December 09 - Just Champion | Taste Magazine from Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber

Just champion, Stephanie Moon on her deliciouslyorkshire win, Yorkshire’s healthy eating habits and How Yorkshire’s eateries are holding their own.

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Foreword by Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber

Food is big business and a big factor in the economy of Yorkshire and the Humber. We produce 14% of the UK’s food and drink and the sector has more than 1,000 firms with a total turnover of £8.2 billion and employing over 50,000 people.

Behind these headline figures are many individual successes which deserve celebrating. I am delighted to have been involved in the fifth deliciouslyorkshire awards which showcase the ‘best of the best’ in our region’s food and drink.

Of course, many of these achievements have been made despite the current difficult economic conditions. The Government recognises the challenges and has created a national framework of support measures which are being delivered at regional and local level.

Real Help Now, for example, offers a wide range of help for business. These can be accessed through Business Link Yorkshire (BLY), a single portal for all government-backed business support schemes. BLY itself provides financial health checks. These can help identify a business’s strengths, weaknesses and other types of support needed. So far nearly 8,000 businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber have taken advantage of this service.

Much is being done on a regional level to ensure we emerge stronger and more resilient from the recession. Over a year ago I set up the Economic Delivery Group (EDG) with members from all the key public and private sector agencies: Yorkshire Forward, the Learning and Skills Council, Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Businesses, our local authorities and unions. The EDG is charged with driving our region’s response to recession and to prepare for economic recovery.

It is vital to take a proactive approach to the opportunities the upturn will offer this region. It is essential that businesses continue to train and skill staff and to develop the next generation of workers. Again, the Government has developed apprenticeship and other schemes to encourage investment in our workforce and, in particular, through Backing Young Britain, in our young people.

At a national level, the Government is committed to publishing regular assessments of the food security situation, as well as producing a comprehensive cross government strategy to develop a sustainable and secure food supply, to be launched in early 2010. As a net importer of food, it is crucial to our food security that we maintain a diversity of supply.

Going forward, I am certain that the food industries in Yorkshire and the Humber will continue to thrive and play a key role in our economy and prosperity. As the deliciouslyorkshire Awards demonstrate the sector is innovative, adaptable and enterprising.

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