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Why not join the BBO Food Groups?
Consumers, 'foodies' and individual supporters of our activities and of
local food in general can take up the Food Forum package.
Local producers and outlets joining the BBO Food Groups will receive
help with promoting and growing their business through a range of
membership benefits. As a business, you are invited to choose from three
different types of membership – Associate, Full and Patron.
Thames Valley Farmers’ Market Co-operative members are offered
special membership rates.
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BBO Food Directory
This is an annual publication, printed in full colour, A5 format, with
listings of all BBO Food Groups members, editorial features and
advertisements for local food sector businesses.
The 2005 Directory has a 50,000 print run and is distributed throughout
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire via local shops,
libraries, local authorities’ offices, tourism information centres and
Farmers’ Markets as well as at various local events.
In a survey during 2004, the Food Directory was voted the most prominent and
successful service that BBO Food Groups offers to members.
Members Intranet
BBO Food Groups new website covers the entire BBO area and replaces the
individual county food group websites. The website has a powerful search
engine that enables consumers as well as members to search products and
services that they need.
The password-protected Members section enables Associate and Full Members as
well as Patrons to update their information when they want to. The News and
Events section includes information about activities and events organised by
BBO Food Groups members.
In future the website will become an on-line mechanism for consultation,
sharing of best practice, knowledge transfer and discussion of key issues.
Promotional databases
BBO Food Group members are also included in other on-line promotional
databases, such as
www.buylocalfood.co.uk,
www.visitbritain.co.uk and
www.regionalfoodanddrink.co.uk
E-mail bulletins and updates
Monthly e-mail bulletins and updates on our projects and future events
provide useful information, which may be out of date if we wait until the
next quarterly newsletter. E-mail bulletins are ideal for BBO Food Groups
members to publicise their activities; and organisations seeking local
producers to sell or display at their local events.
SEFGP E-Bulletins
The South East Food Group Partnership produces e-Bulletins with news and
details about future events from all the food groups in the South East
(Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex, and BBO). The Food Groups
meet quarterly at SEFGP to discuss new programmes and common issues. One
example of SEFGP activity is the organisation of the stand at the Speciality
and Fine Food Fair (London Olympia).
BBO Food Groups Newsletters
Our quarterly newsletters contain extensive information on BBO Food Groups
projects, events, training, articles about new members and reviews of
completed activities.
We will continue to put our Newsletter on the website, and printed versions
are usually mailed out with other useful information; e.g. the RBAT
Directory of Training Providers, Food From Britain Guide to local sourcing,
local studies and our own questionnaires and forms.
Printed newsletters will be mailed to Affiliate, Full and Corporate Members.
Associate Members will be invited to download the Newsletter from the
website.
PR Support
Public relations, including press releases, follow-up and clipping services,
access to media database. BBO Food Groups has access to the Oxford Brookes
University Press Office which is able to mail out press releases to local,
specialist and national media.
They also collect all clippings and let us have copies, which in turn can be
sent to our members. BBO Food Group members can send their press releases,
with instructions for distribution, to the Food Groups office. Check out the
News section on our website for the latest press releases.
Training Courses
BBO Food Groups offer support for training courses:
1. SEFGP courses e.g. Butchery courses in summer 2004, EFSIS workshops in
October 2004. These are publicised through e-Bulletins and in our
Newsletters. Full Members can receive up to 75% subsidies.
2. BBO Training events are organised to focus on specific topics that at
least 10 members have expressed an interest in. For example, in November
2004 our members attended “Advertising on a Low Budget” a one-day workshop
developed by the trainer and Food Groups co-ordinator to meet producers’
needs. SEEDA sponsored 75% of the course costs, producers paid for their
refreshments and information packs. Other topics suggested by members are
“Selling in Supermarkets” and “Improving Farm Shops”. Anyone can suggest
topics for BBO Food Groups courses. We will find the trainers, and if there
are no similar courses in the area we will apply for support from SEEDA and
encourage more members to attend.
3. RBAT and other training providers e.g. local colleges, offer courses
which are suitable for people working in the local food sector e.g. Food
Hygiene. BBO Food Groups Full members can receive financial support for
training where the courses contribute to the quality improvements of
products. Check the Training Directory for information about courses.
Download the Training Application Form from the events
section.
Participation in local, regional and national trade and consumer events. BBO
Food Groups is able to negotiate discounted or free stands at county shows
and similar events. In some cases the Food Groups organise a local food
marquee in which members are invited to have subsidised stalls or plinths
within our stalls.
For example, at the British Cheese Festival in 2004, non-cheese producers
benefited from 75% subsidies for their stalls. Instead of paying £280, they
only paid £100 for three days at this popular national festival.
At the Speciality and Fine Food Fair in London Olympia the rates were
inaccessible for the majority of our small producers, however the one-day
plinths (for £65) within the BBO Food Groups stand proved to be very good
value for money.
Producer Portfolios
BBO Food Groups is proud to have a growing list of local producers who find
that the Producer Portfolios provide a successful and effective way to
market their produce to the trade.
Producers pay 50% of the costs of their inserts and receive 1,500 copies for
their own use. BBO Food Groups retains 500 copies to be used in folders for
caterers, retailers and others in the trade sector.
Trade Development activities
In addition to the activities outlined above, BBO Food Groups organise
activities such as Meet the Buyer events. “Selling in Waitrose” is one of
our projects to support local producers and increase their market
opportunities. Local products will be sold with special “Locally Produced”
labels, and producers can display their own brand too.
Waitrose supermarkets based in Bracknell, Berkshire is open to local
suppliers from the three counties as long as they are members of the BBO
Food Groups and meet the rigorous criteria. We can help producers who are
interested by preparing impressive portfolios and presentations for the
introduction day.
Promotion and support in selling to the catering sector, schools, tourism
sector and local retailers. BBO Food Groups is currently working with
Tourism Better Business on the Big Breakfast Project, and Oxford Brookes
University’s Local Food in Schools project and other organisations to
promote local food into private and public sector catering.
In every project we create specific directories to be used by the sector and
promote those of our members who are interested.
General promotion
BBO Food Groups attends at least 20 events a year with displays and
literature to be handed out to the general public or specialist trade
audiences. Members can send their promotional flyers and information sheets
to us and we will do the rest!
Networking
BBO Food Group members rate “networking” as one of the most necessary
services they receive. This is achieved through the county group meetings
held every three months, workshops, conference and forums, training events
and the BBO Food Group ‘cluster’ meetings. These are excellent opportunities
to gain new contacts, share knowledge and experience, and simply to relax
and enjoy our wonderful local food and drinks.
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Find out more...
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Register now!
You can register online as a local producer by completing our online
form.
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