Food from Britain receives extra £3million to support regional food industry

Food and Farming Minister Lord Whitty today announced that an extra £3 million will be given to Food from Britain in support of a

campaign to promote the UK's regional food and drink industry over the next three years.

Food from Britain (FFB), the Government's lead export marketing

agency, will spearhead the campaign, aimed at both consumer and trade audiences, which follows on from the Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food.

Lord Whitty said:

"The regional food and drink industry plays a vital role in the rural economy, both as a viable industry, and through the wider environmental, economic and cultural benefits that can flow from it.

But more work can be done to raise consumer awareness of regional food products, encourage retailers and the food service industry to sell them, and increase producer competitiveness. We have worked

closely with stakeholders in drawing up a support strategy to address these issues and I am pleased to be able to announce today that Defra will be providing an extra £3 million over the next three years to help deliver the strategy."

The first year's programme includes participation at consumer shows, meet the buyer events, support at international and UK exhibitions such as Food and Drink Expo in Birmingham, event sponsorship at British Cheese Festival and English Wine Week, consumer information campaigns and in-store promotions.

Food from Britain will be working closely with the Regional

Development Agencies and Regional Food Groups in implementing the

campaign, and will also develop strategic partnerships with

organisations such as VisitBritain, to capitalise on the food tourism opportunities with both British and overseas visitors.

Charlotte Lawson, FFB's Director of Business and UK services added;

"There has been a quiet revolution taking place over the last couple of years in the regional food sector. This has been driven by a consumer eagerness to discover the provenance and traceability of

food, resulting in a greater appreciation and pride in the

extraordinary diversity of British regional food and drink.

We are delighted with the additional funding from Defra. This will enable us to run a high profile campaign in the UK and key overseas markets to develop business with retailers and food service operators, enhance consumer awareness of British regional food and drink, and also develop competitiveness through business advice and marketing intelligence."