Chefs, buyers, restaurant owners and food suppliers - if you only attend one event in 2008, make it this one!

On the 6th February 2008, New Covent Garden Market will host the largest meeting in modern times of food producers local to London.

The event, A Celebration of Local Food will bring together local producers, wholesalers and distributors from in and around London for a trade fair and conference, allowing chefs and professional buyers from the private and public sectors to try out the best that London and surrounding regions has to offer. London Food Link members are especially encouraged to attend – either as potential buyers or suppliers.

The open day is part of a three year project between Covent Garden Market Authority and the South East Food Group to get more local food on the capital’s plates via wholesalers and catering distributors based at the Market. The day will see a renewed drive for the Market to buy more produce from its surrounding regions.

The day starts for enthusiastic early birds at 07.00am with a tour of the Market for producers to see at first hand how it works – or if you prefer, arrive at a more civilised 8am in time for breakfast!  After breakfast producers from the South East and East Anglia will showcase local seasonal ingredients for wholesalers, distributors and chefs to sample and discuss. 

The conference, ‘Share to Supply’, run by English Farming and Food Partnerships (EFFP) looks at the opportunities for supplying local food to London and the South East.  Speakers include Jenny Jones, Chair of London Food Board.  The conference showcases a number of examples where producers are already successfully working together to supply the public and food service sectors, as well as providing practical advice on initiating such ventures.

For more information please contact:

Hayley Elston on 01983 761380 or hayley@sol.gb.com  or ben@sustainweb.org 

For tour bookings, conference bookings or a booking form if you’re a supplier that would like to exhibit please go to www.southeastenglandfoodanddrink.co.uk/coventgardenopenday

Download the invitation as a 3197kb PDF