Local Food & Drink Project
Of course, buying local produce is only half the job – it needs eating, too! If you’re looking for culinary inspiration, many of the producers we feature offer recipe ideas to get the best out of their food and drink. So if you fancy cooking up some green pea falafel (Hodmedod’s), a pumpkin and Baron Bigod fondue (Fen Farm Dairy), or a plate of turkey and chorizo meatballs (Suffolk Salami), click on the logos below to see what takes your fancy.
The Local Food & Drink Project began in 2021. Concerned by the fragilities of our food supply system exposed during the Covid pandemic as well as the environmental damage caused by many aspects of modern food production, we set out with a simple aim: to encourage more people to consume more local food and drink.
The 2021 Local Food & Drink Project leaflet, funded by Woodbridge Town Council and Melton Parish Council, was distributed to all households in Woodbridge and Melton. It listed 54 producers within a roughly 21-mile radius of the two towns, as well as featuring retailers and eateries that sell or serve local produce.
Initially intended as a one-off publication, the positive feedback we received encouraged us to continue the project. The latest edition for 2023 features over 130 businesses, all contributing to the local food and drink landscape, showing just how vibrant and important this sector is in our region.
Funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, distributed by Transition Together, has allowed us to print this edition and we are very grateful to National Lottery players for making this possible.
We are also bringing producers and consumers together at Food & Drink Fairs in Whisstocks Place, Woodbridge, hosting market stalls, local environmental groups, live music and children’s activities. The next event will be held on Saturday 7 October 2023 – look out for further details nearer the time.
The leaflet is available to read and download above, and hard copies are available in a number of local shops, cafes and community spaces. We hope you are inspired to support these businesses and in doing so, reconnect with where and who our food and drink comes from.
We’d also love to hear what you think. Have you discovered a new favourite? Have we overlooked a business you buy from? How would you like to see the project develop from here? Email us at localfoodip12@gmail.com.
