North Pennine Dales Enterprising Food

Love Food, North Pennine Dales

This Teesdale Marketing project is to support and promote the production, use and appreciation of locally grown or reared food in the North Pennine Dales area (from the Allendale area in the north to Barnard Castle in the south and from the Cumbrian border in the west towards the limits of the dales area in the east). It is a three year project which has been awarded £299,600 from the Big Lottery Fund Local Food scheme. The project, which started in February 2010, has also been awarded £50,000 from the North Pennines Leader programme and £39,000 from the Barnard Castle Vision. The project is being delivered by Teesdale Marketing Limited (the Accountable Body), the South Durham Enterprise Agency and the North Pennines A.O.N.B. Partnership. These three organisations are the project's Formal Partners. Teesdale Marketing has responsibility for overall project management. It is a partnership project involving several organisations in the area which are or have been involved with food-related projects and which are willing to share their expertise and knowledge.

The project recognises the importance to;

the local economy
food tourism in the area
the accessibility of affordable local food to our local communities

of having viable businesses producing, selling and using a wide range of quality local produce and products.

The project aims to benefit:

Local farmers and producers
Eating establishments and those who work in this sector (cafes, pubs, restaurants)
Retail outlets selling local produce
Residents and visitors, young and old.

There are five project objectives with each being led by one of the Formal Partners;

To establish new routes to market for local producers (TML)
To encourage environmental best practice in the production and processing of local food, including the take up of nationally accredited schemes (NP AONB P)
To devise and implement an educational and promotional campaign to raise consumer awareness of the merits of local food supply (TML)
To create a virtual food academy (T&WV E Agency)
To develop food tourism in the North Pennine Dales area (TML)

Equipment has been bought to enable the project to be delivered including;

a mobile classroom - an expandable trailer which can be used at a range of venues and events as a closed or open space for cookery demonstrations, training sessions, display of local products, etc
a mobile demonstration kitchen which can be used in the mobile classroom, in school/community halls, at farmers markets, events etc. The kitchen can be transported either in the mobile classroom or in its own trailer which has a drop down side so that it can also be used within the trailer if required.
Kitchen equipment to fit out a production kitchen to help local producers expand from "kitchen table" ventures to commercial unit production. The potential risk and uncertainties of financial outlay necessary for larger scale production can be a huge barrier to producers considering expansion. The test kitchen will be available to local producers on a 3-6 month let. This will enable them to determine whether or not their product can be viably made on a larger scale without the financial risk of first having to fit out a unit themselves.
Refrigeration equipment to allow perishable products to be sold by local producers on a collaborative basis from new outlets at popular tourist spots
Market equipment to improve the operation and appearance of the area's farmers'/local produce markets.
Audio-visual, display and presentation equipment
Small items of cookery and gardening equipment

To aid sustainability and the wider benefits of the project, equipment is available for hire by other like-minded organisations on dates when it is not required for project use.

Project activities include:

specialist business support for farmers and local producers;
identification of product gaps and diversification opportunities;
production test kitchen;
support of farmers markets and promotion of local producers/products at events;
collaborative selling; supporting new local product outlets; food hall;
local food delivery service
food doctor" to help improve the food offer at local eateries;
butchery skills and whole animal" cookery and menus.
an educational and promotional campaign including a project website
the establishment of a virtual food academy;
farm visits;
grow your own, gardening and cookery sessions for children and adults.
encouraging attractions, outlets, eating establishments to use/stock more local products;
meet the producer events and taster sessions;
"field to fork" itineraries, food trails and local menus;

Over the lifetime of the project the minimum outputs and outcomes are:

Food academy website created
30 cookery/gardening sessions held
30 farm visits/field to fork itineraries
Promotion at 7 events
6 food trails developed
450 businesses advised
30 jobs created
37 jobs safeguarded
280 individuals trained

The success of this Teesdale Marketing project depends upon:

close day to day working between the three Formal Partners (Teesdale Marketing, the Teesdale and Wear Valley Enterprise Agency and the North Pennines A.O.N.B. Partnership)
regular communication with, input from, and co-operative working (as appropriate) with the members of the partnership group (includes UTASS, Middleton Plus, Teesdale Conservation Volunteers, the Barnard Castle Vision, the Weardale Visitor Network, the Weardale Community Partnership, the Allen Valleys Community Partnership).
Communication and co-operative working (as appropriate) with individual organisations from a wider consultation group (includes the regional food group, Durham County Council, NEEFM (North East England Farmers' Markets) and the area tourism partnerships)

Project Funders

Map of the Project Area

Click on the map to see a larger version. This map is provided courtesy of North Pennines AONB.

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