Our food campaign is a Taste of what’s to come

Jan 31 2009 The Journal

IT’S exactly a year since The Journal first urged people to think local for the sake of their health – and the region’s economy.

The aim of the Taste North East England campaign was – and still is – simple: to get everyone from consumers to retailers, restaurateurs and hoteliers to boost the market for the North East’s home produced food and drink.

Under the banner ‘buy local, use local, eat local,’ the campaign has been a resounding success. Around 34,000 people last year flocked to three one-day Taste food and drink festivals, hundreds more have added their name to a special charter pledging to put local at the top of their menu, and scores of producers have benefited as the campaign joined forces with the Made in Northumberland project and ‘went on the road’ to show the region’s chefs and restaurateurs just how bountiful England’s border county is.

The Journal has helped put local food and drink at the top of the news agenda - and farm shops, artisan producers and consumers have all reaped the benefits.

Stephen Wanless of Northumbrian Gifts – which packages and sells the finest produce from the counties that once formed the ancient kingdom of Northumbria – credits the Taste campaign with significantly boosting his overall business.

"We did treble in December compared to the 12 months previously," he states. "I don’t think there is any question that for us – and I’m sure many other businesses - The Journal’s Taste campaign has worked."

But as consumers tighten their financial belts in response to the recession, the buy local, use local, eat local message will take on a new importance this year.

It is imperative that we learn to be ‘good neighbours’ and support each other in what is predicted to be the worst credit crisis in living memory. Which is why it is only right that to Taste message that has already whetted the public’s appetite should now be rolled out to include all sectors.

Think North East First is The Journal’s new recession-busting campaign aiming to boost the whole regional economy.

It is about harnessing collective consumer power to support not only farmers, artisan producers and restaurants, but manufacturing, trade, tourism and other local services.

The Taste campaign will continue apace in its own right. But Think First is about all of us doing our bit across the board to ensure the North East emerges from the recession fitter and stronger than ever before.

The Journal editor Brian Aitken said: "Produce grown, reared or made in the North East is second to none. Launching Taste 12 months ago and supporting our artisan producers, farmers, fishermen and restaurateurs made absolute economic sense.

"We can be proud that we have introduced a new and wider audience to the benefits of local food, and in so doing given a much needed boost to producers and growers.

"Now it is time to do our bit to support local traders in the North East in other ways.

"We have successfully raised the profile of local food and drink, now it is time to show our pride in the other high-quality goods and services produced in this region."