Double launch of new local food directory

05 April 2012

A new edition of the West Cornwall local food directory will be available from Easter Saturday to help celebrate local food and boost sales for producers across the region.

To promote the directory in style it will take place simultaneously on Easter Saturday, 7 April, at two great events in both Penzance and Helston.

Transition Penwith Food Group will officially launch it at the Penwith Green Fair in St John’s Hall, Penzance. Free copies of the new directory will also be available from Transition Helston at the grand re-opening of the Helston Farmers market.[1][2]

“Do come along and pick up your free copy at one of these great events on Easter Saturday,” said Traci Lewis, group coordinator, “we expect copies to go quickly and after the event we will be distributing the remainder to local businesses.”

The ‘new look’ directory was produced by students from Helston College, teacher Gavin Bloor commented, “Working on the food guide has been a great opportunity for our Yr 12 Btec art and design students to gain invaluable experience of a real life design and print situation. The students worked together as a fantastic team and have produced a very professional set of illustrations, which have been combined into a great looking guide.”

The directory is also now available free online – www.westcornwallfood.org.uk – and is designed as a marketing tool to help local producers better connect with their community and potential customers. Local food producers are encouraged to register on the online directory, which covers the whole of West Cornwall, giving all local producers and businesses the opportunity to market themselves for free.

Food Plymouth coordinator Traci Lewis said: “Transition Helston and Penwith food groups have joined forces to develop this new directory in order to support sales of more local food in West Cornwall. Some wonderful food is produced locally and this directory is a great opportunity to connect producers with new customers. Any producers who didn’t make it into the new printed directory can still register for free on the online site and benefit from being part of this great local food network and marketing tool.”

The initiative is supported by Making Local Food Work, a programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund and led by the Plunkett Foundation, which reconnects people across England with where their food comes from. [3]

Ends

For press enquiries and images please contact
Traci Lewis 07870 268654

Notes to Editors:

[1] Transition Penwith is a local organisation working to support a vibrant, resilient local economy and community. www.transitionpenwith.org

[2] Penwith Green Fair: More than thirty community groups, green businesses and environmental organisations will be taking part in this year’s Penwith Green Fair. The Fair takes place in St John’s Hall, Alverton Street, Penzance on Easter Saturday (7th April) and runs between 10am and 2.30pm.

Now in its 27th year, the event will celebrate a wide range of ideas, crafts, causes and enterprises that are making a positive difference for the people and environment of West Cornwall. Among this year’s exhibitors will be Penwith Organic Gardeners and Growers, West Cornwall Conservation Volunteers, Amnesty International, Cornwall Community Banking and Freegle (the unwanted goods recycling scheme).

[3] Making Local Food Work is a five-year £10m programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund through its Changing Spaces programme and delivered by the Plunkett Foundation. It helps people to take ownership of their food and where it comes from by supporting a range of community food enterprises across England.

Community food enterprises are businesses run by communities for their benefit, which are involved in at least one part of growing, harvesting, processing, distributing, selling or serving local food. Examples include farmers’ markets, community-owned shops, community supported agriculture, country markets, food co-operatives and many others.

Making Local Food Work pools the expertise of seven partner organisations including Co-operativesUK, Campaign to Protect Rural England, Country Markets Ltd, FARMA, the Plunkett Foundation, Soil Association, and Sustain to help communities gain access to good, fresh, local produce, with clear origins. www.makinglocalfoodwork.co.uk