NFU unveils strategy championing British farming and food

The NFU has launched a new foodservice strategy designed to boost the visibility of British farming and increase the amount of British food the sector sources.

Foodservice businesses procured about £10bn worth of food each year, said NFU food chain adviser Lorna Hegenbarth. However, supply chains were often disparate and complicated, with little help to enable buyers understand the benefits of UK-produced food.

The union has developed a guide for buyers called the Farming Shop Window, which showcases the work of British farmers and growers.

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This new brochure has been developed to give the foodservice sector a simple snapshot of British agriculture and the work streams of the NFU,” Hegenbarth said, while the NFU website carried more detailed information.

Operating in a competitive market, where discounting had become the norm, put pressure on food service operators.

However, product provenance was “important to consumers” and foodservice buyers “need to meet the needs of their consumers changing tastes and concerns about food”, she added. “The Farming Shop window aims to lay out in basic terms what UK primary production is all about, to buyers who may not necessarily be that close to it. The website information then provides the link to more.”