News from our partners: New help for Marches food and drink sector

News from our partners Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

Food and drink businesses across the Marches are being provided with specialist support to help smaller, new and novice exporters break into international markets.

A new cluster group – overseen by a specialist adviser – is being formed to bring together small and large food and drink businesses in a Marches-wide network so that companies can work with each other and with one local on-the-ground contact.

Food and drink businesses who are new to export and those already trading overseas will be supported to target new export markets to help their sales grow.

A new specialist food and drink adviser for the sector has been appointed to cover the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership region, working with Shropshire Chamber of Commerce and Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber, along with the Department for International Trade (DIT).

New food and drink specialist David Caine

David Caine will work to connect businesses within the Marches Cluster to work together to share their knowledge and experience, as well to help businesses enter new overseas markets and develop their export sales.

David, who has more than 15 years experience working in the food industry and exporting, says food and drink plays a key part in the economy of Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Telford & Wrekin:-

“My role recognises the importance of this sector to our region, and I want to help as many food and drink businesses as possible develop new routes into overseas markets by identifying and investigating international opportunities.

“I will also be working to develop more collaboration between all food and drink businesses so that they can share their knowledge, learn from each other and develop and forge new connections. I want to hear their concerns and challenges so that I can act as a voice for them and address the specific needs of the industry.

“By strengthening the amount of collaboration across the region we can work with companies to develop not only their international markets but also grow in the UK as well.”

David said the new food and drink cluster would be officially launched at a special event on Wednesday 2 December 2020, and that a range of workshops, advice sessions and networking opportunities would follow.

Mandy Thorn, chair of the Marches LEP, welcomed the appointment and said it demonstrated the way the LEP worked with partners such as DIT and the Chamber of Commerce to bring real help and support to businesses:-

“The food and drink sector supports more than 9,000 jobs across the Marches in companies of all shapes and sizes, from international brands such as Heineken in Hereford and Muller in Shropshire and Telford, to the vast array of smaller artisan producers for which the region is famous.

“This new post is part of a wider team of specialist DIT ITA advisers working across the Marches to ensure the region is seizing the opportunities for international trade which are opening up.

“By working with our partners, we want to give all our food and drink businesses the best possible chance of success in this fast-changing world.”

David, who will be based with Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, can be contacted on  07593 562050 or at david.caine@mobile.trade.gov.uk

To register for the launch event on Wednesday 2 December visit: https://www.events.great.gov.uk/ehome/index.php?eventid=200215246&

About the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership

• The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is driving accelerated economic growth through investment in innovation, higher level skills, housing and business sites across the region.
• The Marches region, which includes Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Telford & Wrekin, is a dynamic business region where entrepreneurs flourish alongside global players. Covering 2,300 sq miles and with a growing population of 684,300, it is home to 30,775 businesses and a £14.3 billion economy.
• Bordered by the West Midlands to the east and Wales to the west, the Marches’ key centres of population and employment are the city of Hereford and thriving towns of Shrewsbury and Telford. A network of 25 smaller market towns and a large rural area make up the rest of the settlement mix – with the Marches recognised as being one of the most enterprising regions in the UK
• High profile businesses which have chosen to base operations here include BAE Defence Systems; GKN; Westons Cider; Grainger & Worrall; Stadco; Caterpillar; Mϋller Dairy UK, Doncasters Aerospace, Denso, Capgemini, Ricoh, Cargill, Heineken, Grocontinental, McConnels, Kerry Ingredients, Special Metals, Kingspan and Makita
• The Marches is also home to centres of excellence and institutions which promote and foster the transfer of knowledge including Harper Adams University and its National Centre for Precision Farming, University Centre Shrewsbury, the University of Wolverhampton campus and e-innovation centre at Priorslee, NMITE, New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering, and Food Enterprise Centre in Shrewsbury
• The designated Enterprise Zone of the Marches LEP is in Hereford, at Skylon Park. It is the only Enterprise Zone in England with a unique defence and security sector focus, drawing on the city’s heritage as the home of the SAS
• The LEP area is home to some iconic places of interest. The Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, the Shropshire Hills and the Wye Valley Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Offa’s Dyke, the rivers Severn and Wye, and places of national renown including Ludlow and Ross-on-Wye make it a highly popular place to both visit and relocate to
• The Marches has a diverse business base and is recognised for its sector strength in advanced manufacturing and engineering; agri-food and drink; automotive and defence & security
• Business support in the Marches is offered via the Marches Growth Hub, a business-friendly website at marchesgrowthhub.co.uk and helpline on Freephone 0800 998 1098 developed by the LEP
• You can learn more about the Marches LEP at marcheslep.org.uk and contact the LEP by emailing enquiries@marcheslep.org.uk

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