British food has ‘a little bit of heart and soul’. This is the view of twice Michelin starred chef Tom Kerridge and he wants the public to share his views and show their support for British food and farming.
Tom has teamed up with the NFU to help ensure that food and farming is part of the national debate surrounding the General Election, with just four weeks to go until the British people decide who will lead the country.
Speaking from his award-winning pub in Buckinghamshire, Tom says that British food is so important he wants everyone to get behind an online campaign, joining thousands of others who have shown their support for British food and farming.
Tom said: “British food is incredibly important, to me personally but also to me on a customer level. I want to be able to trace back my food to where it has come from, provenance for me is hugely important.
“For me British food has that little bit of heart and soul. The support we should give to the farmers on this small island of ours is very important. Not only is it about knowing where your food comes from, which I think leads to better quality and high standards, it will also ensure jobs.
“I am pleased to say the majority of our food at The Hand and Flowers is British and I am really lucky to have one-to-one relationships with my suppliers. I know that food grown close to home means top quality and freshness. And I am supporting my local farmers, which is key to a thriving food sector. We mustn’t take our home-grown food supply for granted.”
The NFU recently published a report which contained an alarming forecast for the country’s self-sufficiency in food. It revealed that the UK’s self-sufficiency has declined dramatically over the past 30 years to 60 per cent. If this continues, the report states, only half of the nation’s food will be produced on British farms in the next 25 years.
NFU Deputy President Minette Batters said: “We know that food and farming is important to many people. 85 per cent have told us they think supermarkets should sell more food produced on British farms and 77 per cent think government should focus more on creating policies that help UK farmers to increase the amount of food Britain produces.
“Supporting British food and farming now will safeguard the security and availability of British food for the future. This means supporting a sector which has delivered jobs and growth during the recession and helped to create the fantastic landscapes that make up three quarters of our country.
“As a nation, we urgently need to take steps to start increasing our self-sufficiency. That requires long-term investment; there is no overnight solution. I think the government has a role to play to ensure our farmers can be confident in their future, a future where they can invest and grow their business. And retailers need to do more to market and sell British food whenever it is in season.
“We are delighted that Tom has pledged his support and we would urge consumers to do the same. They can cast their vote for British food online at Vote British Food and buy British food wherever and whenever they can. And they can ask their local MP how will they back British farming?”
