The Northwest Food Alliance and Northwest Fantastic Food Partnership have been merged to create one food and drink body for the region. Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has provided funding for the new Food Northwest, which became operational on April 2 2007, with the aim of making it easier for businesses in the sector to know who to contact for advice and business support.
From the beginning of April 2007 the new organisation, Food NW will have overall responsibility for coordinating the delivery of the new Northwest Food and Drink Strategy.
The strategy has been developed by food groups across the region and has a core focus which Food Northwest will now deliver across six priority areas: market development, productivity and skills, healthy eating, the benefits of environmental sustainability, a strategy for sustainable farming and the image of the food and drink industry
Funding from the NWDA, allocated to support the food and drink sector directly, will flow though Food Northwest, and in turn, Food Northwest will contract key partners - including Made in Cheshire, Made in Lancashire, Made in Cumbria, North West Fine Food and the North West Organic Centre - for the delivery of specific activities.
The restructuring will reduce the confusion and the number of support products available to businesses in the region, bringing the sector in line with the government standing regarding the simplification of business support services across the UK.
The development of the sector is one of the key transformational activities in the 2006 Northwest Regional Economic Strategy (RES). The new Northwest Food and Drink Strategy defines the priorities for the sector for 2006-2011 and recognises the changes which are currently taking place in the ways that food and drink are consumed in the UK and the many business opportunities that these changes produce.
