Suffolk has an important
agriculture and food processing sector. Suffolk also has a
very strong reputation and tradition for quality local food which
amongst other things supports the £1 billion per year tourism
sector. However, these industries are under constant pressure
from falling prices and increasing global competition. The County
Council has therefore agreed that, in line with Suffolk’s Greenest
County aspirations, funding from the Local Authority Business
Growth Incentive (LABGI) scheme should be used to support this
sector.
A research report was jointly commissioned with the Suffolk
Development Agency to investigate whether the concept of a local
food hub would:
- be of significant benefit to both the markets it could
serve (e.g. local shops, hotels, restaurants and caterers,
hospitals, schools, wholesalers and possibly North London) and the
local producers;
- reduce the number of ‘food miles’ by bringing together
the collection and distribution of local produce;
- be an attractive proposition to potential users by facilitating
access to local food, provide a single delivery service for
multiple products and reduce overheads by administering single
invoices and to potential suppliers by creating and strengthening
routes to market;
- be sustainable, independent and commercially viable.
The research has demonstrated that there is a high level of
interest in the concept of a local food hub from both producers and
potential customers and that the emphasis of the ‘hub’ should be
local food for the local market. It is believed that a ‘hub’
will reduce the number of food miles, will support the Suffolk
‘food’ economy and improve the quality and freshness of food
available to consumers.
The next stage is to progress to a detailed business plan for
the establishment of a local food hub which will formalise the
costings, processes, resources and location.