Suffolk’s food producers insist the county’s growing reputation for top-quality produce will continue to flourish.
The Adnams Food and Drink Experience and Food Hall, one of the staples of the Suffolk Show, showcased the very best sausages, beers, wines and cheeses produced in the ‘bread basket of England’. Around 70 stalls were in the tent.
Tim Mack, food show consultant at Rendlesham-based Stokes Sauces, said: “Within everything associated with Suffolk, from Ed Sheeran to holiday destinations, good quality food is synonymous with Suffolk. Most of the exhibitors here are from Suffolk, which is nice to see, and I think more people are supporting local food producers, but there is more work to be done.”
Ed Sheen, part owner of Musks Newmarket Sausages, said: “Suffolk is an extremely strong food producing county. We have good farming land and a strong connection with people in the area. People are certainly caring more about the food they eat. There has been a shift towards more premium products over the last five to 10 years, People are more health-conscious. It maybe started with Jamie Oliver’s campaign against Turkey Twizzlers. More people now realise you get what you pay for,”
The food industry employs around 9,000 people in Suffolk, contributing to the food, drink and agriculture industry worth £400 million to the region.
Louise Miller, co-director at The Suffolk Pate Company, based in Stowmarket, said the county’s food producers have “undoubtedly” improved over the last decade.
She said: “There is now a wide range of products, like cheese and vegetables and fruit, and it is all good quality. We play a very important role for Suffolk.
“This is putting money back into the local economy which is helping to improve job security.”
Rhonda Smith, owner of Macaron Bliss, a new business based in Worlingworth, made her Suffolk Show debut. The former school business manager said: “I’ve always enjoyed baking and saw a gap in the market.
“There are lots of up and coming food producers in Suffolk and I hope to benefit from Suffolk’s great reputation.”
Patrick Anderson, of The Cheese and Pie Man, based in Dedham, said of the tent’s redesign: “It allows more people to get about and there is less congestion. I hope they keep it.”
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