Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Box 19.3
Speciality food products (SFPs) in England
The speciality food and drinks sector in Britain employs
over 20,000 people and has an annual turnover of
nearly £3 billion. It is dominated by small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) using traditional recipes and/or
innovative ideas to make high-quality products. The
focus is on using wholesome ingredients, and many
SMEs cater for niche markets. Concerns over
agricultural intensification have increased the
opportunity to sell SFPs outside their regions of origin.
However, they rarely have the resources or skills to find
outlets in national and international markets. This is the
justification for speciality food groups.
A national network of regional and county speciality
food groups exists in Britain; fifteen regional and county
groups cover England and Wales (Figure 19.2), and the
Scottish and Northern Ireland groups are managed by
Sottish Enterprise and A Taste of Ulster, respectively.
Local and county groups in England often lacked the
necessary critical mass to succeed. In 1991, therefore,
the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food launched
a six-year grant scheme for regional food groups; there
are currently six, and a seventh (Heart of England) was
launched in early 1998. Their development is coordinated
and managed by Food from Britain.
Over 60 per cent of the speciality food and drink
producers employ five or less employees and sell a
majority of their products through either their own shops
or local caterers (although mail orders and the multiple
retailers are other important outlets). A wide range of
SFPs are produced in the different regions of England,
from farmhouse cheeses (Plate 19.2) and smoked/cured
meats to salad dressings and special occasion cakes and
biscuits. Taste of the West, for example, has nearly 200
producer members in its seven counties, over seventy of
which are concentrated in Devon. Here the emphasis is
very much on dairy and speciality drink products,
followed by meats, bakery products and preserves. Most
producers are strongly attached to their regions, and
there is now a need to use regional imagery to further
develop the link between product and place.
Figure 19.2
Regional and
country speciality food groups in
England.
