Midland shoppers home in on local produce

Jun 22 2009 by Richard McComb, Birmingham Post

Demand for locally produced food is booming among shoppers in the West Midlands, according to a new survey.

Consumers want to see more local produce in supermarkets and an extension of popular farmers’ markets, research by Heart of England Fine Foods (HEFF) has found.

HEFF, the regional food group that supports producers, growers and processors of speciality food and drink, will play a prominent role at next month’s Taste of Birmingham festival in Cannon Hill Park.

The event, run by Marketing Birmingham, attracts the crowds with a line-up of top restaurants but it will also showcase some of the best of the region’s small, independent producers.

The timing could not be better, with HEFF suggesting consumers’ hunger for local food is greater than ever. Its survey found that 30 per cent of shoppers would like to see more locally produced foods available in supermarkets and almost half of those questioned (47 per cent) said they would buy more local produce if there was wider availability.

Despite the credit crunch, 27 per cent of shoppers said they had bought local food, which is often perceived, producers would say wrongly, as having a premium price. In fact, the recession appears to have strengthened support for local farmers, producers and local jobs.

According to the survey, public backing for farmers and local producers has risen to 44 per cent – up from 29 per cent in 2006 – and a fifth of respondents said they wanted to see more farmers’ markets and farm shops. One of the key motivations for buying local food was a desire to support the local economy.

One company benefiting from the groundswell of support for local producers is Warwickshire-based Purity Brewing Company, which is defying the odds with a period of steady growth.

Purity, which produces a range of ales, some of which will be on offer at Taste of Birmingham, has expanded into a further 60 pubs this year alone, bringing the number of pubs in the UK where its award-winning beers can be bought to 350. The majority of the outlets are in the West Midlands, including Birmingham pubs and bars such as The Lord Clifden in Hockley and The Wellington in Bennetts Hill.

Paul Halsey, managing director at Purity Brewing Company, said the business, in Alcester, Warwickshire, was performing well despite the tough economic climate.

He said: “We’re a local brewery, which serves our local region, as well as national customers. People want to eat and drink quality products, which is why more and more people are choosing locally produced goods. It also keeps money within a region as buying local produce means supporting the local economy.”