Yorkshire food heroes prepare for unusual buying battle

SOME of Yorkshire’s food heroes will be battling against other suppliers in an unusual pitching process.

Fifty suppliers from across the country have been invited by regional supermaket chain Booths to pitch their products in a Dragon’s Den-style challenge.

Each of the suppliers will have 15 minutes to impress 11 of the firm’s buyers. Successful producers who impress the panel will be rewarded shelf space in Booths’ new Ripon store, which will open its doors in June.

If the products prove a hit with local customers, they could then be rolled out and stocked in all of other 26 Booths stores in the North West and Yorkshire.

Among the candidates are Yorkshire Wolds natural apple juice, which is made in Melbourne, Wast Yorkshire, the Harrogate Cake Company, Wharfe Valley farms rapeseed oil, and Richmond-based Swaledale Cheese Company.

Others include Herbs Unlimited from Thirsk, the Richmond Brewing Company and Huddersfield’s famous Andrew Jones pies.

Preston-based Booths has a reputation for sourcing local produce and products stocked often can’t be found in any other supermarket.

Booths’ Phil Godwin said: “Since Booths launched its first store in 1847 we’ve always been committed to finding the best quality produce made by the most passionate and innovative local food suppliers.

“The ‘Meet the Buyer’ day is a wonderful opportunity for us to source some fantastic new Yorkshire products for our customers, who we know really appreciate goods that have been grown or made right on their doorsteps.”

Mel Whitehead, trade development manager at event organisers Regional Food Group (RFG) Yorkshire & Humber, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Booths who are so dedicated to stocking regional food and drink and supporting regional producers.

“Yorkshire boasts some of the freshest and most delicious food in the country and this is a terrific opportunity for the RFG to provide support and advice to some of the smaller producers working, for the first time, with a big retailer.”

He added that the event hasd been organised to help small to medium sized producers meet leading buyers.

RFG has a proven track record when it comes to organising meet the buyer events and has matched up local producers with buyers and culminated in prospective contracts totalling £6.8m.