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Posts Tagged ‘food producers’

West Wales Food Festival

14 May

This event was held over the weekend at the National Botanical Gardens and as this is not one of my favourite venues, I still went and hoped some lessons had been learnt from last year. As Ian and I left the entrance, the shuttle train had just arrived and Ian heard the driver shout to a couple that they were waiting in the wrong place, and let me tell you that the lady was in a wheelchair and an elderly gentleman was with her. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I shouldhave walked back and told the driver just what I thought of his attitude and hope that he never has the misfortune to be in charge of a wheelchair, let alone have to be restricted to one!!! As far as I’m aware it’s not clear at all where visitors should wait for a ride, but surely the point here is that this couple were just that – visitors!!!

I carried on with my walk to the summit, well at least to the festival and thought how lucky the event had been with the weather, which although windy, was at least dry. There was no improvement in the layout of tradestands, the main marquee had the
same barrier down the middle, which I didn’t feel helped to create any atmosphere or buzz. The outside, again in my view, was even worse. There was what was supposed to be a hot food area for visitors, which consisted of just 4 separate pagodas. Not too impressive and just one wooden table and bench which apparently one of the traders moved there himself. Oh sorry, I nearly forgot that the NBG had made the most of this opportunity to erect their own BBQ unit and of course their cafes were open too. The only part I thought really worked was a run of market-style stands that were selling a range of coffee, hot food, welsh cakes, brownies, cheese etc. I’d have loved to see the space planned out professionally and all traders with market-style stands, lots of tables and chairs to encourage visitors to buy and eat from the traders. Is that not one of the objectives of a food festival? There was children’s entertainment and there were wandering musicians too, but perhaps because the stands were so spread out, the place didn’t buzz at all.

I was pleased to see so many of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers there, but I’d have been a lot happier if they’d had even one day out of two with decent trading.

My main complaint about this event is that every visitor attending the food festival had to pay £8.50 to go in, yes £8.50, a figure I just cannot believe. Are adults going to be happy to spend £17.00 to watch the food demonstrations, well ok , of course some were, but hardly enough of them to then go around the food stands and spend what money they had left with the traders. One producer said he’d asked one of the committee why people had to pay to come into a food festival, bearing in mind this entrance charge is on a par with Abergavenny Food Festival and he was told it was because this festival is not funded by Wag. Why NBG couldn’t have offered this as a free weekend entry and used it for their own marketing is another puzzle for me and the traders to ponder over.

Over the years I have suggested to many traders before they pay their hard-earned money up front, just ask the organisers what promotion they are doing for their event. Sooner or later this message will hit home to them and then they can make a
more sensible decision as to whether to to attend or not. I not sure what marketing this event did, I know I didn’t get a press releases about it and the first festival sign I saw was when I got there!

But what was even more annoying was that going onto their website it was full of ‘what a busy programme we’ve got’ but nowhere could I find a list of producers attending, now does that make sense? Am I the only person who might have wanted that information? Perhaps the event was advertised in their local paper and I was told that there was an advert in Western Mail, which would make sense, as that paper’s owners publish NBG’s own magazine so possibly helping each other out? I have no idea how many people came through the NBG gate and how it compared to a normal sunny and windy weekend, but what is relevant to me is that the producers I talked to, and I talked to a lot of them in the five hours I was there, had not had a profitable time. So what was the point for them?

I enjoyed catching up with one of my favourite chefs, Gareth Johns, owner and proprietor of The Wynnstay, Machynlleth, he’s such a great ambassador for Wales, but not impressed that he was scheduled on at the same time as a pasta making Masterclass with Angela Gray. If that makes sense to the organisers, it sure doesn’t make sense to me.

I’m confused how the food producers, which were charged around £85.00 to attend for two days, somehow didn’t seem to be the priority at this food festival.

I wish these food festivals would have the commonsense to invite a local trader to come onto the committee and help in the planning, because at least the basics such as layout and marketing could then be sorted out. Surely that’s not too difficult is it?

 
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National Trust Appear To Be Upsetting Our Producers

03 Apr

I’ve not had many dealings with the National Trust, but have always admired the job they are doing in preserving our heritage and their on-going work for conservation and preservation.

However, what has disturbed me of late is getting feedback from quite a few producers, who initially and understandably chuffed to bits getting their produce stocked in National Trust, (NT) properties and shops are now not so pleased. The reason is money or to be precise the new payment terms from the National Trust. I’ve been told that any producer delivering and the invoicing the NT on 15th April would only be paid by the 30th June, that is payment at the end of the month following the invoice, but it may take 10 working days to process the invoice. Gosh how convenient for them.

I’m horrified by this, as I had, naively it now seems, to have this image of the NT as a fair company, on a par with the likes of John Lewis, a business you could trust. Not like one of the big four supermarkets who can make their suppliers literally jump through hoops rather than pay them promptly. If suppliers are forced to wait such a long time for their money, I’m disgusted. I’ll wait to be told my information is wrong and NT pay all their suppliers within 30 days – if not before! Another supplier not impressed with NT is one who has been waiting months, and months and months and months, to get some lines accepted and have been run around in circles, with still no decision.

I also hear of small companies having issues working in National Trust properties with planning delays and people having extended leave with no cover in their absence. Well this is a sad situation but my sympathies is of course to our producers.

I know from our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers how tough their life is and they really don’t need slow payers to add to their worries.

Many visitors come to Wales and to tour a historic house or castle is very much a part of their holiday experience. Whilst doing this they love to shop either for themselves or for a gift to take back home and its here where our Welsh food producers can fit the
bill. A gift of honey, jam, chutney, cheese, local beer or cider makes the perfect present. But if the news I’ve had through is accurate, then I can see many producers having no alternative but to stop supplying the NT and to look for other markets. Now this would be sad, obviously not just for our producers, but for the NT to have thrown away the opportunity to showcase local food from our artisan producers and offer our visitors some home grown treats. Our visitors don’t need to be offered gifts, knick knacks or tat made in China, Japan or Korea, for goodness sake offer them a selection of what is made here in Wales and be proud of that very fact – support our food producers please!!!

 
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Proof Of Producer Power

02 Apr

I had an interesting phone call this weekend from Caravan, Motor Home and Outdoor Leisure Show which was held in Sophia Gardens, Cardiff from Friday 31st March – Sunday 1st April.

The glossy publicity PDF that was sent to traders, cited visitors expected 15,000 over the 3 days and my interest in this was because around 15 – 20 Welsh food producers were attending.

The weather was good, the site is attractive, it’s our capital city, it’s a well-established even and it is now in its 18th year.  Of course no-one can be certain if the fuel fiasco shortage had any bearing, but surely you would have expected more support from the people of Cardiff themselves, but that was not to be. Adults were being charged £5.00 entry and children under 16yrs had free entry.

So why did someone call me, I can hear you yelling?

Well the show was a disaster with only about 80 people through the gate on Friday, which was low enough to stir the traders into action. On Saturday morning the traders boycotted the gate and said unless their trade stand fees were refunded in full, the event would not continue as they were all ready to pack up and go home.

The organisers agreed and sent around a sheet of paper for all traders to complete how much they had paid for their stands. But instead of claming these troubled waters it opened another can of worms. The variants in the prices charged for stands was
well let me just say inconsistent. One stand with about 50m, paid £300k whilst another with about 13/15m, had been charged £1,800!!! Now please don’t ask me why the organisers even bothered to send this list around the traders – wouldn’t you think that somewhere in their system they would have had a record as to which trader paid what amount?

Visitors through the gates on Friday was about 85, Saturday 300 and Sunday 400, so a long, long way short of the organisers hopeful 15,000.

I really hope that all stand holders get their refunds quickly and the organisers were not just paying lip service to their demands. But traders you have my utmost admiration for making a stand– oops, sorry bad pun – and to the organisers for listening. The
traders make these events and if you cannot get your marketing and promotion right then you don’t deserve to take any money from these hard-working traders.

I’m sorry some of our Best Of Welsh & Borders were there but again 10 out of 10 guys for sticking up for yourselves – because they are not many on your side as well you know.

 

 
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What Does 2012 Hold for the Welsh Food Industry?

05 Jan

As we wait to hear, without holding our breath of course, to see what funding will be available for food festivals, and as to which of them will be favoured and which will fall by the wayside, I’m afraid my concern about our food industry has not disappeared. The more producers I talk to, the gloomier much of their feedback is. But whilst we still struggle to make Wag Food listen, I have a little ‘news’ to impart. I’ve been told that Wag has been asking some producers if they are interested in a wagProcessors & Producers Group being set up by Wag. Now where did they get this idea from – welshfoodbites perhaps? I’m not sure if this only applies to larger companies who are on Wags ‘favoured list’ and or those companies who have been lucky enough to receive a True Taste Award, or in many ways, even better, a grant from Wag. I’m sure it will be a selective list of companies, and if this is the case it will not be a fair representation of the Welsh food, but that is how Wag appears to work. It this does happen then maybe I will not be the only one who is dismayed to hear one of Wag’s latest plans……….

I have been asking and asking Wag to communicate with food producers and of course selfishly with the media press too – but this message has obviously been ignored, or maybe just because it was one of my ideas – it’s been dumped in their bin, which would be rather childish, wouldn’t it?

But let me take just a little comfort from the fact that some producers did get invited to the ‘surprise’ food festivals organisers meeting in November. But wasn’t it rude and unfair of Wag to then not give those that took precious time away from their businesses, not to give them the opportunity of airing their views. Just what was the point of that Wag, paying lip service to me?

I feel so sorry for the producers that these Civil Servants who should be a huge help to them, and never more so than in these difficult trading times, fail to understand what producer’s need and this is because those Civil Servants cannot be bothered to communicate with them. I suggested to one senior Food Civil Servant that it was their job as the food department, not only to talk to food producers of ALL sizes of businesses, but also to listen to their requirements. Not all of them want to go the supermarket route or believe the True Taste is their  way to go either, so we can only hope that in 2012, Wag Food will  understand this message and act upon it.

 
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Producer Feedback On Cardiff Bay Waterfront Christmas Market

22 Nov

Rumours are flying fast today as I hear of another Christmas Fair that was unable to emulate the success of  Landeilo Christmas Festival of Senses would made massive efforts on the same weekend. Producers have  been giving me an update on the Cardiff event, which took place from Thursday 17th – Sunday 20th

Thursday and Friday ran from midday until 8.00pm, with Saturday running for 10.00 – until 9.00pm and Sunday 10.00 – 6.00pm, long hours but traders don’t mind that if they are taking plenty of cash. Well to do take lots of cash, you need lots of customers and sadly Production 78, who I’m told were the organisers, were unable to deliver on that front. Result was that trade was absolutely appalling. With tempers fraying as traders not only wasted time, money and often fresh stock, they were looking at what appears to be broken promises of live music, street theatre, craft workshops and Father Christmas, instead they got a school choir and canned music with the same cd being played continuously. They were also told that there would be marketing and advertising behind this event. But as a journalists and publisher- with a huge interest in food – I only knew about this event because one of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers told me about it. Not a single press release did I receive – so not much marketing there guys! Now if this wasn’t bad enough, I am told that traders had to pay £1,000 for their stands which I’m think it is on a par with the high prices charged by The Royal Welsh, but in fairness to the RWAS they can always get the punters in.

What continues to annoy and puzzle me about organisers is that they appear to pluck a tradestand price out of the air and haven’t the slightest thought as to what profit margins our food producers can actually work on.             

Wag are not at fault on this one, they are blameless as they didn’t put any of our hard-earned money into this event. But not blaming Wag doesn’t make me feel any better, another poor event is not the news I wish to hear. In some ways I’m sorry I didn’t attend Cardiff to see for myself waht actually went on. But I’m sure I’ll get further feedback as the week goes on as I know quite a few of our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers were in attendance .

 
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Fish Distribution In Wales

17 Nov

Get a few food producers together and I guarantee that before long the problem of food distribution will raise its ugly head. This situation has been an ongoing problem for years and it is not going away.

I did want to share this with you though and that’s the distribution, or rather lack of it, on fish. How do you get fish from Anglesey to Cardiff and south Wales? Sorry, but no prizes if any of you got the correct answer – via Grimsby. Yes Grimsby!

Continuing the fish tale, were you aware that the cost per fish being delivered into London is 20p, but delivering into south Wales costs £1.00 per fish. That’s one heck of a difference isn’t? 

Bearing in mind our Welsh coastline is huge, why is Wales allowing our fishing fleet to disappear? Doesn’t anyone in government care? I’m often asked by restaurants, pubs and cafes why they  struggle to get fresh Welsh fish and it’s obvious distribution is the major problem, along with silly European laws which continues to strangle our fishing industry.

This is yet another instance of Wales do very little whilst our fishermen flounder……………..

 
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Food Festival Consultation Workshop

14 Nov

After visiting over 20, mostly funded food festivals this year, and then taken the time and trouble to blog them, I must confess to be feeling very disenchanted about the food festival scene inWales.

Wherever Ian and I go, whenever we are talking to the food industry, we are constantly being asked about festivals and their future – as if anyone in power would tell me! But this is generally from producers who are also rather disillusioned about what Wag might have planned for 2012.  For many years Ian and I have been asking and advising Wag to talk to producers and more importantly to listen to what they have to say, sadlly I thought this had fallen on deaf ears.  

But dear readers, it looks like we are making some progress after all – hurrah, hurrah!!! I’m grateful for the organisers who have told me about a Food Festivals Consultation Workshop that is being held on 16th November. Of course it’s Wag’s agenda, and of course Wag haven’t told us about it, and of course Ian and I aren’t invited, BUT the important issue is that it’s happening.  

I have to accept that Wag are hardly likely to admit that Welsh Country magazine and welshfoodbites can offer any help to the food industry. Maybe it’s just too difficult for them to accept that we can be of use to them and after working so hard for Welsh food over the last seven years, that’s disappointing, to say the least, but we do apprecaite it takes strong, confident people to say ‘we got it wrong.’ Our food producers however know what’s happening and our concern is for them. It’s our objective to build a better Welsh food industry, but why Wag can’t see that and work with us, is down to them. That we have to plough through the Welsh politics and Welsh Civil Service twaddle to make progress, is par for the course and will no doubt continue.

Anyway this Workshop is the good news and something that has been badly needed and is years overdue. Now we must hope that the organisers will give full and frank feedback, along with their comments, without worrying that if they ‘say the wrong thing, i.e. something Wag doesn’t wish to hear, their future funding could be in jeopardy. This is one of Wag’s main problems. I’d like to know if some of our professional food festival producers have been invited, because what is so important is that this industry is their livelihood and they too have a right to be consulted. I am well aware that some comments come back that producers shouldn’t rely on festivals, but I don’t agree with that, not every producer can plan or wants to go the supermarket way.         

What has been interesting is the response to welshfoodbites, where of course, food festivals have been a very hot topic. I have been forthright in my views of what I have seen at the food festivals I have attended. Yes ok these are my thoughts, but as a passionate Welsh foodie why am I not coming away from these events delighted to have made the effort to attend them? Well quite frankly, far too many have still got the basics wrong. I’ll not bore regular readers, yet again, by spouting my ‘could-do-better’ lists. Suffice it to say if organisers cannot get the town behind them and get basic signage out early, they shouldn’t be running and certainly not be funded.   

I didn’t attend many festivals in the north this year, which is purely down to lack of time. But of those I did attend, the ones that stood out for me that were funded were: Cowbridge and Really Wild and for non-funded ones: Big Cheese and St Fagans. But four out of twenty is not a good ratio at all from a foodie.

I have been vocal in the amount of money that Abergavenny,Cardiff and Conwy take from the festival budget and I know that Wag have this year elevated the ‘Big Three’ to international status, citing their value for tourism. But if tourism is so vital in relation to food, how much does Visit Wales put into the food festival budget? This also links into another question being asked, who are food festivals for: producers/tourism/economic development/other? But surely if food festivals are not there for food producers, why did Wag work to a criteria that this year food festivals had to have food as the core activity? Hitting some festivals hard including The Smallholder. If food producers aren’t that important to food festivals then why do organisers generally want their stands fees in so early, or maybe, being really silly, why do food producers have to pay to go to festivals at all? Another question is self-funding, which Wag have told me for years food festivals should aim to be, yet appears to contradict that statement when it raises the big three to international status and maintains their funding levels. Aren’t these three in particular capable of getting sponsorship? Because it they can’t there’s is no hope for some of the smaller ones. Let’s also be sensible here too, one size does not fit all and that applies to food festivals too – the needs for a small festival from Wag will surely be different say to Cardiff wont it?  

For once I can congratulate Wag for listening and putting on this event. I do query who will actually be attending, but at least they are making a start. Hopefully it will prove a successful meeting and maybe pave the way forward for a more profitable stable future for food producers. I’m sure I will get feedback after the meeting, maybe not of course from Wag, but that is realistically not expected.

 
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Food, Tourism And Construction Panels Revealed

01 Nov

I have recently been informed by the Welsh Government on the three panels they have formed to advise them on business policy for the tourism, construction and food and farming industries.

The food and farming panel will include Heather Jenkins, director of agricultural strategy at Waitrose; Kevin Morgan, professor of European regional development at Cardiff University; Ieuan Edwards, managing director of Edwards of Conwy; Sue Evans, director of policy at the Wales Countryside Land and Business Association; Dai Davies, chair of Hybu Cig Cymru; Simon Wright, chef and writer; Melanie Leech, director general of the Food and Drink Federation; Mary James, director of the National Farmers Union Cymru; and Nick Fenwick, director of agricultural policy at the Farmers Union of Wales. It will be chaired by Haydn Edwards, the former principal of Coleg Menai.

The tourism panel will include Mike Morgan, proprietor of Llansantffraed Court Hotel in Abergavenny; Menna Heulyn, co-owner of the Harbour Master Hotel, Aberaeron; Paul Lewin, managing director, of Ffestiniog Railway; Sir Brooke Boothby, owner of Fonmon Castle and Fontygary Caravan Park; Philip Lay, retail director of SA Brain; Manon Williams, director client services at CMI; and Margaret Llewelyn OBE, former managing director of Dragon Shipping Line. It will be chaired by Dan Clayton Jones, chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The construction panel will feature David Harris, divisional managing director of Cowlin Construction; Ann-Marie Smale, director of Powell Dobson Architects; Chris Jofeh, director of Arup; Danny Fellows, director of DFA International; and Rhodri-Gwynn Jones of the Civil Engineering Contractors Association (Wales). It will be chaired by David Joyce, chief operating officer of Vinci PLC.

As the food panel will be of obvious interest to our Best Of Welsh & Borders producers, we sent this info to them. Well as our busy producers catch up on their mail boxes, our phones and emails have been very busy! The unanimous message they would like me to send to the Welsh Government is – where is the voice for the food producers?

Is Ieuan Edwards of Conwy, a well-established True Taste Winner, able to talk on behalf of all producers, whatever their company size? Or is it safe to rely on Simon Wright, last year’s True Taste Champion, to be aware of the needs and wants of our producers? I’m sure you have already spotted the True Taste link and certainly the government link, but where is the representation for the dairy industry? Where is the representation for the horticultural industry? How does anybody make representation to these august bodies?  

So is this more food for thought, or is it yet more food producer frustration?

 
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Neath Food & Drink Festival

10 Oct

I visited on Saturday but it’s a good job I went last year, because once again I couldn’t see any signage until I had got to the festival itself. I did see a banner at a roundabout when I headed homewards a different way, but that seemed to be it.

The stands were sited down a few streets in the centre of town and as always I was delighted to see so many of our Best Of Welsh & Border producers there. Mixed reports at Friday’s trade but there were quite a few people there when I arrived around 11.00.

This event is classed by Wag, as is Bridgend, as a ‘Community Event’ and I’m guessing Bay Radio and SW Evening Post, both sponsors covered the advertising. So there were numerous community stands, at this ‘community event’ with some of them selling food too. Now I’m not sure if the ‘community stands’ had to pay for their space, I did ask one Neath employee, but she didn’t know. I’m just wondering if these stands don’t pay, how fair this is on the food traders who did have to pay for their stands. But maybe they do pay just the same rate.  In these financially stretched times, if these stands have lower overheads, and then they can afford to charge less, which is unfair competition for the producers and with everyone nowadays much more savvy and keen to compare prices, cheaper prices will often win. I noticed Neath Port Talbot College, who had built an attractive stand doing bread, pies and cakes and they seemed to be doing good trade. Of course I realise what great experience it is for the students, but my loyalty has to be to our food producers!

I did remember that the cookery demos took place last year in St David’s Church which was quite an unusual venue for this type of event – but it did work. I was disappointed not to see a blackboard or flip chart giving the times and names of chefs that were cooking and what their dishes were going to be. I did find this on the Neath festival website but having it in the church would have been a huge help. I was pleased to see that recipes were available for download from the website, but not sure that some of the more elderly people watching would necessarily have access to the web. However that was better than nothing and I would have loved to see recipes available for people to take away with them.

I spoke to a delightful Neath Communities First,  lady in the church, massive apologies for not taking her name, but she  was very helpful answering many of my questions and hopefully we’ll talk again soon. She gave me a super leaflet about the festival – which would have been more useful at the start of my day rather than when I was about to finish. She assured me that one of the team had gone around the producers getting produce for the cookery demos, which is something I want to see more of. However on Neath festival website a lemon sole dish was being cooked and I couldn’t see any fish stall at the festival, maybe I missed it, but at least Neath did try to get producer involvement. I wandered around some of the stands in the church, very impressed with a young man selling eggs, for someone so young he was very switched on, noticed my badge and offered me some eggs. I didn’t accept of course, but what a marketing head on one so young!!! I was disappointed to find the stand doing teas and coffees as they looked to be selling shop bought cakes and pies, not at all the message that should be going out, especially when there were a number of top cakes makers there. There was another stand selling home-made large jars, I think they were 454gm of jams and chutney, price just £2.00. I don’t know any professional trader that can make a living, producing, selling and make a profit at that price. I was told so many times this was a ‘community event’ and that it has huge merits for the community, but where do the professional traders fit in the community priority list? With funding of £9,999, and this comes out of the food festival budget, I still have to stand up for the producers and say they must come first.

 
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Narbeth Food Festival

26 Sep

Gosh, I cannot remember visiting Narbeth food festival when they haven’t been blessed with beautiful sunny weather. Driving over to Pembrokeshire, scowling at the dark skies, I saw two AA signs and then a sign for the Park & Ride as I entered the town. So apart from the weather as the rain came down, it was a good start.

But as I wandered down the High Street, I was puzzled as to the lack of festival flyers or posters. Down one side of the street, I only saw the Wheatsheaf shop and then Andrew Rees the butchers, that had made any effort at all to use their windows to plug the festival. I was very put out about this as I have held Narbeth up for many years as a shining example of how the committee get the town on side to give the festival and the town itself a huge push and buzz over the festival weekend. To be fair in that weather I wasn’t going to trawl the town, but that was my view as I walked down.  Oh Narbeth, how dare you let me down? 

The rain coming so early on Saturday morning must have hit turnout considerably, it certainly doesn’t encourage locals or holiday makers to get out early. Saturday is always a much busier day than the Sunday so my worry as always is how busy the traders would be. I spent 2 -3 hours there and I thought numbers were much lower than usual, which was  backed up by many traders that I spoke to as well. Maybe the Sunday weather this year was better and trade was up.  I had a lot of Best Of Welsh & Borders producers there so it will be interesting to get their feedback later.  

The outside stands were of course struggling with the weather but not only that, they were battling too against the live music which was in the centre of their stands. Now I really don’t have any objections at all with having music to help provide a cheery atmosphere, and live music is certainly a bonus, but I cannot understand why ‘someone’ doesn’t use the volume control and turn it down a touch. I was trying to talk to one of the burger stands and we had to shout to make ourselves heard. How can traders ply their wares if they have to keep shouting at people?             

On the inside stands I was delighted to see butcher Andrew Rees doing good trade with a special 2011 Narbeth festival sausage made from Dexter beef with tomato, leek and ginger – they were delicious! Andrew was busy sampling the lovely sausages and that paid off with good sales resulting. I was given a programme when I entered, but the rain did not encourage you to browse it as you went around, so I think a white board or a sign board by the kitchen demo area would have been a huge help to let people know which chef was cooking and at what time.

I was told that a lady who wished to attend the festival was furious at being charged £3.00 toenter and wanted to know why. She couldn’t find an organiser, but was quite incensed at such a high charge when all she wanted to do was buy food. I must say I can see her point. You’re not charged to go into a shop and that was how she was viewing the event as one large food shop. She didn’t want to listen to music in the rain, watch children’s entertainment, or watch a cookery demo, her mission was to buy food, but the result was she didn’t go in. So how much trade was lost from her? I’ve talked to a few organisers who say an entrance fee is vital for them to balance their books and many do put on lots of entertainment. The Really Wild were a classic example of this, with plenty to do there, especially for the younger ones.  I’m sure this debate will continue, but I’d love to have more feedback on entrance fees.

Let me finish off this post by saying, yet again, that this is yet another funded festival that I didn’t have a single press release about. In past years Narbeth’s PR was done by Sarah Hoss who I thought did a great job. I got lots of information from her about what was going on, but she’s no longer there and I, as part of the Welsh media with a huge interest in food, wasn’t even sent a press release! Why was this?

Last year, Miller Research was tasked by Wag to do a food festival survey and a follow-up report and I know that all festivals received the Miller feedback. So I’d be furious if many festival reports were not highlighted and taken to task for a lack of signage and a lack of basic PR & Marketing, which includes press releases. So if I’m correct on this, why am I still reporting very few improvements at festivals that are still being funded? What was the point of spending all that money with Miller if ‘we’ can coast along this year without any real improvements being made at far too many festivals? It seems to me that something is still seriously wrong here.

It is the festival’s responsibility to get punters into the event of that there is no question or discussion. Then when the punters are there it’s the up to the traders to tempt visitors with their produce, not sit down looking bored! But if the organisers can’t get punters in, then you can rest assured that some traders will not be back next year, please do not forget that they are running businesses, not charities.  I understand that stands were being charged £150 for the two days with a £30.00 electric charge – not sure if my info. is correct or not, but with these charges, the traders really do have to see some decent trade.                  

 

 
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