Produced in Northumberland scheme hits a century
10 Sep 2019 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
A scheme to promote food and drink produced entirely in the county is celebrating its 100th business member - Grannies Tearoom and Delicatessen, of Narrowgate, Alnwick.
Grannies is a strong advocate for the local food movement and offers a range of local produce within the deli, shop and tearoom. The business showcases a wealth of Produced In Northumberland members and products, including; Kitty’s Ginger wine, Northumbrian Bakehouse, The Nut Roaster, The Northumberland Cheese Company, Doddington Cheese, Proof of the Pudding, Lindisfarne Ltd, Heatherslaw Mill, Northern Edge coffee and many more.
Owner Martina Potter said: “We are very excited to be a part of the scheme, it provides excellent opportunities for promotional advertising. It’s great that, through social media and the Produced in Northumberland network, so many people will be able to see us.”
Produced in Northumberland (PiN) is a business initiative developed and delivered by the County Council’s Housing and Public Protection Service in partnership with Tourism Development and local food and drink businesses throughout the county.
Launched in February 2015 this verification scheme guarantees the provenance of local food and drink products and has successfully contributed to the economic impact of Northumberland.
Councillor Cath Homer, Cabinet Member for Culture, Arts, Leisure and Tourism added: “The true value of the region’s fantastic produce cannot be underestimated. The Produced in Northumberland scheme gives businesses a real platform to push their products and get the recognition they truly deserve.”
The economic impact of food tourism in the county is worth almost £302m (2018) an increase of 8.1% compared to £290.38m (2017) and accounts for 36% of all tourism expenditure and 31% of all tourism employment.
Alnwick County Councillors Gordon Castle and Robbie Moore added: “It’s great to see our Produced in Northumberland scheme going from strength to strength, with more and more local businesses coming on board, promoting the amazing food and drink available in the county.
“We’re delighted our 100th producer comes from Alnwick and are looking forward to many more producers coming on board in the future.”
Producers who wish to be part of the scheme are inspected by Trading Standards and Environmental Health Officers who verify that the food and drink sold are made in Northumberland.
PiN covers a range of businesses and the inspection process includes other matters as required; Audits are carried out on butchers premises as to ascertain and verify the origin of the meat and game. B&Bs and other hospitality businesses must demonstrate that a given quantity of food advertised on their menu is also produced in the county, while retailers must also ensure a proportion of food and drink sold is produced in Northumberland.
Once accepted as part of the scheme, businesses can then display their official Produced in Northumberland certificate on their premises, use the logo on labels, websites and literature and will also feature on the www.producedinnorthumberland.co.uk website.
Officers will be promoting the scheme along with Produced in Northumberland members at a number of the county's up and coming food festivals, including the Alnwick Food Festival (Sep 21-22) and Morpeth Food & Drink Festival (Oct 5-6).