One year on from the rescue and relaunch of Taste of the West as a Community Interest Company (CIC), its founding directors have presented their vision for the future of the food group, alongside a much-extended range of member benefits for food and drink businesses across the South West.
Harnessing the collective experience of the five food and drink sector leaders who are now driving the organisation forward, as well as support from founding organisations including Yeo Valley Organic and Wyke Farms – Taste of the West CIC is aiming to reboot the concept of the regional food group. Guided by a fundamental commitment to help Support, Celebrate and Grow its members across hospitality, producers and retail, a new set of tiered membership levels will provide the practical support and guidance needed to take food and drink businesses to the next level.
Recognising the huge potential for a regional food group to strengthen the sector while unlocking the economic value of an area so central to the South West’s cultural identity, Taste of the West has established three new levels of membership; Connect, Transform and Accelerate. Taking members from foundation level benefits right through to a range of comprehensive support services, these membership tiers can provide a structured path for businesses to develop steadily and ultimately thrive in the modern commercial, societal and political landscape.
While Connect membership provides essential benefits to help keep businesses visible and supported, as well as discounts on additional services and two free entries into the Taste of the West Awards, the Transform and Accelerate packages offer something entirely new to the sector. Transform membership includes access to Taste of the West’s online Training Portal, the opportunity to track and report environmental performance via new Sustainability Software, assured regulatory advice through Primary Authority Access, and access to a Food Safety Helpline staffed by qualified professionals. On the Accelerate level, members can benefit from tailored support and advice via the new Mentor+ scheme, with mentors personally matched to each business.
Having also preserved the hugely popular and widely recognised Taste of the West Awards, the organisation has now built a framework to help award winners build upon their hard-earned success.
Charles Baughan, Spokesperson and Sustainability Lead for Taste of the West, and Owner of Westaway Sausages, commented: “The South West food and drink sector is a multi-billion-pound industry, significant job creator and cornerstone of the local economy, so it’s of benefit to everyone across the region to help it thrive. Taste of the West CIC is now run by industry experts who are volunteers and who thrive on ambition and innovation, rather than government funding, meaning we have the local expertise and knowledge to make sure support reaches the right people, increases productivity and creates more well paid jobs. Having spent a year developing membership benefits for a new kind of food group, we believe Taste of the West can deliver real economic and cultural impact across the region.”
More information on Membership, Awards and finding the best in food and drink across the South West can be found at www.tasteofthewest.co.uk.
