Yorkshire Food

The Yorkshire Agricultural Society - Supporting Regional Food

The importance of using locally sourced food cannot be over emphasised, says Nigel Pulling, Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. Since its formation back in 1837, one of the Society's aims has been to support the farming industry as producers of the nation's food.

"Over the last decade it is clear that as a nation we want to be better informed about how our food is produced and farmers are now very aware of the need to provide what their customers want," says Mr Pulling. "Quality is a key factor and traceability is also important and here in Yorkshire we produce some of the finest food in the country.

"The growth in popularity of Farmers Markets is a clear indication that customers want to engage with those who produce their food," he says. In March the Society was delighted to support the deliciouslyorkshire Food Exhibition held in Leeds which was a superb showcase for local produce.

Countryside Live: Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 October 2007

*Deliciouslyorkshire will be a major feature of this year's Countryside Live, which was launched in 2003 as the Society's autumn event, and was immediately hailed as a great success. Under the banner of "the best of the outside inside," it presented food from field to fork. Livestock classes were complemented by food stands and the extremely popular Yorkshire Life Cookery Theatre which featured regional celebrity chefs and also gave youngsters the chance to try their hand at creating imaginative dishes. Also, to stress the importance of using local food, producers were on hand to talk to the audience and explain exactly how the food they provide makes its way literally from field to fork.

Food became an even greater focus at last year's event and will now be run under the title the Countryside Live Food and Farming Fair. Dates are Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 October. The Yorkshire Life Cookery Theatre will again be a major feature with top chefs creating innovative and creative dishes - with the emphasis very much on Yorkshire produce.

*deliciouslyorkshire is the brand representing food excellence within the region, and is an initiative of The Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber.

National Breakfast Week 2007
 
More than 100 youngsters enjoyed a healthy breakfast as guests of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society as part of its support for the national campaign, Farmhouse Breakfast Week. (21 – 27 January)
 
The 118 children, from Grove Road Primary School in Harrogate, tucked into a breakfast of fruit, locally produced bacon and sausages, cereals, milk and bread at the Great Yorkshire Showground, Harrogate to highlight the benefits of starting the day with a nutritious breakfast..
 
In addition the eight to 11 year olds took part in workshops to track back to the origins of the food on their plates, as well as the important part played by farmers in its production. The mini-survey to discover their own breakfast routines and preferences revealed that cereals were top of the menu for the youngsters, closely followed by toast.
 
The Chief Executive of Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Nigel Pulling, said: “This was a great opportunity for the children to literally get a flavour of the wonderful food we are producing right here in Yorkshire.
 
“Farmers play a pivotal role in the production of our food, and children also need to learn how important it is to eat good quality, healthy food in order to grow and develop properly. A good breakfast with nutritious local food helps improve concentration, and thus benefit their education.”
 
The Headteacher of Grove Road, Tony Winfield, said the initiative had been extremely beneficial as well as enjoyable. “At Grove Road we make sure that we emphasise the importance of a healthy lifestyle and promote the ‘five-a-day’ message. Teaching the children the value of a good breakfast is vitally important – it sets them up for the day and helps them to use their thinking skills effectively. This event reinforced that message.”
 
The youngsters were welcomed by Hazel Baker, the Society’s Education Adviser, and the workshops included
 
  • Fruit & Vegetables – Elizabeth Hudson of Framework 4 Change explained  the importance of fresh fruit and vegetables in our diets
  • Cereals & Crops – George Hamilton of Growing Routes, carried  out a mini-survey on the children’s breakfast habits
  • Special Sausages – Grant & Mark Burton of JH & M Burton, Wilberfoss, York showed the children how sausages were made
  • Milk & Dairy – Mick Hird of Askham Bryan College brought “Daisy” a replica cow for the youngsters to milk