About 3,500 British food products from across the United Kingdom, a huge variety of British cuisine prepared by a top-notch chef and a footfall of 5,000 customers defined Lulu’s mega edition of the British food festival, which was inaugurated Wednesday by British Ambassador Sir John Jenkins on its first day at a glittering function at the Lulu Hypermarket in Riyadh.

The event, entitled “British Week,” organized under the patronage of the British Embassy, will further promote and popularize British products and cuisine in the Kingdom.

The “British Week” at the local Lulu Hypermarket supports the campaign launched by British Prime Minister David Cameron to promote the UK abroad.

Speaking after formally cutting the ribbon to mark the opening of “British Week,” British Ambassador Jenkins said that “trade relations between Britain and Saudi Arabia have been consistently strong. It is clearly a big single market in the entire Gulf. I recommend people looking for British products to visit Lulu,” said the envoy amid cheers from the crowds.

The seven-day long event, showcasing food products from the UK and Europe, will conclude on Feb. 4. The “British Week” event at the Lulu Hypermarket in Alkhobar was also inaugurated by Steve Graham, head of the British Trade office, on Wednesday. In Riyadh, the opening ceremony was attended by top Lulu executives, including Sehim Mohammed Unni, regional director of Lulu Hypermarket, and Saleem V. K., Lulu’s regional manager.

Given the cosmopolitan clientele and culture of LuLu, the campaign will exhibit fresh import ranges like gluten-free products, organic products, free-range eggs, fresh breads, goats milk and yogurts, diabetic products, flavored yogurts, chocolates, fresh fruits and vegetables, pies and cakes, canned foods and other such products. There will be more than 3,500 imported products from UK available in Lulu hypermarkets in Riyadh and Alkhobar during this week.

Speaking on the occasion, Paul Greenfield, operations manager for Lulu Hypermarkets, said that British festival will be a much better experience this time for customers, as the event is organized with active support from LuLu’s British subsidiary, “Y” International (UK) Ltd. in Birmingham. Lulu’s facility in the UK spans an area of 100,000 sqf and is operated by more than 100 nationals.

Greenfield said customers can also witness the culinary skills of popular British Chef Gareth Pugsley and dine on the spot. “A Chat with a British Chef” is part of the program, in which training and tips on to whip up British cuisine will be given.