On 16th October 2024, Poco Culina hosted the Shop Cotswolds networking event for food and drink producers in the Cotswolds and Forest of Dean region.
Food and drink producers gathered to share best practices with their peers and to learn from the guest speakers. Lindsey Holland, owner of Cleeve Hill Hotel, shared her top tips on how to pitch to the hospitality sector.
Claire Dovey from Good Food Cheltenham also spoke on ‘Sourcing Good Ingredients to Work With and Environmental Concepts to Think About.’ Claire says: “In today’s crowded marketplace, consumers want to know where their food has come from, how far it has travelled, and its production methods. There are many ways to source GOOD ingredients, but thinking outside the box can add to your product’s story. Why not collaborate with your local urban community growing scheme like Project Grow in Cheltenham, plan next year’s produce with your local CSA farmer, or source from your community allotment scheme like Poco Culina has this year. Not only does this add to the provenance of where your food is sourced, it adds a community or charitable angle to your whole product.”
The session concluded with both Lindsey and Claire, under the umbrella of the Cheltenham Food Board, recognising the journey of an ingredient from start to end, and what food and drink producers can do locally to ensure ethical values match commercial plans.
Nicola, Shop Cotswolds Co-Founder, says: “It was great to see food and drink producers collaborating and sharing ideas. Many thanks to Lindsey and Claire for their insights, and to Andy at Poco Culina for hosting the event.”
Find out more about Shop Cotswolds at their website.
