What can an Incredible Edible group do relating to the business plate?
Just by growing food in public places, allowing people to see plants in the ground and harvesting the produce when it’s ready, you’re encouraging people to think about where their food comes from – and that isn’t a vacuum packed plastic tub from the supermarket! There are other things you can do so people think about where their food comes from when they decide what they’re next going to spend their well-earned money on.
- Can you get people talking about local food? Can you start a campaign in your area using social media or word of mouth by getting people to ‘Ask for local’? (see our Online communications section for advice on using social media and Why buy local food for information about what local food means.)
- Can you sell or donate surplus fruit and vegetables into a local veg bag/ box scheme? Maybe you can come to an agreement and they can publicise your growing group with every bag/ box that goes out – raising the profile of your group, attracting new members or potentially sponsorship from a local business.
- Can a beehive or two be placed on your growing site, supporting a local honey business? If you don’t know of a local beekeeper, then a good place to start is the Beekeepers Association
- Start a little business? If you grow some food and have surplus and/or make jams, preserves or pickles, maybe a local independent shop would like to sell them? Or maybe you could sell them/ ask for compulsory donations in businesses/ offices etc. If you want to do this and/ or are thinking about setting up your own food business find out more here You will need to do undertake food hygiene training to get a Food Hygiene certificate and Register with Environment Health at your local council – they will then let you know everything that you need to do, and will undertake a food hygiene inspection.
The importance of provenance
Rosalind’s Larder – turning a hobby into a small business using local ingredients
In 2011, Rosalind and her husband started to grow fruit and vegetables from an allotment plot for their own use. After starting to generate surplus, Rosalind began making chutneys and jams, which she distributed initially to friends. In 2014, Rosalind decided that in readiness for retirement she wanted to make her cooking a more active part of her life and started a small business, selling at some local farmers’ markets, craft fairs and into a couple of shops.
“What started as a little project to ensure we were not wasting the produce my husband and I grew on our allotment, has developed into a small local business. I really enjoy talking to people about the produce we grow, how it is used in the jams and chutneys I make and how preserving can be used to tackle issues of food waste.”
A local branch of a large chain hotel and a local high end restaurant were attracted to Rosalind’s Larder not only because of their high quality products, but also because of the story behind the business and how local it was to Middlesbrough.
“Being able to regularly sell my produce to these big establishments is extremely important to a small local business like mine as it means I can start to plan more for the future. If these contracts continue, I may need to bring in extra help to satisfy demand. But what this also means is that other local people I buy produce from are also benefitting.”
Vaughn’s Apple Juice
Vaughn has about six extremely productive apple trees in his garden.
He wanted to do more with the plentiful annual crop and to see if this crop could make a little bit of money. He gathered all the apples he could and paid a local community food processing organisation to press them into apple juice. Because this organisation also bottled and sealed them, he didn’t need any food hygiene certificates/ rating etc himself, and he sold the bottles at local food markets. He really enjoyed this little explorative venture and so repeated it the year after, and is now contemplating starting up a very small micro brewery (including cider!) with a friend.
