The market is clearly an important one to engage with. However it is a complex supply chain with thousands of caterers and wholesalers operating within it.
There are national caterers and wholesalers, who are relatively easy to engage with, but that still leaves a huge “tail” of small, regional and individual catering operators, who are difficult to reach.
In order to improve our influence on the ‘tail’, we have produced a Food Service Toolkit that aims to give users a simple guide to food service. We have also produced a more in-depth power point presentation that can be used as further background information about the food service market and some of the players with in it.
The NFU have positive sourcing messages and supply chain advice that this section of the market can make use of. We want more catering operators to buy more British food, in a way that provides value back to the farm gate, and caterers make use of a safe, traceable sustainable food supply.
The Tool Kit provides an opportunity for NFU County Advisers and members to engage with those operators in their regions, enabling businesses to benefit from more information about the British farming industry, how it works, the seasons, and how consumers want to understand the provenance story. We also know that members are keen to point out where ever they see opportunities for more British produce to be used, whether in a retailer, or in restaurants and catering outlets.
We would like to hear your comments to help us get fuller picture of how foodservice buys its food, and how it engages with its supply chain.
Any questions feel free to contact the Food Chain Team on Rm9vZENoYWluRm9jdXNAbmZ1Lm9yZy51aw==