The Artisan Food Trail to give a talk at StartUp Food event

StartUp Food has been set up to help budding food industry entrepreneurs capitalise on their talent with a free event designed to inspire, as well as assist in building a food business from scratch.

This focussed event has been put together by StartUp Britain – a national campaign by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs and over the last year have helped many new businesses.


The event will take aspiring foodies through the key stages of setting up a business from the planning, branding, marketing and sales aspects, through to advice on where to find funding and support.

The Artisan Food Trail is delighted to have been asked to talk at this day long event, being held on 21st February 2013 at the Kingston Market House.

The agenda is fully packed and there will also be a chance to hear from food buyers about what they look for and how new start-ups can make the most of opportunities.

Featuring panel discussions, Q&As, hints and tips from top food brands and business experts, the event will be followed by a drinks reception, providing an excellent opportunity to meet the speakers and network with fellow food entrepreneurs. There will even be the chance for you to walk away with a copy of the book, Cook, Wrap, Sell by Bruce McMichael.

If this sounds like it could help you, we would suggest that you visit the StartUp Britain website and register* for the event: www.startupbritain.co

*Registration will take place between 9.30-10.00am, please try to arrive by 9.45 to collect your name badge and sign-in for the event.


Agenda

9.30am: Registration and refreshments
10.00am: Opening comments
10.15am: Planning for success – Practical advice on  what goes into a business plan and how to start one, how and where to conduct research to identify market size, target market, competitors.
11.00am Standing out from the crowd – Developing your own USP, the art of good presentation/branding/packaging.
12.00pm: Promoting & pitching your products – Use social media and effective press to get known and noticed! Getting your product on the market.

1.00pm: Lunch break

2.00pm: Running a food business – Being a home-based business, saving money in the kitchen, creating a perfect work environment, health and safety, scaling up production and quality standards and certification.
3.00pm: From farm shops to supermarkets – Using different channels to sell your products, local retailers, regional and national retailers, box schemes and online stores, selling at events i.e. markets and food festivals.
4.00pm:  Getting stocked – How to get stocked in supermarkets, will hear from supermarket buyers as to what they look for and what is required. Incorporating live product pitches.
5.00pm: Closing comments

5.30-7.30pm: Evening drinks reception 

Learn butchery and charcuterie skills in The Yorkshire Dales

A start of a new year is often full of resolution making and one that's always good to go for is to learn something new.
There are several Artisan Food Trail members that offer hands-on courses to enable people to broaden their food horizons, whether it is the gentle art of perfecting new recipes or really getting to grips with where their food comes from.

For those of you that have been reading our blog and saw last year's ITV series 'The Dales' with Adrian Edmondson, you'll know that after months of hard work Paganum's new artisan butchery and charcuterie building opened in September 2012.

Now in full swing, Paganum's owner Chris Wildman has started running a number of butchery and charcuterie courses to teach the skills of his trade. The courses run throughout the year and Chris has kindly given one place on his full-day butchery skills course for us to offer to one lucky Artisan Food Trail competition winner.

Paganum's one day course will cover:

• Basic pork butchery
• Primal cuts
• Knife skills
• Nose to tail uses of the pig – you can eat everything but the squeak!
• Sausage making – create your perfect sausage
• Bacon curing Basic charcuterie
• Tour of the farm, meet the pigs and other livestock
• You'll be treated to great Dales hospitality – refreshments and lunch will be provided.

The course is being held on 22nd March 2013 in the butchery on the farm near Malham in The Yorkshire Dales.
So if you'd like the chance to win a place on this informative yet enjoyable course. Sorry, this competition has now closed.

Free listings for farmers' markets and food festivals on The Artisan Food Trail

A visit to the local farmers' market or one of the many food festivals around the country is a great way to discover new foods and also to meet the people that make them.

As The Artisan Food Trail is keen to support good food made with care and passion, we provide free listings for farmers' markets and food festivals so that the public have access to a practical resource, allowing them to find quality produce on their doorstep or even further afield.
The listings also prove useful to producers looking for places or events to sell their wares too.

We are looking for submissions from all over the UK and it is simple and free to add your market or event to our website.

Add yours now to the hundreds that are already listed for the opportunity to promote your market or event to the thousands of people that visit The Artisan Food Trail website.

Add your farmers' market to our listings here
Add your food festival to our listings here

Special Offer from Alan Coxon

Photo: © childsdesign

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To celebrate the launch of Alan Coxon's new Macadamia Nut Oil he’s offering free delivery to all Artisan Food Trail visitors.

Order one or more of his historic vinegars and/or Macadamia Nut Oil and quote the code AC2 to get your FREE delivery.
This offer is available throughout January and February 2013.

To order visit the online store here

A new year, a fresh start

After all the excesses of Christmas it is not unusual to feel a little jaded. Brains and bodies become unbalanced from alcohol and rich food and thoughts turn to making new year's resolutions as a way of recompense.

One good way to revitalise is to sip a restorative cup of tea. Green tea is especially good as its packed full of antioxidants, which hopefully will negate the effects of festive over indulgence. We particularly enjoy The Kandula Tea Company's Ceylon Green Tea which is smooth and gentle without a hint of bitterness. That sounds a splendid way to start 2013 in more than one sense.