WARNING - By their nature, text files cannot include scanned images and tables. The process of converting documents to text only, can cause formatting changes and misinterpretation of the contents can sometimes result. Wherever possible you should refer to the pdf version of this document. MINUTE of the SECOND MEETING of the CNPA Food Marketing Working Group CNPA Office, Grantown 13th December 2004, 10am Present Eleanor Macintosh CNPA Board Alastair MacLennan CNPA Board Lucy Grant CNPA Board Bruce Luffman CNPA Board In Attendance Fiona Newcombe CNPA Staff Heather Galbraith CNPA Staff Siobhan Macdonald CNPA Staff Apologies Andrew Rafferty CNPA Board Welcome and Apologies 1. The second meeting of the Food marketing Working Group was held in the CNPA office in Grantown. Eleanor Macintosh welcomed everyone to the meeting and noted apologies from Andrew Rafferty. BUSINESS 2. Update on Food producers and processors report: 3. Of the 167 forms completed and relevant, 37 didn’t produce any food. More than half of the remainder had a mixture of sheep and cattle and/or deer. Responses accounted for over 47,000 lambs and over 7,000 cattle sold from the Park area each year. A total of 15 estates that marketed deer responded. Others said they were sporting/leisure estates only. 4. When asked if they would be interested in using and/or promoting a CNP brand, 60% of producers of finished cattle said ‘yes’, 61% of finished lambs and 40% of finished ewes producers. When they were also asked about an area co-op, 49% of producers of store cattle said ‘yes’ and 51% of store lamb producers. 40% of deer producers said ‘yes’ to a CNP brand but only 20% said ‘yes’ to an area co-op. 5. A number of producers already process their own animals and sell to the public through mail order, box schemes and farmers’ market and more expressed a desire to do so and asked for help to start up. Others asked for help to expand or diversify. 6. Processing businesses within the Park area were asked if they would be interested in using and/or promoting a Cairngorms National Park brand. Most of them would be interested in a CNP brand and would be happy to promote the National Park. 7. Many of the food producers and most of the processors stressed that any CNP brand should mean quality products and must be subject to strict quality control. 8. There was concern that people may have had different understandings of co-operatives and that explanations of the different forms of marketing might have been useful. Action Brand logo 9. Heather produced the 3 latest mock-ups of the logo for the group to feedback comments. The group discussed whether it was necessary to have different logos for the Authority and Park. Preferred version was the mountain reflection and capitalised text. Paper 1 - Brand criteria for use 10. Discussion focused on criteria for food marketing, especially beef and lamb. Option 1, to allow the use of the logo without restriction, was considered not appropriate, as it would not reflect quality of produce. Option 2, using existing Quality standards, was considered easier and less bureaucratic. However, there were concerns over varying standards across industries (e.g. tourism and food), which QA scheme should be used as the base as they all had different aims, and would any existing QA scheme ensure consistency and eating quality. Option 3 of a bespoke scheme would ensure the chosen criteria could be applied, however there was concern that this would be too expensive and onerous. The group wish to see costings from existing bespoke schemes, e.g., Peak District. Action HG 11. Heather is likely to be taking a paper on the brand to Board in February. All are to feedback to Heather suggestions for which QA schemes would fit with the Park aims and Option 2. Action ALL Food Marketing Project 12. Until staff is in place, proposals for the scheme are unlikely to be drafted before summer 2005. Some initial thoughts were: a simple training scheme might be all that is required if producers were enthused to follow other successful companies; the scheme should be demand led rather than production led; concerns were raised that a scheme that helped direct marketing of meat products could have an impact on local butchers; a co-op can work on a small scale but has to ensure consistency of supply and provide a premium for producers. Training 13. Seerad have offered a fully funded training course on food marketing, for farmers in the Cairngorms. The date has been confirmed as the 10th Feb 05, and the course will be delivered by SAC and Charis. Topics proposed are Diversification & Food Processing, Food Marketing & Direct Marketing, Food Processing Issues / Product Development, Strategic marketing / planning, and Retail / Foodservice marketing. Future plans 14. A letter should go to all participants in the food producers’ study, to thank them for their input, provide results and let them know that their comments will be considered in forming the food marketing project. A brief report on the study results will also in the Newsletter to land managers. 15. A training and information workshop was proposed for next spring, however, it was felt that this could be more fully considered and organised when staff were in place later in 2005. AOCB Date of Next Meeting 16. It was agreed hold the next meeting in April 2005.