19th September – 4th October 2020
British Food Fortnight, now in its 19th year and organised by Love British Food, the biggest annual, national celebration of British food and drink, takes place this year between September 19 and October 4 celebrating the very best that is in British!
The food service sector has been at the heart of the promotion since its early years with many of the leading food service organisations taking part resulting in hundreds of chefs in the private and public sectors running special Love British Food menus every year. It is now a proven commercial promotion delivering affordable quality menus that are a hit with the customer.
Love British Food has long been a winner on menus in the private sector with some pubs and restaurants reporting sales increases of 300%. Restaurants, pubs, cafes, hotels, bed and breakfasts, sporting venues and tourism attractions are all invited to take part.
The campaign is led by some of the most renowned and passionate chefs in the food world: Michelin-starred Chef Raymond Blanc, OBE, Michelin-starred Chef Phil Howard, Michelin-Starred Chef Simon Hulstone, TV Presenter and Restaurant Owner Cyrus Todiwala, MBE plus home cook Alex Hollywood, Wellbeing expert Liz Earle are all involved and will be raising awareness and encouraging British chefs to opt for British suppliers.
Love British Food Founder, Alexia Robinson, says: “In these uncertain times there is a real need for a robust supply of quality food at stable, affordable prices. We want to encourage chefs to make British food the first supplier of choice throughout the year. British Food Fortnight is a proven promotion in food service and we are encouraging chefs across the private sector to take part.”
During the 19 years that British Food Fortnight has been running, caterers have continually been able to prove that buying British is affordable, adds value but also ensures they have a unique selling point by being able to list exactly what region or even farm the meat has come from.
- David Mulcahy, Culinary Ambassador Sodexo UK&I said: “We are passionate advocates of using local produce as much as possible, so we are proud to support British Food Fortnight again this year. At Sodexo we reach a number of industries in the public and private sector, and being able to showcase key British ingredients and dishes during British Food Fortnight allows us to demonstrate to our customers the diversity and high quality of the food that’s produced in Great Britain.”
- Top Tips British Food Fortnight 2020
Everyone can get involved in British Food Fortnight – the biggest national promotion of British Food. New customers can be attracted and existing customers can spend more, promotions during British Food Fortnight have had a serious impact on sales with one restaurant increasing sales by 300%.
Many caterers are already sourcing British food so can use British Food Fortnight to promote menus, ingredients and promotions. For those that don’t usually buy British, the fortnight is a good opportunity to source new suppliers, experiment with menus and add a number of British dishes.
- Send your suppliers a copy of the menu and ask them to if they can supply British ingredients.
- Don’t be put off by prices that initially may seem higher. Buying large volumes can make the whole process affordable.
- Promote your involvement in the fortnight by displaying POS material showcasing the British Food Fortnight logo on menus
- As well as British dishes you could also include local dishes from your region.
- Offer tastings of specific British dishes.
- Use British Food Fortnight to see how popular dishes are or produce a special dish going forward that uses locally sourced ingredients.
- Use Love British Food website for resources on how to make the most of British Food Fortnight, including the basic details, template menus and case studies.
- British Food Fortnight national competition will continue to run. Ensure you are is taking part. With judges including Raymond Blanc, Liz Earle and Candice Brown this is a guaranteed route to publicity and it will engage customers.
Examples of involvement over the years:
- Emsworth Food Fortnight – local chefs organised the flagship ‘Seafood Community Lunch’ on the harbour – each year the event sells out within the hour.
- The Ship Pub (Fullers) offered a themed British Food Fortnight menu with emphasis on Winter Game and included a Masterclass on Game for their chefs.
- The Devonshire Pub (Youngs) ran a themed menu for the fortnight with recipes including some classic pub ingredients – pork belly, venison, pheasant – all sourced from local suppliers. The event was well promoted on the website and their client database (2,800 names) were emailed highlighting the event. The pub was decorated with British Food Fortnight posters and Union Jack flags and a Wine & Dine offer ran giving customers the opportunity to order 2 BFF dishes and a bottle of wine for £20.
- Timothy Taylors Brewery organised Beer & Cheese Pairing sessions
- Summer Lodge Hotel launched British Food Fortnight with a full day’s mushroom forage finishing the day with a mushroom meal including many mushroom varieties found during the day.
- The George Hotel, Lichfield ran a themed British Food Fortnight menu emphasising local produce. At the same time, a competition was launched that entered all diners ordering a BFF dish into a draw for a free night stay in the hotel. Plus, the hotel teamed up with local school inviting pupils to assist in the kitchen prior to serving up a banquet to over 70 guests featuring local produce
- Resources for caterers are available for download from www.lovebritishfood.co.uk.
- There is advice not just for the Fortnight but on everything caterers need to make British food a success: advice on sourcing, supplier contacts, case studies and sample regionalised menus. Promotional materials including bunting, posters and shelf barkers can also be downloaded on the website.
