Despite torrential rainfall, more than 100,000 visitors and 1,000 exhibitors attended the Royal Show at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire from July1-3, to celebrate the UK’s agricultural industry and all aspects of farming, food and rural life.
Amongst the livestock, equine display and archery, many think there is little room left at the Royal Show for the fresh produce industry. But, with a topical conference programme, food hall and farmers’ market within the grounds, this really was not the case.
The show has become smaller over the years and, according to some, has lost some of its key players. Geoff Burgess of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, which organises the Royal Show, said that he expects overall ticket sales for this year will be down by at least 10 per cent compared to last year, but that this will be mainly down to the bad weather.
“It is sad that the bad weather is going to affect the success of the show,” said Sir Don Curry, chairman of Defra’s sustainable food and farming implementation group, who was the guest speaker at the annual New Zealand breakfast at the show. “Despite [the bad weather] there is still a buzz about the show and people have been resilient.”
The Royal Show has always been a place where people in the industry can come together and discuss the issues of the day. Curry spoke about how farmers across the world should work together to sustain the environment. He put across the opinion that if the industry shared its knowledge and experience, and was not as competitive, then sustainability was achievable.
At the breakfast, murmurs abounded that the show had deteriorated over time and that it is transforming into something very different to its traditional roots.
Many people see the deterioration of the show as a sign of how agriculture in the UK is becoming less important, and some thought that the presence of large supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s at the show is inappropriate.
New Zealand-born John Frizzell of agricultural firm McArthur Cyclone is among the people who feel that the show is slowly ebbing way from farmers. “The Royal Show has taken a change in direction towards the public rather than the farming community,” says Frizzell. “It is sad from an international point of view. In New Zealand we used to think of the Royal Show as the key agricultural event, and now there just isn’t the interest.
“There used to be a lot of everything here; from live deer to fruit and veg. It is now very limited and the key people have stopped coming.”
Curry considers this transition a vital step forward for the Royal Show, and points out that resistance to change is inevitable. “The show has become smaller, but I think that consolidation is far better, as there are less gaps within the show,” he says. “It is important that the supermarkets are willing to come to the show and talk to the farmers. The supermarkets need to face the farmers and explain what they do. The relationship between the supermarkets and growers and producers is important.”
With the Year of Food and Farming due to start in September, Curry thinks the Royal Show is more important than ever. “The hope is that school children will do three things this year; gain better understanding of food production, grow vegetables themselves and then cook the produce,” he says. “As a by-product, we hope that the children will enjoy the experience, then go to their parents, and ask to go to the Royal Show.”
In an attempt to prove that the Royal Show is still relevant, it runs a series of debates at its conference centre, which this year included a day dedicated to public sector food procurement opportunities for British farmers. Chaired by Jeremy Pope, chairman of English Farming and Food Partnerships, the conference set out to prove how supplying public sector contracts like schools and NHS trusts can reduce the supply chain for British farmers whilst improving profitability. The conference, which took place on the Tuesday of this year’s show, presented case studies demonstrating that farmers have been successful in this area, such as Public Sector Produce Supplies (PSPS), which is a consolidation of growers that supplies Leeds city council with local fresh produce; Fresherbymiles.com, a group of suppliers that supplies a full range of food to schools local to Worcestershire and Warwickshire; and the Cornwall Food Programme and organic food hub, which supplies five NHS trusts.
Henry Aubrey Fletcher, deputy president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) introduced the topic and called for more farmers to get involved in public sector food procurement through co-operatives. According to Fletcher, a total of 65 per cent of vegetables provided to the public sector in 2006 were grown in England, but more needs to be done. “We need to take advantage of the £2 billion market that is out there, and partnership is vital,” said Fletcher. “Farmers are still reluctant to become part of it.”
Phil Hudson, chief horticultural adviser for the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), who was at the NFU stand at the show, agrees that there seems to be a problem with convincing farmers to be part of public procurement. “Clearly it is an important market for growers and opens up opportunities that weren’t there before,” he says. “But it has been a difficult task to persuade growers of the opportunity that has presented itself. However, there are some exceptions; Graham Ward of PSPS has managed to get a group together, but it needs someone of that character to pull people together. I think simplicity is the key with this issue, as well as less public bureaucracy.”
Hudson thinks that the reason the Royal Show has become smaller over the years is because of the influx of specialist shows, such as Fruit Focus, and the regional shows that are now available. “The Royal Show is bound to change with the changing demands of the people coming. It’s grown from a purely agricultural show to one that looks at the supply chain broadly and appeals to a wider audience.”
The Royal Show is still an important showground for the NFU, which uses the show to meet the farmers and represent the farmers’ views. “It is a great opportunity to meet with other parts of the supply chain, such as the supermarkets,” says Hudson, who understands why there may be some hostility towards the presence of large retailers. “Whether we like it or not, the retailers are important. They are the major interface between producers and consumers, without each other they couldn’t survive, and it is good that they are part of the show.”
With the main supermarkets’ stands prominent at this year’s show and every other visitor clutching a Sainsbury’s ‘bag for life’, supermarkets Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer certainly seem like a permanent fixture at the Royal Show, as well as being show sponsors.
For some this is exactly the right direction for the event. Select Lincolnshire, which promotes the quality and range of Lincolnshire produce, has been part of the Royal Show twice, including this year as part of the Lincolnshire Pavilion, and finds that the show provides the right mix of both businesses and consumers. “In Lincolnshire, we grow every kind of vegetable; the produce has been understated in the past and it should be the ace in the pack, but not many people know about its produce. The Royal Show is a great opportunity for us to put that right,” says Lydia Watkins, representative of Select Lincolnshire, which has more than 50 members that are part of the fresh produce industry. “I know a lot of businesses find it difficult to work alongside supermarkets at the Royal Show, but supermarkets are part of our lives.”
Watkins believes that working closely with supermarkets is a positive thing and will bring the agricultural industry closer to the consumer. “Supermarkets have the potential to influence the British public for the better,” she says. “They need to support local initiatives and push it forward to the community. For example, Sainsbury’s ‘Best of British’ promotion is great, but it needs to be more county specific.”
Also within the Lincolnshire Pavilion was Tastes of Lincolnshire, an initiative funded by Lincolnshire county council to encourage people to choose local foods and drinks. Celebrity chef Rachel Green is the face of the campaign and is still a believer in the Royal Show. “Growers need more publicity,” she says. “And the Royal Show is a very good show for food producers to come to. I’ve been cooking with carrots, peas and shallots in the demonstrations and there has been a lot of interest. A good deal of trade people come to the show, and it is an ideal opportunity to network as well as showcase produce.”
A FAMILY AFFAIR FOR WAITROSE WINNER
The Waitrose Small Producers’ Awards 2007 was held at this year’s Royal Agricultural Show. The awards consist of five categories, including the fruit and vegetable category, as well as three further awards that were added this year, which included the Best Young Farmer Producer Award in association with the Farmers’ Guardian.
Bensons Apple Juice Ltd won the fruit and vegetable category this year with its Chilly Billy Ice Pops. Owners of the business, husband-and-wife team Jeremy and Alexia Benson, were at the show to collect the award, along with their young family, pictured.
“The judges loved the innovation of Chilly Billy Ice Pops,” said Graham Cassie, manager of the Waitrose Local and Regional Sourcing Initiative. “All judges agreed they would happily give their children this completely natural product, and all were sure their children would love it too. Bensons Apple Juice has created an outstanding and exciting product.”
ALL ABOARD THE POTATO BUS
The Potato Story, an interactive learning experience that follows the potato from field to fork, was part of this year’s Royal Show. Part of a larger schools programme developed by McCain Foods, The Potato Story is tailored to children from seven to 11 years of age and is fully aligned with the national curriculum.
The Potato Story, which takes place upon the bus, pictured, is explained by a farmer in his field on the upper deck and the cook in the kitchen downstairs. The idea for the bus emerged from research by the British Heart Foundation, which found that one in three children did not know that chips came from potatoes. This scheme forms part of the Year of Food and Farming, and will be visiting schools starting September.
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