Welcome to our September newsletter...the heatwave we've been promised alll summer is finally here!!
This month we've got news of free workshops, a couple of industry surveys and an interesting opportunity to get involved in next years Preston Guild - so read on...
FREE business skills workshops
Food NW are offering FREE business workshops to food & drink SMEs as part of the European Regional Development Funded (ERDF) Food & Drink Growth Project.
Scheduled for the early part of the new year the workshops have been designed to give companies the skills to improve business opportunities in a number of areas;
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Techniques for sucessful trade shows - why you should attend & how to make the most of your investment
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PR toolbox - equip yourself with the skills to promote your business through effective PR
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Manage your brand personality - how to ensure your brand effectively reflects your company's USP
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Working with independant retailers - making the most of your farm shop, deli and garden centre clients
Workshops are planned for January / February 2012, visit the Food NW website for full details & eligibility criteria and to book online. (http://bit.ly/qlq0sr)
Tesco are searching for the nation’s favourite local product.
As part of ‘British food fortnight' the supermarket is inviting consumers to tell them about their favourite North West food and drink.
If you have a favourite local product that deserves to win the title of ‘Best in the British Aisles’ you can nominate by simply logging on to www.tesco.com/local.
You could win £500 of Tesco Gift Cards by letting Tesco know about your favourite North West product. It could be anything from your local area... meat... cheese... fruit & veg... speciality foods... even beer or spirits.
It could be a regional delicacy, a local icon, or perhaps a family firm who use their wealth of experience to produce great quality products.
This competition is a first for Tesco who currently stock over 140 products and work with over 37 producers from Lancashire alone!
Caroline Bartrop, Tesco Regional Marketing Manager, said “We have a great range of quality North West products available in our stores, and we’re keen to hear what it is that people love about them.”
Survey 1...
FDF is currently working with Grant Thornton to conduct a study on 'Sustainable Growth for the UK Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector' which will be published in December 2011.
The aim of the study is to:
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show the growth potential of the UK Food and Drink Manufacturing (FDM) industry and therefore, the contribution it could make to the UK economic recovery
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gather real life examples of issues/barriers the UK FDM industry is confronted with
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identify the Government support needed in order to remove these barriers and achieve future growth objectives
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use the report as a tool to boost support and steer industry growth, whilst assisting food and drink manufacturers with the necessary support required for growth
As part of the study, FDF are undertaking a confidential online survey to capture the views of the senior leaders of industry given their strategic insight and overview of the issues facing your business and the industry as a whole.
FDF would very much appreciate your input and would be very grateful if you could take 10-15 minutes of your time to complete the survey.
We hope you would welcome the opportunity to voice your opinions on the issues your companies are facing. All answers will remain confidential; responses will be aggregated and the analysis will be made at an industry level therefore names and companies will not be quoted.
The deadline for responses to the survey is Friday 07 October 2011. Please click the link below to access the survey.
If you have any questions or comments please contact Caroline Fox - 020 7420 7103 / caroline.fox@fdf.org.uk
Survey 2...
Ever wondered just how well you are doing against your competitors or what the accident rate is in your industry sector?
This is the purpose of the Food & Drink Industry benchmarking scheme supported by IOSH, the FDF and Dairy UK. These organisations are inviting food & drink companies to participate in the scheme which will provide amalgamated accident and ill health statistics which you can use to assess your performance and progress.
All information submitted will be totally confidential (there is no need to submit company names) and the survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. No company names or individuals completing information are recorded or kept when the survey is submitted.
Click here for further information and to take part in the survey.
 Food & Drink Expo / Farm Shop & Deli Show 2012
25 - 27 March 2012, NEC Birmingham.
Food NW has once again been allocated a regionally branded pavilion at Food & Drink Expo 2012. Situated alongside Farm Shop & Deli, this exclusive area is a great opportunity for you to meet a wide variety of buyers from across the UK and internationally.
Food & Drink Expo has been established for over 20 years and is the perfect showcase for your products and services. In 2010 over 26,000 people visited the show, and now with the addition of the Farm Shop & Deli Show running alongside, Food & Drink Expo aims to be 2012’s biggest food and drink focused trade exhibition in the UK.
Launched as a stand alone event in 2011, Farm Shop & Deli Show will retain last year's sense of intimacy only on a slightly larger scale located alongside Food & Drink Expo’s Regional Pavilion. With even more opportunity for interaction between exhibitors, visitors and the products on display this year see's the launch of the all-new Taste & Connect area making Farm Shop & Deli Show the perfect communication platform for suppliers, producers, manufacturers and distributors catering for farm shops, delicatessens and artisan food halls.
If you would like to find out more about how you can be involved in either the Food NW area of Food & Drink Expo or Farm Shop & Deli show, please contact a member of the Food & Drink Expo team directly:
Your opportunity to make Preston Guild taste better than ever!
It only comes around once every 20 years but 2012 will be a year of celebration as Preston Guild gets in full swing.
Next year Preston will host a vibrant programme of arts, culture, sporting and community events attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors into the region.
In line with traditions of Guilds gone by Preston City Council will be launching a range of official Guild branded merchandise for retail sale.
As part of this range the team at Guild HQ are keen to identify a number of local suppliers and producers willing to partner with the Guild and launch a brand new Guild themed and branded product to their existing portfolio. Guild Cheese, Beer, Chocolate, Biscuits and Cake are on their wish list but other items will of course be considered. These items would be sold through a Guild online store and through the Preston Visitor information centre but the team are hoping to secure support from other distribution outlets.
If you would like to know more about this opportunity please contact;
Gayle Hewitt - Head of Destination Marketing, Preston Guild.
g.hewitt@preston.gov.uk / 01772 903424
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