted in terms of their quality and through to retailers and consumers that works as well so the only problem with Brexit is the uncertainty."

41. Tilt up of bottle of port

42. Various of Raymond Reynolds with customers

STORYLINE

Britain and the European Union warned December 8th that talks on a post-Brexit free-trade deal are teetering on the brink of collapse, with just over three weeks until an economic rupture that will cause upheaval for businesses on both sides of the English Channel.

Officials downplayed the chances of a breakthrough when Prime Minister Boris Johnson heads to Brussels for face-to-face talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the next few days.

With negotiators deadlocked on key issues after months of tense talks, German European Affairs Minister Michael Roth said the bloc’s confidence in Britain was hanging in the balance.

Johnson’s Downing Street office said the situation was “very tricky” and collapse of the talks was a distinct possibility.

Johnson and von der Leyen, head of the EU’s executive arm, spoke by phone December 7th for the second time in 48 hours.

They said afterwards that “significant differences” remained on three key issues - fishing rights, fair-competition rules and the governance of future disputes - and “the conditions for finalizing an agreement are not there.”

The two leaders said in the joint statement that they planned to discuss the remaining differences “in a physical meeting in Brussels in the coming days.”

Leaders of the EU's 27 nations are holding a two-day summit in Brussels starting Thursday.

***

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in Brussels on December 9th, ahead of crunch Brexit trade talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the evening.

The leaders of Britain and the European Union will meet for a dinner that could pave the way to a post-Brexit trade deal - or tip the two sides toward a chaotic economic rupture at the end of the month.

They have just a few hours over a multi-course meal to unstick negotiations that are deadlocked on key aspects of the future relationship for the EU and Britain.

The U.K. left the EU on Jan. 31st after 47 years of membership, but remains within the bloc’s tariff-free single market and customs union until the end of the year.

Reaching a trade deal by then would ensure there are no tariffs or quotas on trade in goods on Jan. 1st, although there would still be new costs and red tape for businesses.

Failure to secure a trade deal would mean tariffs and other barriers that would hurt both sides, although most economists think the British economy would take a greater hit because the U.K. does almost half of its trade with the bloc.

***

As Brexit talks enter their decisive final days, there's still a big catch: the fishing industry.

It is holding up the trade deal between the European Union and recently departed Britain, putting at risk hundreds of thousands of jobs and tens of billions of euros in annual production losses.

French fishermen are anxious about a looming no-deal Brexit, following months of talks by negotiators seeking to cobble together a trade deal in the wake of their Brexit divorce.

While French and other European fishermen currently take much of their catch in UK waters, a no-deal Brexit could end or significantly limit that.

Twenty-eight year old fisherman Mathieu Pinto is concerned about the prospects of a no-deal Brexit.

Docking his boat, L'Ophelea, in the French port of Boulogne-Sur-Mer after a night of fishing sea-snails or whelk, Pinto said that the vast majority of his catch comes from British waters and there will be a "huge impact" on his business.

Pinto believes the consequences of the end of the current fishing policies would mean war amongst European boats fishing across the same coastal waters in France.

There is essentially not enough to go around, he said.

Pinto talks with other fishermen here in Boulogne and he says they are all just as scared as he is.

He says he is not yet ready to sell his boat but as someone who learned the trade handed down through his family, he is quickly losing his passion.

As well as France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and Denmark are among those directly implicated by the potential closing off of UK waters.

Brussels has proposed a 12-month period for continued reciprocal access to fishing waters but Britain has suggested this could be rejected.

For centuries, foreign fishermen shared the plentiful waters off Britain, and it has been no different since the UK joined the EU in 1973.

But as catches dwindled, sometimes to a fraction of their previous numbers because of ruthless overexploitation, the number of British fishermen has dwindled from 22,000 in 1975 to 12,000 in 2018.

Rightly or wrongly, EU trawlers venturing freely in UK waters came to be seen as a symbol of plunder and exploitation.

When Britain voted to leave, saving UK waters for UK fishermen became a rallying cry.

In an ideal scenario, British fishermen would have all the waters to themselves, able to expand what so long has been a diminishing industry but it's not that simple.

The EU came into the trade negotiations demanding that its boats continue being allowed to fish.

Even though Brexit left the bloc in a much weaker position, UK exports gave it leverage.

Some 80% of fish landed in the UK is exported, and three-quarters of that goes to the EU.

If the continent closes off its markets, fish would be left rotting on British quays.

The debate during the final days centers on how the issues of fishing rights for EU trawlers could be reconciled with low or no tariffs for UK exports through fish-processing hubs like Boulogne-sur-Mer.

***

Lorries travelling to the UK port of Dover were stuck in traffic jams that stretched back several kilometres on December 12th.

The queues built up even though it's three weeks before Britain leaves the European Union.

Logistics companies have reported a surge in demand for imports ahead of a potential no-deal Brexit.

The British government has warned that even with a deal, there could be queues as long as 100 kilometres if companies don't prepare the new paperwork.

***

Tensions were high in Dover on December 23rd as thousands of drivers remained stranded at the UK port.

Police were confronted by frustrated drivers in the road leading to the ferries, before backing away from the crowd.

People ran to return to their vehicles after officers signalled to move the traffic towards the port.

Many have been stuck in Dover for three days now after France banned travel from the UK on Sunday following news of a new variant of coronavirus spreading across south east England.

A deal was reached between the two countries to resume travel on December 23rd, as long as travellers showed a negative COVID test result from within the last 72 hours.

British Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said around 4,000 trucks may be waiting in the county of Kent to cross the Channel and urged other truckers not to head there until the backlog is cleared.

It will take “a few days” to test all the drivers before they can travel to France, he said.

***

Scuffles broke out at the UK's Dover Port on December 23rd when police attempted to clear a route for health workers to arrive as efforts to clear a backlog of stranded drivers continued.

A police escort led in a group of cars carrying National Health Service test and trace workers and people were instructed to return to their vehicles as testing was about to commence.

However, some drivers who were stranded at the port were protesting by blocking vehicles from leaving the port.

A man was removed by police officers when he laid down in front of a truck.

Another protester attempted to stop a bus of port workers from entering.

Gridlock at the English port had kept thousands of truckers and travellers stranded on Wednesday despite a deal with France to lift a two-day blockade imposed because of a new variant of the coronavirus that had isolated Britain and raised fears of food shortages.

Nations around the world began barring people from Britain over the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that scientists said a new version of the virus whipping around London and England's southeast may be more contagious.

***

Britain's Brexit negotiator David Frost left the UK Mission in Brussels to go to the EU Commission on December 24th, as the two sides appeared to be on the cusp of striking a trade deal.

Negotiators from the European Union and Britain worked through the night and right into Christmas Eve to put the finishing touches on a trade deal that should avert a chaotic economic break between the two sides on New Year's Day.

After resolving the remaining fair-competition and almost all fisheries issues on December 23rd, negotiators combed through hundreds of pages of legal text that should become the blueprint for a post-Brexit relationship.

As during much of the nine-month negotiations, the issue of EU fleets in British waters proved the most intractable and divisive, with negotiators still haggling over quotas for some individual species as dawn came.

Still, sources on both sides said the long and difficult negotiations were on the cusp of being wrapped up as negotiators, holed up at EU headquarters in Brussels with a stack of pizzas, worked to deliver the text to their leaders on Thursday.

***

While corks may have popped in London and Brussels over reaching the relative certainty of a post-Brexit trade deal after years of delays and negotiations, there was one rocky speck of British soil still left in limbo.

Gibraltar, known colloquially as The Rock, is a UK colony jutting off the southern tip of Spain's mainland.

But it was not included in the agreement announced on Christmas Eve between the European Union and the UK to reorganise commercial and trade relations between the now 27-member bloc and the first nation to exit the group

The deadline for Gibraltar remains January 1st, when a transitionary period regulating the short frontier between Gibraltar and Spain expires.

If no deal is reached, there are serious concerns that a hard border would cause disruption for the workers, tourists and major business connections across the two sides.

More than 15,000 people live in Spain and work in Gibraltar, making up about 50% of Gibraltar's labour force, and their cross-border journeys help make up the 30 million annual crossings.

Oscar Aguilera is a 40-year-old resident of La Linea De La Concepcion, the Spanish town that borders Gibraltar.

Every day, he crosses the frontier to work for a cleaning company based on The Rock.

Aguilera says he relies heavily on a fluid border for his daily work commute and worries about what will happen if there is no deal.

The Rock was ceded to the UK in 1713, and for three centuries, the strategic outcrop of high terrain has given its navy command of the narrow seaway linking the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean.

Spain, however, has never dropped its claim to sovereignty over it and throughout the Brexit talks, it insisted it wants a say on the future of Gibraltar.

It succeeded in convincing the EU to separate the issue of Gibraltar from the wider Brexit negotiations, meaning that Madrid is handling all talks directly with its counterparts in Gibraltar and London.

The Spanish foreign ministry has warned that if an agreement is not reached before 1 January, the long lines of stranded truck drivers seen at the English Channel crossing could be repeated.

On Monday Spain's foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya reiterated that her government wants to reach a deal, adding that "there's no plan B", and that "either there's a deal with the United Kingdom or there's a hard border."

Lorenzo Pérez-Periañez, who represents the La Linea Association of Small and Medium enterprises, has no doubt that a hard border would be devastating for the economies of both Gibraltar and Spain.

But he is keen to stress that it's not all about the financial impact, as border restrictions will impact families living on both sides.

Gibraltar's population of about 34,000 was overwhelmingly against leaving the EU.

In the UK's 2016 Brexit referendum, 96% of voters in Gibraltar supported remaining in the EU, because they felt the trade bloc would give them more leverage to deal with Madrid.

***

The UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on December 30th signed the post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union.

Johnson told the media after the signing that "this is not the end, it is a new beginning".

Britain’s House of Commons voted to approve the deal, paving the way for an orderly break with the bloc that will finally complete the UK’s years-long Brexit journey.

With just a day to spare, lawmakers voted 521-73 December 30th to approve the agreement sealed between the UK government and the EU last week.

It will become British law once is passes through the unelected House of Lords on December 30th and gets formal royal assent from Queen Elizabeth II.

The UK left the EU almost a year ago, but remained within the bloc’s economic embrace during a transition period that ends at midnight Brussels time -- 11 p.m. in London - on December 31st.

02:01:31

00:00:00

GVs of EU buildings as Brexit stalemate remains

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Brussels - 08 December 2020

1. Close of front of the European Commission logo

2. Wide of Christmas trees for sale in front of the European Commission

00:07:15

UK PM arrives at ambassador residence in Brussels

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Brussels - 9 December 2020

++NIGHT SHOTS++

3. Various of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arriving at the residence of the U.K. ambassador to Belgium ahead of Brexit talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

00:12:07

French fishermen anxious over no-deal Brexit

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Boulogne-Sur-Mer - 10 December 2020

4. French fishing boat L'Ophelea arriving into Boulogne port after fishing overnight

5. Shellfish catch - whelk or sea snails- being unloaded from the boat

6. Fish and fishmongers

00:25:16

Lorries in long queues at Dover ahead of Brexit

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dover - 12 December 2020

7. Various of queues of lorries heading to Dover port

8. Dover port from the cliffs

00:37:16

Tensions high in Dover as some vehicles start move

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dover - 23 December 2020

9. Man confronts police officer in front of lorry

10. Row of police formed in front of lorry

00:45:16

Scuffles as police try to clear route for testing in Dover

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dover - 23 December 2020

11. Wide of man being removed from road by police officers

12. People demonstrating, one man stepping in front of bus

13. Police officers in front of road sign reading (English) "Return to vehicles, testing to commence"

00:57:16

Frost in Brussels on cusp of striking Brexit trade deal

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Brussels - 24 December 2020

14. The UK's chief Brexit negotiator leaving the UK mission getting into car to go to the EU Commission, car leaving

01:05:08

Gibraltar’s post-Brexit border with Spain in limbo

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Gibraltar - 22 December 2020

15. Workers crossing border into Gibraltar from Spain

16. Spanish worker Oscar Aguilera entering Gibraltar

Gibraltar - 19 December 2020

17. Various of people walking in town, at cafe

01:24:18

Johnson signs post Brexit trade deal

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UK POOL

London - 30 December 2020

18. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson signing trade deal, UPSOUND (English) Boris Johnson: " Here it is folks, this is it. And I know the question you will all be asking yourselves is, have I read it? The answer is yes. And it's an excellent deal for this country. But also, for our friends and partners. "

LEAD IN:

With Brexit looming, fears are growing that border controls between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic could become a reality.  

If that happens among the worst affected industries in the border areas will be tourism which relies heavily on ease of travel between the two jurisdictions.   

STORY-LINE:

Just four kilometres (2.5 miles) south of the border with Northern Ireland, Belturbet in Co. Cavan in the Irish Republic is on the front line of the Brexit crisis.  

Tourism, in particular fishing and boat cruising, is the town's biggest industry, drawing in visitors from Europe and from all around Ireland both north and south.

During the Troubles, tourism in Belturbet was in decline, but since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which ended the conflict, things have been looking up.  

Investment in tourism infrastructure rose - including the construction of a new marina - drawing in visitors keen to explore the region known for its scenic lakes and rivers.  

But with Brexit looming locals are worried that the tourism industry could be badly affected.  

Cruising company ABC Boats has a base at Belturbet and another one over the border at Aghinver in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

Just outside Belturbet, the Erne River marks the border itself, with one river bank in Northern Ireland and the other in the Republic of Ireland, illustrating the complexity of the issue which has stalled Brexit.

ABC's Sean Greenan, who manages the Belturbet Marina, says he's worried that European visitors in particular will stay away if Brexit results in new border controls.

"Our…majority of our customers come from…from Europe. So you have, you have German, eh Austrian, Switzerland, you know that's…that's ninety percent of our customers em, what way are they going to react? This is what we need to ask ourselves. What way are they going to react looking at coming to Ireland after Brexit?"  

The removal of the militarised border in 1998 increased cross border trade and fuelled economic growth which has benefited people both north and south.

The Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge marking the border just outside the town has become a potent symbol of north/south co-operation.

Opened in 1999 as a replacement for another bridge which was blown up during the Troubles, today cars and trucks travel across the border without hindrance.

The only way to tell that you have crossed the border is road markings which change on the bridge from white in Northern Ireland to yellow in the Republic of Ireland.

If a new border is constructed this marks the spot where locals fear security infrastructure will reappear stifling cross border co-operation.   

35 kilometres up river from Belturbet is Enniskillen in Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland,  which is also heavily reliant on tourism.   

Most visitors to Enniskillen travel up from the Republic of Ireland and locals are concerned that that could be jeopardised by Brexit.

Terry McCartney is the Managing Director of the Belmore Court & Motel, one of the largest hotels in the town.

"People flying into Ireland mostly fly into Dublin. Eh once they get into Dublin if they want to come north they have to hire a car. Will there be a border? Will there not be a border? Will they be able to bring their car across the border? Will they need a visa to come across the border? So those are all issues in terms of guests and residents em. But on top of that then we also have the issue of workers em. We have a number of jobs which are filled mainly by people who work…or who come from outside the UK and Ireland. After Brexit will those people be able to stay? Will be be able to get additional people to do those important jobs in in the accommodation sector? So em those are big issues for us and definitely very uncertain."

Back on the River Erne linking Belturbet and Enniskillen, life continues on at its leisurely pace, at least for now.

It's the years of uncertainty surrounding Brexit that have been the the biggest problem facing businesses like ABC Boats, says manager Sean Greenan.

"What we need as a company here, and what our clients need - knowledge. We need to know what's going to happen next year. We're going to want to need to know what's going to happen the following year. And at the end of the day we've got to deal with whatever that is. But we've got to know. You can't deal with anything until you know about it."

Protecting the many gains made under the Good Friday Agreement and avoiding the return of a hard border are the most important things going forward, says Brendan Fey a local politician and pub owner.

"I believed that we were going to be an economic island - cross border, health, electricity, phones, everything. It has thrown everything up now, we have to get back to that. People talk about a united Ireland - I would just park that, that's not important just at the moment. The important thing is that we don't have borders anywhere on this island."   

The UK is due to leave the European Union on October 31st.  The British government is currently still trying to thrash out a deal with the European Union ahead or the EU summit on October 17-18.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland, October 9th 2019.

1. Wide aerial of town. ++MUTE++

2. Wide aerial of town and boats on river. ++MUTE++

3. Wide low-level aerial of boats on river. ++MUTE++

4. Close up zoom in of engraved plaque reading (English): "This project has been part financed by the EU special support programme for Peace and Reconciliation."  

5. Wide pan of passing cruise boat.

6. Wide tilt from water turbulence at back of boat to river.

7. Wide frontal view of cruise boat.

8. Close up of boat driver's face seen through windscreen.

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Greenan, ABC Boats Marina Manager, The Marina Belturbet.

"Our…majority of our customers come from…from Europe. So you have, you have German, eh Austrian, Switzerland, you know that's…that's ninety percent of our customers em, what way are they going to react? This is what we need to ask ourselves. What way are they going to react looking at coming to Ireland after Brexit?"  

10. Wide of road with passing traffic.

11. Medium of sign: 'Reject Brexit - Hard Border, Job Losses, Food Shortages.'

12. Medium of sign: 'Hard Border? Soft Border? No Border !'

13. Wide of bridge with passing traffic.

14. Close up of engraved plaque: 'Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge, Aghalane" - which sits on the border

15. Close up pan from white line on road to yellow line on road marking 'border' between Ireland and Northern Ireland

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland - October 10th 2019.

16. Wide aerial of town. ++MUTE++

17. Wide of town main street with traffic.

18. Medium of pedestrians.

19. Wide of hotel and cars on road.

20. Close up of British flag.

21. Medium of sign: 'Belmore Court & Motel'.

22. Medium pan of man entering hotel reception.

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Terry McCartney, Managing Director, Belmore Court & Motel.  

"People flying into Ireland mostly fly into Dublin. Eh once they get into Dublin if they want to come north they have to hire a car. Will there be a border ? Will there not be a border? Will they be able to bring their car across the border? Will they need a visa to come across the border? So those are all issues in terms of guests and residents em. But on top of that then we also have the issue of workers em. We have a number of jobs which are filled mainly by people who work…or who come from outside the UK and Ireland. After Brexit will those people be able to stay? Will be be able to get additional people to do those important jobs in in the accommodation sector? So em those are big issues for us and definitely very uncertain."

24. Wide pan of cruise boats.

25. Medium of fisherman.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland, October 9th 2019.

26. Wide frontal view of cruise boat.

27. Medium of boat driver seen from below.

28. Close up of speedometer.

29. Close up pan of man's face.

30. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Greenan, ABC Boats Marina Manager, The Marina Belturbet.

"What we need as a company here, and what our clients need - knowledge. We need to know what's going to happen next year. We're going to want to need to know what's going to happen the following year. And at the end of the day we've got to deal with whatever that is. But we've got to know. You can't deal with anything until you know about it."

31. Medium of Brendan Fey standing on riverbank jetty.

32. SOUNDBITE (English), Brendan Fey, Cavan Country Councillor and pub owner.     

"I believed that we were going to be an economic island - cross border, health, electricity, phones, everything. It has thrown everything up now, we have to get back to that. People talk about a united Ireland - I would just park that, that's not important just at the moment. The important thing is that we don't have borders anywhere on this island."   

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Archive  : Lough Erne, Enniskillen - 28 May 2013

33. Various of lake with cruise boats

34. Sunshine reflected on water

35. Cruiser on the water

36. Police speed boat on patrol

POOL

Archive : Lough Erne, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland - June 2013

37. Aerial tilt down of area around Lough Erne to Lough Erne Resort Hotel

LEAD IN:

With Brexit looming, fears are growing that border controls between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic could become a reality.  

If that happens among the worst affected industries in the border areas will be tourism which relies heavily on ease of travel between the two jurisdictions.   

STORY-LINE:

Just four kilometres (2.5 miles) south of the border with Northern Ireland, Belturbet in Co. Cavan in the Irish Republic is on the front line of the Brexit crisis.  

Tourism, in particular fishing and boat cruising, is the town's biggest industry, drawing in visitors from Europe and from all around Ireland both north and south.

During the Troubles, tourism in Belturbet was in decline, but since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which ended the conflict, things have been looking up.  

Investment in tourism infrastructure rose - including the construction of a new marina - drawing in visitors keen to explore the region known for its scenic lakes and rivers.  

But with Brexit looming locals are worried that the tourism industry could be badly affected.  

Cruising company ABC Boats has a base at Belturbet and another one over the border at Aghinver in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

Just outside Belturbet, the Erne River marks the border itself, with one river bank in Northern Ireland and the other in the Republic of Ireland, illustrating the complexity of the issue which has stalled Brexit.

ABC's Sean Greenan, who manages the Belturbet Marina, says he's worried that European visitors in particular will stay away if Brexit results in new border controls.

"Our…majority of our customers come from…from Europe. So you have, you have German, eh Austrian, Switzerland, you know that's…that's ninety percent of our customers em, what way are they going to react? This is what we need to ask ourselves. What way are they going to react looking at coming to Ireland after Brexit?"  

The removal of the militarised border in 1998 increased cross border trade and fuelled economic growth which has benefited people both north and south.

The Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge marking the border just outside the town has become a potent symbol of north/south co-operation.

Opened in 1999 as a replacement for another bridge which was blown up during the Troubles, today cars and trucks travel across the border without hindrance.

The only way to tell that you have crossed the border is road markings which change on the bridge from white in Northern Ireland to yellow in the Republic of Ireland.

If a new border is constructed this marks the spot where locals fear security infrastructure will reappear stifling cross border co-operation.   

35 kilometres up river from Belturbet is Enniskillen in Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland,  which is also heavily reliant on tourism.   

Most visitors to Enniskillen travel up from the Republic of Ireland and locals are concerned that that could be jeopardised by Brexit.

Terry McCartney is the Managing Director of the Belmore Court & Motel, one of the largest hotels in the town.

"People flying into Ireland mostly fly into Dublin. Eh once they get into Dublin if they want to come north they have to hire a car. Will there be a border? Will there not be a border? Will they be able to bring their car across the border? Will they need a visa to come across the border? So those are all issues in terms of guests and residents em. But on top of that then we also have the issue of workers em. We have a number of jobs which are filled mainly by people who work…or who come from outside the UK and Ireland. After Brexit will those people be able to stay? Will be be able to get additional people to do those important jobs in in the accommodation sector? So em those are big issues for us and definitely very uncertain."

Back on the River Erne linking Belturbet and Enniskillen, life continues on at its leisurely pace, at least for now.

It's the years of uncertainty surrounding Brexit that have been the the biggest problem facing businesses like ABC Boats, says manager Sean Greenan.

"What we need as a company here, and what our clients need - knowledge. We need to know what's going to happen next year. We're going to want to need to know what's going to happen the following year. And at the end of the day we've got to deal with whatever that is. But we've got to know. You can't deal with anything until you know about it."

Protecting the many gains made under the Good Friday Agreement and avoiding the return of a hard border are the most important things going forward, says Brendan Fey a local politician and pub owner.

"I believed that we were going to be an economic island - cross border, health, electricity, phones, everything. It has thrown everything up now, we have to get back to that. People talk about a united Ireland - I would just park that, that's not important just at the moment. The important thing is that we don't have borders anywhere on this island."   

The UK is due to leave the European Union on October 31st.  The British government is currently still trying to thrash out a deal with the European Union ahead or the EU summit on October 17-18.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland, October 9th 2019.

1. Wide aerial of town. ++MUTE++

2. Wide aerial of town and boats on river. ++MUTE++

3. Wide low-level aerial of boats on river. ++MUTE++

4. Close up zoom in of engraved plaque reading (English): "This project has been part financed by the EU special support programme for Peace and Reconciliation."  

5. Wide pan of passing cruise boat.

6. Wide tilt from water turbulence at back of boat to river.

7. Wide frontal view of cruise boat.

8. Close up of boat driver's face seen through windscreen.

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Greenan, ABC Boats Marina Manager, The Marina Belturbet.

"Our…majority of our customers come from…from Europe. So you have, you have German, eh Austrian, Switzerland, you know that's…that's ninety percent of our customers em, what way are they going to react? This is what we need to ask ourselves. What way are they going to react looking at coming to Ireland after Brexit?"  

10. Wide of road with passing traffic.

11. Medium of sign: 'Reject Brexit - Hard Border, Job Losses, Food Shortages.'

12. Medium of sign: 'Hard Border? Soft Border? No Border !'

13. Wide of bridge with passing traffic.

14. Close up of engraved plaque: 'Senator George Mitchell Peace Bridge, Aghalane" - which sits on the border

15. Close up pan from white line on road to yellow line on road marking 'border' between Ireland and Northern Ireland

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland - October 10th 2019.

16. Wide aerial of town. ++MUTE++

17. Wide of town main street with traffic.

18. Medium of pedestrians.

19. Wide of hotel and cars on road.

20. Close up of British flag.

21. Medium of sign: 'Belmore Court & Motel'.

22. Medium pan of man entering hotel reception.

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Terry McCartney, Managing Director, Belmore Court & Motel.  

"People flying into Ireland mostly fly into Dublin. Eh once they get into Dublin if they want to come north they have to hire a car. Will there be a border ? Will there not be a border? Will they be able to bring their car across the border? Will they need a visa to come across the border? So those are all issues in terms of guests and residents em. But on top of that then we also have the issue of workers em. We have a number of jobs which are filled mainly by people who work…or who come from outside the UK and Ireland. After Brexit will those people be able to stay? Will be be able to get additional people to do those important jobs in in the accommodation sector? So em those are big issues for us and definitely very uncertain."

24. Wide pan of cruise boats.

25. Medium of fisherman.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Belturbet, Co. Cavan, Ireland, October 9th 2019.

26. Wide frontal view of cruise boat.

27. Medium of boat driver seen from below.

28. Close up of speedometer.

29. Close up pan of man's face.

30. SOUNDBITE (English) Sean Greenan, ABC Boats Marina Manager, The Marina Belturbet.

"What we need as a company here, and what our clients need - knowledge. We need to know what's going to happen next year. We're going to want to need to know what's going to happen the following year. And at the end of the day we've got to deal with whatever that is. But we've got to know. You can't deal with anything until you know about it."

31. Medium of Brendan Fey standing on riverbank jetty.

32. SOUNDBITE (English), Brendan Fey, Cavan Country Councillor and pub owner.     

"I believed that we were going to be an economic island - cross border, health, electricity, phones, everything. It has thrown everything up now, we have to get back to that. People talk about a united Ireland - I would just park that, that's not important just at the moment. The important thing is that we don't have borders anywhere on this island."   

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Archive  : Lough Erne, Enniskillen - 28 May 2013

33. Various of lake with cruise boats

34. Sunshine reflected on water

35. Cruiser on the water

36. Police speed boat on patrol

POOL

Archive : Lough Erne, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland - June 2013

37. Aerial tilt down of area around Lough Erne to Lough Erne Resort Hotel

LEAD IN:

With less than 30 days until the UK is set to leave the European Union, 'Brexit' remains a hot topic of conversation for people across the country.

For these market stall holders working in one of London's iconic districts, will Brexit have any effect?

STORY-LINE:

London's Portobello Road and its surroundings are home to an array of iconic locations that have featured in many blockbuster films, from 'Paddington Bear' to 'Love, Actually'.

Tourists from across the world flock to the colourful and highly 'Instagrammable' locale to document their visit.

According to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Portobello Road Market is one of the leading antique markets in London, tracing its roots back to the nineteenth century - attracting millions of visitors a year.

Close to the celebrated Portobello Road Market, these women are taking pictures in front of the house that featured in a classic scene from the movie 'Love Actually' (2003).

In the film, Andrew Lincoln's character confesses his love for Keira Knightly's character with a series of romantic signs.

And there are more iconic front doors nearby.

This doorway was central to another memorable film scene, this time from the 1999 romantic comedy 'Notting Hill'.

It was here semi-naked actor Rhys Ifans encounters a huge media scrum at the house of the character played by Hugh Grant.

Far from the rom-com glamour of the area, stall holders are today wrestling with grittier issues.

Juan Carlos Restrebo runs this stall selling picture and photo frames.

He says that he fears the UK's impending departure from the EU as the tough economic conditions impact his business.

"I had the worst December and the worst January on record and not much better today. So I think it's going to get worse," says Restrebo.

The subject of Brexit has ignited strong opinions on both sides of the divide.

On this side street off Portobello Road, graffiti makes its pro-leave stance very clear.

For visitors to the area, however, Brexit may not be at the forefront of their concerns with such ample photo opportunities.

Twenty years after the film became a hit, these young fans have found a bookshop that featured in the movie 'Notting Hill'.

It is the place that inspired the shop where romance blossomed for Julia Robert's and Hugh Grant's characters.

While local businesses benefit from the footfall blockbusters like 'Notting Hill' bring to the area, stall holders cannot escape the political and economic realities of modern London.

Michelle runs two stalls on Portobello Road Market.

She claims Brexit has ruined her business, forcing her to work twice as hard in this current financial climate.

"All the ills of the country blamed on the EU by God knows how many, forty years by our absolutely insane right-wing media. It's destroyed my business, this isn't my business. I'm having to work two part-time jobs because my business has been destroyed and no-one's buying," says Michelle.

Mark Barr is the chairman of the Portobello Road and Golborne Management Committee.

He has been selling wooden toys and puzzles for over thirty years.

He says while trading at Portobello Road Market is currently difficult, so too are economic conditions around the world.

As for Brexit, he says nobody can predict how it will impact the market.

Barr explains: "None of us knows what's going to happen come March. Trading at the moment, again, trading is difficult. Everything, I mean, there's financial downturns worldwide so there's going to be a financial downturn here. So, I don't know how Brexit is going to affect the market or affect us."

"We'll just have to deal with things as they come because the decision is not ours to take what happens, so we're just waiting for it to happen and finish. We just want it over with whatever they're going to do. So we can deal with any problems or any solutions that are needed to be found."

For some traders, however, Brexit does not seem to be a topic of conversation.

Alex Boden works outside the instantly recognisable antique shop which features in 'Paddington 2' (2017).

"We don't really talk about Brexit to be quite honest, it's not a big subject in the market trade that I'm aware of any way to be quite honest. We'll be here before and after Brexit," Boden says.

Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29.

London - 9 February 2019

1. Close up of Paddington Bear toys in a shop window

2. Wide of window display featuring Paddington Bear

3. Tilt up women taking photos in front of pink house (featured in the film Love Actually)

4. Close up sign reading 'Love Actually?' Please give £1 to charity'

5. Front door that featured in the film 'Love, Actually'

6. Pan-right from people in front of door that featured in the film 'Notting Hill' to woman taking photo

7. Tilt up blue door that featured in the film 'Notting Hill'

8. Various of market stalls selling antiques

9. Juan Carlos Restrebo, stall holder at Portobello Road Market serving customer

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan Carlos Restrebo, stall holder at Portobello Road Market:

"Fears. What will happen, the economy's going down, I already feel it. I had the worst December and the worst January on record and not much better today. So I think it's going to get worse."

11. Pan-right of graffiti reading (English): "We voted to leave"

12. Wide of graffiti reading (English): "We didn't vote for a deal, we voted to leave"

13. Close up graffiti reading (English): "Hard Brexit"

14. Close up graffiti reading (English): "Keep Brexit white"

15. Portobello Road street name

16. Woman posing for a friend's photograph in front of a book shop

17. Blue plaque reading (English): 'Notting Hill was inspired by a bookshop established on this site in 1981.'

18. Sign reading (English): "Notting Hill"

19. Wide of market vendor Michelle (did not want to give her surname)

20. Array of woollen goods on market stall

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle (did not want to give her surname):

"All the ills of the country blamed on the EU by God knows how many, forty years by our absolutely insane right wing media. It's destroyed my business, this isn't my business. I'm having to work two part-time jobs because my business has been destroyed and no-one's buying."

22. Wide of colourful building of Portobello Road Market

23. Portobello Road street name

24. Tilt up model of Elizabeth Tower (popularly known as Big Ben)

25. Mark Barr, chair of the Portobello Road and Golborne Management Committee

26. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Barr, chair of the Portobello Road and Golborne Management Committee:

"None of us knows what's going to happen come March. Trading at the moment, again, trading is difficult. Everything, I mean, there's financial downturns worldwide so there's going to be a financial downturn here. So, I don't know how Brexit is going to affect the market or affect us. We'll just have to deal with things as they come because the decision is not ours to take what happens, so we're just waiting for it to happen and finish. We just want it over with, whatever they're going to do. So we can deal with any problems or any solutions that are needed to be found."

27. Tilt down antiques shop that featured in the film 'Paddington Bear'

28. Antiques

29. Close up of model of a flamingo

30. Alex Boden, stall holder, Portobello Road Market arranging stall

31. SOUNDBITE (English) Alex Boden, stall holder, Portobello Road Market:

"We don't really talk about Brexit to be quite honest, it's not a big subject in the market trade that I'm aware of anyway to be quite honest. We'll be here before and after Brexit, so (laughs)."

32. Tilt up antiques shop that featured in the film 'Paddington Bear'

LEAD IN:

With less than 30 days until the UK is set to leave the European Union, 'Brexit' remains a hot topic of conversation for people across the country.

For these market stall holders working in one of London's iconic districts, will Brexit have any effect?

STORY-LINE:

London's Portobello Road and its surroundings are home to an array of iconic locations that have featured in many blockbuster films, from 'Paddington Bear' to 'Love, Actually'.

Tourists from across the world flock to the colourful and highly 'Instagrammable' locale to document their visit.

According to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Portobello Road Market is one of the leading antique markets in London, tracing its roots back to the nineteenth century - attracting millions of visitors a year.

Close to the celebrated Portobello Road Market, these women are taking pictures in front of the house that featured in a classic scene from the movie 'Love Actually' (2003).

In the film, Andrew Lincoln's character confesses his love for Keira Knightly's character with a series of romantic signs.

And there are more iconic front doors nearby.

This doorway was central to another memorable film scene, this time from the 1999 romantic comedy 'Notting Hill'.

It was here semi-naked actor Rhys Ifans encounters a huge media scrum at the house of the character played by Hugh Grant.

Far from the rom-com glamour of the area, stall holders are today wrestling with grittier issues.

Juan Carlos Restrebo runs this stall selling picture and photo frames.

He says that he fears the UK's impending departure from the EU as the tough economic conditions impact his business.

"I had the worst December and the worst January on record and not much better today. So I think it's going to get worse," says Restrebo.

The subject of Brexit has ignited strong opinions on both sides of the divide.

On this side street off Portobello Road, graffiti makes its pro-leave stance very clear.

For visitors to the area, however, Brexit may not be at the forefront of their concerns with such ample photo opportunities.

Twenty years after the film became a hit, these young fans have found a bookshop that featured in the movie 'Notting Hill'.

It is the place that inspired the shop where romance blossomed for Julia Robert's and Hugh Grant's characters.

While local businesses benefit from the footfall blockbusters like 'Notting Hill' bring to the area, stall holders cannot escape the political and economic realities of modern London.

Michelle runs two stalls on Portobello Road Market.

She claims Brexit has ruined her business, forcing her to work twice as hard in this current financial climate.

"All the ills of the country blamed on the EU by God knows how many, forty years by our absolutely insane right-wing media. It's destroyed my business, this isn't my business. I'm having to work two part-time jobs because my business has been destroyed and no-one's buying," says Michelle.

Mark Barr is the chairman of the Portobello Road and Golborne Management Committee.

He has been selling wooden toys and puzzles for over thirty years.

He says while trading at Portobello Road Market is currently difficult, so too are economic conditions around the world.

As for Brexit, he says nobody can predict how it will impact the market.

Barr explains: "None of us knows what's going to happen come March. Trading at the moment, again, trading is difficult. Everything, I mean, there's financial downturns worldwide so there's going to be a financial downturn here. So, I don't know how Brexit is going to affect the market or affect us."

"We'll just have to deal with things as they come because the decision is not ours to take what happens, so we're just waiting for it to happen and finish. We just want it over with whatever they're going to do. So we can deal with any problems or any solutions that are needed to be found."

For some traders, however, Brexit does not seem to be a topic of conversation.

Alex Boden works outside the instantly recognisable antique shop which features in 'Paddington 2' (2017).

"We don't really talk about Brexit to be quite honest, it's not a big subject in the market trade that I'm aware of any way to be quite honest. We'll be here before and after Brexit," Boden says.

Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29.

London - 9 February 2019

1. Close up of Paddington Bear toys in a shop window

2. Wide of window display featuring Paddington Bear

3. Tilt up women taking photos in front of pink house (featured in the film Love Actually)

4. Close up sign reading 'Love Actually?' Please give £1 to charity'

5. Front door that featured in the film 'Love, Actually'

6. Pan-right from people in front of door that featured in the film 'Notting Hill' to woman taking photo

7. Tilt up blue door that featured in the film 'Notting Hill'

8. Various of market stalls selling antiques

9. Juan Carlos Restrebo, stall holder at Portobello Road Market serving customer

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Juan Carlos Restrebo, stall holder at Portobello Road Market:

"Fears. What will happen, the economy's going down, I already feel it. I had the worst December and the worst January on record and not much better today. So I think it's going to get worse."

11. Pan-right of graffiti reading (English): "We voted to leave"

12. Wide of graffiti reading (English): "We didn't vote for a deal, we voted to leave"

13. Close up graffiti reading (English): "Hard Brexit"

14. Close up graffiti reading (English): "Keep Brexit white"

15. Portobello Road street name

16. Woman posing for a friend's photograph in front of a book shop

17. Blue plaque reading (English): 'Notting Hill was inspired by a bookshop established on this site in 1981.'

18. Sign reading (English): "Notting Hill"

19. Wide of market vendor Michelle (did not want to give her surname)

20. Array of woollen goods on market stall

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Michelle (did not want to give her surname):

"All the ills of the country blamed on the EU by God knows how many, forty years by our absolutely insane right wing media. It's destroyed my business, this isn't my business. I'm having to work two part-time jobs because my business has been destroyed and no-one's buying."

22. Wide of colourful building of Portobello Road Market

23. Portobello Road street name

24. Tilt up model of Elizabeth Tower (popularly known as Big Ben)

25. Mark Barr, chair of the Portobello Road and Golborne Management Committee

26. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Barr, chair of the Portobello Road and Golborne Management Committee:

"None of us knows what's going to happen come March. Trading at the moment, again, trading is difficult. Everything, I mean, there's financial downturns worldwide so there's going to be a financial downturn here. So, I don't know how Brexit is going to affect the market or affect us. We'll just have to deal with things as they come because the decision is not ours to take what happens, so we're just waiting for it to happen and finish. We just want it over with, whatever they're going to do. So we can deal with any problems or any solutions that are needed to be found."

27. Tilt down antiques shop that featured in the film 'Paddington Bear'

28. Antiques

29. Close up of model of a flamingo

30. Alex Boden, stall holder, Portobello Road Market arranging stall

31. SOUNDBITE (English) Alex Boden, stall holder, Portobello Road Market:

"We don't really talk about Brexit to be quite honest, it's not a big subject in the market trade that I'm aware of anyway to be quite honest. We'll be here before and after Brexit, so (laughs)."

32. Tilt up antiques shop that featured in the film 'Paddington Bear'

LEADIN:

British food and drink producers are feeling the strains of Brexit at The International Food and Drink Event (IFE) in London.

The UK government announced today (Monday 20 March) that it will trigger Article 50 on March 29, which will formally begin the Brexit process.

With the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the negotiations, many producers are considering expansion into new markets, particularly the United States.

STORYLINE:

Things are sizzling in London at IFE, the UK's largest food and drink trade show, with more than 29,000 visitors expected to attend.

The show brings together over 1,350 food producers from around the world - like this beefsteak from Poland.

Or these kebabs from Turkey...

Giant onions from Spain...

Or how about a mouthful of Chinese seaweed salad?

But by far the largest contingent at the event is from the UK, which is acting as the show's partner country for the first time.

This year's show features more than 700 British food and drink producers and gives them a shop window for the international buyers in attendance.

But uncertainty over Brexit is overshadowing the event, with Article 50 expected to be triggered on March 29.

Many exhibitors are small to mid scale food and drink producers who are concerned about how a break from the European Union will impact their growing businesses.

For those north of the border in Scotland, the situation is particularly uncertain, with calls from the Scottish National Party for a second vote on independence.

Callum MacInnes is a cheese maker and founder of Island Smokery on the far northerly Orkney Islands.

He's been producing smoked cheeses and butters for a high-end market for over ten years; his products can be found at hotels including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

MacInnes produces 40 tonnes of cheese every year and is currently moving to a larger factory to grow his business, but now he has to contend with more instability.

"It (Brexit and a second Scottish vote on independence) is alarming because we've no idea. Basically it's just more turmoil," he says.

"I mean, you have turmoil in a political situation, when people are uncertain, people don't spend, they always wait to see.

"So between another referendum and Brexit we're really between a rock and a hard place at the minute because nobody knows how it's going to pan out."

But MacInnes tries to remain positive about the political situation in Scotland and sees the benefit of new trade with the US.

With the fall in value of the pound against the dollar he has discovered his high-end cheeses and butters are suddenly much more affordable for Americans looking to invest in high-quality food.

He's just shipped his first export to the US after a positive trade event saw orders flooding in.

"It was specialist for a long time, it was maybe too expensive for the man on the street but because of the way the pound and the dollar has gone, it's now accessible to everyone," he says.

Just down the road in Orkney is one of the newest producers at the show; Kirkjuvagr gin has only been available since last August.

The company started in February, but by the time the first bottle rolled off the production line the Brexit vote had already been decided.

For Stephen Kemp, the director of Orkney Distilling Ltd., it spells trouble for his young company.

"I think Brexit doesn't necessarily spell a lot that's good right now, not for us, not out on the periphery of Britain in the north," he says.

"We very much rely on the British market and also being able to use Britain as a springboard to go to other markets round the world."

Kemp has many advantages basing his gin company in Orkney - for example, the Angelica root (one of the key botanicals used to flavour gin) grows naturally on the Scottish island.

But despite the positive reactions he's getting for his gin, Kemp says there could be difficulties ahead if the impact of Brexit on small businesses like his is not taken into consideration in the negotiations.

"It's sad to think that small producers like us will be penalised because there's been no indication how the support mechanism might work for the industries and for young companies like us," he says.

Welsh producers like the Celtic Pie Co. are also exhibiting at the show.

Like the Scots, many are also finding the prospect of Brexit negotiations a bit too salty.

Jessica Lea-Wilson is with Halen Mon Sea Salt co. from Anglesey, an island off the north coast of Wales.

Halen Mon has been hand harvesting high-end salt products from the waters around the island for the last 21 years.

A 100g packet of Anglesey sea-salt starts from around 4 British pounds (approx. $5 USD) and is called a finishing salt, added at the end of a dish rather than as a cooking ingredient.

The largest market for the Welsh company is in Spain, so a retreat from the EU is of real concern - particularly because it could mean losing its EU protected designation of origin status.

This could mean salt producers in other parts of the world could use the Anglesey name to promote their own salts.

"The protected designation of origin, this little symbol here, protected food names like Champagne or Parma ham or Melton Mowbray pork pies, this legislation is in place to protect our brands, make sure that they're not imitated and we're not quite sure what's going to happen when we leave the EU when it comes to that and that's really important to our business," says Lea-Wilson.

"So we're trying to highlight that and bring it to the government's attention."

Like many British producers at IFE, Lea-Wilson is already looking to new markets and also like many British producers she sees the US as a key growth area.

"We already have a growing market in the US and we're trying to see it as a positive thing that it might grow and that might be an opportunity for us, especially in terms of currency rates at the moment it's quite an attractive option for a lot of US buyers," she says.

Exhibitors are feeling the uncertainty, but remaining positive about the future.

Show director Soraya Gadelrab thinks there's a lot to be confident about in the British food industry.

"At the moment trading conditions are uncertain for some people and I think a big international trade show like this gives the UK suppliers an opportunity to say; 'Here we are, we're open for business.' But on top of that it shows new markets who perhaps haven't done a lot of imports from the UK previously, that we have such a plethora of on trend products to come and look at, but also it gives those buyers an opportunity to meet the suppliers face-to-face, talk to them and start talking to them about real genuine business," she says.

London attracts top chefs from around the world, who come to cook in the capital.

Peruvian chef Robert Ortiz from Lima restaurant in London is demonstrating his skills at the show.

Here he puts together a tiradito dish with raw scallops and spicy Peruvian yellow chillies.

IFE runs from 19-22 March at London's ExCel exhibition centre.

London, UK - 19 March 2017

1. Close of Polish beef steak frying on grill

2. Mid of chef speaking with show visitors

3. Close of steak being turned

4. Mid of chef serving visitors steak

5. Close of cooked steak

6. Wide of Turkish kebab

7. Close of kebab being shaved

8. Close of kebab cooking

9. Close of giant Spanish onion being placed on top of can

10. Various of Palestinian stand with dates

11. Close of bowl of seaweed salad from China

12. Various of man eating seaweed salad

13. Low shot of Callum MacInnes cutting Orkney smoked cheese

14. Close of cheese being cut

15. Close of Scottish flag of St Andrew

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Callum MacInnes, Founder of Island Smokery:

"It (Brexit and a second Scottish vote on independence) is alarming because we've no idea. Basically it's just more turmoil. I mean, you have turmoil in a political situation, when people are uncertain, people don't spend, they always wait to see. So between another referendum and Brexit we're really between a rock and a hard place at the minute because nobody knows how it's going to pan out."

17. Mid of MacInnes taking cheese from fridge

18. Close of smoked cheese being cut

19. Mid of MacInnes cutting cheese

20. SOUNDBITE (English) Callum MacInnes, Founder of Island Smokery:

"It was specialist for a long time, it was maybe too expensive for the man on the street but because of the way the pound and the dollar has gone, it's now accessible to everyone."

21. Close tilt down of Kirkjuvagr gin from Orkney, Scotland

22. Mid of Stephen Kemp of Kirkjuvagr talking with visitors

23. Close tilt up of show visitor sampling gin

24. Close of tap filling glass with gin

25. Various of Stephen Kemp drinking gin

26. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen Kemp, Director of Orkney Distilling Ltd.:

"I think Brexit doesn't necessarily spell a lot that's good right now, not for us, not out on the periphery of Britain in the north. We very much rely on the British market, we rely also on being able to use Britain as a springboard to go to other markets round the world."

27. Close of jar containing Angelica root - a key ingredient in gin

28. Close of Angelica in hand

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen Kemp, Director of Orkney Distilling Ltd.:

"It's sad to think that small producers like us I think will be penalised because there's been no indication of how the support mechanism might work for the industries and for young companies like us."

30. Mid pan right of sign reading: (Welsh/English) "Cymru/Wales"

31. Various of chef at the Celtic Pie Co. slicing steak and ale pie

32. Wide of Jessica Lea-Wilson from Halen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt co.

33. Close of Lea-Wilson

34. Close of bowl of sea salt

35. Mid of Lea-Wilson pouring salt into her hand

36. Close of salt in her hand

37. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Lea-Wilson, Brand Manager, Halen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt co.:

"The protected designation of origin, this little symbol here, protected food names like Champagne or Parma ham or Melton Mowbray pork pies, this legislation is in place to protect our brands, make sure that they're not imitated and we're not quite sure what's going to happen when we leave the EU when it comes to that and that's really important to our business. So we're trying to highlight that and bring it to the government's attention."

38. Extreme close of salt crystals in hand

39. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Lea-Wilson, Brand Manager, Halen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt co.:

"We already have a growing market in the US and we're trying to see it as a positive thing that it might grow and that might be an opportunity for us, especially in terms of currency rates at the moment it's quite an attractive option for a lot of US buyers."

40. Various setup shots of event director Soraya Gadelrab speaking to exhibitor

41. SOUNDBITE (English) Soraya Gadelrab, Show Director, the International Food and Drink Event:

"At the moment trading conditions are uncertain for some people and I think a big international trade show like this gives the UK suppliers an opportunity to say; 'Here we are, we're open for business.' But on top of that it shows new markets who perhaps haven't done a lot of imports from the UK previously, that we have such a plethora of on trend products to come and look at, but also it gives those buyers an opportunity to meet the suppliers face-to-face, talk to them and start talking about real genuine business."

42. Various of Robert Ortiz, chef from Lima restaurant in London, demonstrating Peruvian cooking onstage

LEADIN:

British food and drink producers are feeling the strains of Brexit at The International Food and Drink Event (IFE) in London.

The UK government announced today (Monday 20 March) that it will trigger Article 50 on March 29, which will formally begin the Brexit process.

With the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the negotiations, many producers are considering expansion into new markets, particularly the United States.

STORYLINE:

Things are sizzling in London at IFE, the UK's largest food and drink trade show, with more than 29,000 visitors expected to attend.

The show brings together over 1,350 food producers from around the world - like this beefsteak from Poland.

Or these kebabs from Turkey...

Giant onions from Spain...

Or how about a mouthful of Chinese seaweed salad?

But by far the largest contingent at the event is from the UK, which is acting as the show's partner country for the first time.

This year's show features more than 700 British food and drink producers and gives them a shop window for the international buyers in attendance.

But uncertainty over Brexit is overshadowing the event, with Article 50 expected to be triggered on March 29.

Many exhibitors are small to mid scale food and drink producers who are concerned about how a break from the European Union will impact their growing businesses.

For those north of the border in Scotland, the situation is particularly uncertain, with calls from the Scottish National Party for a second vote on independence.

Callum MacInnes is a cheese maker and founder of Island Smokery on the far northerly Orkney Islands.

He's been producing smoked cheeses and butters for a high-end market for over ten years; his products can be found at hotels including the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

MacInnes produces 40 tonnes of cheese every year and is currently moving to a larger factory to grow his business, but now he has to contend with more instability.

"It (Brexit and a second Scottish vote on independence) is alarming because we've no idea. Basically it's just more turmoil," he says.

"I mean, you have turmoil in a political situation, when people are uncertain, people don't spend, they always wait to see.

"So between another referendum and Brexit we're really between a rock and a hard place at the minute because nobody knows how it's going to pan out."

But MacInnes tries to remain positive about the political situation in Scotland and sees the benefit of new trade with the US.

With the fall in value of the pound against the dollar he has discovered his high-end cheeses and butters are suddenly much more affordable for Americans looking to invest in high-quality food.

He's just shipped his first export to the US after a positive trade event saw orders flooding in.

"It was specialist for a long time, it was maybe too expensive for the man on the street but because of the way the pound and the dollar has gone, it's now accessible to everyone," he says.

Just down the road in Orkney is one of the newest producers at the show; Kirkjuvagr gin has only been available since last August.

The company started in February, but by the time the first bottle rolled off the production line the Brexit vote had already been decided.

For Stephen Kemp, the director of Orkney Distilling Ltd., it spells trouble for his young company.

"I think Brexit doesn't necessarily spell a lot that's good right now, not for us, not out on the periphery of Britain in the north," he says.

"We very much rely on the British market and also being able to use Britain as a springboard to go to other markets round the world."

Kemp has many advantages basing his gin company in Orkney - for example, the Angelica root (one of the key botanicals used to flavour gin) grows naturally on the Scottish island.

But despite the positive reactions he's getting for his gin, Kemp says there could be difficulties ahead if the impact of Brexit on small businesses like his is not taken into consideration in the negotiations.

"It's sad to think that small producers like us will be penalised because there's been no indication how the support mechanism might work for the industries and for young companies like us," he says.

Welsh producers like the Celtic Pie Co. are also exhibiting at the show.

Like the Scots, many are also finding the prospect of Brexit negotiations a bit too salty.

Jessica Lea-Wilson is with Halen Mon Sea Salt co. from Anglesey, an island off the north coast of Wales.

Halen Mon has been hand harvesting high-end salt products from the waters around the island for the last 21 years.

A 100g packet of Anglesey sea-salt starts from around 4 British pounds (approx. $5 USD) and is called a finishing salt, added at the end of a dish rather than as a cooking ingredient.

The largest market for the Welsh company is in Spain, so a retreat from the EU is of real concern - particularly because it could mean losing its EU protected designation of origin status.

This could mean salt producers in other parts of the world could use the Anglesey name to promote their own salts.

"The protected designation of origin, this little symbol here, protected food names like Champagne or Parma ham or Melton Mowbray pork pies, this legislation is in place to protect our brands, make sure that they're not imitated and we're not quite sure what's going to happen when we leave the EU when it comes to that and that's really important to our business," says Lea-Wilson.

"So we're trying to highlight that and bring it to the government's attention."

Like many British producers at IFE, Lea-Wilson is already looking to new markets and also like many British producers she sees the US as a key growth area.

"We already have a growing market in the US and we're trying to see it as a positive thing that it might grow and that might be an opportunity for us, especially in terms of currency rates at the moment it's quite an attractive option for a lot of US buyers," she says.

Exhibitors are feeling the uncertainty, but remaining positive about the future.

Show director Soraya Gadelrab thinks there's a lot to be confident about in the British food industry.

"At the moment trading conditions are uncertain for some people and I think a big international trade show like this gives the UK suppliers an opportunity to say; 'Here we are, we're open for business.' But on top of that it shows new markets who perhaps haven't done a lot of imports from the UK previously, that we have such a plethora of on trend products to come and look at, but also it gives those buyers an opportunity to meet the suppliers face-to-face, talk to them and start talking to them about real genuine business," she says.

London attracts top chefs from around the world, who come to cook in the capital.

Peruvian chef Robert Ortiz from Lima restaurant in London is demonstrating his skills at the show.

Here he puts together a tiradito dish with raw scallops and spicy Peruvian yellow chillies.

IFE runs from 19-22 March at London's ExCel exhibition centre.

London, UK - 19 March 2017

1. Close of Polish beef steak frying on grill

2. Mid of chef speaking with show visitors

3. Close of steak being turned

4. Mid of chef serving visitors steak

5. Close of cooked steak

6. Wide of Turkish kebab

7. Close of kebab being shaved

8. Close of kebab cooking

9. Close of giant Spanish onion being placed on top of can

10. Various of Palestinian stand with dates

11. Close of bowl of seaweed salad from China

12. Various of man eating seaweed salad

13. Low shot of Callum MacInnes cutting Orkney smoked cheese

14. Close of cheese being cut

15. Close of Scottish flag of St Andrew

16. SOUNDBITE (English) Callum MacInnes, Founder of Island Smokery:

"It (Brexit and a second Scottish vote on independence) is alarming because we've no idea. Basically it's just more turmoil. I mean, you have turmoil in a political situation, when people are uncertain, people don't spend, they always wait to see. So between another referendum and Brexit we're really between a rock and a hard place at the minute because nobody knows how it's going to pan out."

17. Mid of MacInnes taking cheese from fridge

18. Close of smoked cheese being cut

19. Mid of MacInnes cutting cheese

20. SOUNDBITE (English) Callum MacInnes, Founder of Island Smokery:

"It was specialist for a long time, it was maybe too expensive for the man on the street but because of the way the pound and the dollar has gone, it's now accessible to everyone."

21. Close tilt down of Kirkjuvagr gin from Orkney, Scotland

22. Mid of Stephen Kemp of Kirkjuvagr talking with visitors

23. Close tilt up of show visitor sampling gin

24. Close of tap filling glass with gin

25. Various of Stephen Kemp drinking gin

26. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen Kemp, Director of Orkney Distilling Ltd.:

"I think Brexit doesn't necessarily spell a lot that's good right now, not for us, not out on the periphery of Britain in the north. We very much rely on the British market, we rely also on being able to use Britain as a springboard to go to other markets round the world."

27. Close of jar containing Angelica root - a key ingredient in gin

28. Close of Angelica in hand

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen Kemp, Director of Orkney Distilling Ltd.:

"It's sad to think that small producers like us I think will be penalised because there's been no indication of how the support mechanism might work for the industries and for young companies like us."

30. Mid pan right of sign reading: (Welsh/English) "Cymru/Wales"

31. Various of chef at the Celtic Pie Co. slicing steak and ale pie

32. Wide of Jessica Lea-Wilson from Halen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt co.

33. Close of Lea-Wilson

34. Close of bowl of sea salt

35. Mid of Lea-Wilson pouring salt into her hand

36. Close of salt in her hand

37. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Lea-Wilson, Brand Manager, Halen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt co.:

"The protected designation of origin, this little symbol here, protected food names like Champagne or Parma ham or Melton Mowbray pork pies, this legislation is in place to protect our brands, make sure that they're not imitated and we're not quite sure what's going to happen when we leave the EU when it comes to that and that's really important to our business. So we're trying to highlight that and bring it to the government's attention."

38. Extreme close of salt crystals in hand

39. SOUNDBITE (English) Jessica Lea-Wilson, Brand Manager, Halen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt co.:

"We already have a growing market in the US and we're trying to see it as a positive thing that it might grow and that might be an opportunity for us, especially in terms of currency rates at the moment it's quite an attractive option for a lot of US buyers."

40. Various setup shots of event director Soraya Gadelrab speaking to exhibitor

41. SOUNDBITE (English) Soraya Gadelrab, Show Director, the International Food and Drink Event:

"At the moment trading conditions are uncertain for some people and I think a big international trade show like this gives the UK suppliers an opportunity to say; 'Here we are, we're open for business.' But on top of that it shows new markets who perhaps haven't done a lot of imports from the UK previously, that we have such a plethora of on trend products to come and look at, but also it gives those buyers an opportunity to meet the suppliers face-to-face, talk to them and start talking about real genuine business."

42. Various of Robert Ortiz, chef from Lima restaurant in London, demonstrating Peruvian cooking onstage

LEAD IN:

Fine food and drink professionals in the UK say the industry is rapidly recovering from the impact of COVID-19, with some businesses doing even better after adapting during the pandemic.

However while demand is high, issues such as Brexit, labour shortages and backlogs at ports mean getting supplies in and out of the country remains a challenge.

STORY-LINE:

The Specialty and Fine Food Fair is back at London's Kensington Olympia, after it - along with most large events - was put on hold in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Attending are members of an industry hit particularly hard by the pandemic, especially those working in the hospitality sector.

One such company is Dylan's, a successful restaurant chain in North Wales.

Forced to close during repeated national lockdowns in the UK, its owners started making Dylan's meals which could be packaged and eaten by customers at home.

"It hit us really hard at first obviously, like all restaurant businesses, we had no business. So it made us think on our feet and rather than sitting at home doing nothing, we decided to develop into a retail range," explains one of the directors of Dylan's, Robin Hodgson.

"So what we decided to do was take our restaurant meals, package them up, make them with the same quality that we would do for our customers inside the restaurant, package them so that people could take them home and eat those same quality meals in their own houses. And it's been a tremendous success."

The UK is currently experiencing food and drink supply chain disruption with a range of issues such Brexit and backlogs related to COVID-19 contributing.

Some supermarket shelves are empty and online shopping is frequently plagued with shortages.

Aware of this, Dylan's decided to capitalise on a feature which has always made it popular - sourcing local materials.

"The big problem with Brexit that kind of snuck in at the same time was that we had problems with the supply chain," explains Hodgson.

"And the big ethos of Dylan's was to try and use as much locally sourced produce as we can. And that's what we've done with our retail range here. So what we do is we try and find the local products and make those into the sauces, into the ready meals that we have now."

Pivoting the business and thinking ahead of the supply chain issue has led to success for Dylan's.

"We've had the best summer that we've ever had," says Hodgson.

Another company whose product is in popular demand is New English Teas.

However their products are packed in India and Sri Lanka and international logistics to get the tea back to the UK are becoming more complex.

"Selling the products has become the easy part, actually getting the product to the customer has been the challenge," explains the company's Sales Director, Adrian Woodley.

Woodley says there's currently a lack of vessels and container space, with the impact of COVID-19 is still being felt at the ports:

"I know ports have been hit certainly globally around the world with the impact of Covid, and the availability of staff to work in the ports. But also some ports are getting very much overrun now because where ports have closed because of Covid outbreaks, products are then being skipped to other ports and that then gets backed up. And skipping ports, vessels that we're shipping to Hong Kong for instance, the products are being diverted because they're not prepared to wait to go into northern China. So again you've got delay after delay."

With many changes to customs and border rules following Brexit, exporting products from the UK to Europe is now more complex and prone to delays.

La Tua Pasta is a high-end restaurant supplier in the UK and also exports to Paris. They survived the worst of the pandemic by creating a website and selling fresh pasta directly to homes.

"We thought we had one mountain to climb which is Covid, then it turns out that there was a second mountain which was Brexit," explains Patricia Adrian-Hanson, Creative Director at La Tua Pasta.

Like many others at the fair, Adrian-Hanson says transport logistics are now the company's greatest challenge - particularly when it comes to exporting fresh pasta to Europe, which also requires certification from a vet (Official Veterinarian) because it contains animal products:

"We have a truck that goes to Paris every Saturday and we always dread that Saturday phone call, from our customs agent telling us that the truck is stuck because there is a box that wasn't checked on the 60 page document that the English vet had to fill out, or the French vet had a problem. Or the French vet was on holiday and the new vet that was standing in didn't agree with how things should be done, or had a different opinion etc."

Adrian-Hanson says we're still living in a world of uncertainty and that she is always very nervous about whether the truck will clear the border and make it to the customer in time to still be fresh.

Another company at the fair which says Brexit and labour shortages have created challenges is the Devon Distillery, particularly when it comes to importing the bottles for their products.

However since they also run a gin and a rum school and consider themselves a hospitality company they say a culture change - which has seen more people wishing to work from home since lockdown - is creating staffing shortages too:

"People come in, they design their own gin, their own rum, they put a label on their bottle, it's a very fun thing to do," says Kate Le Maux, Head of Operations at Devon Distillery.

"But it's definitely hospitality based and just trying to get the staff for that, I mean these days have changed so significantly and we're finding that although it's still a very fun job there are less and less people who are looking for that kind of work. So we are struggling and we are currently on a recruitment drive at the moment. So yeah it is difficult."

The Specialty and Fine Food Fair is the UK's leading showcase of artisanal food and drink and is at London's Kensington Olympia from 6th to 7th September 2021.

London, UK - 6 September 2021

1. Bartender doing tricks with bottle at 'Inspiration Bar' at Speciality and Fine Food Fair 2021 at Kensington Olympia

2. Bartender explaining to visitor how their bar works

3. Close of signage for Speciality and Fine Food Fair

4. Tilt down exhibition space at Kensington Olympia

5. Crowds climbing stairs in exhibition space

6. Jars and bottles on display at Dylan's stand

7. Tilt up jars and bottles

8. Robin Hodgson, one of the directors of Dylan's talking to visitor about how their company pivoted during the pandemic

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Robin Hodgson, Co-Director, Dylan's

"I mean it hit us really hard at first obviously, like all restaurant businesses, we had no business. So it made us think on our feet and rather than sitting at home doing nothing, we decided to develop into a retail range. So what we decided to do was take our restaurant meals, package them up, make them with the same quality that we would do for our customers inside the restaurant, package them so that people could take them home and eat those same quality meals in their own houses. And it's been a tremendous success."

10. Hodgson showing visitor their ready meals

11. Pan across ready meals in fridge

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Robin Hodgson, Co-Director, Dylan's

"The big problem with Brexit that kind of snuck in at the same time was that we had problems with the supply chain. And the big ethos of Dylan's was to try and use as much locally sourced produce as we can. And that's what we've done with our retail range here. So what we do is we try and find the local products and make those into the sauces, into the ready meals that we have now."

13. Pull focus from Dylan's chutney to crackers

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Robin Hodgson, Co-Director, Dylan's

"Covid's made us think in different angles and in different directions and it's pushed our business. We've had the best summer that we've ever had and we've got another side to the business that we never had before. So yeah it's been hard but it's pushed us and we're making it work."

15. Various of exhibitor stirring a curry

16. Wide of New English Teas stand

17. Close of tins of tea with pictures of the British royal family

18. Tilt up tins of New English Teas

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Adrian Woodley, Sales Director, New English Teas

"So our product is tea, as you can see, provided in very beautifully designed tins that are embossed and printed. Our products are then packed in Sri Lanka or India. Probably the biggest challenge of the last 12 months has been logistics. So selling the products has become the easy part, actually getting the product to the customer has been the challenge."

20. Close of tins of English Fine Tea

21. Wide of New English Teas products

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Adrian Woodley, Sales Director, New English Teas

"From a production point of view our factories are running at high capacity, so they are managing to produce the products. I know ports have been hit certainly globally around the world with the impact of Covid, and the availability of staff to work in the ports. But also some ports are getting very much overrun now because where ports have closed because of Covid outbreaks, products are then being skipped to other ports and that then gets backed up. And skipping ports, vessels that we're shipping to Hong Kong for instance, the products are being diverted because they're not prepared to wait to go into northern China. So again you've got delay after delay."

23. Woman trying chocolate at stand

24. Close of chocolate products

25. Various of chef at La Tua Pasta stand, serving pasta to visitors

26. SOUNDBITE (English) Patricia Adrian-Hanson, Creative Director, La Tua Pasta

"We thought we had one mountain to climb which is Covid, then it turns out that there was a second mountain which was Brexit, which was also terrible, and now we have the best mountain, which is demand, demand is back up and above where it was before Covid, which is wonderful except that whereas before we had too much of everything and we couldn't get it out to consumers fast enough, now we are scrambling to make sure that we have all of our suppliers in place, all of our logistics in place, in order to be able to service our client in the same timely manner with as much customer service as we had before."

27. Tilt across La Tua Pasta products on display

28. Tilt up from table of products to chef in background

29. SOUNDBITE (English) Patricia Adrian-Hanson, Creative Director, La Tua Pasta

"We have a truck that goes to Paris every Saturday and we always dread that Saturday phone call, from our customs agent telling us that the truck is stuck because there is a box that wasn't checked on the 60 page document that the English vet had to fill out, or the French vet had a problem. Or the French vet was on holiday and the new vet that was standing in didn't agree with how things should be done, or had a different opinion etc. So we are still living in the world of uncertainty, and because we have a fresh food product we are always very, very nervous about whether or not it will actually clear the border and make it to our customer who wants it of course on time and fresh."

30. Green VW van at drinks stand

31. Close of bottles of Hattiers Rum

32. Kate Le Maux, Head of Operations at Devon Distillery in front of stand

33. SOUNDBITE (English) Kate Le Maux, Head of Operations, Devon Distillery

"So Brexit, you know, importing things… so our bottles, and we get through quite a lot of bottles as a distillery, that's one of the things that's really been difficult for us. So it's a combination of things, so Brexit changes or rules, drivers, Covid tests, just trying to get things in has been… yeah! So our lead times have gone from a couple of weeks to months and that has had a huge effect on how the business operates."

34. Tilt up from bottles to distillery equipment on VW van

35. SOUNDBITE (English) Kate Le Maux, Head of Operations, Devon Distillery

"We have a gin school and a rum school and that is very much hospitality, customer facing. People come in, they design their own gin, their own rum, they put a label on their bottle, it's a very fun thing to do. But it's definitely hospitality based and just trying to get the staff for that, I mean these days have changed so significantly and we're finding that although it's still a very fun job there are less and less people who are looking for that kind of work. So we are struggling and we are currently on a recruitment drive at the moment. So yeah it is difficult."

36. Back of VW van reading (English) "Still on the Move"

LEADIN

Less than a month after Christmas toymakers are already planning for what will be under the tree in 2019.

But economic uncertainty and Brexit is causing some at this year's largest toy, game and hobby trade show in the UK to wonder what the future has in store.

STORYLINE

Classics like trains, plus role playing games and dinosaurs will be competing with slime and collectables by Christmas 2019, say experts at this year's London Toy Fair.

The toy industry is already planning how to win kids' hearts and minds eleven months ahead of the next festive season.

Kids love to collect matching toys and that 's a trend which is expected to continue says Katy Fletcher, Senior Brand Manager at Recreation: "Collectables are a hot item. They were hugely up this year with things like LOL surprise. It'll be interesting to see whether they can continue that through into 2019."

And there's still a place for high tech toys:

" Technology is definitely a focus, so technology within more toys, as the toy industry tries to retain children and take them out of their gaming time and back into toys, so I think technology-driven toys as well."

An area of the market that is seeing steady growth is Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) toys. These are toys with an educational aspect and are branded as such.

Simon Tomlinson, Head of Marketing at Learning Resources, introduces Artie 3000, a coding robot.

"We have Artie 3000 who is our new coding robot. He is actually a London Toy Fair Hero Award winner this year so we are really proud of that. Artie basically, as a coding robot it's got four types of learning so, you can program shapes, you can do art, you can do games. You can also do freestyle coding as well, so you can get him to do whatever shapes and things that you like."

Children input the coding into wifi-enabled Artie using an app and then Artie translates that code into simple or complex drawings.

The idea behind to drawing robot is that it helps develop both sides of the brain, building left-brain skills like basic programming, mathematics technology and engaging the right side, where creativity takes place.  

But the toy industry is experiencing a dip in revenue says Clive Jones, Former Chairman of British Toy and Hobby Association:

"The toy industry has declined slightly last year. Our retail sales were 3.3 billion (GBP), that's about 7 percent down on 2017."

Jones blames the uncertainty over Brexit :

"The decline has really come about because of the economic uncertainty that there's been in the last 12-18 months. All we hear on the news is doom and gloom about Brexit. That it's pushing up prices and that it's going to be difficult for businesses to trade with out nearest trading partner. It's a mess, so it makes people think maybe I'll hang on a little more to my money."

The British Toy and Hobby Association cites the closure of high-street toy giant "Toys-R-Us" as well as Brexit uncertainty for the market decrease.

Today Dyson, lead by the pro-Brexit businessman James Dyson, announced that they are to relocate their head office from the UK to Singapore, but have denied that Brexit has influenced their decision.

Paul Cassidy, Chairman of Casdon, a company that makes mini-toy Dyson vacuum cleaners says that he doesn't expect his business to be damaged by Brexit.

"We won't be affected at all. We do supply France and Germany a little bit but not significantly. Cause our products are miniature English products. And domestic appliances with English names, that's why."

Cassidy says Casdon's main exports are in the US and Australia, countries more familiar with British brands.

Katy Fletcher says that in the end kids always want toys and their parents and grandparents always want to indulge them.

"The toy industry is a really resilient industry to be in,. So we've seen going through recessions before that it just picks back up. Parents, grandparents want to spend money on their kids. I think part of this job is to keep those kids within the toy industry and not lose them to online, social media and gaming."

The British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) says that there are currently 150,000 types of toys in the UK market, with 47 of those new to the market in the past year.

More than 270 toy companies are displaying their products at London's Olympia in the UK's largest toy, game and hobby trade show.

The UK Toy Fair runs January 22-24.

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London - January 22 2019

1. Various of toy train moving on tracks

2. Mid of girl playing with gel bubbles

3. Close of colourful gel bubbles

4. Tilt down of toy kitchen set

5. Various toy barbecue and food

6. Close of dinosaur figures in slime

7. Various of green slime in bathtub

8. Various of guests and participants at toy fair

9. Various of Katy Fletcher, Senior Brand Manager at Recreation toy distributors, using Engino Greenhouse toy at fair

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Katy Fletcher, Senior Brand Manager at Recreation:

"Collectables are a hot item. They were hugely up this year with things like LOL surprise. It'll be interesting to see whether they can continue that through into 2019. I think also licensing will play a big part as we've got some big licences coming out. Technology is definitely a focus, so technology within more toys, as the toy industry tries to retain children and take them out of their gaming time and back into toys, so I think technology-driven toys as well."

11. Various of Fletcher using Greenhouse set

12. Various of Artie 3000 toy by Learning Resources drawing star on paper

13. Various of Head of Marketing at Learning Resources, Simon Tomlinson, using toys

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Simon Tomlinson, Head of Marketing at Learning Resources:

"We have Artie 3000 who is our new coding robot. He is actually a London Toy Fair Hero Award winner this year so we are really proud of that. Artie basically, as a coding robot it's got four types of learning so, you can program shapes, you can do art, you can do games. You can also do freestyle coding as well, so you can get him to do whatever shapes and things that you like."

15. Close of Artie 3000 and Tomlinson using tablet

16. Wide of Learning Resources stand

17. Various of Peppa Pig products

18. Mid of salesperson talking to buyers about Peppa Pig products

19. Various of former Chairman of British Toy and Hobby Association, Clive Jones looking at toys on display

20. SOUNDBITE (English) Clive Jones, Former Chairman of British Toy and Hobby Association:

"The toy industry has declined slightly last year. Our retail sales were 3.3 billion (GBP), that's about 7 percent down on 2017."

21. Pan of fair

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Clive Jones, Former Chairman of British Toy and Hobby Association:

"The decline has really come about because of the economic uncertainty that there's been in the last 12-18 months. All we hear on the news is doom and gloom about Brexit. That it's pushing up prices and that it's going to be difficult for businesses to trade with out nearest trading partner. It's a mess, so it makes people think maybe I'll hang on a little more to my money."

23. Various of Chairman of Casdon Paul Cassidy demonstrating how toy Dyson vacuum cleaner works

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Cassidy, Casdon Chairman:

"We won't be affected at all. We do supply France and Germany a little bit but not significantly. Cause our products are miniature English products. And domestic appliances with English names, that's why."

25. Various of Cassidy using toy blender

26. Various of man at fair illustrating how boomerang toy works

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Katy Fletcher, Senior Brand Manager at Recreation:

"The toy industry is a really resilient industry to be in,. So we've seen going through recessions before that it just picks back up. Parents, grandparents want to spend money on their kids. I think part of this job is to keep those kids within the toy industry and not lose them to online, social media and gaming."

28. Various of toy mechanical models on display

29. Focus pull of ninja figurines on display

30. Pan of display

31. Various of people using drums and yo-yo toys at fair

LEADIN

Less than a month after Christmas toymakers are already planning for what will be under the tree in 2019.

But economic uncertainty and Brexit is causing some at this year's largest toy, game and hobby trade show in the UK to wonder what the future has in store.

STORYLINE

Classics like trains, plus role playing games and dinosaurs will be competing with slime and collectables by Christmas 2019, say experts at this year's London Toy Fair.

The toy industry is already planning how to win kids' hearts and minds eleven months ahead of the next festive season.

Kids love to collect matching toys and that 's a trend which is expected to continue says Katy Fletcher, Senior Brand Manager at Recreation: "Collectables are a hot item. They were hugely up this year with things like LOL surprise. It'll be interesting to see whether they can continue that through into 2019."

And there's still a place for high tech toys:

" Technology is definitely a focus, so technology within more toys, as the toy industry tries to retain children and take them out of their gaming time and back into toys, so I think technology-driven toys as well."

An area of the market that is seeing steady growth is Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) toys. These are toys with an educational aspect and are branded as such.

Simon Tomlinson, Head of Marketing at Learning Resources, introduces Artie 3000, a coding robot.

"We have Artie 3000 who is our new coding robot. He is actually a London Toy Fair Hero Award winner this year so we are really proud of that. Artie basically, as a coding robot it's got four types of learning so, you can program shapes, you can do art, you can do games. You can also do freestyle coding as well, so you can get him to do whatever shapes and things that you like."

Children input the coding into wifi-enabled Artie using an app and then Artie translates that code into simple or complex drawings.

The idea behind to drawing robot is that it helps develop both sides of the brain, building left-brain skills like basic programming, mathematics technology and engaging the right side, where creativity takes place.  

But the toy industry is experiencing a dip in revenue says Clive Jones, Former Chairman of British Toy and Hobby Association:

"The toy industry has declined slightly last year. Our retail sales were 3.3 billion (GBP), that's about 7 percent down on 2017."

Jones blames the uncertainty over Brexit :

"The decline has really come about because of the economic uncertainty that there's been in the last 12-18 months. All we hear on the news is doom and gloom about Brexit. That it's pushing up prices and that it's going to be difficult for businesses to trade with out nearest trading partner. It's a mess, so it makes people think maybe I'll hang on a little more to my money."

The British Toy and Hobby Association cites the closure of high-street toy giant "Toys-R-Us" as well as Brexit uncertainty for the market decrease.

Today Dyson, lead by the pro-Brexit businessman James Dyson, announced that they are to relocate their head office from the UK to Singapore, but have denied that Brexit has influenced their decision.

Paul Cassidy, Chairman of Casdon, a company that makes mini-toy Dyson vacuum cleaners says that he doesn't expect his business to be damaged by Brexit.

"We won't be affected at all. We do supply France and Germany a little bit but not significantly. Cause our products are miniature English products. And domestic appliances with English names, that's why."

Cassidy says Casdon's main exports are in the US and Australia, countries more familiar with British brands.

Katy Fletcher says that in the end kids always want toys and their parents and grandparents always want to indulge them.

"The toy industry is a really resilient industry to be in,. So we've seen going through recessions before that it just picks back up. Parents, grandparents want to spend money on their kids. I think part of this job is to keep those kids within the toy industry and not lose them to online, social media and gaming."

The British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) says that there are currently 150,000 types of toys in the UK market, with 47 of those new to the market in the past year.

More than 270 toy companies are displaying their products at London's Olympia in the UK's largest toy, game and hobby trade show.

The UK Toy Fair runs January 22-24.

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London - January 22 2019

1. Various of toy train moving on tracks

2. Mid of girl playing with gel bubbles

3. Close of colourful gel bubbles

4. Tilt down of toy kitchen set

5. Various toy barbecue and food

6. Close of dinosaur figures in slime

7. Various of green slime in bathtub

8. Various of guests and participants at toy fair

9. Various of Katy Fletcher, Senior Brand Manager at Recreation toy distributors, using Engino Greenhouse toy at fair

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Katy Fletcher, Senior Brand Manager at Recreation:

"Collectables are a hot item. They were hugely up this year with things like LOL surprise. It'll be interesting to see whether they can continue that through into 2019. I think also licensing will play a big part as we've got some big licences coming out. Technology is definitely a focus, so technology within more toys, as the toy industry tries to retain children and take them out of their gaming time and back into toys, so I think technology-driven toys as well."

11. Various of Fletcher using Greenhouse set

12. Various of Artie 3000 toy by Learning Resources drawing star on paper

13. Various of Head of Marketing at Learning Resources, Simon Tomlinson, using toys

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Simon Tomlinson, Head of Marketing at Learning Resources:

"We have Artie 3000 who is our new coding robot. He is actually a London Toy Fair Hero Award winner this year so we are really proud of that. Artie basically, as a coding robot it's got four types of learning so, you can program shapes, you can do art, you can do games. You can also do freestyle coding as well, so you can get him to do whatever shapes and things that you like."

15. Close of Artie 3000 and Tomlinson using tablet

16. Wide of Learning Resources stand

17. Various of Peppa Pig products

18. Mid of salesperson talking to buyers about Peppa Pig products

19. Various of former Chairman of British Toy and Hobby Association, Clive Jones looking at toys on display

20. SOUNDBITE (English) Clive Jones, Former Chairman of British Toy and Hobby Association:

"The toy industry has declined slightly last year. Our retail sales were 3.3 billion (GBP), that's about 7 percent down on 2017."

21. Pan of fair

22. SOUNDBITE (English) Clive Jones, Former Chairman of British Toy and Hobby Association:

"The decline has really come about because of the economic uncertainty that there's been in the last 12-18 months. All we hear on the news is doom and gloom about Brexit. That it's pushing up prices and that it's going to be difficult for businesses to trade with out nearest trading partner. It's a mess, so it makes people think maybe I'll hang on a little more to my money."

23. Various of Chairman of Casdon Paul Cassidy demonstrating how toy Dyson vacuum cleaner works

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Cassidy, Casdon Chairman:

"We won't be affected at all. We do supply France and Germany a little bit but not significantly. Cause our products are miniature English products. And domestic appliances with English names, that's why."

25. Various of Cassidy using toy blender

26. Various of man at fair illustrating how boomerang toy works

27. SOUNDBITE (English) Katy Fletcher, Senior Brand Manager at Recreation:

"The toy industry is a really resilient industry to be in,. So we've seen going through recessions before that it just picks back up. Parents, grandparents want to spend money on their kids. I think part of this job is to keep those kids within the toy industry and not lose them to online, social media and gaming."

28. Various of toy mechanical models on display

29. Focus pull of ninja figurines on display

30. Pan of display

31. Various of people using drums and yo-yo toys at fair

LEAD IN:

With Brexit uncertainty and US sanctions hitting the industry, it's a tough time for Spanish wine makers.

But while many fear the UK and US import markets could collapse, they are also turning their attentions to the east and growing markets in Asia - where wine is increasingly becoming a favoured tipple.

STORY-LINE:

Over 2,000 different Spanish wines are being uncorked, poured, sniffed, swirled and tasted at Madrid's two-day International Wine Fair.

But despite the constant clink of glasses, the Spanish wine industry is going through a period of deep uncertainty due to Brexit and new US sanctions that are hitting the industry hard.

"It is as if everyone had stopped, while saying: 'Well, what's coming now?'" says Beatriz Garcia, commercial director of AvanteSelecta winery.

"There is a general halt, even though those measures have not yet been applied. There is a feeling of confusion and total uncertainty."

AvanteSelecta is Spain´s leading wine group, producing over 2.5 million bottles annually with strong commercial relationships with the US and UK.

In the continued absence of an exit deal between the UK and the EU, the threat of the UK crashing out of the bloc without a deal still looms.

That spells bad news for the Spanish wine market that relies heavily on UK consumption.

According to data from the Spanish Wine Market Observatory (OEMV), the UK counts for a third of all international sales of Rioja.

As a whole, the export market to the UK is worth 333 million euros.

Alberto Saldon is from the Zamora Company winery that owns La Rioja based wine producers Ramon Bilbao.  

"The EU exit of the British market is going to be a blow to the Spanish agri-food industry, specifically for the wine sector in which we are, because exports will be charged with fees and tariffs," he says.

"For a winery like ours, almost Rioja centenary, (the UK) it is a key and strategic market. We have to think what we are going to do to save this circumstance that we cannot control. Undoubtedly, it will affect our income statement."

The fizz is also waning in the Catalan region, famous for its sparkling white wine Cava.

"Market turbulence, trade wars, they are never good," says Toni De la Rosa Torello, the director of Torello winery.

"The Spanish agri-food sector is very powerful and every time there is a little earthquake, from the commercial point of view, we are worried, logically.

"In the last years, we have invested many efforts in export, (we have done) a great economic effort. And when something like this happens, something that your winery, the quality of your wine, you cannot control, then you get nervous."

But Spanish producers have been trying to take some steps to soften the blow of Brexit if and when it falls.

At the beginning of 2019, in order to ensure that British lovers of Spanish wine do not run out, many producers increased their stock of bottles in the UK.

Winemakers are also taking advice on the prospect of having to change labelling and how to deal with a potential collapse of the British pound.

In addition, exporters are working with the Spanish Wine Federation (FEV) that is talking to other EU wine associations about getting an agreement with the UK government on tariffs, certificates of origin and labelling.

"These uncertainties are a question of what will happen from the practical point of view," says the general manager of the FEV, José Luis Benitez.

"More than the fall in sales, (these uncertainties are about) what will happen with the shipment, what wineries are going to need.

"We have always said that in a mature market (like the UK), which is a very good connoisseur of Spanish wine, the fall in sales could come from other causes: for example, by an economic recession that could be produced by Brexit. For example, by a depreciation of the pound that could make our wines more expensive."

At the same time, Spain is among the four countries affected by new U.S. tariffs on European food, wine and other goods in response to illegal EU subsidies to plane maker Airbus.

The U.S. put tariffs worth $7.5 billion on EU goods like wine, cheese and olive oil, following a green light from the World Trade Organisation in a case involving illegal EU subsidies for Airbus.

The tariffs, which took effect on October 18, are ten percent for EU aircraft and 25 percent for everything else.

Spanish wine (fresh grapes, not sparkling), in less than two-litre bottles with less than 14 percent alcohol content, are target for a 25 percent duty.

In 2018, Spain exported 90 million litres of wine to the United States worth 325 million euros, according to the OEMV.

"Brexit will be for all European wines, affecting the French, Italians, Germans, which are our great competitors worldwide, both in quantity and quality," explains Adolfo Gatell, general manager of the Peñin Spanish wines guide.

"On the other hand, the United States tariffs are only for the wines of those countries that participated in the Airbus project because it is a reprisal for the EU economic help.

"So, this will not affect other (competitor) countries, such as Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria. Other countries that are not within the (Airbus project)."

But there is still reason to celebrate.

Faced with this economic scenario, Spanish wineries are looking for solutions in other markets.

Thanks to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), many wineries are knocking on doors in Canada and Japan.

Asia - particularly China, Hong Kong and South Korea - are also hot tickets for Spanish producers.

With a middle-class increasingly thirsty for reds, whites and bubbly, Spanish wine producers are pinning hopes on the China market.

Torres Sangre de Toro is one of the biggest foreign wines in China.

According to OEMV figures, in 2018, Spain exported 81 million litres of wine to China, worth 156 million euros.

Madrid, Spain - 28 October 2019

1. Close of man sniffing and swirling glass of wine and drinking it

2. Mid of two women laughing while clinking glasses and drinking wine

3. Close of women swirling glasses of white wine

4. Mid of a man uncorking bottle of wine

5. Close of man pouring red wine into glass

6. Mid of two Asian men sniffing, swirling and tasting wine

7. Close of woman sniffing and tasting wine

8. Wide of wine fair floor

9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Beatriz Garcia, Commercial Director of AvanteSelecta wine group:

"It is as if everyone had stopped, while saying: 'Well, what's coming now?' So, there is a general halt, even though those measures have not yet been applied. There is a feeling of confusion and total uncertainty."

10. Tilt up of man uncorking bottle of wine

11. Wide of man pouring Rioja wine for visitors

12. Mid of visitors tasting Rioja wine

13. Close of man swirling glass of red wine

14. Close of glass of red wine being contrasted against white tablecloth

15. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alberto Saldon, Spokesperson for Zamora Company winery:

"The EU exit of the British market is going to be a blow to the Spanish agri-food industry, specifically for the wine sector in which we are, because exports will be charged with fees and tariffs. For a winery like ours, almost Rioja centenary, (the UK) it is a key and strategic market. We have to think what we are going to do to save this circumstance that we cannot control. Undoubtedly, it will affect our income statement."

16. Close of bottle of sparkling white wine known as Cava being uncorked

17. Close sparkling white wine known as Cava being poured

18. Mid of two men tasting Cava in front of bottles

19. Tilt up from glass of sparkling white wine known as Cava to woman smiling and clinking glass

20. Various of Toni De la Rosa Torello, Director of Torello winery, pouring and tasting sparkling wine

21. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Toni De la Rosa Torello, Director of Torello winery:

"Market turbulence, trade wars, they are never good. The Spanish agri-food sector is very powerful and every time there is a little earthquake, from the commercial point of view, we are worried, logically. In the last years, we have invested many efforts in export, (we have done) a great economic effort. And when something like this happens, something that your winery, the quality of your wine, you cannot control, then you get nervous."

22. Close of white wine being swirled in wine glass

23. Close of man tasting and drinking white wine

24. Wide of wine tasting room

25. Close of man sniffing two different wines

26. Mid of visitors tasting rose wine

27. Close of man swirling glass of rose wine, sniffing it and tasting it

Madrid, Spain - 23 October 2019

28. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) José Luis Benitez, General Manager, Spanish Wine Federation (FEV):

"Actually, these uncertainties are a question of what will happen from the practical point of view. More than the fall in sales, (these uncertainties are about) what will happen with the shipment, what wineries are going to need. We have always said that in a mature market (like the UK), which is a very good connoisseur of Spanish wine, the fall in sales could come from other causes: for example, by an economic recession that could be produced by Brexit. For example, by a depreciation of the pound that could make our wines more expensive."

FILE: Mezalocha, Spain - 7 May 2018

29. Various aerial shots of vineyards of Pago Ayles Winery

30. Wide of workers cleaning vineyard in preparation for grape growing season

Madrid, Spain - 28 October 2019

31. Close of red wine being poured into glasses

32. Mid of wine tasting room

33. Close of 2020 Peñin guidebook

34. Wide of wine fair floor

35. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Adolfo Gatell, General Manager, Peñin guide:

"The situation between what could happen with the United States and Brexit is much different. Brexit will be for all European wines, affecting the French, Italians, Germans, which are our great competitors worldwide, both in quantity and quality. On the other hand, the United States tariffs are only for the wines of those countries that participated in the Airbus project because it is a reprisal for the EU economic help. So, this will not affect other (competitor) countries, such as Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria. Other countries that are not within the (Airbus project)."

36. Mid of Asian men tasting wine

37. Close of Asian men tasting wine

38. Wide of two Asian women tasting wine

39. Close of Asian man taking picture of red wine

40. Zoom out from close of glasses clinking to wide of men drinking wine

LEAD IN:

With Brexit uncertainty and US sanctions hitting the industry, it's a tough time for Spanish wine makers.

But while many fear the UK and US import markets could collapse, they are also turning their attentions to the east and growing markets in Asia - where wine is increasingly becoming a favoured tipple.

STORY-LINE:

Over 2,000 different Spanish wines are being uncorked, poured, sniffed, swirled and tasted at Madrid's two-day International Wine Fair.

But despite the constant clink of glasses, the Spanish wine industry is going through a period of deep uncertainty due to Brexit and new US sanctions that are hitting the industry hard.

"It is as if everyone had stopped, while saying: 'Well, what's coming now?'" says Beatriz Garcia, commercial director of AvanteSelecta winery.

"There is a general halt, even though those measures have not yet been applied. There is a feeling of confusion and total uncertainty."

AvanteSelecta is Spain´s leading wine group, producing over 2.5 million bottles annually with strong commercial relationships with the US and UK.

In the continued absence of an exit deal between the UK and the EU, the threat of the UK crashing out of the bloc without a deal still looms.

That spells bad news for the Spanish wine market that relies heavily on UK consumption.

According to data from the Spanish Wine Market Observatory (OEMV), the UK counts for a third of all international sales of Rioja.

As a whole, the export market to the UK is worth 333 million euros.

Alberto Saldon is from the Zamora Company winery that owns La Rioja based wine producers Ramon Bilbao.  

"The EU exit of the British market is going to be a blow to the Spanish agri-food industry, specifically for the wine sector in which we are, because exports will be charged with fees and tariffs," he says.

"For a winery like ours, almost Rioja centenary, (the UK) it is a key and strategic market. We have to think what we are going to do to save this circumstance that we cannot control. Undoubtedly, it will affect our income statement."

The fizz is also waning in the Catalan region, famous for its sparkling white wine Cava.

"Market turbulence, trade wars, they are never good," says Toni De la Rosa Torello, the director of Torello winery.

"The Spanish agri-food sector is very powerful and every time there is a little earthquake, from the commercial point of view, we are worried, logically.

"In the last years, we have invested many efforts in export, (we have done) a great economic effort. And when something like this happens, something that your winery, the quality of your wine, you cannot control, then you get nervous."

But Spanish producers have been trying to take some steps to soften the blow of Brexit if and when it falls.

At the beginning of 2019, in order to ensure that British lovers of Spanish wine do not run out, many producers increased their stock of bottles in the UK.

Winemakers are also taking advice on the prospect of having to change labelling and how to deal with a potential collapse of the British pound.

In addition, exporters are working with the Spanish Wine Federation (FEV) that is talking to other EU wine associations about getting an agreement with the UK government on tariffs, certificates of origin and labelling.

"These uncertainties are a question of what will happen from the practical point of view," says the general manager of the FEV, José Luis Benitez.

"More than the fall in sales, (these uncertainties are about) what will happen with the shipment, what wineries are going to need.

"We have always said that in a mature market (like the UK), which is a very good connoisseur of Spanish wine, the fall in sales could come from other causes: for example, by an economic recession that could be produced by Brexit. For example, by a depreciation of the pound that could make our wines more expensive."

At the same time, Spain is among the four countries affected by new U.S. tariffs on European food, wine and other goods in response to illegal EU subsidies to plane maker Airbus.

The U.S. put tariffs worth $7.5 billion on EU goods like wine, cheese and olive oil, following a green light from the World Trade Organisation in a case involving illegal EU subsidies for Airbus.

The tariffs, which took effect on October 18, are ten percent for EU aircraft and 25 percent for everything else.

Spanish wine (fresh grapes, not sparkling), in less than two-litre bottles with less than 14 percent alcohol content, are target for a 25 percent duty.

In 2018, Spain exported 90 million litres of wine to the United States worth 325 million euros, according to the OEMV.

"Brexit will be for all European wines, affecting the French, Italians, Germans, which are our great competitors worldwide, both in quantity and quality," explains Adolfo Gatell, general manager of the Peñin Spanish wines guide.

"On the other hand, the United States tariffs are only for the wines of those countries that participated in the Airbus project because it is a reprisal for the EU economic help.

"So, this will not affect other (competitor) countries, such as Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria. Other countries that are not within the (Airbus project)."

But there is still reason to celebrate.

Faced with this economic scenario, Spanish wineries are looking for solutions in other markets.

Thanks to the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), many wineries are knocking on doors in Canada and Japan.

Asia - particularly China, Hong Kong and South Korea - are also hot tickets for Spanish producers.

With a middle-class increasingly thirsty for reds, whites and bubbly, Spanish wine producers are pinning hopes on the China market.

Torres Sangre de Toro is one of the biggest foreign wines in China.

According to OEMV figures, in 2018, Spain exported 81 million litres of wine to China, worth 156 million euros.

Madrid, Spain - 28 October 2019

1. Close of man sniffing and swirling glass of wine and drinking it

2. Mid of two women laughing while clinking glasses and drinking wine

3. Close of women swirling glasses of white wine

4. Mid of a man uncorking bottle of wine

5. Close of man pouring red wine into glass

6. Mid of two Asian men sniffing, swirling and tasting wine

7. Close of woman sniffing and tasting wine

8. Wide of wine fair floor

9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Beatriz Garcia, Commercial Director of AvanteSelecta wine group:

"It is as if everyone had stopped, while saying: 'Well, what's coming now?' So, there is a general halt, even though those measures have not yet been applied. There is a feeling of confusion and total uncertainty."

10. Tilt up of man uncorking bottle of wine

11. Wide of man pouring Rioja wine for visitors

12. Mid of visitors tasting Rioja wine

13. Close of man swirling glass of red wine

14. Close of glass of red wine being contrasted against white tablecloth

15. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Alberto Saldon, Spokesperson for Zamora Company winery:

"The EU exit of the British market is going to be a blow to the Spanish agri-food industry, specifically for the wine sector in which we are, because exports will be charged with fees and tariffs. For a winery like ours, almost Rioja centenary, (the UK) it is a key and strategic market. We have to think what we are going to do to save this circumstance that we cannot control. Undoubtedly, it will affect our income statement."

16. Close of bottle of sparkling white wine known as Cava being uncorked

17. Close sparkling white wine known as Cava being poured

18. Mid of two men tasting Cava in front of bottles

19. Tilt up from glass of sparkling white wine known as Cava to woman smiling and clinking glass

20. Various of Toni De la Rosa Torello, Director of Torello winery, pouring and tasting sparkling wine

21. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Toni De la Rosa Torello, Director of Torello winery:

"Market turbulence, trade wars, they are never good. The Spanish agri-food sector is very powerful and every time there is a little earthquake, from the commercial point of view, we are worried, logically. In the last years, we have invested many efforts in export, (we have done) a great economic effort. And when something like this happens, something that your winery, the quality of your wine, you cannot control, then you get nervous."

22. Close of white wine being swirled in wine glass

23. Close of man tasting and drinking white wine

24. Wide of wine tasting room

25. Close of man sniffing two different wines

26. Mid of visitors tasting rose wine

27. Close of man swirling glass of rose wine, sniffing it and tasting it

Madrid, Spain - 23 October 2019

28. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) José Luis Benitez, General Manager, Spanish Wine Federation (FEV):

"Actually, these uncertainties are a question of what will happen from the practical point of view. More than the fall in sales, (these uncertainties are about) what will happen with the shipment, what wineries are going to need. We have always said that in a mature market (like the UK), which is a very good connoisseur of Spanish wine, the fall in sales could come from other causes: for example, by an economic recession that could be produced by Brexit. For example, by a depreciation of the pound that could make our wines more expensive."

FILE: Mezalocha, Spain - 7 May 2018

29. Various aerial shots of vineyards of Pago Ayles Winery

30. Wide of workers cleaning vineyard in preparation for grape growing season

Madrid, Spain - 28 October 2019

31. Close of red wine being poured into glasses

32. Mid of wine tasting room

33. Close of 2020 Peñin guidebook

34. Wide of wine fair floor

35. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Adolfo Gatell, General Manager, Peñin guide:

"The situation between what could happen with the United States and Brexit is much different. Brexit will be for all European wines, affecting the French, Italians, Germans, which are our great competitors worldwide, both in quantity and quality. On the other hand, the United States tariffs are only for the wines of those countries that participated in the Airbus project because it is a reprisal for the EU economic help. So, this will not affect other (competitor) countries, such as Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria. Other countries that are not within the (Airbus project)."

36. Mid of Asian men tasting wine

37. Close of Asian men tasting wine

38. Wide of two Asian women tasting wine

39. Close of Asian man taking picture of red wine

40. Zoom out from close of glasses clinking to wide of men drinking wine

In Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh, many described their fatigue and dismay with Brexit, even after a deal was reached on the eve of Christmas.

The Scottish National Party is expected to seek a mandate to hold a second Scottish independence referendum after the 2021 elections for the Scottish Parliament.

People in Scotland voted to remain in the European Union by a majority of over 60% in the 2016 Brexit referendum.

"I can remember life before we joined Europe and I can remember things getting better, in every way," said Jaime Taylor, a retired engineer.

Many Scots back Scottish independence from the United Kingdom Union as a possible way for the nation to get back into the EU.

Just a week before the deadline, Britain and the European Union struck a free-trade deal Thursday that should avert economic chaos on New Year's and bring a measure of certainty for businesses after years of Brexit turmoil.

Once ratified by both sides, the agreement will ensure Britain and the 27-nation bloc can continue to trade in goods without tariffs or quotas after the U.K. breaks fully free of the EU on Jan. 1.

Edinburgh, United Kingdom - 24 December 2020

1. Close of Scottish flag hanging from an apartment window in Edinburgh

2. Wide of Edinburgh town centre Christmas lights

3. Close of Christmas lights

4. Wide of Christmas tree in Edinburgh town centre

5. Wide of the Scottish Parliament

6. Mid of Scottish flag, Union Flag and EU flags in front of Scottish Parliament

7. Mid of Scottish parliament sign with "Sorry we're closed" on it

8. Close of Scottish parliament sign

9. SOUNDBITE (English) James Craig, Maintenance worker:

"I don't know enough about it (the Brexit deal) but we are probably better having some kind of deal. But, whether the fishermen would agree with the deal that is on offer is another story. There could well be European boats in British waters for the next 10 years."

10. Wide of people in front of the Scottish parliament

11. SOUNDBITE (English) James Craig, Maintenance worker:

"My feeling is we'll be writing a wrong that was committed 300 years ago. That is it in a nutshell. (about Scottish independence)."

12. Wide of Alba Bistro (Alba is another name for Scotland)

13. Close of Scottish flags painted on Alba Bistro

14.  SOUNDBITE (English) James Armour, Project Manager for a clean technology firm:

"I think if I were to sum up my feelings about Brexit in one word, it would be fatigue. Maybe that is also because of everything that is going on with Covid. I mean I personally lived in Denmark for three years and I have a lot of affinity for Europe. And I loved that I could go and study there for free, being part of the European Union, which was really cool. I had a great experience and it is a shame I  guess that people in the future might not have that opportunity from Britain. But, I am fatigued because it has been going on for so long, it is happening now, the ball is rolling. I think we should just finish it. But, I do appreciate the people in Scotland, on the whole actually wanted to stay in the EU. So, I can see how that is difficult for us being up here and being part of the Union with the rest of the United Kingdom."

15. Wide of closed "Wee Scottish Pub"

16. Close up of "Wee Scottish Pub"

17. Wide of Grassmarket square in the middle of Edinburgh

18. SOUNDBITE (English) Pamela Tosh, Teacher:

"I think it makes me feel relieved,because over the past couple of weeks there has just been so much hype and misinformation in the media. And then I guess all the queues at Dover and the threat that we might have restrictions in terms of the food that we have. So, hopefully it would get rid of all of that and get rid of a lot of the uncertainty. But, personally I would prefer Scotland to be part of the Europe. So that is the way I am going to vote in future. I will vote for independence and for Scotland to be part of the European Union in the future."

19. Wide of Alba store

20. Close of Alba store

21.  SOUNDBITE (English) Jaime Taylor, Retired engineer:

"I hate Brexit. I think it is a completely retrograde step. I can remember life before we joined Europe and I can remember things getting better, in every way. I think the feeling of being part of a multinational, international, outwardly looking community has been absolutely fantastic. I have always been very excited about everything about being in Europe. And I have been miserable the last four years. I have been following it almost every second of every day. And it is a completely retrograde thing going backwards into an isolated.. Trying to shrink the size of Britain, really England trying to drag Scotland with it. "

22. Wide of Edinburgh Kilt Maker shop

23. Wide of a food stand in Edinburgh town centre called "French connection"

24. SOUNDBITE (English) Jaime Taylor, Retired engineer:

"It feels very much that it is time for the Union (the United Kingdom Union) to be dissolved. Most of us in Scotland would rather be part of the European Union than the British Union, well I am speaking for myself, but there is a definite feeling that way. And, we are stuck now with this Tory party that are governing Westminster."

25. Mid of Jaime cycling away

26. Wide of French restaurant next to an Italian restaurants in Edinburgh town centre

27. Close of a sign saying Petit Paris restaurant is closed

28. Wide of the Scottish parliament

Ford's Dagenham diesel engine plant is a marvel of mechanisation - a steel and chrome hangar full of LED lighting, robots and computer-controlled machine tools.

The US carmaker has invested 2.5 (b) billion US dollars in the plant, where 3,150 people churn out an engine every 30 seconds.

And they've been here a long time: Edsel Ford, son of founder Henry Ford, personally cut the sod to start construction of the company's UK manufacturing headquarters in 1929.

It's hard to imagine Ford would walk away from all that if Britain fails to negotiate a favourable trade deal when it leaves the European Union.

But don't bet on it.

With auto parts passing through as many as 15 countries before a car is completed, a Brexit agreement that results in new tariffs that increase the cost of Ford vehicles for consumers is no small problem.

"It will force us to consider what the longer-term options are for the investments that we make, because let me be clear: We have to transact business in an environment where we can be competitive, and it's that competitive base that we're interested in making sure is protected," said Steven Armstrong, CEO of Ford in Europe.

Britain's car industry, which employs 814,000 people, illustrates the struggle the country faces as it prepares to exit the European Union.

Cars are assembled, not forged in a single place.

Modern manufacturing techniques result in carmakers having plants in several locations, often in different countries, that specialise in producing pieces of the finished vehicle.

For instance, the plant in Dagenham, in east London, makes nothing but diesel engines.

Tariffs, which are virtually non-existent for goods that move from one EU nation to another, are an oversized threat to British carmakers because they could be applied each time those components cross and re-cross international borders on their way to the new car showroom.

British carmakers, and many other industries, want the government to negotiate an agreement that preserves free trade with the EU's single market after Brexit.

Failure to do so could mean that tariffs and quotas are applied according to World Trade Organisation rules, which would make each vehicle more expensive.

The industry relies on Europe as both a market and a supplier, with the EU accounting for 56 percent of UK car exports and 69 percent of imports in 2016, according to the SMMT.

Besides that, Europe supplies the majority of components within UK-built vehicles.

Ford wants to know how the government plans to address this issue - and soon. "It's important that we continue to have access to the European market, free trade and a seamless border really is what we're looking for as we go through the Brexit process," Armstrong told The Associated Press.

Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly said that remaining in the single market is not an option, but the government this month outlined its hopes for an agreement that would permit the "freest and most frictionless possible trade" with EU member states.

This could include a temporary customs union with the bloc for up to three years after Britain leaves in 2019 to give businesses time to adjust to the new rules. Negotiations are set to begin again next week.

A transition period may be crucial for carmakers because they will have to adjust to new borders at a time of dramatic change for the industry.

"A significant proportion of the UK supply chain actually sits within the European marketplace," said Darren Jukes, head of the industrial products group at consulting firm PwC.

The change isn't lost on the workers at the Ford's Dagenham works, which has seen cuts and change over decades and where female workers went on strike in 1968 to demand equal pay in a fight immortalised in the movie "Made in Dagenham.''

Plus all they have to do is look around - robots do much of the work.

In places where a human being is required, a computer is often nearby to correct mistakes.

The uncertainty of Brexit worries people like the plant's employees, for whom the debate could be more about location than politics.

Dagenham, east London - 21 July 2017

1. Pan of completed Ford vehicles that have recently arrived in the United Kingdom from overseas

2. Stationary Ford vehicles, car transporter moving in background

3. Pull focus on Ford logo

4. Exterior of Ford Motor Company engine plant

5. Close of signage with Ford logo

6. Top view of engine plant, pan right

7. Machinery inside plant, electronic screen

8. Close of screen

9. Samy Alakarsamy, who has worked for Ford for 35 years, operating machinery on engine assembly line

10. Ford employee marking engine component

Ford Dunton Technical Centre, Dunton Wayletts, Essex – 21 July 2017

11. Exterior of Ford Dunton Technical Centre

12. Statue of Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company

13. Steven Armstrong, Group Vice President and President of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Ford Motor Company (screen right) speaking

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Armstrong, Group Vice President and President of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Ford Motor Company:

"We've said that the whole situation around Brexit is probably the biggest headwind that we face within the Ford business in Europe, and we're looking forward to getting to some clarity around what's going to happen, stressing the importance of a need for a transitional arrangement as we move toward the separation in, you know, not too many months' time now. So, for us it's important that we continue to have access to the European market, free trade and a seamless border really is what we're looking for as we go through the Brexit process."

Dagenham, east London - 21 July 2017

15. Ford employee operating machinery on engine assembly line

16. A cylinder block, which forms the main structure of the diesel engine, on production line

17. Ford employees standing next to cylinder block inside plant

18. Cylinder block moving through the production process

19. Tilt up on cylinder block

20. Robot moving cylinder blocks

Central London – 24 August, 2017

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Darren Jukes, head of the industrial products group at consulting firm PwC:

"It's interesting because at the moment what you have is that for UK suppliers, the current economic environment that they are facing is actually quite attractive. You know, they have suddenly become far more competitive, far cheaper relative to some of their European kind of counterparts. But a significant proportion of the UK supply chain actually sits within the European marketplace."

Dagenham, east London - 21 July, 2017

22. Various of Ford employees operating machinery on engine assembly line

23. Various of employees working on engines

24. Complete engines ready to be shipped overseas to be inserted into vehicles

Ford Dunton Technical Centre, Dunton Wayletts, Essex – 21 July, 2017

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Steven Armstrong, Group Vice President and President of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Ford Motor Company:

"It will force us to consider what the longer-term options are for the investments that we make because let me be clear we have to transact business in an environment where we can be competitive and it's that competitive base that we're interested in making sure is protected."

Dagenham Dock, east London – 21 July, 2017

26. Various of ship docked at port

27. Cars in container ship hold

28. Low angle shot of cars being driven off ship

29. Workers standing next to ramp

30. Cars being driven off ship

31. Cars seen being driven off ship in mirror reflection

32. Car travelling along road after leaving ship

33. Wide of ship docked, pan to cars travelling along road