Three leading voices from the world of food, farming and retail will headline ‘Gather‘, a new one day summit created to inspire and connect the South West’s vibrant food and drink community. Taking place on Wednesday 11th June at The Forum, University of Exeter (9:15am to 4:30pm), the event will bring together producers, retailers, farmers, hospitality businesses, academics and industry experts to explore the future of the sector.
In addition to the three keynote speakers, David Edwards covering sustainability, Toby Buckland discussing provenance and Claire Burnet offering insights into quality, there’ll be 16 practical workshops covering Marketing & Branding, Insight and Innovation, Routes to Market and Fit to Grow.
David Edwards, Deputy Chief Executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), will examine the key challenges and opportunities in UK food and farming and will share how the FFCC is influencing government policy. BBC 2’s Gardeners’ World presenter, Toby Buckland will explore the power of provenance and highlight how communities and businesses can use the special appeal of the West Country to attract wider interest. With Claire Burnet, the co-founder of Dorset’s multi-award-winning premium chocolate brand, Chococo, sharing how her business has succeeded by putting quality at its core.
The landmark one day summit, brought together by passionate stakeholders from Food Drink Devon in collaboration with the University of Exeter and supported by Buddy Creative and Maia Growth, will assemble academics with producers, retailers, hospitality businesses, farmers, suppliers and industry experts from across the South West to explore the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
Tickets cost £59 per person and include access to all sessions, lunch and refreshments and can be purchased from tickettailor.com. Members of Food Drink Devon, the University of Exeter and Exeter Food receive a £10 discount.
For further information about ‘Gather’ visit fooddrinkdevon.co.uk/gather-event.
