Local Food Alliance comes to Kent

The Fruit Focus Exhibition held on the 25th July 2007 at East Malling Research Station was used as the launch platform for Local Food Alliance Ltd.

The stand was very “Kentish” with module tent designs of an Oast House.

Rob Weaver the business Development Manager who has vast experience of food grown and produced in Kent was delighted with the opportunity to use the Fruit Focus as a launch platform.

“In the first instance we are a company that is fully supported by growers in Kent and UK. These growers realised that the first distribution HUB would be in Kent. This new HUB   would promote, pack, distribute and market grower’s products to all the different retailers in the rural, urban, South East and London areas.

The pack house was already operational supplying large quantities of Strawberries and Apples to all types of outlets in Kent. It would therefore not be necessary to make many changes at the distribution HUB. The IT systems were all in operation so very little investment was required to start up this new venture and the Local Food Alliance would not have large overheads which are ideal for produce grown, procured, sold and distributed.

Our consumers are the most important part of our business.

They are the ones who have come to realise that they should support the Kent Countryside and Rural businesses and growers.   The Garden Of England is very precious to all of us and in particular its heritage and produce. We have already seen that the countryside is changing and that the environmental issues are extremely important in our life. Floods, drought etc have already caused major damage and financial loss to many residents in England.

Consumers are now more than ever aware of carbon foot prints, environmental issues and that food is fresher and food is better if it has only travelled short distances hence our important slogan MILES BETTER MILES FRESHER. Consumers should be more demanding at all urban and rural retail outlets. They should demand local produce and products in season. They should not be purchasing products or produce that as travelled many miles. It is environmentally unfriendly. Consumers in Kent are very conscious of what is grown in season in Kent and seasonality has become a very important issue to them. They know that by demanding and supporting seasonal produce and products in Kent that they are helping the Kent growers, retailers, economy and that they are contributing to the Lifestyle and living standards of many Kentish Men and Men of Kent.

Many of our speciality producers manufacture and process their products in the rural areas and they purchase in most cases from local growers. They should be supported throughout the year.

We are in particular able to offer services to our Rural Areas in Kent and the South East Region. We have realised that the rural areas of Kent particularly SME retailers, public houses, growers and producers find it exceptionally difficult to either sell or acquire products and produce – we shall be offering produce in season and locally produced products throughout the year.

We also realise that retailers in rural areas are modifying accounting systems and that our deliveries or collections will be based on one invoice or one delivery slip thus saving the retailer time consumed in making many payments.