Our stands are booked for the Farm Shop & Deli show held at the NEC April 25-27 2022. Looking forward to seeing you down there along with our neighbors: Hawkshead Relish, Lakeland Artisan, Farrers tea & coffee and Kin Vodka.

More details of our great food producers on the stands in the New Year.

For more details contact Keith@thomasjardineandco.co.uk

Our plans for 2020 finalised at the Hawkshead Brewery HQ we’re slightly delayed by COVID. But we are now ready and raring to go to the Farm Shop & Deli Show 2021!

With the situation changing on a daily basis we thought we would let you know where you can still find some of your favourite local treats.

Please let us know if some of this information needs to be changed and if you are a Cumbrian or SW Scotland producer who would like to add to our table just contact Thomas Jardine & Co

Please all stay safe and look after each other.

12 Nov 2019 News & Star with The Cumberland News Nicole Regan Deputy group business editor

Cumbrian food and drink businesses will return to a leading food and drink showcase next year to promote the county.

This is Cumbria is a collaboration of 12 county firms – so far – and it will highlight the best of its produce at the Farm Shop and Deli Show in Birmingham in March.

This is Cumbria started as an idea at the 2018 show, initiated by Lisa Smith, of Ginger Bakers, and Maria Whitehead, of Hawkshead Relish.

They made contact with Keith and Jacqui Jackson, of Thomas Jardine & Co, and Sue Howorth, of The Family Business Network, to help form a collaboration of Cumbrian businesses.

Local firms supported the food and drink producers with design and publicity.

Keith said: “Once again we have fantastic sponsorship from Cartmell Shepherd and Enterprise Answers for This is Cumbria. “The plan is to make This is Cumbria a regular of show. To achieve this, we wanted to ensure that we could also give businesses who may not traditionally have the budget or resource to attend a show like this, so with the generous support of our sponsors we were able to create a showcase area to allow businesses to test the water in a friendly supportive environment.”

Hawkshead Relish, Kin Vodka, Farrers Tea & Coffee, Ginger Bakers, Lakeland Artisan, Penningtons Liqueurs, Vegware, Shed 1 Distillery, Molly Rose Drinks, The Pie Mill, Cakes from the Lakes, Hawkshead Brewery and the Eden Valley Meat Company have signed up to the 2020 show.

There is still chance get involved and join This is Cumbria in 2020 as there is space available within the This is Cumbria area.

To find out how to get involved or to sponsor This is Cumbria, contact Keith at Thomas Jardine & Co or Sue at the Family Business Network.

A TOP chef has pledged his support to an initiative which will propel some of Cumbria’s emerging stars of the food and drink sector into the national spotlight.

Martin Frickel, who earlier this week battled it out for the prestigious National Chef of the Year crown, has agreed to support the This is Cumbria movement.

He will appear at the popular Farm Shop and Deli Show next April, where an area of exhibition space will be taken over by dozens of producers from the county.

Frickel, the senior sous chef at the Forest Side in Grasmere, agreed to support the ambitious plan as a fresh call was made for big businesses in the county to support the initiative.

Sue Howorth of the Family Business Network is leading the This is Cumbria movement along with Keith and Jacqueline Jackson, of Thomas Jardine & Co.

She said: “The food and drink sector plays a vital part in the Cumbrian economy, providing employment and business opportunities, from our up-and-coming new food and drink producers to well-established family businesses based in the sector, and national food and drink firms based in
Cumbria.

“It also offers a unique taste of what Cumbria can offer, supplying Cumbrian staples consumed by tourist visitors in our B&Bs, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets.

“We have some funding, but for this initiative to be a success, we really need the county’s big businesses to show their support.

“By backing This is Cumbria , companies will be encouraging our growing food and drink and related businesses to expand their marketplace regionally, nationally and internationally. It is our intention to make this an annual event that will encourage the growth of the Cumbrian Food and Drink Sector for years to come.”

The This is Cumbria idea originated from Hawkshead Relish and Ginger Bakers. Among the growing businesses which have expressed an interest in taking part are Shed 1 Distillery, Lauren Cows, Bruce & Lukes, Cakes from the Lakes, Lakeland Artisan, Bakes & Balls, Miles Moore Ceramics, Winter Tarn Dairy, Grasmere Chocolates, Molly Rose Drinks and Pennington’s Spirits and Liqueurs.

The project is being underpinned by Hawkshead Relish, Ginger Bakers, Kin Vodka, Tray Bakes and Pennington’s Spirits and Liqueurs who have booked and committed to larger stands within the pavilion.

Since its inception in 2011, the Farm Shop and Deli Show has gone from strength to strength with more than 450 companies exhibiting.

It now welcomes thousands of key buyers from the specialty retail sector every year, within the area of 30,0000 attendees over three days. Next year’s event will be held at the NEC in Birmingham on April 8-10.

For more details about sponsorship packages, email hello@thomasjardineandco.co.uk.

The UK’s oldest tea and coffee merchant, John Farrer & Co, Kendal, alongside a delegation of fellow Cumbrian food and drink businesses; collectively known as ‘This Is Cumbria’, are attending the Farm Shop & Deli Show 2019, the sector’s leading event for delicatessens, farm shops, restaurants, food halls, butcheries and bakeries, at the NEC, Birmingham, between 8-10 April.

This is Cumbria came about after several Cumbrian food and drink producers who attended the Farm Shop and Deli Show 2018, noticed that the majority of business was being done on large county and regional showcase stands.

It’s no surprise that most regions and county’s attend the show in a unified way when you look at the figures… Overall the UK’s food and drink industry contributes £ 31.1 billion to the economy, is the largest manufacturing sector in the country, larger than automotive and aerospace combined, total food & drink export figures in 2018 were worth more than £23bn and the food supply chain employs 4 million people and generates over £121 billion of added value for the economy each year.

With figures like these in mind a small group of Cumbria’s food and drink businesses were determined to make sure that Cumbria’s producers didn’t miss out and had the best possible opportunity of attracting a good number of the 30,000 buyers heading to the 2019 show. 

To that end, Maria Whitehead of Hawkshead Relish, Lisa Smith of Ginger Bakers, Jacqui and Keith Jackson of Thomas Jardine & Co and Sue Howorth from The Cumbria Family Business Network got together to set about creating Cumbria’s very own showcase pavilion… and ‘This is Cumbria’ was born.

The businesses representing Cumbria on the inaugural ‘This is Cumbria’ stand at the 2019 Farm Shop and Deli Show include John Farrer & Co Tea & Coffee Merchants, Hawkshead Relish, Ginger Bakers, Traybakes, Lakeland Artisan – Cumbrian Delights – Lakeland Liqueurs, Company, Kin Vodka, The Toffee Shop, Pennington’s Spirits & Liqueurs, Shed 1 Distillery, The Pie Mill, Molly Rose Drinks and food safety consultants ML3 Technical Services. 

Alongside these key Cumbrian food businesses and producer’s consultant chef Martin Frickel will be hosting cookery demonstrations utilising Cumbrian produce and food & drink journalist and broadcaster Nigel Barden will also be showcasing Cumbria’s producers throughout the show, as well as hosting a drinks reception on the stand (J71), on 9th April at 4:30pm. 

Two Cumbrian companies Cartmell Shepherd and Enterprise Answers have kindly supported both the ‘Showcase Area’ and ‘Enterprise Zone’, within the ‘This Is Cumbria’ pavilion. The Showcase Area is designed to give emerging Cumbrian businesses on a limited budget the opportunity to showcase their products and services on a national footing alongside larger business. Whilst the Enterprise Zone provides ‘This is Cumbria’ exhibitors a space in which to meet with existing and potential customers. 

Local brand and design agency, We Are Eclectic, have brought the ‘This is Cumbria’ brand to life, creating the logo and supporting visuals for the show and Printing Plus have also generously supported the event by printing the wall coverings for the exhibition pavilion.

Farm Shop & Deli Show is co-located with National Convenience Show, The Forecourt Show and the second instalment of The Ingredients Show. Together they will bring together suppliers from across the food and drink retail industry.

Farrer’s General Manager Dave Walsh said: ‘’ We are extremely excited to be exhibiting at the Farm Shop and Deli Show for the first time in what is our 200^th anniversary year alongside our partners who are part of the ‘This Is Cumbria’ initiative. We’re are all really looking forward to having the opportunity to showcase some of the very best artisan and speciality products from across Cumbria to a wide variety of suppliers from across the food and drink retail sector at what is the leading show of its type in the UK.’’

He added ‘’If you are attending the show, please come and see us opposite Farm Shop & Deli Live on stand number J71F in Hall 20, where you can sample our ranges.’’

The ‘This is Cumbria’ collective launched their new brandmark in November that will represent the forward-thinking group of businesses at a national event next April. The brand has been launched as the collective make a final call for Cumbrian producers and craftspeople to join them at their inaugural event, the Farm Shop & Deli Show at the NEC. 

The initiative was formed earlier this year with an aim to create a ‘big impact’ destination stand that could position the very best of Cumbrian food, drink and produce in front of thousands of key buyers. With much of the space already booked, just three trade stands on the ‘This is Cumbria’ space remain. 

‘This is Cumbria’ are also offering a number of affordable ‘Show Case’ stands to developing businesses that are new to national trade shows. Keith Jackson one of the co-organisers from Carlisle-based Thomas Jardine & Co, said “Cumbria is full to the brim with creative people who all share a common bond – they are all inspired by Cumbria to create exceptional things, which comes through in our newly unveiled brand identity. 

“We wanted to offer those businesses who are first-time trade show exhibitors an introductory opportunity which requires a lower investment of cash and time than a regular stand would, with the added benefit of extra support through event training and participation in promotional collateral. We’d encourage any businesses that may be interested to get in touch for a chat about what we can offer.”

For businesses taking full trade stands at the event, ‘This is Cumbria’ are also offering a number of unique benefits which include pre-show PR and social media build up, inclusion within a dedicated booklet and a drinks reception hosted by celebrity chef, Nigel Barden.

Sue Howorth of The Family Business network said “We’re delighted to support this exciting initiative that offers growing businesses a platform and a voice outside of Cumbria. I can’t think of a better opportunity for those looking to reach a national audience or to raise their brand awareness.”

The ‘This is Cumbria’ initiative has also captured the interest of a number of sponsors, who have pledged their support to the collective and will attend the Farm Shop & Deli Show at the NEC alongside the exhibitors on 8-10^th April 2019.  

For more information about sponsoring or exhibiting with This is Cumbria, contact Keith Jackson on hello@thomasjardineandco.co.uk or visit the facebook page @ThisisCumbria

Our county’s vibrant and diverse food & drink scene has made Cumbria a must-visit destination for foodies in recent years. Local food festivals and farmers markets have flourished as a result but now a group of innovative food & drink producers want to join forces to take Cumbria’s finest to the national stage at the NEC Farm and Deli Show in April 2019.   

The seed was sown at this year’s Farm Shop & Deli Show in April when a small number of Cumbria-based food & drink businesses exhibited their produce to an audience of 30,000 trade buyers over 3 days. Despite their independent successes, they noticed the gathering crowds of buyers at the large county and regional stands and the idea of the ‘This is Cumbria’ initiative was born!  

With collective efforts from Jacqui and Keith Jackson at Thomas Jardine & Co, who specialise in generational food businesses and food entrepreneurs and Sue Howorth from The Family Business Network Ltd, the project has been launched to offer trade stand space and sponsorship opportunities. Speaking about the initiative, Keith Jackson said “Maria from Hawkshead Relish and Lisa from Gingerbakers have secured the best location for our ‘This is Cumbria’ stand adjacent to the Live Stage to help us to create a real buzz and curiosity around the produce, but also to offer a unique one stop shop for buyers, retailers, distributers and suppliers to come and experience a taste of Cumbria”. 

Already working closely with many Cumbrian food and drink business through The Family Business Network, Sue Howorth commented “The ‘This is Cumbria’ stand represents great value and a one-off opportunity for those new to the world of exhibitions or for businesses with tight marketing budgets to sell more products nationally or internationally. We are offering a range of stand sizes from shared space which is ideal for first-timers, to larger stands for the more established”.  Other incentives for joining the Cumbria stand will include the sharing of logistics and travel costs, collective buying power for show sundries, plus the use of a dedicated central meeting space within the stand for exhibitors to meet and talk with potential customers and trade press. 

Maria Whitehead MBE of Hawkshead Relish plans to hold a Masterclass prior to the Show to offer advice and support to fellow Cumbrian exhibitors on how to get the best from the show. Speaking from experience, she commented “This is the sector’s leading event and it brings together over 450 exhibitors which attracts thousands of key buyers from the food and drink retail market over the three days. It gives us a brilliant opportunity to launch new products, generate new sales leads, network and meet with existing clients and to generate some good PR coverage. We hope that this unique opportunity will encourage local businesses to join us and exhibit next year alongside like-minded Cumbria producers”.  

The Farm Shop & Deli Show takes place at the NEC from 8-10^th April 2019. If you are a Cumbria-based food or drink producer and are interested in reserving trade space, please contact our ‘This is Cumbria’ project coordinators, Keith and Jacqui Jackson via email hello@thomasjardineandco.co.uk. The team are also inviting businesses to join the venture as a Sponsor of the ‘This is Cumbria’ stand.  

More information about the 2019 Farm Shop and Deli Show can be found at www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk