NFU looks to promote local turkeys and Red Tractor

Feed manufacturer ABN is to join forces with the NFU in a Red Tractor consumer awareness campaign at the BBC Good Food Show later in November.

Specifically highlighting how Red Tractor products can become a part of the Christmas dinner shopping list, there will be a selection of meat, fruit and vegetables on display so that consumers can see how, at a glance, the products they are purchasing are locally sourced and quality assured.

Visitors to the stand will be also able to talk to British farmers in a new “Meet the Farmer” joint initiative.

Aimed at bringing meat and vegetable producers closer to consumers, this opportunity will allow consumers to ask questions and dispel myths while farmers become closer to understanding consumer thinking to assist future development of their business.

“If we can talk to just 1% of the 100,000 visitors, tell them about all the benefits of looking for a quality mark and encourage their loyalty to the Red Tractor logo, that’s 1000 more people who will be supporting our farmers in their shopping trolley every week,” said Nigel Lee, business development manager at ABN.

The NFU has also launched its UK Turkeys website to raise awareness of buying British and local turkeys with about 250 producers already signed up to appear on it this year.

As well as finding the perfect turkey, this year visitors will be able to download a number of videos to accompany recipes devised especially for the NFU by Jason Palin, a chef director at The Cheshire Cookery School in Altrincham.

Turkey producer and vice chairman of the NFU poultry board Mike Bailey said: “There’s nothing better than a fresh, locally produced, great-tasting turkey to grace your dinner table at Christmas. With producers listed from across the UK it’s the ideal way to order a quality turkey for the big day.”