The LEP had the opportunity to promote the area’s food industry when DIT specialists paid a visit.

The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership had the opportunity to promote the area’s food industry when representatives from the Department for International Trade paid a visit.

Nine food specialists from the DIT’s Food Sector Team attended an event on Wednesday (16th May) at the National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM) in Holbeach – part of the University of Lincoln – where they heard presentations on a variety of food industry topics.

They also visited Boston frozen food specialists Greenyard Frozen for an insight into the latest state of play in the food technology sector.

Martin Collison, the LEP’s food consultant, spoke about the growth of the food industry and the important part Greater Lincolnshire has to play in it.

Professor Val Braybrooks, Dean of the NCFM, spoke about skills opportunities, collaboration with food industry businesses and research and development projects.

The Greater Lincolnshire LEP’s Agri-food Sector Plan outlines the LEP’s ambition to double the economic contribution which the food sector makes to the economy between by 2030. 

Greater Lincolnshire is the largest food producing region in the UK.  The area has more Grade 1 agricultural land than any other LEP area in England and it accounts for 25% of the UK’s vegetable production.

Around 10% of English agriculture takes place in the Greater Lincolnshire area and 70% of the nation’s fish is processed in Greater Lincolnshire.

“We were delighted to welcome the delegation from the Department for International Trade to Holbeach,” said Ruth Carver, Director of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, who also spoke at the event.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for us to highlight to the Food Sector Team at DIT that Greater Lincolnshire is the place for food and drink investment. 

“We heard from several partners and local companies and focused on Lincolnshire's world-class food and drink expertise in skills, research and development, food and fish processing and automation and robotics.”