Norfolk County Council organises webinar showcasing food and drink producers in Norfolk and Suffolk
Food and drink producers in Norfolk and Suffolk who have risen to challenges brought about by Covid-19 will share their experiences in a virtual conference this month,
Norfolk County Council is the lead organiser of the webinar, in partnership with Tech East, New Anglia LEP, Norfolk Chambers of Commerce and Local Flavours.
Rise: A Recovery conference for food and drink producers takes place on Wednesday, September 23, from 2pm-4.30pm on Zoom.
The webinar follows on from an earlier online conference for the visitor economy called Tourism and Tech which attracted over 150 participants.
Councillor Graham Plant, deputy leader of Norfolk County Council and cabinet member for growing the economy, is opening the conference.
He said: “This online conference showcases the work of food and drink producers in Norfolk and Suffolk that have thrived over the last few months by taking an innovative, creative approach and harnessing digital technology.
“We are acutely aware that the Coronavirus pandemic has presented many of our local businesses with extraordinary challenges and supporting them to tackle the long-term impact remains one of our key priorities.
"The current case of Banham Poultry is a clear example of how quickly COVID can impact an organisation in this sector. We hope this conference will inspire participants to think differently about their own recovery, to embrace digital technology and be more resilient in the future.”
The speakers will include Matt and Steph Brown of Wild Knight Distillery, in Beachamwell, who assisted the UEA to manufacture hand sanitiser.
They then turned their attention to reinventing their offering focusing more on online channels and offering fast, contact-free delivery at minimal cost to customers. The company has also repackaged its product offer, looked for new routes to market and is working on new product development to make it stronger for the future.
Doug Field, chair of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership said: “I have been pleased to see that many smaller producers have adapted so quickly and are trying different ways of engaging with their audience, including using digital technology.
"The Norfolk and Suffolk Covid 19 Economic Recovery Restart plan sets out the challenge to sustain a local food renaissance through longer term business models. This conference is a fantastic opportunity to bring local businesses together to share ideas and inspiration for a brighter, more resilient future.”
Other speakers taking part in the webinar include Andrew Fearne, Professor Value Chain Management, UEA; Sam Steggles, Fielding Cottage; Doug Field, East of England Co-op Joint Chief Executive, Agri-Food Industry Council chair; Emma Taylor, New Anglia LEP; Tim Robinson, Tech East.
