The 6th annual Food Festival Conference
'Food in a Recession' hosted by Miller Research Ltd

9.30am – 4.30pm
The Priory Centre, Abergavenny

Miller Research is proud to host the 6th annual Food Festival Conference on Friday 14th September 2012 in the Priory Centre, Abergavenny.

Speakers confirmed to date:

Alun Davies AM: Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and European Programmes.

Responsible for:

• Developing agri-food sector, associated supply chains and promotion of food from Wales;
• The provision of support to farmers in Wales, including the administration of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and provision of assistance for conversion to organic production and for diversification of farm activities;
• The promotion of agri-environmental schemes in Wales and provision of associated support;
• The delivery via the Rural Development Plan of measures to support the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry, improve the environment and countryside, including agri-environment, organic and woodland activities and to enhance the social and economic well being of rural communities;
• The management of fishery harbours, but not harbours used for other purposes (in respect of which the Welsh Government has no devolved responsibility);
• Inland, coastal and sea fisheries: policy regulation and enforcement, including Common Fisheries Policy;
• Policy on and administration of European Union structural funds, related programmes and CAP.

Chris Wade: Chief Executive, Action for Market Towns – The Butcher, the Baker, the Local Cheese Maker...What independent local food shops say about the current health of the High Street.

More used to reviewing the impacts of government policy on the wider well being of small towns across the United Kingdom, Chris will be taking a sideways glance at one of his personal passions when visiting High Streets across the country.  What does the presence of independent food retailers and the quality and prices of their products, tell us about the modern-day role of our town centres; how they contribute to the wider local economy and how High Streets can differentiate themselves from out-of-town supermarkets. Or put simply, which town centres are still the best place to buy home-produced sausages, freshly baked bread and tasty local cheese at an affordable price!

Action for Market Towns is a national membership organisation working to maintain the vitality and viability of small towns across the United Kingdom. It supports its 400 member towns in delivering community-led improvements from housing to social enterprise; shares hundreds of case studies through a national awards programme; runs a national benchmarking service that measures and compares the economies of town centres and works with government to influence policy and funding.

Polly Robinson: Founder of food experiences business, Food Safari, which runs a programme of courses that go further than a traditional cookery school, giving people the opportunity to meet artisan food and drink producers, farmers and fishermen and learn butchery, wild food foraging, fishing and bread making. After three years of business in Suffolk, Polly is now starting to franchise Food Safari to other UK to other areas of the UK.

Polly’s background is in marketing with a stint as a consultant to the arts. Polly has also been involved in running the Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival, one of the UK’s leading food festivals and is well known in East Anglia as an expert on the region's food and drink – foodsafari.co.uk

Alison Lea-Wilson: Currently running The Anglesey Sea Salt Company with her husband, David, Alison has a background in food-growing, making and selling, and tourism.

She is Secretary of her local farmers' market, has been part of the group putting together the Welsh Government's Food Strategy and, if she had her way, would compel everyone to make their own sourdough and enjoy cooking from scratch.

Ruth Tudor: With a background in history and education Ruth now runs Trealy Farm, an organic mixed farm in Monmouthshire and also manages her family farm, a large traditional hill farm in Snowdonia. She is director with her husband James Swift of both Trealy Farm Charcuterie and The Meat Course. The latter is an innovative and radical venture to support people’s real engagement and connection with food, particularly meat. Through courses held at Trealy Farm, adults and children can connect with the whole process of farming for meat, including slaughter. To this end Ruth has spent time in abattoirs and is a member of the Humane Slaughter Association. She is also a member of the Pasture Fed Livestock Association and is interested in the latest research about grass fed systems and their connection to carbon sequestration and to healthier meat. She believes passionately that without being well informed about meat farming consumers cannot make real choices which include an understanding of how their way of eating impacts on others and on the planet. She particularly enjoys being with and supporting others as they explore their relationship to the food they eat and – in the case of meat – to the animals that provide it. In their farming, their charcuterie business and their training and education venture Ruth and James are committed to supporting small mixed farms which have low inputs, high welfare standards and raise rare and native breeds of animals on a pasture fed system and to farming and food networks which are based on relationship, integrity and the best use of scientific knowledge

Discuss issues with leading experts, enjoy a locally sourced lunch, practical workshops on problem-solving issues, and enjoy a post conference drink and appetisers. Your conference ticket also includes a weekend stroller ticket for Abergavenny Food Festival.

Contact Claire Harris on Claire@miller-research.co.uk

 

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