“British Food Fortnight provides a fantastic opportunity to grow sales and profits with the support of a nationally recognised event.”
Libra Europe, consultants to the food supply chain industry

• WHAT IS BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT? Running from 19th September to 4th October and now in its eighth year, British Food Fortnight is the biggest national celebration of the diverse and delicious range of food that Britain produces.  This year’s event is the most competitive yet with huge interest from the supermarkets, four of which are expected to run British promotions during the Fortnight.  They join over a thousand independents and 200 medium-sized retailers that regularly take part.


• WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? Organiser of the event, Alexia Robinson, comments: “Despite the credit crunch, British is where the money is.  Historically the independent sector has led the field during British Food Fortnight but this year they have serious competition from the supermarkets.  Interest in the event from the multiples is bigger than ever - four are planning major British promotions during the Fortnight.  Talk about Britain’s Got Talent, this year it is Retail’s Got Talent and the retailer who demonstrates most clearly to the consumer the attractions of buying 100% British will win.”
  
  Commenting on the sales increases he enjoyed last year, Jonathan James, owner of Budgens stores in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, adds: “Get behind British Food Fortnight.  The customers love it and it is a superb platform for media coverage.”  Atul Sodha, owner of Peverells, a Londis store in Middlesex puts it even more strongly: “You’d be crazy not to get involved.”


• WHY SHOULD RETAILERS TAKE PART?  Retail promotions during previous British Food Fortnights have proved that the event has a serious impact on sales:
  
  • Retailers taking part increase sales by up to 34% per store as a direct result of the event – an increase that has been sustained three years running.
  • 25% increase in footfall in participating outlets during the event.
  • Sales of British food increase by up to £2,000 per store during the Fortnight¹.


• HOW CAN RETAILERS TAKE PART?  Retailers are invited to run British food promotions during the event, to offer tastings and promotions to highlight new products, to encourage producers to come into stores to meet customers and to decorate stores with bunting and British Food Fortnight point of sale material.
  
  In addition to the commercial aspects of the promotion, retailers are also invited to work with their local schools during the Fortnight to help teach children about the pleasures and health benefits of eating fresh, seasonal British food.  In the build-up to the event, over 30,000 schools in the UK are being given information on incorporating food and cookery activities into their curriculum teaching and they are being advised to seek help from local retailers to achieve this. Retailers wanting to participate can, for example, host a class visit in their shop, offer to give a talk at assembly on how to make healthy snacks, help set up a fresh food tuck shop in their local school, run a competition for children in-store or donate ingredients for school cookery lessons.


• NEW FOR THIS YEAR:  By popular request from retailers, ‘Love British Food - it’s British Food Fortnight!’ point of sale material: shelf barkers and stickers all downloadable from www.lovebritishfood.co.uk

• WHERE CAN WE GET MORE INFORMATION? All the resources retailers need to take part are on the event’s website www.lovebritishfood.co.uk, a one-stop-shop of advice not just for the Fortnight but on everything retailers need to make British food a commercial success in their stores: advice on sourcing, supplier contacts, sales promotion case studies, advice on promoting your business in the media including regional media contacts and press release templates and what’s in season when charts.  All editions of the event’s publications for retailers are downloadable from the site: ‘Hot Tips for Maximising Sales’; ‘Retail & Catering Case Studies’; and ‘British Food - The Basics’.  Plus: ideas for working with schools, inspiring examples of retailers already doing so and recipe cards for children. 
  
  A guide to taking part in this year’s event is available with an A3 ‘Love British Food!’ poster to display in your shop.  To order your copy email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel: 020 7840 9292 or download from www.lovebritishfood.co.uk.


• WHO IS BEHIND IT? British Food Fortnight is sponsored by Budgens, ARAMARK and the Department of Health’s 5 A DAY Just Eat More (fruit & veg) programme and features the British Food Fortnight ‘Cook for Life’ Challenge sponsored by Kenwood. It is supported by over 60 organisations led by Brakes, Compass Group, Country Markets, National Farmers’ Union, National Trust, Sodexo, Tenant Farmers Association, Young’s pubs and Youth Hostel Association.


• WHERE CAN WE FIND OUT MORE? For information on British Food Fortnight and to order resources, contact Alexia Robinson or Amanda Hitt. T: 020 7840 9292. E: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it W: www.lovebritishfood.co.uk.

¹ Sales figures from promotions run by Budgens and independent stores during British Food Fortnight.