Plumpton College Sarah Blackford and Rebecca Butler Plumpton College at Flimwell Centre for Sustainable Food, Farming and Forestry
The Origins of the Sussex Breakfast Pilot in Rother and part of Wealden districts in East Sussex in 2005/2007 Aim to both support and promote sustainable tourism and to increase local outlets for farm produce Plumpton College, 1066 Country Marketing, & Tourism South East with LEADER + funding
New Forest Breakfast Model Partly modelled on the New Forest Breakfast: Tourism South East/Leader + Clearly defined territory Prescribed breakfast menu using only produce with New Forest Marque making traceability very straightforward More challenges for the Sussex Breakfast
What is the Sussex Breakfast? Made from at least 60% of local, seasonal ingredients sourced from Sussex (or nearby) farms using traditional, natural methods with high animal welfare and environmental standards
What is local? There is no legal definition for what you can call local however the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) took legal action against Tesco s when they described all lamb from Wales in their Welsh stores as local. We will be offering support to Sussex Breakfast providers to ensure they get this right.
60% Sussex Ingredients Must include Free range eggs Sausages or dry cured bacon made from local free range or low intensive, barn reared pigs
Eggs Eggs will all be stamped with a best before date and are categorised as follows: 0 organic 1 free range 2 barn eggs 3 enriched caged eggs. If you serve your home produced free range eggs, you must advise the customer that this is the case.
What about the bacon? We talk about traditional and natural methods of farming with high animal welfare and environmental standards. We want to encourage these methods of farming. Although farrowing crates are no longer used, pigs can be still kept in stalls with slatted floors and no bedding.
Dairy products Dairy herds are disappearing in the south east at an alarming rate. The supermarkets are selling milk at a lower price than some bottled water products. Food security and knowing where your food comes from was high lighted by the horse meat scandal. The food chain is too long if products are made abroad and we have no idea what they may contain.
Ingredients Selection of Locally processed milk, yoghurt, butter, cheese made from grass fed cows Locally grown tomatoes Locally grown mushrooms Locally baked bread or rolls Locally produced jam/honey/preserves Locally grown fresh fruit Locally grown and pressed apple juice Locally sourced fish/potato cakes, etc
Organic Breakfast If organic ingredients are used, accommodation providers can promote serving an organic breakfast There is no legal requirements to be registered as an organic operator Keep records of purchases to satisfy Trading Standards
Successful Pilot in 1066 Country
Feed back from the previous project Market research shows that many visitors like to sample locally sourced foods. At its best, organic and locally produced food is a simple but extraordinarily powerful idea. Offering local produce in any hospitality business is much appreciated by local residents and visitors alike Using high quality local ingredients, either direct from the producer or from farm shops shortens the supply chain and supports the local economy The Sussex Breakfast scheme raised our awareness of the wealth of local produce available in the area. It also enhanced our marketing activity to boost 1066 businesses.
Feedback from Survey of accredited Businesses, Autumn 2007 (after a very wet summer) Accommodation Providers August was our best month in three years. People like to know they are eating local produce. We had a 10% increase in income, a fair amount of repeat business and more weekly business (The Rise, Rye) Having local food has encouraged visitors. We are a lot busier than last year. Visitors say that they picked us because we publicise using local food on our website. It costs more but is worth spending the extra (A White Lodge, Battle). This has been our best year. We have been virtually full for three months. About 60% is repeat business when people arrive they say they can t wait for the breakfast (Foxhole Farm, Netherfield) Visitors are interested in the Sussex Breakfast. They like the fact that the B&B cares about what they give them (Oaklands, Udimore) The Sussex Breakfast has been brilliant. I am going to attend a Food Smoking course to learn how to smoke my own fish for the breakfasts (Manor Farm Oast, Icklesham)
Fantastic food will visit Sussex again lovely place Visitor Feedback Fresh local food is so enjoyable and such a rarity today Very good quality with a fresh taste rather than supermarket Its good to see the support local farmers are receiving. Keep up the good work! We ve been again and again to this B&B, the great breakfast being a factor So good to try local food all delicious Fantastic flavours real bacon like it used to be
Flexible menu Local Food Makes Sense Tastier and Healthier Happier animals Creating & safeguarding jobs Keeping Sussex Beautiful Reducing Food Miles and Carbon Footprints Good for business
Economic benefits Every 1 invested in Local Food returns 7 to society in the form of social and economic outcomes including health and well being, training and skills. Quote from the Big Lottery, Local Food Projects 2014.
Where to buy local ingredients Farmers Markets Local Produce Delivery such as the High Weald Dairy Farm, village and other shops - check labels or ask where the shop sources its products Butchers shops may make their own sausages but the sausage meat could be from intensively reared, imported pork. Many butchers shops buy in ready made bacon.
How to become a Sussex Breakfast Provider Sussex Breakfast registration form distributed by participating tourism organisations to accommodation provider Completed registration forms are sent to Plumpton College at Flimwell who will speak with the provider and make sure they are able to adhere to the criteria and offer help where required
What Happens Next Successful applicants receive the logo and are listed and promoted as a Sussex Breakfast Provider by local tourism organisation and on Plumpton College at Flimwell website Once a year a selection of providers will receive a verification visit from Sarah Blackford
Monitoring the Scheme First priority is to assist businesses to source local ingredients Aim for 10% of applicants to receive a verification visit Co-operative venture to improve the delivery of the local produce service and to increase the purchase of locally grown and made food
We are what we eat. Many actions in our lives are out of our individual control what we eat is not This is a conscious decision We can choose what we eat Traceability of our food due to modern labelling legislation is easily achievable
Recipe Suggestions. Fish cakes using locally caught fish, locally grown potatoes, and locally made butter Potato Cakes made from locally grown potatoes and local butter served as an alternative to Hash Browns or Fried Bread. Dutch Style Breakfast Dry cured local ham and thinly sliced local cheeses served with locally baked bread Dry fried Halloumi locally made Halloumi cheese dry fired as a vegetarian alternative to bacon Eggs Benedict Locally laid eggs on local bread or muffins topped with home made hollandaise or locally produced hollandaise Stuffed Flat Mushrooms Local mushrooms either vegetarian or with locally produced bacon and breadcrumbs, plus local cheese gratin on top Seasonal Omelette with local tomatoes, bacon, fish, cheese and herbs etc Baked Eggs (Oeufs en cocotte) eggs baked in a ramekin dish with bacon and local chopped mushrooms underneath and topped with local cream and parmesan cheese.