Marketing Lancashire today announced its latest line-up for the Taste Lancashire food & drink conference 2019, taking place at Holmes Mill, Clitheroe on Tuesday 5 March. The growing list of speakers now includes leading restaurateur, Ormskirk-born curry evangelist and founder of Mowgli street food restaurants, Nisha Katona MBE who will feature in a special Q&A session before chairing a panel of fellow Lancashire-based entrepreneurs, award-winning chefs and producers, including BBC Apprentice finalist and almond milk producer, Camilla Ainsworth.
The conference, aimed at the county’s hospitality and tourism industry, is a follow-up to the first hugely successful event held in 2017. It sets out to celebrate, inform and inspire healthy debate amongst the county’s successful and growing food and drink sector; with particular emphasis on boosting the county’s 67 million annual visitors with more gourmet travellers and food lovers.
Taste Lancashire 2019 will also be a platform for sharing homegrown success stories, with panelists including: Mark Birchall, chef patron of 2 Michelin star Moor Hall; Steven Smith, chef owner of number 1 gastropub in the North of England; Kay Johnson, registered nutritionist and director of social enterprise The Larder and organic farmer Ian O’Reilly the soon-to-be owner of the UK’s first entirely carbon neutral café/restaurant at Gazegill Organics.
Mark Birchall, commenting on the conference, said: “Lancashire has the entrepreneurism, talent and some of the best producers in the UK. There’s little standing in our way of becoming the top destination for gourmet travelers. From restaurants to farm shops and cafes, it’s about being innovative, maintaining quality and wherever possible using what’s seasonal, available or created in Lancashire.
“Working together as a sector we can create a real buzz around the county’s food, drink and hospitality, that will help to keep growing our businesses and those of our producers and suppliers. I’m looking forward to hearing from Visit Britain and Marketing Lancashire on how we can attract more visitors to Lancashire and how we at Moor Hall can play our part in growing that Lancashire success.”
The conference also welcomes speakers from VisitBritain/VisitEngland who will share insights into world perceptions of British food & drink and share best practice in hosting international visitors.
Experts from the Department for International Trade, The British Beer and Pub Association, National Farmers’ Union and University of Central Lancashire will contribute to a wide-ranging discussion on hot topics related to food & drink; from farm to fork production, the changing tastes and expectations of consumers, to the role of modern pubs as purveyors of quality food and how, in these uncertain times, we can market more Lancashire produce overseas.
The event will showcase a dozen or so of the county’s finest and start-up producers, who will offer delegates the opportunity to taste and learn more about their products, with a view to new contracts and supplier agreements.
Tickets are available to hospitality businesses, chefs, producers and buyers now via marketinglancashire.com events – book now to avoid disappointment.
Tickets start at £45 (Marketing Lancashire Partners) and include delegate pack, lunch and refreshments. #TasteLancashire2019.
Taste Lancashire 2019 is also supported by: Holmes Mill, Hotfoot Design, NFU and University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
