Consumer drive for provenance and high quality does not have to be affected by the credit crunch, according to Philip Lowery, director of the Real Food Festival at a gathering at the House of Lords to celebrate the show on Friday.
The Real Food Festival, which will be held from May 8-10 2009 at Earls Court London, champions every producer committed to delivering high-quality and healthy food via fair, ethical and sustainable methods, but Lowery believes that further education is needed to prevent consumers putting price before principles during the economic downturn. “Because of the credit crunch, and because we have experienced a period where consumers expect food to be cheap, people think that there is a possibility that this movement might stall,” he said. “We eat for pleasure and satisfaction - the idea that eating this way is just a lifestyle choice is incredible.
“There are two things we have to do. First, we need to bring people together to realise where food comes from. Once people find out they will continue to spend money on the best food. It is not about money or class; it is about education.
“Second, we need to support small producers. We need to go out and find the best small producers that we can. Producers have to fill a certain criteria to be at the [Real Food] show and that is why you don’t see the same big companies that you do at other food shows.”
Lowery added that the Real Food Festival has helped small producers become sustainable by subsidising their stalls at the show. “Without help, we would have lost them for good and our economy cannot afford to do that,” he said.
The event was held by the Earl of Erroll on behalf of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Entrepreneurship and the Lord Newborough of Rhug Organic Farm.
Guest speakers included Real Food Festival supporter and TV chef Raymond Blanc, director of the Soil Association Patrick Holden and chair of London Food Rosie Boycott.
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