The event took place on 20th March in Hertfordshire at Hammonds End Farm, owned by former deputy president of the National Farmers Union (NFU) Stuart Roberts. Love British Food has produced a report detailing the key findings from this meeting.
The key recommendations from the report include:
- To increase farmer understanding of the public sector as a customer and to encourage more farmers to view the public sector as a viable partner.
- A commitment to encourage and maintain progress where it has been made.
- Strengthen commitments to buy British in the new Government Buying Standards.
- Promote a higher level of understanding of the potential opportunities provided by the Crown Commercial Service buying system, the UK’s largest public procurement organisation.
- Encourage food service providers to include a ‘Buy British’ category in product listings.
Alexia Robinson, founder of Love British Food, commented: “In Britain we produce fantastic food. At our landmark meeting with public sector influencers, we gathered invaluable insights that have framed our report.
“Encouraging a Buy British policy within the public sector is not only more sustainable, helping them to meet their targets on net zero, sustainability and social value but it will also give more people access to high quality, locally sourced British food.
“We look forward to continuing to lead engagement within the public sector, with the final ambition of a principle for buyers to look carefully at their supply chains and to make British farmers the first food supplier of choice throughout the entire public sector. We will continue to work with decision makers in the public sector to make the ambitions within this report a reality.”
The discussion between the relevant stakeholders will continue through a new Love British Food podcast launching this month, with the approach detailed within this report framing future efforts.
Love British Food will also continue to lead engagement with two more farm visits already planned for this year and will continue to engage with stakeholders through two industry working groups.
Stuart Roberts, cereal, beef and sheep farmer at Hammonds End Farm, added: “Love British Food has led the way for a long time in promoting British food and farming to the public sector.
"I am looking forward to working with them to share the true societal and environment value of buying British; and lead farmers to understand the commercial opportunity of supplying schools, hospitals and other institutions.”