The Co-operative is offering its customers quality British-sourced food in an autumn harvest that will feature all own-label fresh meat and poultry being sourced from British farmers.
In response to increasing customer interest in the provenance of food, The Co-operative is launching a campaign from Monday 1 October championing British food - not only meat, but a whole range of foods sourced from the UK.
Throughout the UK, Co-op customers can buy nationally-sourced food from their home country, for example Welsh hill lamb, English pork, Scottish Aberdeen Angus beef and Northern Ireland eggs. The sense of national pride in our food will be highlighted in a new national TV advertising campaign, which focuses on the fact that all the fresh meat in The Co-operative’s premium Truly Irresistible range is sourced from the British Isles.
All The Co-operative’s fresh beef, fresh pork and fresh duck is already British, but the community-based retailer’s support for British meat and poultry is being extended to include all its own-label fresh chicken.
The Co-operative has carefully selected a small group of dedicated British farmers to embrace the retailer’s own higher welfare “Elmwood” standard for fresh whole chickens, which means the birds are nurtured for longer in more enriched environments. This will be extended to all Co-operative fresh chicken from early next year.
Packaging on products such as eggs, milk and cheese will also reflect the fact they have been sourced within the four nations of the UK, by featuring the relevant flag or symbol, such as the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland.
Throughout autumn, Co-op stores will also feature point of sale material that will highlight the provenance of food. This will include British produce such as apples and potatoes, which will highlight the UK country of origin.
The Co-operative's position as a food retailer and one of the UK's leading farmers will also be promoted - at different times of year, depending on the season, some of the fruit and vegetables in store are grown on its own farms, including pumpkins, peas, potatoes, apples and soft fruit. A particularly special product comes courtesy of traditional English apples grown on The Co-operative Farm at Tillington in Herefordshire. The Tillington Hills Premium Dry Reserve cider is made from rare apple varieties, such as Tillington Ladies Finger, which were about to disappear from the English countryside before they were included in the premium cider recipe.
The Co-operative Farms already hosts visits at a number of its farms to encourage children to learn about where their food comes from. In addition to this, The Co-operative is backing the Year of Food and Farming by providing £250,000 worth of support for the project to enable schools to visit local farms across the UK.
In support of home-grown food, The Co-operative has developed new products based on traditional favourites made with British ingredients – perfect indulgences for colder days. These include Lamb Casserole, Shepherds Pie, Bramley Apple Crumble and Truly Irresistible Sticky Toffee Pudding.
A new survey has shown that these traditional comfort foods remain as popular as ever with the British public. Ahead of the autumn harvest push, The Co-operative surveyed British consumers to find out their attitudes towards home-grown food*.
The results show that over two thirds of the UK population claim a strong sense of pride in our unique culinary heritage. Three quarters of people think British food is wholesome and hearty, so little wonder that winter was nominated as the best season for eating British. The most popular meal - by age, region and gender - was the traditional Sunday roast, whilst crumble and custard proved the favourite dessert.
Guy McCracken, Chief Executive - Food Retail at The Co-operative Group, said: “We are committed to supporting British farmers and all Co-operative fresh meat and poultry is British. We know this is important to Co-op customers, who are also increasingly interested in the seasonality and provenance of the food they buy. By working closely with British farmers, including many small local producers, we are providing the opportunity for our customers, whether they live in Scotland, Wales, England or Northern Ireland, to enjoy and take pride in the best foods sourced from their nation.”
