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As we all know, the coronavirus outbreak has changed our eating habits and has made us think twice about what we’re consuming.

In the UK, half of adults say that the coronavirus outbreak has made it more important to them to buy British produce. So, what is local food? For most people it means food grown or produced relatively close to where they live, such as within 20 miles, or in a county or region. Local councils have different expectations and regulations for local food that are set by the planning department (BBC News).

There are many benefits of eating local produce:

  • It’s good for the environment. Local food doesn’t have to travel as far to arrive on your plate, so it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to improving our carbon footprint as well as cutting out third party transportation. Additionally, it benefits the local economy, supporting local farmers and producers ensuring money is put back into the regional economy.
  • Importantly, the food tastes better! When purchasing produce at a farmer’s market, most local produce has been picked within the last 24 hours, ensuring it is ripe and at its peak nutrient-density. This also means the food is extremely fresh.
  • Locally sourced produce means food is only eaten when seasonal. Continuously we are seeing an increase in seasonal, local produce within supermarket in their urge to backing British farming.

How can we increase our consumption of local produce?pexels-daria-shevtsova-1508666

Find your local farmer’s market! Markets and farm shops are growing year on year so we can guarantee there is one near you! It’s a great place to support local producers, as well as purchasing delicious food items grown in your community!

Supermarkets are increasing their local offering. We have seen supermarkets such as Morrisons who have  introduced their Nation’s Local Foodmakers programme which searches for local food and drink makers. Supplying direct to their nearest store, or to stores across their region, working with suppliers.

We expect to see this continue to grow and see locality as a food trend for 2022. To help you keep up-to-date with food trends, get in contact with our marketing team who are currently booking in Christmas reviews for 2022.

For media enquiries, please email: mary.niven@dalziel.co.uk