Heart of England fine foods (HEFF) has appointed a new marketing executive with responsibility for Staffordshire.

Georgina Pickford, based in Leek, Staffordshire, joined the regional food group in January 2007 and is already leading on a project to have local food and drink delivered to the consumer’s door by partnering selected dairies across the West Midlands region.

Pickford has worked in the industry since graduating from Newcastle-upon-Tyne University with a BSc in Food Marketing in 2002 and, like all HEFF marketing executives, will work at ground level with local producers, growers and processors, helping to develop new business links with the retail, hospitality and food service sectors through a range of marketing activities, targeted PR and trade events.

She said: “I am very keen to work directly with specialist food and drink producers and do what I can to market their products to a wide cross-section of buyers. Through our links with other local support bodies I can also provide practical advice on building up a business and HEFF welcomes enquiries from county-based producers looking for this type of assistance.

“In addition to the job description, the varied and active work lifestyle offered by HEFF is tremendously appealing and I’m already really enjoying the challenges presented by getting a brand new sales initiative off the ground.”

Pickford can be contacted on 01538 399591 or by email at georgina.pickford@heff.co.uk.