Some of Britain's food and drink pioneers, Sam Bompas, Henry Dimbleby, Cassandra Stavrou and Henry Parr, are helping Elizabeth Truss launch her five-year Great British Food campaign. They will help direct her campaign to promote British produce and shift perceptions through leading trade missions, food festivals and sharing their knowledge.
Truss said “The UK has emerged from a dark age in food where too often taste and quality were ignored. We are now transforming ourselves and taking our place as one of the most exciting food cultures in the world – a unique blend of tradition, innovation and openness. I want to harness the talent of the UK’s food pioneers to banish outdated stereotypes and ensure that British produce is people’s first choice to eat here and abroad. With the help of our pioneers, we can continue to build on the success of our food and drink exports, which have doubled over the past decade, to encourage even more companies to sell Great British produce around the world.”
Early next year will see the launch of the Great British Food Unit, joining together Defra and UK Trade and Investment’s work, including their international network in embassies, to make the government better coordinated and more effective at promoting exports, supporting inward investment and promoting the excellence of British food and drink worldwide. The unit will also be supported by the work of the Food Pioneers.
The Great British Food unit will work to drive-up food and drink exports by helping more UK businesses sell their top quality produce around the world. It will also assist in trebling the number of apprenticeships in the food and drink industry to bring new skills and ideas to ensure the pace of innovation continues to accelerate.
