Wiltshire enjoys a well-established and thriving agricultural, food & drink sector, with an expanding number of dynamic and flourishing food and drink producers choosing to establish their centres of operation in the area, ranging from very small concerns selling from farm gates or farm shops to larger producers supplying national supermarkets and larger retail outlets.

Agricultural activity has increased since 2004, with an additional 10,923 hectares, and now employs nearly 7,000 workers. At the ‘Taste of the West’ Food & Drink Awards, no fewer than 20 products from Wiltshire food and drink producers won Awards, a recognition of the enthusiasm and talent for good food and drink in the County.

Key processing and production plants ensure Wiltshire can supply bulk foodstuffs and specialist food products to buyers. With its high quality infrastructure, a large, skilled labour force and competitive operating costs, Wiltshire is a world-class location for companies operating in the food industry. Traditional sector strengths include production and processing of bakery, snack, confectionery and meat products as well as brewing. More recently, lifestyle changes have driven growth in niche industries such as convenience, health and specialist foods.

SECTOR PROFILE

The South West’s economy is boosted by 20 million visitors each year, spending a high proportion on food and drink, offering considerable potential for local food producers. The region has a well-established reputation as an area of quality food production, with traditional local foods such as Wiltshire Ham, Double Gloucester Cheese, Somerset Cider, Devon Toffee and Cornish Clotted Cream.

The Wiltshire Farmers’ Market Association holds regular markets in Chippenham, Wootton Bassett, Calne, Lacock and most other towns, selling locally produced food and drink items, from award-winning cheeses, fruit and vegetables to fine meats and baked goods. There is active encouragement to buy locally to support a thriving local economy and businesses and provide jobs for local people, thus encouraging a sustainable community.

The abundance of innovative, high quality products from a large number of companies demonstrates what can be achieved with the high quality ingredients available in the South West, and reflects the quality of life enjoyed by those living and working in the region. Surrounded by sea and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and with a long and proud traditional heritage, the South West of England is an ideal location for food and drink producers.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH & EXPERTISE

With many land-based colleges covering agriculture and farm-based activities in Wiltshire and the South West, the County's high-growth food and drink companies can easily access training, consultancy, knowledge transfer, research and innovation services from local or regional Universities with expertise in the Food and Drink Industry. These include:

Bath Spa University College - Food Business Research & Consultancy Unit.

Bournemouth University - Centre for Foodservice Research. The Bournemouth Hotel School.

University of Bristol -Food Refrigeration and Process Engineering.

UWE, Bristol - Centre for Research in Analytical, Materials and Sensors Science.

University of Exeter - Centre for Rural Research; Biotechnology SW Ltd; Environmental & Ecology Research Group.

University of Gloucestershire - The Food Supply Chain Centre; Countryside and Community Research Unit.

University of Plymouth - The Agrifood Centre: the Food, Nutrition and Health Research Laboratories and the Industrial and Engineering Research Group (Food Texture and Flow).

Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA)
The UK's largest independent membership-based organisation carrying out R&D for the food & drinks industry. CCFRA is committed to providing the research, technical and advisory services needed to ensure product safety and quality process efficiency, as well as product and process innovation.

Leatherhead Food International (LFI)
LFI’s UKAS-accredited laboratory in nearby Wells, Somerset, offers a range of specialist analytical services to the food industry, as well as legislation advice, market intelligence and training. Facilities also exist for new product development, sensory and consumer studies and tailored research projects.

Royal Agricultural College
Based at Cirencester and recognised globally for the quality of graduates, this leading university college offers education and training for the agricultural, land, food business, equine and property industries. The RAC provides leadership to industries and professions in the rural economy and food chain through education, research and consultancy. 

Registered as a Lantra approved Training Centre, the Rural Skills Centre offers a dedicated off-campus training centre with access to the College farms equipped with modern equipment.

The Business Development Centre (BDC) co-ordinates the College commercial services for individuals, companies, organisations and government departments, providing a gateway to the intellectual resources of the college through a variety of knowledge transfer mechanisms. The BDC works with businesses to find a solution and provide a professional service that can make a vital contribution to companies’ performance by adding value in the form of research, training and business development programmes.

Knowledge Exploitation South West (KESW) is an initiative that provides a gateway to all the higher Education establishments in the South West.

Wiltshire College - a ‘flagship for ‘agricultural industries’ and part of Wiltshire College, Lackham Farm & Estate, represents a versatile resource for education, leisure, commerce and conservation. Containing three working educational farms, Lackham Farm & Estate is managed as a commercial business, providing students with practical facilities and good farming practice with interpretation material and data from all of the farm enterprises.The course range includes Agriculture, Land-based operations, Agricultural engineering, Agriculture Countryside Management and Forestry. Study for these awards can form part of the Work Based Learning programme.

Focus Learning and Development - delivers a wide range of high-quality, flexible, practical and cost-effective training to help businesses achieve results. Focus works closely with businesses to deliver exactly what a business needs. It offers short courses to enhance employees’ skills, professional qualifications or bespoke training programmes for businesses.

Its programmes include free training to help employees gain their first full Level 2 qualification and Skills for Life first numeracy and literacy qualification. This includes all training towards 5 GCSEs at Grade C or above, NVQ Level 2 or equivalent (such as Skills for Life programmes) and a wide range of other training for low–skilled staff.
Focus also offers wage compensation for companies with less than 50 employees, as well as funded programmes, including for Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships, NVQ Level 3 and above, such as higher education.

INDUSTRY & SECTOR SUPPORT

The food and drink industry is identified in the Regional Economic Strategy as one of the most important industrial sectors for the economic growth of the region. Consequently the County is funding various initiatives to assist producers within the region and ensure that prosperity and growth continue. These include:

• Market Development - encouraging more local sourcing of produce, establishing new markets and promoting the sector more effectively locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
• Producer and Processor development - providing better training and practical support for innovation and the development of new products and more efficient processes.
• Connection - reinforcing the links right along the food chain from the farmer and fisherman to the consumer, and emphasising the impacts on health and environment
• Rural Enterprise Gateway - providing a mechanism through which groups of companies can work together to acquire knowledge and collaborate to solve common problems.
• Skills - working with learning establishments across the region, food and drink employers can access relevant training courses and facilities.

The Countryside and land-based food group is dedicated to working towards more robust and competitive businesses within the food and farming sector. Developing a Rural Enterprise Centre (subject to feasibility study) will establish a single point of contact food sector information service, and the development of local food supply chains and distribution infrastructure will also assist businesses in the County.

There are also various initiatives in the County to promote the sector and encourage people to buy from local producers. There is an annual North Wiltshire Food & Drink Festival, and the ‘Made in North Wiltshire’ initiative comprises a published and online directory listing businesses, individuals and groups who ‘make’ anything - from farming and food & drink producers to horticultural suppliers, industrial manufacturers and specialist craft producers.

Details can be found at:  www.northwilts.gov.uk/madeinnorthwiltshire

Industry Sectors

An important part of our strategy is to set up industry Sector Groups - all part of South West Food & Drink. This ensures that specific industry issues are identified and solutions developed. South West Food & Drink encourages collaboration between like-minded companies and offers the opportunity to benchmark and drive down costs whilst striving to improve quality.

Sectors are:

• Meat South West
• Bakery South West
• Dairy South West
• Fish South West
• Drinks South West
• Organic South West
• Produce South West.

Respected for giving good, practical advice, Taste of the West acts as an industry body to guide businesses in the right direction and provide contacts for extra advice. It even acts as the region's media information line for food and drink issues.
Taste of the West enjoys strong links with regional, national and international media, which has resulted in greater awareness of the dynamic and expanding food and drink industry in the South West of England.

South West Food & Drink offers a free one-stop information source for all technical and commercial queries for food and drink producers based in South West England. This includes free access to all the latest food industry information, a library of directories and research papers, a newsletter and a helpline with industry specialists to answer your queries. 

KEY PLAYERS IN WILTSHIRE

Dairy Crest - the UK's premier chilled dairy food company is a leader in branded and added value markets across the dairy sector, and is investing in industry-leading facilities to create competitive advantage.

The Milk Link – the UK's largest integrated dairy business and a leading force in the industry, Milk Link is owned by 2,400 members farming across the south of England. and has processing capacity of around 800 million litres per year.

Hobbs House Bakery – Artisan bread and confectionery producer.

Cadbury - Market leader in chocolate products.

Lyons Seafoods Ltd - one of Europe's leading seafood processors, with a reputation for bringing innovative and quality products to both the retail and food-service markets.

Wiltshire Tracklement Ltd - producers of a range of high quality specialist condiments, sauces and preserves.

Bottlegreen Drinks Co - award winning, adult soft drink producers, crafted by winemakers using only natural ingredients.

Sharps Brewery – established in 1994, Sharps’ rapid growth has been driven by the popularity of its award-winning ales. Recent expansion increased capacity to supply 500 regular outlets, with bottled beer now widely available in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets throughout the West Country.

Thatchers Cider - established over 100 years ago, the family-run Thatchers uses freshly pressed English apples from their own orchards. Their award-winning range is matured in oak and based on authentic recipes.

OTHER PROCESSORS

Apetito - providing a bespoke range of frozen products, systems and services to Local Authorities, NHS Hospitals and large wholesalers.

Bart Spices –growing independent Bristol-based food company supplying the very finest quality food ingredients from around the globe.