WIGHT FOOD Understanding the Isle of Wight Food Sector Review funded by Isle of Wight AONB and Natural Enterprise 2013 Contents 1.0 Executive Summary ............................................................................................ 5 1.1 Recommendations and proposed actions ..................................................... 9 2.0 Project Brief ..................................................................................................... 12 2.1 Description of brief ...................................................................................... 12 2.2 Report Objectives......................................................................................... 12 2.3 Terms of reference ....................................................................................... 13 3.0 Assessment of recent key trends and developments in the local food sector 14 3.1 Trends and policies ...................................................................................... 14 3.1.1 Economic Impacts ................................................................................ 14 3.1.2 Social Impacts ...................................................................................... 14 3.1.3 Environmental impacts ........................................................................ 15 3.1.4 Public Procurement ............................................................................. 15 3.1.5 Supermarket policies ........................................................................... 16 3.2 Food Groups ................................................................................................. 17 3.2.1 Regional and County Food Groups ...................................................... 17 3.2.2 Isle of Wight Food Groups ................................................................... 18 3.2.3 Other Isle of Wight-based Food Groups and Projects ......................... 18 3.3 2009 Isle of Wight Food Sector Survey Findings .......................................... 19 3.4 Developments in the Isle of Wight Food Sector since 2009 ........................ 20 3.4.1 Fallen Stock .......................................................................................... 20 3.4.2 Access to Abattoirs .............................................................................. 20 3.4.3 Food Hubs ............................................................................................ 21 3.4.5 Public Procurement Project ................................................................. 21 3.5 Greater awareness of food provenance ...................................................... 22 3.5.1 Support for national promotions ......................................................... 22 3.5.2 Local food festivals ............................................................................... 22 3.5.3 Growth in farm shops .......................................................................... 23 3.5.4 Farmers Market ................................................................................... 23 3.5.5 Local Reviews ....................................................................................... 23 3.5.6 Isle of Wight County Press – ‘Wight Taste’ .......................................... 23 4.0 Evaluation of the impact of investment made under RDPE LEADER and AONB SDF grant programmes ................................................................................................ 24 4.1 Qualitative baseline data ............................................................................. 24 4.2 Quantitative Baseline data ................................................................................ 25 4.3 Progress against qualitative baseline data .................................................. 26 4.4 Progress against quantitative baseline data ................................................ 28 4.5 Analysis of LEADER achievements with reference to the Island’s food sector 30 5.0 The Isle of Wight food sector ........................................................................... 38 5.1 The arable sector ......................................................................................... 38 5.2 The dairy sector ........................................................................................... 41 2 5.3 The meat sector ........................................................................................... 41 5.4 The horticultural sector ............................................................................... 42 5.5 The fish sector .............................................................................................. 42 6.0 Review of Isle of Wight food webs .................................................................. 44 6.1 Local food webs ........................................................................................... 44 6.1.2 Are local food webs the way forward? ................................................ 44 6.2 Local food retailing through local supermarkets ......................................... 44 6.2.1 Local produce stands or on the shelves? ............................................. 44 6.2.1 Opportunities and barriers for producers ........................................... 46 6.2.2 Case Study: Southern Co-operative ..................................................... 46 6.3 Supermarket supplying beyond the Solent ................................................. 47 6.4 Local food retailing through farm-related shops and markets .................... 47 6.5 Local food retailing through specialist shops and markets and markets beyond the Solent .................................................................................................... 48 6.5.1 Case Study: The Tomato Stall .............................................................. 48 6.5.2 Case Study: Isle of Wight Biltong ......................................................... 49 6.6 Gaps in the Island’s supply web ................................................................... 49 6.6.1 Desire to trade with supermarkets ...................................................... 49 6.6.2 Confidence and knowledge to establish a new product / outlet or expand an exiting one .......................................................................................... 50 6.6.3 Case Study: Wild Island ........................................................................ 50 6.6.4 Distribution services ............................................................................ 50 6.6.5 Selling to restaurants and wholesale ................................................... 50 6.7 Opportunities for future investment ........................................................... 51 6.7.1 Increasing confidence and knowledge ................................................ 51 6.7.2 Improving distribution ......................................................................... 51 6.7.3 Improving links with restaurants and wholesale ................................. 51 7.0 Rural settlements and their relationship with local food ................................ 53 7.1 National context ........................................................................................... 53 7.1.1 Decline of town and village centres ..................................................... 53 7.1.2 Changes in shopping habits ................................................................. 53 7.1.3 The Localism Act 2011 ......................................................................... 53 7.1.4 Case Study: The East Suffolk Food Web .............................................. 54 7.2 The Island context ........................................................................................ 54 7.2.1 The Island Plan Core Strategy .............................................................. 54 7.2.2 Rural settlement selection ................................................................... 55 7.3 Potential opportunities within Freshwater ................................................. 56 7.3.1 Maximising local produce within local food retailers .......................... 56 7.3.2 Maximising the use of local produce within the tourism sector ......... 56 7.3.3 Maximising the use of local produce by other large users .................. 57 7.3.4 Maximising training and job creation opportunities ........................... 57 7.3.5 Supporting Island food producers who may wish to enter a new market or expand production .............................................................................. 58 7.3.6 Raising the profile of local food to local residents and visitors ........... 58 7.3.7 Support for these measures ................................................................ 59 8.0 Potential opportunities for new product development in the local food sector 60 3 8.1 Re-packaging of existing products for new markets ................................... 60 8.1.1 An ‘Isle of Wight’ product - Local Branding ............................................. 60 8.1.2 Case Study: New Forest Marque ......................................................... 60 8.1.3 An Isle of Wight Marque? .................................................................... 61 8.1.4 Quality Box Schemes ............................................................................ 61 8.1.5 Case Study: Divine Crust ...................................................................... 61 8.2 Adding Value to Existing Products ............................................................... 62 8.2.1