Gloucestershire Farm Shops - The Big G’s Big Launch for local produce

A collective of county farm shops formed to promote the benefits of locally grown food was launched yesterday evening in Cirencester.

The 11 members of Gloucestershire Farm Shops - known as The Big G – aim to help strengthen the local economy by encouraging people to buy locally and reduce food miles.

Each member of the Big G grows or makes (and often both) the products they sell directly through their farm shops. The shops will still operate as separate businesses but hope that by promoting the overall Big G brand, consumers will understand the benefits of buying fresh and seasonal produce on their doorstep.

Around 100 people attended The Big G’s Big Launch at the Royal Agricultural College’s Boutflour Hall. They heard Gloucestershire Chef, Rob Rees, speak about the benefits of local produce as well as  Professor Paul Davies, Vice-Principal, Royal Agricultural College talk about supporting local produce.

Guests were invited to sample canapés and drinks, using produce from the shops, including Rare Roast Cotswold beef with fresh Horseradish in Yorkshire Pudding (from Chesterton Farm Shop, Cirencester) and Severn Vale Quail eggs with celery salt (Frocester Fayre), along with the College’s Muddy Welly Beer and Apple Juice from Hayles Fruit Farm, Winchcombe.

The 11 farm shops in the Big G collective are:

1. Chesterton Farm Shop, Cirencester
2. Frocester Fayre, Frocester
3. Hayles Fruit Farm, Winchcombe
4. Over Farm Market, Over
5. Portway Farm Shop, Upton St Leonards
6. Pound Farm Shop, Whaddon
7. Primrose Vale Farm Shop, Bentham
8. Puddleditch Farm Shop; Berkeley
9. River View Plant Centre & Farm Shop, Blakeney
10. Shepherds Farm Shop, Newent
11. Wotton Farm Shop, Wotton-under-Edge

The launch also featured a giant ‘G’ – the Group’s logo – filled with a variety of local produce.

The group was the idea of Rob Keene and his wife Sue who run Over Farm Market near Gloucester.

“One of our strengths is that we are all independent and individual farm shops who produce and sell our farms’ products” Rob said. “We felt it was important to maintain that individuality but to bring things together to promote what we do in a more organised way.”

To help them get the message across, the Group has developed a logo – a capital G – which will be on display inside and outside their shops as well as on any leaflets they produce. The G has been designed so that it can be adapted by each shop to reflect their produce and what’s in season. It will use the strapline Grown in Gloucestershire - sold at Source.

Ed Jenner of Chesterton Farm Shop, Cirencester said the launch was a great opportunity to showcase the Group’s produce.

“We’re thrilled that people were able to join us to sample, savour and celebrate some of the finest and tastiest produce that the county has to offer,” he said.
“We hope the launch will raise awareness about our work and that people will know that where they see the Big G, they will get excellent produce.”

Explore Gloucestershire 
12 November 2009

• Also see : The BIG G - Gloucestershire Farm Shops

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