Leicestershire has a strong, diverse and high quality food and drink sector with internationally recognised unique brands including Stilton Cheese and Melton Mowbrary Pork Pies. The benefit to the local economy is significant – about 2m visits are made per year, helping to generate £65m. Over recent years Leicestershire has become firmly placed on the food map. This page details some activities and support undertaken.
Leicester and Leicestershire Food Fortnight 2010
The LRP, together with a range of key partners, is working to develop Leicester and Leicestershire Food Fortnight 2010. Across the City and County there are more than 70 hosted events from 18th September to 3rd October.
Full details about the events scheduled within Leicester and Leicestershire can be found by clicking here.
Leicestershire Matters - Food and Drink Competition (July 2010)
To help mark the hosting of the Leicester and Leicestershire Food Fortnight 2010 (Taste LeicesterSHIRE) and the East Midlands Food and Drink Festival at Brooksby Hall on the 2nd and 3rd October 2010 we ran a competition to win a Dickinson & Morris hamper and tickets to this years Festival in conjunction with Leicestershire Matters. This competition has now closed. Thank you to all those who entered. The draw has been conducted and the winners will be contacted shortly through the organisers of the Festival.
Please do check out the Leicester and Leicestershire Food Fortnight 2010 website for information about events in your area from 18 September 2010 to 3 October.
Leicestershire Rural Partnership’s priorities
The Supporting Leicestershire’s Rural Economy – A Sector Scoping Study, published in January 2009, identified the County’s Food and Drink sector as highly important to the rural economy. The report identified specific areas for support to help develop the sector further. As a result the LRP is identifying priority activities to be included within our draft priorities. These can be found on the Supporting the Rural Economy page.
LeicesterShire and Rutland Food and Drink Directory
To help further promote the local food and drink sector the Leicester Shire and Rutland Food and Drink Network published, in February 2008, a directory to encourage local sourcing, support the local supply chain, and highlight the food and drink that is available on our doorstep and how it can be accessed. The LeicesterShire Food and Drink Directory 2008 is available here.
East Midlands Food Festival
Now in its 7th year the East Midlands Food Festival is the annual celebration of the region’s food and drink – hosted in Leicestershire. The festival is a premier tourist event showcasing the variety of high quality produce available within the East Midlands. In past years many celebrity chefs have attended to share their culinary skills and champion local produce – such have included Clarissa Dixon-Wright and James Martin. The 6th Festival will be held at Brooksby Hall (nr. Melton Mowbray) on the 2nd and 3rd October 2010.
Leicestershire Food Links
In February 2009 Leicestershire Food Links launched a new website to better promote quality local produce and those who produce it. Their new website includes information on partner organisations, latest news, forthcoming events, and a directory of local producers.
Mapping Local Foodwebs
The LRP is supporting a new project, funded through the National Lottery and delivered by the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) which attempts to reconnect people and land through local food increasing access to fresh, healthy, local food with clear, traceable origins. The Mapping Local Foodwebs project is a new initiative to engage the skills and knowledge of local people in order to research the social, economic and environmental impacts of local foodwebs. It is delivered by Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and funded by the National Lottery. The project is part of the Making Local Food Work Programme
The overall aims of the Mapping Local Foodwebs project are:
- To equip local community groups to survey and document their local Food Webs
- To enable local community groups to assess the social, economic and environmental benefits of their local foodwebs
- To share their findings locally and to local, regional and national policy and decision makers
- To secure local foodwebs through the promotion of policy change.
Six pilot mapping projects will start in early 2009. These include Hastings, Totnes, Knutsford, Sheffield, Kenilworth and Leicester. More information can be found on the Mapping Local foodwebs website.
Farmers' Markets
Within Leicestershire a number of highly successful Farmers' Markets are regularly held. These bring significant benefits to producers, consumers, the environment, the wider community and local economy.
Leicestershire Food Links run farmers markets in Burbage, Lutterworth, Hinckley, Blaby and Leicester.
Other farmers markets are held across the County. Further details can be found on the Certified Farmers Markets (FARMA) website or Local Food Heroes website
Rural Business Support Programme
The LRP has previously supported the Food and Drink sector through the Rural Business Support Programme. Grants were made available to help establish farm shops, to maintain and improve the offer of food retailers, or help market new products.
