A campaign to celebrate quality British food will be launched by organisations across the farming industry this autumn.
The plans, unveiled today (27 April), will see the NFU, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Red Tractor and Love British Food join forces to combine their exisiting initiatives to host a series of activities under the Celebrate Great British Food banner, aimed at driving consumer awareness around the work of farmers and the home-grown goods they produce.
Kicking off in September with NFU initiative Back British Farming Day, the union will also help schools integrate farming education into their harvest festivals.
Other events including Red Tractor Week, British Food Fortnight, and British Sausage Week will also be part of the integrated campaign which will also include TV and in-store advertising.
Alexia Robinson, founder of Love British Food, welcomed the move to celebrate quality British food. “We have been doing this on our own since 2002 when British Food Fortnight was founded in response to the foot and mouth crisis that bought farming to its knees,” she said. “It is great that the whole industry is now working together on a coordinated calendar of events to celebrate great food from Britain this autumn.”
NFU deputy president Minette Batters added: “It is important to champion great British food and the thousands of farmers and growers who produce it every day of the year. I hope this plan of action will help showcase British food which, as we know, is the best in the world.”
Defra has designated 2016 as the ‘Year of British Food’.
“Our food industry has so much to be proud of - whether it is the seafood from our spectacular coastline or the world’s most delicious beef, lamb, milk and cheese our farmers bring us from the hills and pastures around the UK,” said environment secretary Elizabeth Truss.
“With 3.8 million people employed in the food chain we know it is vital for our economic future we make British food and farming all it can be and I am determined to work closely with the farming industry to harness innovation and technology, develop new skills and promote our rich food heritage.”
No comments yet