Connections were made and ideas and information exchanged at a very successful Coventry and Warwickshire Food and Drink Showcase at Warwick Racecourse.

The event was arranged by the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (Destination Coventry, Shakespeare’s England and Warwickshire County Council) to support the region’s hospitality sector.

 

Food & Drink is an integral driver of the Coventry and Warwickshire region’s economy. Each year, the region receives around 26 million visitors, the total spend of which equates to £2.1billion. Around £650million is spent locally on food and drink by visitors annually and that doesn’t include the day-to-day spend of just under a million local residents.  

 

Coventry and Warwickshire Food and Drink Showcase, chaired by Aaron Corsi (Warwickshire County Council’s Service Manager Place Projects and Partnerships), gave producers and suppliers a chance to exhibit and gather advice. There were also demos as well as a very interesting panel discussion.

 

The panel members were Mark Farr (Purple Planet Packaging) who spoke about sustainability; Dan Bentley (Cobbs Farm Shop) who considered a buyer’s perspective and tips for small producers; Laura Delahunty (Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub) who spoke about the big issues and problems affecting the sector; and Steve Ogden (Ansty Hall) on changing business models.

 

The creatively-organised, hybrid event was held on the day of the first race meeting at the season at the historic venue which has hosted racing since 1707 when the racecourse opened to attract people back to the town following the disastrous Great Fire of Warwick in 1694. The day consisted of a morning exclusively for buyers before opening up to the racegoing public in the afternoon when the racing began. The double emphasis gave exhibitors the chance to do trade deals with the hospitality industry and then selling to the public during the afternoon.

 

Councillor Martin Watson, Portfolio Holder for Economy at Warwickshire County Council, said: “As a region we have an excellent range of suppliers of food and drink, and as employers and part of our visitor offer, they are vital towards our economic growth.

"Coventry and Warwickshire Food and Drink Showcase was a vibrant event, imaginatively hosted by the Local Visitor Economy Partnership and hopefully yielded many productive connections for its exhibitors and visitors.”

 

The Coventry and Warwickshire Food and Drink Showcase has broadened the partnership with the local visitor economy and galvanised the Warwickshire offer in this key sector, as previously showcased at The Farm and Deli show earlier in 2024.

 

Warwickshire food and drink producers meet regularly to share and discuss issues, solutions and opportunities. Joining the

Coventry and Warwickshire’s Food and Drink Producers Network enables you to seek and offer industry specific support and collaborate with other producers. Sector specific news and opportunities are also emailed to those in the network.

The next round of meetings is planned to take place on:

Meetings run from 9.30am for a 10am start and places are limited, so booking is essential. Please email tourism@warwickshire.gov.uk if you would like to get involved.