Alexia Robinson, founder/organiser British Food Fortnight
There has never been a better time to be in the business of producing quality, fresh, seasonal, healthy British fruit and vegetables. I am not dismissing the increasingly tiresome regulations and price squeezes - these continue to chip away mercilessly at the livelihood and morale of producers.
But setting these aside and looking at the consumer environment, opportunities abound. The 5 A DAY programme has done much to increase awareness of the importance of healthy eating. This combined with the high profile crisis in child nutrition and renewed interest in seasonality and provenance that has been stimulated by celebrity chefs and food features in the media means it is a good time to be a quality fruit and veg producer.
About time too. In our wonderfully understated British-way we have for too long been reticent and almost apologetic about our food. The time has come for promotion. Buy British fruit and veg because it is fresh, tasty and good for you - and buy lots of it to ensure you are having your 5 A DAY.
The public is quickly cottoning on to this, and increasingly they want taste, freshness, quality and the reassurance that what they are buying is good for them. 5 A DAY provides a ready-made marketing programme for retailers, caterers and producers to respond to this.
As organiser of British Food Fortnight, which runs from September 24 to October 9, I work with the retail, catering and education sectors to stimulate interest in programmes like 5 A DAY. All three sectors are responding. During the event shops are encouraged to increase their stock of healthy, quality British food; pubs and restaurants are asked to serve it on their menus; and schools are invited to incorporate the 5 A DAY message in lessons.
My hope is that if they see benefit from doing this as part of a fun, national promotion they will sustain it longer term. And this will create the business opportunities necessary to give you, the producer, confidence to invest in your produce and the necessary marketing programmes.
This is what the public wants. British Food Fortnight and 5 A DAY are nurturing the environment within which it can be promoted. And those farmers and producers that can tap into this will not only survive, they will flourish.
• British Food Fortnight is sponsored by Nationwide, the Department of Health, Budgens and Booths.
