10.05.06
Fifty per cent more producers in definitive Cornish food guide

Fifty per cent more food producers are listed in the new 2006 edition of the Real Cornish Food Guide, bringing the total producer listings to more than 150 and confirming the publication as the definitive guide to the freshest, tastiest food and drink in Cornwall.

The guide is published by Taste of the West Cornwall and the Cornwall Women's Food and Farming Union, which joined forces to produce it for the first time last year. This season more than 100,000 copies of Real Cornish Food have been printed and distribution has been broadened to include more supermarkets and tourist attractions where copies flew off the shelves in 2005.

"It's great that people are interested in local food even while doing their weekly supermarket shop," says Hilary Wood of the Women's Food and Farming Union. "It shows that consumers are finding a balance, looking to buy locally as well as at supermarkets. It also shows that the guide is being used by locals as well as visitors, underlining its broad appeal. And it's working for producers too, as demonstrated by the huge rise in producer listings. If Real Cornish Food wasn't driving custom to their doors the producers wouldn't be in it."

The new edition of Real Cornish Food is now easier to navigate, with producers divided into type such as dairy, bakery and meat. Every type of food producer is represented, from strawberry growers in Mevagissey to beef producers in Bude, ice cream makers from the Lizard to fish merchants in Fowey.

"Local food has become so much more accessible in recent years," says Angie Coombs of Taste of the West Cornwall. "People are buying direct from producers, or becoming regulars at their local farmers' markets. Farm shops in particular have increased accessibility, with more and more opening up and providing access to local produce throughout the day, every day."

One such outlet is Vicarage Farm Shop near Helston, which opened its doors in March this year and is enjoying brisk trade already. Having sold their traditionally-reared meats via farmers' markets for years, Gill and Kim Courtauld witnessed the increasing levels of public demand for local foods first hand. This led them to consider the retail potential of their own farm site and then to set about establishing Vicarage Farm Shop.

"People really like the shop and we have lots of regulars already," says Kim Courtauld. "Being listed in the Real Cornish Food guide will really help signpost people to us, especially as some may not know we're here yet. All our stock is Cornish, so we're selling for many of the producers listed in the guide as well as our own produce."

Real Cornish Food is a glossy, envelope-sized guide with sumptuous photography, modern presentation and an easy-to-use format. It's expected to inspire more locals and visitors than ever to seek out real Cornish food at markets, local retailers, the farm gate, restaurants and hotels.

For further information please contact Veronica Newport at npr on 01363 866927 or email veronica@n-pr.co.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in Cornwall Taste of the West through the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF).

Anyone considering a new horticulture, food and land based industries project is advised to speak with Martin Butler, at Government Office South West on 01752 635134 before commencing development as there are now only limited funds available due to the successful uptake of funding by the agricultural sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Editor's notes:

Taste of the West in Cornwall is a £5million Objective One gateway project, funded by the European Agricultural Guarantee 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 regional food group. Taste of the West's Cornwall project includes a trade development programme, a marketing grant scheme and a capital grants scheme, available to small and medium sized food businesses which produce, sell or process foods in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. For more information log on to www.cornwalltasteofthewest.co.uk.

For more information on the Women's Food and Farming Union visit www.wfu.org.uk.

For more information about Vicarage Farm Shop visit www.vicaragefarmshop.com or phone 01326 340484.

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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