8247/6 BFF British Food

British Includes information for restaurants, pubs, shops and food service companies on how to take part in Food British Food Fortnight Retail and catering Case studies Index Details of the national promotion 3 A buyers’ guide Retailer case studies 4-5 to quality British food Pub and restaurant case studies 6-7 Welcome to this guide to sourcing and promoting British food in the retail and Catering and food service case studies 8-9 catering sectors. Visitor attraction and tourism In response to the growing commercial opportunities that British food provides, hundreds of retailers and caterers across the country have taken part in the annual national case studies 10-11 promotion – British Food Fortnight – and many of them have increased their sales as a result. Advice on where to source British food 12 This guide provides case studies demonstrating how they did so – how they used British Maximise your media coverage 13 food to maximise sales and attract new customers; how they sourced British food and drink; how they promoted it; what results they achieved and lessons learnt. Invitation to work with schools 14 We hope these examples will inspire you to organise similar promotions in your shops and restaurants this year. “Today’s consumer wants value when they are shopping or eating out and value is no longer just about price. Increasingly people want tasty, fresh, healthy, seasonal, local, regionally- “65% distinct foods with visible – almost two-thirds traceability back to the producer – all distinctive – of British consumers qualities of British food.” Alexia Robinson, are now buying locally Organiser, British Food Fortnight produced food. 40% would like to buy more than they do now.” IGD Report “British Food Fortnight is growing bigger and more influential “British each year.” Food Fortnight To m Pa r k e r B ow l e s , provides a fantastic Mail on Sunday opportunity to grow sales and 7th August 2005 profits with the support of a nationally recognised event. It would be foolish not to take part.” Libra Europe, consultants to the food supply chain industry, writing in The Grocer 2 An invitation to take part in the national promotion British Food Fortnight was conceived in response to the fact that, though there are numerous food initiatives, projects and events taking place across Britain, there was no overall flagship event to bring them to the public’s attention. It was held for the first time in Autumn 2002 at the same time as the Harvest Festival, the traditional time for celebrating our food. The event has established itself on the national calendar extremely quickly. Thousands of activities are thought to have taken place during the Fortnight and have included promotions, tastings and special menus in shops, pubs and restaurants – many of them based on stocking new British products in addition to their normal range. Retail and catering promotions run during the Fortnight have proved that the event has a serious impact on sales. Media coverage is seen or heard over 300 million times every year. It has included: coverage in every national newspaper; a storyline on BBC Radio 4’s The Archers; a special edition of Blue Peter, daily British Food Fortnight recipes on Teletext’s homepage and headlines on the BBC website. This guide provides details on how you can take part in British Food Fortnight. This is a time when your customers will be particularly receptive to buying British food and hence provides you with the opportunity to maximise sales by taking part. British Food Fortnight has a serious impact on sales Up to Sales of regional food and drink increase by up to 84%of new lines stocked for £2,000 increase in sales per store as a the promotion have been per store during the 30% ✝ Aims direct result of the event retained since. Fortnight. make the public – and in ✝ Figures from promotions run by Budgens, Londis and independent stores during British Food Fortnight. particular young people – aware of the diverse and delicious food and drink that Britain produces and the many Capitalise on the promotional opportunities provided by food experiences available British Food Fortnight: increase awareness of the pleasures of eating quality, fresh, seasonal and regional ● Increase your stock of British food or put it onyour menu during the Fortnight.You produce could even tryrunning special promotions,in-store tastings or a BritishFood Fortnight increase the amount of food education in schools by menu with all dishes sourced locally. encouraging teachers to hold special events for young people ● Tell your local newspaper and radio stations what you aredoing. Advice on how to during the Fortnight in the hope that this will generate the maximise your media coverageare provided onwww.lovebritishfood.co.uk enthusiasm & interest necessary to sustain similar ● Decorate your establishment with bunting and display theevent’s A3 poster and Love activity year-round British Food POS material. encourage producers, retailers, restaurants, pubs and tourism ● Monitor customer response. If well received,run similaractivities long term. outlets to all take a proactive role in educating the public – and in particular young people ● Tell the organisers of British Food Fortnight what you areorganising.To have your –about the food and drink shop,restaurant or pub listed onthe website and included in information to the media, that their region produces. goto www.lovebritishfood.co.uk And ultimately to nurture a renaissance in the pleasures of preparing and eating British food. For further information on how to take part see www.lovebritishfood.co.uk 3 Examples of British food promotions in the retail sector ● Distributed details to their mail and email customer database lists. La Hogue Farm Shop ● Put up posters around the town and in supportive local venues. ● Issued a press release resulting in free coverage in three local newspapers, & Delicatessen, two regional food magazines and one national food publication. ● Publicity did not end when the Fortnight was over. Two food magazines Chippenham, near Newmarket, has published articles after the event headlining the sales results achieved. enjoyed tremendous success during British Food Fortnight increasing sales by 20 to 30%. They have used What they achieved the event to launch several new ● Boosted sales by 20 to 30% – sales figures were up approximately 25% small producers whose products from the same two weeks in the previous year. they were introducing in the shop and also their autumn range of home-cooked ready meals, soups and ● “Reaction from the public has been fantastic.” desserts which they prepare in their farm kitchen. British Food Fortnight ● Clear evidence of several new customers has been an ideal opportunity to do this in a meaningful way. “Making visiting the shop as a direct result of the people aware of new publicity generated. ● New products launched during the How they took part products and offering Fortnight continue to sell well. ● Tastings of the new autumn menu of homemade ready meals, soups tastings during British Food and desserts from La Hogue’s kitchen. Fortnight translates into Lessons learnt ● Cheese Weekend: sampling of long term sales.” ● Important to make customers aware regional cheeses was promoted Chris Reeks, La Hogue Farm Shop of products when they arrive in store. with a visit from the cheesemaker and Delicatessen, Chippenham, ● Allowing customers to taste new who even brought along Madge, Nr Newmarket products translates into long-term sales. one of the pedigree Guernsey ● cows whose milk is used Having Madge the Cow at the Cheese Weekend to make the cheese. “We drew children to the promotion which in turn This produced a lot should have engaged parents. of press coverage. participated in British ● Sending out press releases before and after the ● Sausage Saturday and Sunday: tastings of British bangers and event generated a lot of publicity for the shop. the launch of La Hogue’s own pork and Colston Basset Food Fortnight in ● Working with local pubs and restaurants made Stilton sausage. previous years!” outside customers aware of the range of stock ● In conjunction with two local pubs and restaurants, organised carried at La Hogue without them having to go into Chris Reeks, La Hogue Farm Shop the shop. special local produce menus for theme nights during the and Delicatessen, Chippenham, Fortnight. One restaurant had a Suffolk Supper with all produce Nr Newmarket ● “We should have participated in British Food on the menu sourced by La Hogue. Fortnight in previous years!” How they sourced British food Plans for future British Food Fortnights ● They used their Regional Food ● Plan to celebrate the Fortnight in an even bigger way! Group Tastes of Anglia to source ● Thinking about competitions to run. new local cheeses that were ● Projects with local schools promoting local and regional produce. launched in-store during the Cheese Weekend. ● Encouraging more local restaurants and pubs to take part in conjunction with La Hogue. ● They developed their own new product, a new variety of free ● Will be using the Fortnight to further enhance the media interest. range Pork and Colton Bassett Stilton Sausage created by La Hogue’s own butchers. Partridge and Co., Quality Country Foods The owners of Partridge and Co., Quality Country Foods, How they promoted it Northampton used the Fortnight to draw local attention to the ● Posted British Food Fortnight promotional material around the shop. new shop. They issued press releases before and after the event resulting in the shop’s owners being interviewed on-air on BBC ● Clearly advertised tastings in-store. Radio Northamptonshire and a full-page feature in Northampton’s ● Cheese and sausage producers on hand to talk to customers during the local press. Tastings were offered on at least two new products a themed weekends. day always producing an increase in sales of these products.

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