Animal welfare matters to British consumers. Top among our concerns over food are whether animals have been reared well and killed humanely.

Being sourced in Britain and additive-free were the next in ranking, according to research by Mintel. This bodes well for local foods, raised to high British welfare standards, and suggests welfare can be used as a key message for sales. (Posted: 20 May 2010)

Just Ask is the CLA’s major consumer campaign to encourage people to Just Ask where the food on their plate comes from.

Just Ask is the CLA’s major consumer campaign to encourage people to Just Ask where the food on their plate comes from.

Just Ask the key questions about restaurant food:

• Where does it come from?
• How local is it?

Food and the provenance of local food is in vogue in the political world.

Help to encourage food outlets including restaurants, pubs, and hotels to source locally produced seasonal food by being part of the Just Ask campaign.

News

Crack a bottle of English wine to celebrate

English wine production more than doubled last year, according to trade body English Wine Producers.

It jumped from 1.34 million bottles in 2008 to 3.17 million in 2009.

The growing popularity of English wines benefits our CLA winemakers, including Sharpham Vineyard in Totnes, south Devon. (Posted: 4 May 2010)

Going for Gold

"Gold from the Wold" is an extra-virgin cold-pressed rapeseed oil, sold through farmers' markets, local shops and restaurants by its producers, CLA members Paul and Anna Jackson, who live in the Yorkshire Wolds.

They are the latest in the Yorkshire area to sign up to the Just Ask initiative. The Jacksons, of Carnaby, near Bridlington, established their pressing and bottling plant three years ago, and now sell 30,000 bottles of the oil a year.

A natural source of omega 3, 6 and 9, it has proved popular both for its health benefits and because of a growing understanding of the need to reduce food miles.

This year the Jacksons plan to produce 50,000 bottles for more than 100 outlets of their product. (Posted: 18 March 2009.)

Big spud savings add up to local good sense

An independent study has found that staple items such as potatoes and eggs are cheaper in Yorkshire farmshops than in supermarkets.

Baking potatoes cost on average 24 percent less, eggs 16 percent and meat and dairy 12 percent, according to research compiled over three months for the Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber.

It compared items over the period from 20 farmshops and supermarkets in the region.

The findings underline the important message that buying locally makes economic as well as environmental sense. (Posted: 18 March 2009.)

Forcing Yorkshire rhubarb into the spotlight

Growers of rhubarb, including CLA member Janet Oldroyd, in the "rhubarb triangle", a 30 square mile area between Bradford, Wakefield and Leeds, have had their application for Protected Designation of Origin Status (PDO) passed by Defra and are now awaiting the stamp of approval from Brussels.

Rhubarb is coming back into fashion in the kitchen, and has been receiving a lot of attention in the press.

The Just Ask Campaign urges local producers to apply for PDO status to help promote British food.