Local food

Lancashire cheeses by clare_and_ben is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Most of our food comes from the big supermarket chains, which sell very little locally produced food. Buying locally produced food helps shoppers make a connection with farmers, is good for the environment and creates jobs within communities.

Our local food industries have been in decline for a number of decades due to insufficient leadership from Government, changes in the way consumers shop and the prices they expect. However, many people comment on the freshness and flavour locally produced food, and Lancashire, Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester can boast some fantastic local delicacies – from Formby Asparagus to Chorley Cake, and Crumbly Lancashire Cheese to vegetarian-friendly Butter Pie, traditionally eaten on meat-free Fridays.

CPRE undertook a major research project to map local food webs across the country. The research, Mapping Local Food Webs, confirmed that despite being critical to the health of our high streets, local economies, and much loved patchwork landscapes, local food networks are under-recognised and poorly supported in local and national policies.

CPRE is keen to challenge the myth that local food is always more expensive, and call for a change to the status quo and ask on our shops and supermarkets to promote and stock local food and give a fair price to the farmers. Local food shops should be put at the centre of reinvigorating our high streets.

We’re urging supermarket chains to be ambitious by supporting local food and building relationships with more producers. We want supermarkets not yet engaged with many local farmers or producers to change their approach.

Download our pocket guide to buying local food, which helps you to find local food and outlines the key reasons to buy it, below.

CPRE Local Food Guide.

Events

Lancashire

Summer workshops with Incredible Edible Knowsley

Farming

Lancashire

Truly green kale: farmer Chris Molyneux on soil health