Connecting procurement with production: The NFU's Out-of-Home Farm Day
Hospitality and public procurement professionals representing more than 850 outlets visited Suffolk farms as part of an NFU Out-of-Home Farm Day, helping strengthen links between food buyers and British producers.
The delegates got the chance to visit two farming businesses, Home Farm and Gulpher Farm, to discover some of the challenges and opportunities facing the horticulture, dairy and livestock sectors.
Understanding horicultural production
Hosted by Andrew Francis and organised by the NFU Food Business Unit in partnership with LEAF and the Sustainable Restaurant Association, the event saw delegates tour Home Farm’s conventional and organic horticultural operation.
Discussions covered opportunities and challenges facing fresh produce growers, as well as the practical and commercial realities of producing and buying food in a complex supply chain.
A key theme throughout the visit was the importance of greater flexibility around menus, seasonal availability and purchasing specifications, to help reduce waste and improve efficiency.
“Whatever we can do to increase our flexibility increases utilisation, which takes total food waste down, and carbon and water footprints down with it.”
Andrew also highlighted the importance of forward planning, collaboration and communication between producers and buyers: “We cannot afford to grow surplus. We need to know what you want on the menu in 12 months’ time, now.”
Why it matters
- Builds stronger relationships across the supply chain
- Encourages greater consideration for British produce
- Highlights the benefits of British sourcing
Water remains a key challenge
Delegates also visited Home Farm’s reservoir to learn more about water management and climate resilience.
Andrew explained how water availability is becoming one of the biggest constraints on horticultural production.
Discussions covered irrigation, water licensing, abstraction regulations and the wider regulatory challenges surrounding water use in agriculture.
“The volume of crop we grow is dictated by our crop rotation, but our bigger restriction now is the amount of water we can utilise.”
The visit provided valuable insight into the scale of water required to produce food and the long-term investment needed to secure future production.
Understanding dairy and beef production
Hosted by Joe Adams, delegates visited Gulpher Farm’s high-welfare dairy unit and Dairy x Angus beef enterprise.
Technology was a key area of interest, with robotic milking systems and genomic testing demonstrating how data is used to improve productivity, efficiency, and animal health.
With this dairy herd producing 2.3 million litres of milk annually for Arla and supplying directly to Aldi, delegates discussed whether similar supply chain models could be developed within the out-of-home sector.
The visit illustrated how technology, collaboration and integrated farming systems are supporting productivity and resilience within the livestock sector, helping delegates better understand the value behind British-sourced food.
Why this matters for farmers and growers
The Out-of-Home Farm Day forms part of the NFU’s wider work to build stronger relationships across the supply chain and encourage greater consideration of British produce within hospitality sourcing.
The day helped delegates better understand the standards, stewardship and expertise behind British food production, alongside the benefits that British sourcing, shorter supply chains and long-term supplier relationships can bring to their businesses.
A follow-up webinar is planned to continue the conversation and explore future opportunities for collaboration.
The full magazine article will be published in British Farmer & Grower and Farming Wales in December – members can access the BF&G magazine on the NFU app.
