Should a Sample of Customers Decide the Fate of Local Food Producing Businesses in the UK?
Should a Sample of Customers Decide the Fate of Local Food Producing Businesses in the UK?
By Iqbal Tamimi
Adam represents the Fair trade Clipper tea selection
Being a supporter of local businesses for ethical and environmental reasons, and a veteran journalist who covered hundreds of promotional campaigns while working in different countries, I felt excited when I was one of the few lucky customers selected and contacted by Morrisons to attend The Nation’s Local Foodmaker’s search event, held in Bristol on 2nd May of this year, wondering if it was an emergency plan set to help local food producing businesses following Brexit.
The Black Bee Honey producers
The event introduced a number of small to medium sized British local food producing businesses who are eager to put a thin slice of their hard work on the market’s plate through a giant chain store. Morrisons held the event at Cleve Rugby Club in Mangotsfield on the outskirts of Bristol. My first impression was a question mark swinging above my head, wondering if the target audience selected are those who have enough money to own a car or can afford a taxi as the location is not as accessible as, say Morrisons Huge stores in Fishponds, served by tens of buses and accessed by people from all backgrounds and is open around the clock.
At the entrance, the invited customers were offered a small printed brochure by Morrisons, to write down their feedback of the products, aiming to consider their take on the taste and quality of the exhibits for selection purposes.
The quality of the products on show were impressive. It was clear that it is not an easy task to compete against the big producers in this sector. The exhibitors were local, mainly family-run businesses who cling to their small wholesome traditional produce while adhering to the most ethical practices of food production and the tough regulations imposed by the government.
Jess’s Ladies, producing milk organically
Fair representation has always attracted my attention in any event, and to what extent such organised events reflect the diversity and inclusivity of the products and the food producers, besides being able to cater for the tastes of the diverse components of the society.
Women’s visible participation was an excellent sign. To mention some of the women managing such businesses; such as Ellen Halpin-Barnett, the Director of Nana Lily’s Christmas cakes and distilleries varieties from Worcester. Gillian Kerton who founded along with her partner Will the Droitwich Salt in Worcestershire, producing a selection of flavored food salts extracted from local spring waters using renewable energy. Jess Vaughan, the manager of her family business, Jess’s Ladies, producing milk organically. But on other diversity calibers, Morrisons failed to reflect balance.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were approximately 64.6 million people living in the UK in mid-2014. Of these, 56.2 million (87.2 percent) were White British. Asian (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, other) ‘groups’ made up 6.8 percent of the population; black groups 3.4 percent; Chinese groups 0.7 percent, Arab groups 0.4 percent and other groups 0.6 percent.
It was quite clear that all the food producers participating in the Morrisons selection event were only white. I haven’t seen among the exhibitors any British food producer from an ethnic or minority background. To be precise, there was only one brown person present in the event and he was not the owner of the business.
Among all the selected customers invited as well, there was one brown woman. The absence of non-white food producers and customers is worrying. Was it difficult for the event organisers to ensure fair representation of both? Are the fates of local businesses in the hands of the organizers and owners of chain stores who control the producers’ success rate through their selection procedures?
The Artful Baker
The event was held a couple of days ahead of Ramadan, the fasting month for Muslims. A well organised event must not underestimate the food and drink consumption amounts of over 4.5 million Muslims in the UK, during a month in which they spend on food and drinks more than any other month of the year, as food and drink-related gatherings reflect Muslim communities’ generosity through the high demand for meals’ invites, gatherings and charity meals project’s, added to that the percentage of Muslim tourists who find the UK their perfect destination.
The Nation’s Local Foodmaker’s search event happened to run while the very first UK Halal B2B Expo Trade Show is getting ready for its launch on 5th December 2019 in London, which will host more than 500 Exhibitors.
When it comes to our environmental concerns, one can’t ignore the effort invested by some participants, such as the Fair trade Clipper tea selection producers from Dorset who came on top. Adam, who represented the company at the fair was enthusiastic about the ethical side of the production in their company, which puts all its efforts to ensure every step made during the production is environmentally friendly. He boasted about their plastic free produce, their biodegradable packaging, non-bleached tea bags and the fact that their teas are none genetically modified. Bradleys Drinks from North Somerset as well were proud to share their selection of Quench drinks made from locally harvested fruits with no preservatives or chemicals added.
The Black Bee Honey producers were excited about the comeback of the British honey bee they named their project after. They expressed the honey bees’ keepers’ need for support similar to that offered to other farming and food producing industries. Their exhibited varieties that are single sourced, unpasteurized and unblended. Their representative at the event was proud of their London Honey variety gathered by London bees.
Chapmans new variety of soft fizzy drinks
Three delicacies tickled my taste buds: The Biscotti Thins by The Artful Baker. Both their sweet and savory biscuits are magnificent choices for those who work long hours and have no time to pack lunches or make sandwiches, and for those who are always ready to entertain people on short notice. Paul Rostand from The Great British Biscotti pointed out that the customers do not have to compromise on the taste to enjoy quality lightweight snacks that keeps longer because of its minimum moisture content. He mentioned that their products were inspired by the ancient Romans whose armies used to make similar dried light weight foods to carry through their long journeys and conquests. My second favorite was the fresh tangy taste of Chapmans new variety of soft fizzy drinks presented in glass bottles. I am 100 percent sure it would have been one of the top choices on Ramadan’s Iftar tables if the event was held at Morrisons stores where the product can get the exposure needed. My third favorite is the Boundless selection of toasted seeds and nuts mixed with a selection of spices. The packaging and the design of their colorful brochures reflected good promotional techniques. The modern attractive artistic packaging inspired by the East, where the spices were produced, are visual magnets.
Has Morrison’s promotional team mis planned the event? From my experience, it would have made more sense if the event was held at one of their huge stores such as their Fishponds’ branch. Such alternative choice of venue would have promoted the local producing companies better and Morrisons would have received the feedback from a more balanced representative sample of their diverse customers.
The food producer’s success was controlled by the organizers of the event; the farmers’ direct exposure to the public has been limited by the choice of location of the venue and by the small sample of customers allowed to write down their feedback on the products. Besides the location choice has increased the environment’s carbon print that day.
The question remains. Is it fair that a small sample of handpicked customers should decide the fate of nearly 30 local businesses? And is it fair to ignore the participation of businesses run by individuals of ethnic groups?
