Do you dream of going on a Safari?
We can make your retail dreams come true! Plus: award season secrets, finding the right people for your business, and foodie friendships that fill your cup (and your plate).

⏪ 8 Weeks Since “GATHER” – and the Buzz is Still Alive
Can you believe it’s been 8 weeks since our very first GATHER – the Food & Drink Summit for our thriving South West community?
What a day! Packed with insight, inspiration, and intelligent conversation from so many brilliant people running great food and drink businesses across the region.

From your feedback, we know many of you want bite-sized follow-up sessions to keep that momentum going. Well… we’ve got some juicy ones lined up:

🦓 RETAIL GROWTH SAFARI
Forget binoculars – grab your shopper’s eye instead!
We’re heading out into the wilds of Exeter retail to see what’s working right now – from store layouts to clever product displays – and chat with store managers and shoppers to get real, actionable insight for your business.🚨 Places are limited and going fast.Book your Safari spot now

🎯 ATTRACTING THE RIGHT TALENT
Finding good people is tough – keeping them is tougher.
Join us at the "Mmmake Your Mark" event (27 Aug) with the Devon Food Partnership & IGD to learn recruitment strategies, upskilling tips, and how to make your business the place where people want to work.
Reserve your place here

🏆 AWARD SEASON – Are You Ready?
From the Great Taste Awards to The Grocer New Product & Packaging Awards, now is the perfect time to decide which awards will lift your brand to the next level.
We’ve been talking with Claire Mortimer from Fabulous Farm Shops (and visiting some inspiring finalists like East Street Deli) about what it really takes to be award-ready.
Stay tuned for an upcoming session to help you make the most of every award, trade show, and retail opportunity.

🥂 FRIENDLY FOODIES
Sometimes the best ideas come over a drink and a laugh.
No agenda. No PowerPoint. Just a relaxed, after-work catch-up with fellow food lovers to swap stories, advice, and a little encouragement.
Next meet-up is in September – come and chew the fat (literally and figuratively!).
Join the Friendly Foodies

📅 WHAT’S ON IN AUG & SEPT
The West Country is bursting with flavour these next two months! From chilli festivals to seafood celebrations, here are some highlights:

AUGUST🌶 Great Dorset Chilli Festival – Aug 2–3, Dorset🎶 Keynsham Beer & Cider Festival – Aug 24, Bristol🥓 Blaisdon Sausage, Cider & Plum Festival – Aug 24, Gloucestershire🍷 EatCalne Food Festival – Aug 30, Wiltshire🌳 The Oak Fair – Aug Bank Holiday, Dorset
…and much more!

SEPTEMBER🐟 Dorset Seafood Festival – Sept 10–11, Weymouth🍻 24th Wedmore Real Ale Festival – Sept 12, Somerset🌱 LHG Vegan Fest – Sept 13, Bristol🧀 Cider & Cheese Festival – Sept 27, Wells🍴 The Great Bath Feast – Sept 24–26, Bath

Full details & links below – but check with organisers before you travel.

💌 Final word: Whether you’re scouting the aisles on our Retail Safari, plotting your award-winning entry, or just having a natter with Friendly Foodies, we’re here to help you keep growing, connecting, and thriving.

Last month we went to visit Woody’s Legend Dairy where Lucy & Robert Noad are the fourth generation to farm at Woodhouse Farm in Semington, Wiltshire.

We went to see for ourselves how, with help from First Milk, they are transforming the way that they do business.

Impact Reporting

The Next Generation of Farming and Food – is sustainability enough, or is it time to really embrace regenerative agriculture?

We hear the word “sustainability” used in various senses on quite a few occasions these days, often linked to the Planet, although it means different things to different people. Sustainability is not just about climate change but refers to keeping any activity going forward – activities using up their resources or exhausting their foundations are not sustainable and activities that make things worse are degenerative. So sustainability is often mis-used, and ultimately it is probably not enough of an answer to our challenges in farming and food because we need to look beyond merely sustaining what we have.

Sustainability is no longer enough to help solve the world’s problems

Regenerative agriculture has yet to be given a common and definitive (legal) definition which is often tricky to try to establish, yet it could be a way to bring together learnings and outcomes to help steer the next generation of farmers by enabling them to think longer term and how they can begin to really have a positive impact in the face of the challenges many face today.

Are you a progressive food and drink business?

What does it mean to be thought provoking in food and drink in this decade?

It’s quite a statement for any business to say they are “progressive”, so what exactly does that signify in today's competitive world?

For many, it indicates that you might be an organisation who pushes to be ecologically sustainable, future respecting, and proactively social in approach - really considering all the citizens in and around your enterprise. And building this into values to ensure the culture is where everyone wants it to be.

But it’s essential that you are not only thinking about it, but you are demonstrating it with genuine intention, as it’s become core to your strategy and ways of working. This is key if you are to make strides forward, you will need to prove it.

strawberries are not just for Wimbledon - they’re for Christmas too! (and they’re not even berries)

No Lo drinks offer a low alcohol alternative to standard strength alcoholic drinks providing drinkers with a choice that they can enjoy on occasions when alcohol is the norm.

The importance of being optimistic was a common theme for speakers and guests at last week's first annual conference on The Future of Food & Drink in the South West - and alongside the people in and around an organisation these was seen as the biggest opportunities for growth in 2024 and beyond.