Experiment with local food during British Food Fortnight

The campaign, which runs from September 20 to October 5, aims to highlight the abundance of great, seasonal British food available, and will be widely promoted through an extensive media campaign.

Participating businesses in the past have seen a 34 per cent rise in sales during the fortnight as customers’ increased awareness of local produce has driven its demand.

Businesses should use the reputation of British Food Fortnight to experiment with putting new local dishes on their menus, and potentially launch their new status as a restaurant or pub that supports national provenance.

“Chefs are very aware that local produce is fresher, tastes better and has much stronger menu appeal than unidentified produce from overseas,” said BHA Chairman Bob Cotton. “Customers recognise this too, so will be tempted to choose those dishes that have good, local ingredients.

“The menu is the means by which restaurants merchandise their dishes, so if they can claim local provenance in much of what they offer, the more dishes they will sell - so it`s good for the customer and it`s good for the restaurant.”

The organisers suggest that chefs aim to put just five simple dishes such as British Soup of the Day, and Bangers and Mash on the menus, as the ingredients are available to all corners of the country. They should also use the opportunity to find out about the various suppliers in their area.

View the feature Local food could save businesses and the economy​ for some handy local sourcing hints and more information on how it can be beneficial to businesses.