EARLIER this year a survey revealed that 30 per cent of shoppers want more local produce in big supermarkets.
The report, compiled by the international food and grocery experts IGD, also showed that one of the key motivations for buying local food is to support the local economy, and that almost half (47 per cent) of the shoppers interviewed would buy more local produce if it was more widely available.
The results of Shopper Trends 2009: Food Shopping in a Recession have been made available through Heart of England Fine Foods (HEFF), another organisation that is backing our Buy Local campaign.
Through its Food and Drink Insights service, HEFF can keep local producers informed about market trends, shopper behaviour, technology updates and latest industry news – essential tools in challenging economic times.
The service is free to all food and drink producers, who say it is much appreciated.
Delia Swift of Three Counties Gourmet, Ledbury, regularly uses the Insights service and says she has found it invaluable when she is thinking about developing new products.
She said: “It’s a great resource and it can be really useful for development, especially the Mintel reports.
“As a small business, I would never be able to afford the full reports but I can get the main points from Insights which is especially useful, particularly if you are pitching to supermarkets and need to know your statistics and your product’s place in the market.”
Heart of England Fine Foods has been a stalwart supporter of Worcestershire producers since it formed in 1998. The group’s Savour the Flavour support scheme, launched in 2002, works with independent retailers, rewarding outlets that expand their stock of regional produce by supplying them with branded display equipment, such as chillers and freezers.
The scheme has worked well, with more than 80 independent retailers – including Mac and Jac’s deli in New Street, Worcester – and has generated more than 800 new accounts for producers.
For more information, visit heff.co.uk.
l Would-be Worcester member of Parliament Robin Walker, the Conservatives’ candidate at the next General Election, is backing our Buy Local campaign.
“Worcester has great local shops, some of them are places I have known and loved all my life,” he said.
“I want to make sure that our streets remain vibrant and that local traders can always make a good living.”
- Click the following link to download your own printable poster - buylocal_poster.pdf
- Click here to return to the main Buy Local page.
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