12 Yorkshire-based farmers visited the Aunt Bessie’s factory in Hull to witness first-hand how their locally grown wheat is turned into the food brand’s famous frozen Yorkshire Puddings.
The factory tour, led by Sustainable Futures, is part of a rapidly growing initiative to improve the sustainability of food and drink by linking global brands, food processors and farmers together along the supply chain.
The Aunt Bessie’s tour is one of several ‘Walk the Supply Chain’ events delivered by Sustainable Futures for its project partners which includes over 120 farmers and major manufacturers including William Jackson Food Group.
Sustainable Futures engages with farmers to share knowledge, best practice and innovative solutions that benefit the farms environmentally whilst reducing costs and generating profitable yields, year after year.
'Strong working relationships'
Steve Cann, a Co-Director of the Sustainable Futures project said: “We are really pleased our farming partners had the opportunity to see where the crops they grow are ultimately used further down the chain.
“The Sustainable Futures ‘Walk the Supply Chain’ events create strong working relationships and a better understanding of the challenges faced by other supply chain partners. The shared understanding helps to create a more sustainable & resilient future for the UK’s food and drink industry.”
William Jackson Food Group, the company that owns Aunt Bessie’s, joined Sustainable Futures as a partner in 2015 with a view to further improving relationships with local suppliers and developing initiatives to improve productivity while conserving resources for generations to come.
Gavin Milligan, Sustainability Director for William Jackson Food Group, said: “We’re a responsible business and we’re proud to work closely with our suppliers and growers.
“The whole industry must work together to continually look for ways to ensure a sustainable future and we’re very pleased to be part of the Sustainable Futures initiative.”
