Sign up for the Vale Food Trail 2024 today!
Based on its successful debut in 2023, the Vale Food Trail will be taking place once again from May 26th- June 4th 2024. The Vale Food Trail showcases the wide range of local food producers and the cafes, restaurants and other businesses that support them, with a particular focus on food that is good for people, place and planet.
The Vale Food Trail invites visitors and residents to travel around the region independently and participate in a variety of food-related activities, which could include, but are not limited to:
· bread making, fermentation, microgreen or pickling workshops,
· farm tours, PYO activities, vegetable patch working parties
· special menus featuring local, seasonal ingredients,
· window displays for local, seasonal food
· tastings and tours of vineyards/orchards
· beekeeping demonstrations
· Food packaging recycling/art workshops
Last year over 500 people participated in over 30 activities as part of the Vale Food Trail, and the trail was featured in places such as the Wicked Leeks website. To give you a flavour of what happened last year, please see the programme from 2023.
The trail will be launched at the Cowbridge Food & Drink Festival 26th-27th May, where we will be offering a series of free activities which engage participants with the connections between food, wellbeing and climate change. If you’d like to be part of this, get in touch.
The Vale Food Trail is being organised by Food Vale, Vale of Glamorgan Council, and Cywain. Food Vale is the local sustainable food partnership, which works to create a thriving, sustainable food system in the Vale of Glamorgan.
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- This is essentially a free marketing opportunity - the event has its own branding, social channels (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), and PR campaign, all designed to drive footfall to the Vale and showcase your businesses / organisations.
- Where possible, we will be providing high quality photos of your business that can be used in your own communications
- You’ll be part of a new network of sustainable food businesses that you can draw on for learning and support into the future.
- Potential increase in local customer base
- By positioning the Vale as a place to visit for food, we also expect an increase in your tourist customer base
Businesses who participated in 2023 gave the following feedback:
- We achieved “greater visibility, in the community. Also resulted in us being approached by a charity to give a talk on growing veg to young people with learning disabilities”
- The Trail “made us think about the narrative of the business and help give an opportunity to express that and test it with new people”
- “We liked being part of a bigger "foodie" network.”
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Food that is good for people, place and planet is food which is produced, processed and distributed in a way that respects human dignity and health, animal welfare, social justice and environmental sustainability. You don’t need to be doing all of these things, but some examples may be…
• Produce is grown sustainably according to organic/regenerative/low carbon principles, in a way that supports biodiversity and limits the use of agrochemicals
• Animals are reared in way that respects animal welfare/avoids the preventative use of antibiotics/provides ruminants with forage-based diets.
• Food is processed using traditional / artisan methods
• Food and drink products are distributed direct from farm shops to local retail / hospitality outlets / consumers
• Ingredients are locally sourced, ethically sourced, Fairtrade, low-carbon/use eco-friendly packaging options
• Menus support a higher intake of fruit and vegetables
We are asking for local businesses and organisations who would like to be part of the Vale Food Trail 2024 to register their activities here.
Please register below by the 31 MARCH 2024.
