Produced in Kent tests customer’s appetite for local food and drink at the Kent County Show

Produced in Kent offered visitors the chance to win a stunning hamper jam packed with local goodies from the likes of The Wooden Spoon Preserving Company & The Aromatic Candle Company, by completing a short survey about local food. Hannah from Coxheath was the lucky winner and had the mega hamper delivered to her door.

The results from the survey confirmed that people are generally buying more local product than a year ago - over a quarter of those surveyed even stated that more than 50% of their shopping is local, which is hugely encouraging. Local product was associated most with being high-quality, fresh, good for the environment and tasty, whilst the primary reason for buying local was to support local producers.

Floortje Hoette, CEO at Produced in Kent commented:

This survey has confirmed that customer buying behaviour is slowly changing towards local product which is very encouraging. Produced in Kent showcases the value and sustainable credentials of locally produced food and drink in Kent and the wider benefits of supporting local producers for the economy, the environment and the Kent community. The commitment and effort that go into producing local food and drink means that sometimes you pay a little more – but not all local product is expensive! And making sure you use up every bit and waste less gives you more value for money, too.

As for convenience: many local producers set up online shops during lockdown and they’re much more accessible now than they were a few years ago. The Produced in Kent website shows you which food and drink businesses sell online or do home deliveries, and if you sign up to its Flavours newsletter you receive the latest news on new products, events and foodie experiences every fortnight by email.

The Kent County Show was hailed a success by organisers, the Kent County Agricultural Society, after attracting approximately 80,000 visitors over the three days.

Hayley Kingsnorth, a partner at Azets commented: ‘As accountancy experts in the food and drink industry, we were delighted to join Produced in Kent as the main sponsor at last month’s Kent County Show and witness the growing popularity of local food and drink.

After a difficult two years for many local businesses, it was great to be able to see so many people at the show. The resilience and determination of local business owners was a welcome sight for everyone, as businesses begin to bounce back and look to their plans for the future.