22.01.03      
New 'Foodfinder' to help Cornish businesses find Cornish food

A new kind of directory has been created to help make it quicker, easier and more commercially viable for Cornish businesses to use local produce and food suppliers.

With a specially designed interactive website – www.cornwallfoodfinder.co.uk - supporting the printed version, Cornwall foodfinder is the first trade directory of its kind in the region, if not nationwide. It’s due to be launched at The Eden Project on Wednesday, 29 January, when both the printed and electronic versions will be unveiled.

Cornwall foodfinder has been developed in partnership by the Objective One funded Cornwall Taste of the West and Cornwall Enterprise in response to the growing number of enquiries from hotels, pubs and restaurants wanting to source more Cornish produce but having problems finding suppliers.

“The quality and distinctiveness of genuine Cornish food is becoming a major draw for tourists to Cornwall,” says Carol Trewin of Cornwall Taste of the West. “Local businesses are really tuning in to the direct and indirect benefits of using local products, but sourcing them needs to be made quick and easy if it’s to be commercially viable. We’ve addressed this issue head on with the development of Cornwall foodfinder, which we hope will become an essential buying tool for Cornish businesses and a marketing tool for our producers and processors.”

Cornwall foodfinder already contains almost 200 entries in 12 food and drink categories, including bakery and pasties; fruit and vegetables; beverages; caterers and hampers; confectionery; meat and poultry; dairy and eggs; organic; distributors, wholesalers and agents; preserves, sauces and snacks; fish and retailers. There is also a section for local support services, including equipment, packaging, training and promotions. As well as contact information, listings in Cornwall foodfinder include details of business hours, deliveries, main supply markets and minimum/maximum orders. Food listings in the directory are free of charge this year (see notes to editors).

10,000 hard copies of the directory have been produced for distribution direct to businesses and via trade events. While the printed version is set to be revised on an annual basis, the website at www.cornwallfoodfinder.co.uk will be continually updated with new entries and listings throughout the year. Its interactive features include a quick search facility, the promotion of special and seasonal offers, plus tailored e-mail updates for users.

“By producing the directory in more than one format we’re aiming to cater to everyone’s needs,” says Nick Blandford of Cornwall Enterprise. “Many buyers do everything electronically these days, but there are still a lot of small and medium sized businesses that prefer to have a hard copy by the phone for ease of reference. The most important thing is for businesses and producers to use the foodfinder facility and spread the word, as the more it’s used the greater the economic benefit all round.”

Opportunities for buyers to meet directly with some of the suppliers listed in Cornwall foodfinder:

Cornwall Wine and Fine Food Fair
25 - 26 February at St Mellion Golf and Country Club
This is an invitation only event, to obtain an invitation contact Sue Sargent at Cornwall Taste of the West on 01579 349363

Expo West
4-6 March at the Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge

Editor's notes:

For more press information or a media copy of Cornwall foodfinder please contact Veronica Newport at 'npr' on 01363 866927 or email veronica@npr1.co.uk.

Thanks to funding from Cornwall County Council and Objective One, a standard listing in the new Cornwall foodfinder is completely free of charge for all food and drink producers and processors in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The only pre-requisite is the ability to supply trade buyers in terms of quality, reliability and consistency as well as quantity. Support services listings cost from £20.00 for a standard entry.

Distributors wishing to be listed need to show that a substantial percentage of their range is sourced from within the county.

All entries in the Cornwall foodfinder directory will be at the discretion of Cornwall Taste of the West and Cornwall Enterprise.

Cornwall Taste of the West is a £3 million Objective One umbrella project, funded by the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) and private matched funding. It is part of the Taste of the West speciality food group. Cornwall Taste of the West’s four year project includes a trade development programme, a marketing grant scheme and a capital grants scheme, available to small and medium sized food businesses that produce, sell or process speciality foods in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. For more information contact Carol Trewin on 01579 349363, mobile 07812 561157, or Grace Lobb mobile 07813 930013 or visit www.cornwalltasteofthewest.co.uk.

Taste of the West is the regional speciality food group for the six counties of the South West, offering business development and trade support to food & drink producers. It is supported by Food From Britain, the National Farmers’ Union and Defra.

Cornwall Enterprise aims to create prosperity in Cornwall and provides a range of services for businesses in Cornwall.

For more information contact Nick Blandford on 01872 322846 or visit www.cornwallenterprise.co.uk.

Jason Clark
Communications Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Tel: 01872 241379
Fax: 01872 241388

jason@dclark.co.uk

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