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BIGGEST EVER NATIONAL CELEBRATION OF BRITISH FOOD

The sixth British Food Fortnight that took place from 22nd September to 7th October 2007 was the biggest ever national celebration of the diverse and delicious range of food that Britain produces. More shops, pubs, restaurants, schools and food festivals took part than ever before producing a myriad of events and promotions. As a result, whether people were shopping in supermarkets or local shops, eating in pubs or restaurants or attending one of the glorious food festivals that took place during the event, everyone could enjoy the best of British food during the Fortnight.

Highlights included:

• ‘Buy British' message reaches millions... this year's British Food Fortnight reached an unprecedented number of the public. Thousands of events were held with food festivals in Aldeburgh, the East Midlands, West Sussex, South Somerset, Malvern, York, Leicestershire, Manchester, Alnwick and the Brecon Beacons; promotions in shops, pubs and restaurants; activities in schools; events at National Trust properties; and famous landmarks made out of British wheat exhibited in London. In the media: coverage on BBC News online, Radio 2, ITV, QVC, in every national newspaper and publications covering an enormous breadth of interest groups from education to lifestyle, travel to farming and retail to catering means that the ‘Buy British' message is now seen or heard over 300 million times during each year's event. The event's website received 5.8 million hits and was visited by 340,000 people prompting blogs from members of the public as far afield as America!
• Largest volunteer movement educating children about food is established... the event's network of 9,000 chefs is the biggest volunteer resource available to assist schools in teaching children how to cook. This initiative, combined with the event's ‘Putting the Ooo back into food' education publications and Kenwood cooking equipment being awarded to the top six participating schools in each region, means that British Food Fortnight now provides all the resources schools need to teach children about food within the National Curriculum.
  "British Food Fortnight's initiative sending chefs into schools is an invaluable way of teaching the next generation and we have loved being a part of it." Dave Myers & Simon King, BBC's ‘Hairy Bikers' celebrity chefs who gave children at Wilson's Endowed C.E. School, Lancashire a cooking lesson during British Food Fortnight.

• Hundreds of schools participate... hundreds of schools invited chefs into the classroom to give cooking lessons, visited farms and allotments and toured local butchers and greengrocers as they took up the challenge to include food and cookery within their curriculum teaching during the Fortnight. Irish, Scottish and even some schools abroad participated for the first time.

"This was the first year we participated and we will definitely do so again." Alex Ellwood, Greencroft Community School, Co. Durham

"Our school regards British Food Fortnight as a highlight on the Autumn Term calendar."Wendy Compson, Headmistress, Cherry Trees School, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

• Catering sector responds in force... five of the largest food service organisations, led by ARAMARK, four major pub groups, three of the main tourism organisations and the leading chef and catering associations put British food on thousands of menus in pubs, restaurants and hospitals. Staff restaurants in some of Britain's biggest organisations including Nationwide, BP, Boots, Barclays, HBOS, J P Morgan and Price Waterhouse Coopers ran British food menus throughout the Fortnight.

"British Food Fortnight gives caterers a reason to be enthused about quality British food and caterers who have taken part in the event this year should continue to put British food on their menus throughout the year."  Bob Cotton, CEO, British Hospitality Association

• Promotions galore in shops... five of the biggest supermarkets, all Budgens stores, 500 delicatessens, independents, farm shops and markets offered a mass of promotions and tastings. Early reports suggest that sales matched the 34% increases that shops now regularly achieve during the event with some stores reporting increased sales of £2,000.

"Sales of the lines we featured during British Food Fortnight went up by hundreds of per cent." Les Rutherford, Store Manager, Budgens Keyworth, Nottinghamshire

"We always get a good response to the Fortnight. Takings this year were up by £2,000." Neil Smith, Store Manager, Budgens Bedgrove, Buckinghamshire

Alexia Robinson, organiser of the event, says: "When British Food Fortnight started six years ago you had to search hard to find British food when you were shopping or eating out. Now - with more shops, pubs and restaurants than ever before taking part in the national promotion - British food is more accessible to consumers; and the success of the event's education programme is laying the foundations for the next generation to make a conscious effort to buy it in years to come."

"The event is much more than a calendar date: it is a catalyst for long term action. Shops and restaurants that have enjoyed sales increases during the promotion will source British all-year-round and schools that have had fun taking part will make food a staple part of their curriculum activities in the future. As one leading national magazine commented this year: ‘Long live British Food Fortnight!'."

British Food Fortnight 2007 was sponsored by Nationwide, Budgens & ARAMARK and featured the British Food Fortnight ‘Cook for Life' Challenge sponsored by Kenwood.

British Food Fortnight 2008 takes place 20th September to 5th October 2008.

For further information see www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk

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