News & Updates
From Cotswold Taste, our partners and the community
Cotswold Taste member FarmED has been helping to launch The Emergent Generation, a new ecosystem of young champions building sustainable farming & food systems that nourish people and regenerate the planet. We are the new not-for-profit Centre for Farming and Food Education based at Honeydale Farm in the Cotswolds.
We’ll be holding a 3-day event at FarmED on 2nd, 3rd, 4th September 2022 called #EmergentGeneration22 to kick-start things. We want the most diverse group of young people possible, so we are reaching out to you for help. We would love you to help us spread the word to young people aged 18 – 26 from all across the UK and beyond using your network. Any form of engagement would be great; a social media post, a newsletter, an email and word of mouth. We have material for this if needed.
We have some bursaries to help those that need financial assistance (ticket price and/or travel), but it could be that your organisation is able to sponsor some of its young champions to attend so that even more young people can get involved!
This event is not just for young people who are practically involved right throughout the food system, but also those who are curious and on a learning journey (not just those at school or college). It has been designed with a group of young people so that it is relevant, and enables young people to make a change in the food system in ways that make sense to them. You can hear from the convening group in the video on this link
Cotswold Taste member The Incredible Brewing Company is delighted to announce that the company has won two Taste of the West Gold Awards for its famous Coriander and Lime Beer and Amber Beer. Both these come in a 500ml bottle format.
The Incredible Brewing Company is a “real beer” craft brewer based in Bristol selling into delis, farm shops, restaurants and beer outlets. The beer is produced using traditional sustainable methods, and is not artificially carbonated or any of the flavour filtered or removed. No additives or clearing agents are used so the beer is suitable for a plant-based diet. The beers are brewed seasonally depending on available ingredients at the time.
Most of the breweries spring and summer range will be canned including speciality best sellers like the coriander and lime and nettle beer. It is also increasing it’s range of popular pale ale and IPA’s so keep a look out for new releases over the coming months. Th brewery is not turning its back on the bottle format at all, however. Stephen believes that certain beer styles are more attributable to certain formats so his range of darker beers such as the popular mild and the porters and stouts will continue to be produced in 500ml bottles as usual. It gives the consumer a great choice at any time of the year.
All that said the brewer is aiming to broaden its reach and will be putting beer in firkin and keg for the first time in 4 years. This is great news for any real ale pub or bar in the area. The brewery has maintained its business philosophy by selling much of the beer directly at food festivals and events over the years but in the coming months as the volume of beer grow’s it will be more readily available in all formats in the City of Bristol and the surrounds.
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Member owned co-operative Cotswold Taste is growing its base. Promoting food and drink produced in the Cotswolds is the primary mission of the organisation which is offering a number of membership packages to help local businesses grow and prosper.
With all this going on, Cotswold Taste is keen to recruit more volunteers to help the organisation grow.
If you have a passion for local food and drink and would like to help the growing Cotswold Taste community on a voluntary basis, we would love to hear from you.
We are looking for volunteers with skills, knowledge and experience across IT, finance, social media, hospitality, sustainability, agriculture backgrounds and experience all welcome. Working virtually to hours that suit you with a friendly management team.
Cotswold Taste represents, promotes and supports all Cotswold businesses that sustainably grow, produce, manufacture, sell and service the finest, local and artisan food and drink including the Agri-food and hospitality sectors. We also provide a service to the sectors, with the aim to grow its members revenues within and outside the UK, and to support the reputation of the Cotswolds, as an exciting and sustainable fine food hub in the UK.
A key objective of ours is to contribute to the local economy, looking after the Cotswold’s countryside and heritage, maintaining a quality of life for its residents, improving the environment and attracting more visitors to the Cotswolds area.
So if you have an interest in any aspect of Cotswold Taste and would like to come and volunteer with us then please contact [email protected] or [email protected]
As part of our aim to offer increased member benefits, Cotswold Taste is delighted to announce a new partnership with Hales Events.
We will be offering Cotswold Taste members the opportunity to showcase their wares on a Cotswold Taste stand at The Source Roadshow to be held on June 27, 2023 in Bristol at the Ashton Gate Stadium.
The event attracts over 1,000 attendees, many from the hotel and hospitality sector in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Around 150 to 175 exhibitors will be present at the event.
To express your early interest in the event, please contact either [email protected] or [email protected]
Councillor Joe Harris, Leader of Cotswold District Council updates us on ‘Business Matters’ He says …
‘I know that times continue to be challenging for business. Rising costs, particularly for staff, fuel and energy, have put pressure on margins. The recruitment and retention of staff continues to be difficult. The squeeze on incomes has started to affect the demand side in some sectors and supply chains are still not back to normal. The uncertain economic and now political climate has added another complexity to making investment decisions.
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Supporting the Net Zero Climate Actions
Is your business looking to invest? Have you considered supporting your Council’s Net Zero climate actions?
Your business can invest in a greener future for Cotswold District by backing the Cotswold Climate Investment. This opportunity helps fund a range of practical, local projects to help deliver on our goal to become a Net Zero district by 2045.
This first round of the Cotswold Climate Investment aims to raise £500,000, and we are almost there with £385k committed to date by 367 backers. This pioneering investment opportunity is the first chance for the community to get involved in the council’s ambitious plans to tackle the climate crisis and improve the local environment for residents. This first investment focuses on helping residents go green with public EV charging points, and upgrades to buildings to reduce the council’s own emissions. Click the link below to find out more.
As with all investments your capital is at risk. Investments are long term and may not be readily realisable. This communication has been approved as a financial promotion by Abundance Investment, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (525432).
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