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North East works up an appetite

Greater public awareness and concerns about where food comes from is resulting in an increasing market for locally grown and locally sourced food. 70% of British consumers want to buy local food and 49% want to buy more than they do now, according to recent research.

The ‘Strategy for Regionally Produced Food and Drink in North East England’, released this week, aims to capitalise on the findings and maps out how to increase the value of regional produce in the economy. The North East report is the result of a 6-month study by ADAS, specialists in food and drink sector development.

The report recommends the development of the existing Regional Food Group, who would manage an accreditation system showing the provenance of North East food and drink. One NorthEast, who commissioned the report, intend for this to act as a ‘badge of pride’, bringing benefits for tourism and the region’s image.

Ian Brown, One NorthEast rural board member, said: “What this report aims to do is examine how we can better help consumers access their local market, raise awareness of what quality food is available in their region and improve uptake of local food by multiple retailers, the public sector and food service providers. “The idea of a ‘Made in North East England’ quality mark is an interesting one and would be a way to show provenance, as well as a recognised standard of hygiene, preparation, ingredients and so on. This is very important for giving consumers confidence, but as this report shows, it can also be a brand that retailers can buy into.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .