Top chefs help Britain to become Great Food Nation
Top chefs including Raymond Blanc and Ken Hom will join forces with others in the industry to help the environment secretary Elizabeth Truss launch the five-year campaign, which aims to promote British food at home and abroad.
As part of the campaign, there are also plans to increase the number of Protected Food Names from 64 to 200.
Truss said: “The UK has emerged from a dark age in food where too often taste and quality were ignored. We are now transforming ourselves and taking our place as one of the most exciting food cultures in the world – a unique blend of tradition, innovation and openness.
‘Harness the talent’
“I want to harness the talent of the UK’s food pioneers to banish outdated stereotypes and ensure that British produce is people’s first choice to eat here and abroad.
“With the help of our pioneers, we can continue to build on the success of our food and drink exports, which have doubled over the past decade, to encourage even more companies to sell Great British produce around the world.”
During the campaign the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will also release information to highlight how the British diet has evolved over the past 40 years.
Spaghetti hoops out of favour
This data will include a breakdown of every Food Survey carried out since 1974, showing how spaghetti hoops have fallen out of favour, how fresh fruit has toppled tinned and how Britain’s appetite for butter has been revived.
The number of apprenticeships in the UK’s food and drink industry would also be trebled as part of the scheme, if successful, in a bid to boost skills and ideas and ensure the pace of innovation in the sector continues.
Truss is set to outline her plans today (3 November) at Borough Market, the managing director of which said: “Borough Market has been at the forefront of the British food revolution and is home to the highest quality food - food that is made or sourced with pride.
“Through our pioneering traders and their wealth of artisan skills and expertise, Borough Market is a place where people come to be inspired and learn about food and sustainability.”
