Made in Britain

The spotlight shines on our nation’s home grown food and drink during British Food Fortnight encouraging caterers to back Britain. Sheila Eggleston reports.

When the idea of a British Food Fortnight (BFF) was first initiated, no one could have believed the effect it would have on the industry a decade later. Now in its 10th year, it has become a focal point for the foodservice sector to be patriotic about British produce.

This year BFF runs from September 17 to October 2 and expectations are high despite the shaky economy. The organisers say around £15m is the estimated increase in sales of British food during the fortnight, proving how profitable it can be when served to today's discerning diners.

Among the contract caterers supporting it this year are Aramark, Compass, Talkington Bates, Sodexo, Avenance, BaxterStorey and MITIE Catering Services, plus many NHS Trusts, school caterers and suppliers.

Talkington Bates has been involved with BFF for the last four years and is creating an all British signature sausage for its sites this year.

"The BFF initiative is a perfect fit for our philosophy as we believe in serving local produce all year round," says group managing director Paul Bates.

"It's a great way of raising awareness about the unrivalled quality of British food and emphasising its central role on menus. "We successfully ran a loyalty scheme last year to coincide with BFF encouraging diners to buy British food throughout the two weeks, which generated a sales uplift of 12.5% across our sites.

"This shows there is strong and growing consumer support for British food and we will again be focusing on that aspect during this year's activity.

"By using regional suppliers where possible and utilising the best available products produced locally, employment and infrastructure is maintained and developed with less impact on the environment.

"Our most recent audit revealed that, on average, meat travels 29 miles from supplier to the unit and fruit and vegetables just 24 miles – which equates to one of the lowest figures in the industry."

Analyst Mintel's recent report on food provenance shows one in five consumers actively search out British food – one of the reasons why in the run up to BFF, 42,000 shops, restaurants and pubs are provided with information on sourcing and promoting regional food and drink to use on menus.

"British Food Fortnight is a wonderful celebration of all that's best about our national food, and we are delighted to once again be sponsoring this year's event," says marketing director James Armitage.

The Brakes Group's fresh produce arm, Pauleys, sources 50% of its fresh fruit and vegetables from the UK compared to the DEFRA average of 31% and the group also stocks 130 Red Tractor certified products.

"We recently carried out a survey of chefs and managers in the cost sector which revealed how important provenance and traceability is.

"The survey interviewed hospital, school, prison and other non profit caterers and found 84% had offered local and regionally sourced dishes to customers in the last 12 months.

"It's obvious this is now a permanent feature of the foodservice landscape. At a time when the cost sector is facing significant budgetary pressures, it's important to recognise the potential benefits of sourcing food from the UK. British food is good quality but can also be good value."

3663 is also supporting BFF and encouraging its customers to source more British produce and promote specials on menus throughout this period.

"With recent statistics from Menurama noting that the top three British dishes are full English breakfast, sausages and mash, and fish and chips, you could be forgiven for thinking these dishes form part of many menus when eating out of home," says senior marketing manager Vanessa Millard.

"But, having the opportunity to ensure these dishes are quintessentially British, made using British ingredients, is where the celebration of British Food Fortnight really comes into its own."

Duncan Marsh, general manager for Bernard Matthews Foodservice, says the fortnight could have a big impact on sales.

"If we take Government departments, hospitals and prisons as a prime example, the average proportion of British food used is currently a healthy figure but one which could be higher.

"British Food Fortnight is the perfect platform for testing the water. With the London Olympics round the corner, cost sector caterers have an opportunity to trial run menus.

"Organisers suggest contacting suppliers to ask whether products are British, and adapting existing menus or creating a specials board focusing on British produce.

"In terms of provenance, we are proud of our heritage and are proud to supply quality British turkey products which offer natural appeal and huge margin opportunities all year round."

The company's Big Green Tick IQF turkey thigh mince and diced turkey thigh is targeted at the cost sector, and Marsh says one of the best reasons for switching to British turkey right now is price.

"Substituting chicken, beef or lamb for turkey is extremely cost effective," he says, adding that turkey is great for leftovers usage thus cutting down on wastage.

He believes the London Olympics being an international event, serving some ethnic dishes could also pay dividends, as long as a firm eye is kept on British provenance.

The provenance and sustainability of produce is increasingly important for many caterers, says Jo Simmons, senior brand manager at McCain Foods. "McCain is committed to sourcing 100% British potatoes for its chips and works with more than 250 growers from County Durham to the Isle of Wight – in many cases McCain's association with them spans three generations – to produce top quality potatoes for our products.

"It purchases around 750,000 tonnes of potatoes every year, which makes it the single biggest buyer of British potatoes and means great British chips are the perfect accompaniment to the great British pint during the fortnight."

While cheddar is a distinctly British cheese, it is commonly thought that when it comes to soft cheese, the Brits tend to fall short compared to other cheese producing countries, says Lactalis McLelland, but its Lubborn creamery in Somerset offers a variety of soft cheese that is British in origin, production and taste for BFF. These include brie, camembert and goat's cheese.

"We are seeing tremendous growth in our Somerset range, with customers looking for a UK version of these popular continental varieties," says out of home marketing manager Warren MacFarlane.

"With foodservice sectors now frequently referring to the origin of ingredients on their menus as a point of difference, the Lubborn range is an option for any establishment committed to using British produce."

Colman's condiments have the provenance that its producer, Unilever Food Solutions, believes satisfies consumer demand for home grown food. Its research shows that more than half of consumers want to see locally sourced and regional products on menus.

"As well as this research, 43% of industry leaders think that locally sourced products will have the greatest influence on menus over the next two to three years," says marketing manager Leon Mills.

"We work closely with the English Mustard Growers Co-operative, which purchases more than half of the mustard seeds local to the factory from growers in Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

"We also work with the Norfolk mint growers where 1,000 tonnes of fresh mint sourced from the co-operative is grown in that county, within 45 minutes of the Colman's estate.

"To enhance menus, adding wholegrain mustard to mashed potato with sliced spring onions bring a sausage dish to life. You can then charge a premium or add value to a very simple dish."

'British food bundles', where consumers can select combination meals completely made up of British brands can be a successful marketing tool, says Matthew Orme, director at bottled water supplier Wenlock Spring.

"British bottled water should be an integral part of the drinks offer and a vital component of such combination deals.

"It is well worth a little thought when describing the bottled water on a menu, as it is usually an incremental sale in addition to alcohol in the bar/restaurant sector and also to hot beverages in the café environment.

"Through clear communication on packaging, menus and marketing material, consumers can be appropriately informed to make a decision that suits their needs."

He says provenance is central to many consumers and sales of British brands are increasing. "The purchasing of bottled water is a matter of personal choice and also convenience.

"There is a growing concern for traceability; people favour natural, locally sourced food and drink and so consumers prefer to buy British water. With water that is responsibly bottled at source, the consumer can see exactly what they are paying for, and know the mineral content in it."