33% of people have a trust issue with the food they buy. With 72% concerned about food fraud, Happerley Food Heaven has been launched.
Taken from the NFU Mutual Food Fraud report 2017, these figures are hardly surprising with supermarkets regularly inventing fake farms and scandals ranging from horsemeat in lasagne to Two Sisters chickens. As almost half of consumers (46%) have a reduced confidence in UK food supplies, a full disclosure of a food’s provenance has been identified as a top food trend for 2018.
Started by two Gloucestershire farmers, Happerley’s mission is to provide independent validation of foods’ provenance to restore consumer confidence. It will be celebrating local food with its sumptuous Food Heavens, the first time that visitors can shop 100% provenanced food, talk to the producers and simply enjoy buying food that is totally traceable and wholly delicious.
Many people want to buy local — not only to support their local food economy but also to enjoy eating produce raised, grown, sourced or made on their doorstep. Happerley wants consumers to start asking questions and to insist on knowing the provenance of food whether, in a restaurant, market or shop.
The disconnect between farmer and consumer has led to the commoditisation of food. This is why Happerley has the backing of leading names from across the food and farming industry including local farmer and TV presenter, Adam Henson.
Adam is passionate about bringing together those who eat and buy food with those who grow and produce it. Family farms across the UK are disappearing at an alarming rate as, with no means of validating foodstuffs through the food chain, UK farmers and growers are unable to attain premium to cover the cost of production.
If the trend continues, our food choices will be compromised as Happerley founder Matt Rymer explains: “By delivering the provenance on all foods we are giving the consumer choice. In enabling visibility of a food’s journey, shoppers can choose the food they put in their basket and feed to their families. Our Food Heavens take this one step further and provide a shopping environment where people know where every single product has come from with 100% surety.”
The very first Happerley Food Heaven will be at Andoversford Races on Sunday 8 April and will provide a showcase for the best validated, local food. From flour grown in Worcestershire to meat that has flourished from a lifetime on Gloucestershire pasture, Food Heavens will be the flagship for local, sustainable food buying.
Visit the Happerley website for details about the event, or for more information contact Hannah Piet by emailing info@happerley.co.uk or call 01242 222848.
