SAMINT-HDU 22 021

Master’s Thesis 30 credits

creditscrecredits
June 2022

Attracting tourists with the use of

local food
Using a multiple case study to investigate the
role of local food in the marketing of tourist
destinations in the UK

Anna Söderström

Master’s Programme in Sustainable Destination Development

Masterprogram i hållbar destinationsutveckling
 Abstract
Attracting tourists with the use of local food

Anna Söderström
Civil and Industrial Engineering,
Faculty of Science and Technology

Visiting address:
Ångströmlaboratoriet
Tourism is one of the largest sectors in the world, contributing to one in ten
Lägerhyddsvägen 1 jobs globally and 10% of the global GDP. However, the climate is facing many
Postal address:
challenges and the tourism sector must become more sustainable. Food and
Box 169 drink consumption is playing a more important role in tourism, and
751 04 Uppsala particularly food is recognised as one of the biggest polluters due to the way
Telefax: it is produced, the miles it is transported and the waste it generates.
+46 (0)18 – 471 32 70 Consumers are therefore increasingly requesting food and drink produced
Web page: locally and in season. For the same reason, restaurants are serving locally
http://www.cie.uu.se/ produced food, beverages are produced around the corner and destinations
are using local food and drink in their marketing as part of their offers.
Everybody must eat during their holiday and research shows that tourists are
increasingly interested in culinary experiences and prepared to pay more for
local food. Through eight qualitative interviews with respondents from five
tourist destinations in the UK, with specific food and/or drink offerings, as
well as research done on their specific websites, an understanding of what
role local food plays in the marketing of tourist destinations in the UK was
obtained. The case studies were conducted across the following UK
destinations: Bristol, Cornwall, Cumbria, Kent, and Scotland. The present
research suggests that local food and drink is an important part of the overall
package offer as well as a crucial element in the collaboration between
different stakeholders. However, there is no official definition of what local
food and drink is, and the reputation of British food is still challenging, and
although one could argue it is no longer deserved, it is proving an issue when
promoting the UK as a food destination. Though not explicitly stated,
storytelling appears to be an important factor for all respondents in marketing
their tourism offers.

Supervisor: Per Jansson

Subject reader: Magnus Larsson
Examiner: Ulrika Persson-Fischier
SAMINT-MILI 22 021
Printed by: Uppsala Universitet
Table of contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................................................... 3
1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................... 5
1.1 RESEARCH QUESTION .......................................................................................................................................... 8
1.2 OUTLINE .......................................................................................................................................................... 9

2. BACKGROUND............................................................................................................................................. 9
2.1 CULINARY TOURISM .......................................................................................................................................... 10
2.1.1 Culinary tourism from the destination perspective ............................................................................. 10
2.1.2 Culinary tourism from the tourist perspective .................................................................................... 11
2.2 DEFINITION OF THE TERM LOCAL FOOD ................................................................................................................. 15
2.3 COMMUNITY IMPACTS BY FOOD AND DRINK .......................................................................................................... 16
2.4 LOCAL VERSUS IMPORTED FOOD .......................................................................................................................... 18
2.5 MARKETING OF A TOURIST DESTINATION THROUGH FOOD ........................................................................................ 23
2.5.1 How to attract culinary tourists or “foodies” ...................................................................................... 24
2.5.2 Storytelling .......................................................................................................................................... 26
2.6 PERCEPTIONS OF BRITISH FOOD .......................................................................................................................... 28

3. METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................ 30
3.1 PURPOSE AND AIM ........................................................................................................................................... 30
3.2 RESEARCH PROCESS .......................................................................................................................................... 31
3.3 RESEARCH DESIGN ............................................................................................................................................ 31
3.4 RESEARCH APPROACH ....................................................................................................................................... 32
3.5 DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................... 34
3.6 SAMPLE ......................................................................................................................................................... 35
3.7 ETHICS ........................................................................................................................................................... 35
3.8 LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................................................... 36

4. CULINARY TOURISM CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS ................................................................................... 37

4.1 UK AS A CULINARY TOURIST DESTINATION ............................................................................................................. 39
4.1.1 Main takeaways.................................................................................................................................. 42
4.2 DEFINITION OF THE TERM LOCAL FOOD ................................................................................................................. 42
4.2.1 Main takeaways.................................................................................................................................. 44
4.3 COMMUNITY IMPACTS BY FOOD AND DRINK .......................................................................................................... 45
4.3.1 Main takeaways.................................................................................................................................. 46
4.4 BOOSTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY ......................................................................................................................... 47
4.4.1 Main takeaways.................................................................................................................................. 49
4.5 THE MARKETING OF TOURIST DESTINATIONS THROUGH FOOD .................................................................................... 49
4.5.1 Storytelling .......................................................................................................................................... 54

3
 4.5.2 Main takeaways.................................................................................................................................. 56
4.6 PERCEPTIONS OF BRITISH FOOD .......................................................................................................................... 57
4.6.1 Main takeaways.................................................................................................................................. 58
4.7 WHAT WOULD A DESTINATION BE WITHOUT GOOD FOOD AND DRINK? ....................................................................... 58
4.7.1 Main takeaways.................................................................................................................................. 63
4.8 OVERVIEW OF DMO WEBSITES .......................................................................................................................... 63
4.8.1 Bristol .................................................................................................................................................. 64
4.8.2 Cornwall .............................................................................................................................................. 64
4.8.3 Cumbria............................................................................................................................................... 65
4.8.4 Kent ..................................................................................................................................................... 66
4.8.5 Scotland .............................................................................................................................................. 66

5. DISCUSSION .............................................................................................................................................. 67
5.1 DEFINITION OF THE TERM LOCAL FOOD ................................................................................................................. 67
5.2 THE IMPORTANCE OF FOOD AT A DESTINATION ....................................................................................................... 68
5.3 THE PERCEPTION OF BRITISH FOOD ...................................................................................................................... 69
5.4 CULINARY TOURISM AND THE MICE MARKET ........................................................................................................ 71
5.5 THE MARKETING OF A TOURIST DESTINATION ......................................................................................................... 71
5.6 IS LOCAL BETTER? ............................................................................................................................................ 73

6. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 74
6.1 FUTURE RESEARCH ........................................................................................................................................... 76

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................................. 77
REFERENCES.................................................................................................................................................. 78
APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................................. 85
APPENDIX 1 – INTERVIEW QUESTIONS........................................................................................................................ 85

4
1. Introduction
"Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and
environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the
environment and host communities"

― UNWTO (2022) on sustainable tourism.

Tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the world (UNWTO & UNDP, 2017) and in
2019 travel and tourism contributed with USD 8.9 trillion, to approximately 10% of global GDP,
and 330 million jobs, which is one in ten jobs around the world (Roxas, Rivera & Gutierrez,
2020). However, with the increase in people travelling both internationally and domestically,
we are facing many challenges related to greenhouse gas emissions, economic leakages,
resource management and impacts on local communities and cultural assets (UNWTO &
UNDP, 2017).

Tourism is not listed as an individual goal in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
but it can be found in all 17 SDGs, more so in some than others. Tourism has the potential to
contribute to local employment, environmental protection, and empower local communities
as well as poverty alleviation and cultural preservation. Tourism can also enhance the
understanding of other cultures and even foster peace (UNWTO & UNDP, 2017). The
importance of sustainability is obvious, and it is both up to the stakeholders and the tourists
themselves to lead this development forward. However, participation of the local community,
as well as the government is pivotal in ensuring that all stakeholders are able to equally
contribute to, and support, the development of sustainable tourism (Roxas, Rivera &
Gutierrez, 2020).

According to UNWTO & UNDP (2017), it is imperative that tourism becomes a priority sector
for sustainable development, but much is remaining to make tourism a force for good. Part of
that is to recruit and purchase locally, when possible, but also to ensure that profits are
retained and re-invested locally. Another important factor is to include the SDGs in the
operations. See below Figure 1 for all 17 SDGs.

5
Figure 1: Sustainable Development Goals (UN Environment Management Group, 2022).

In an effort to recover tourism post the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK Government have created
a tourism recovery plan. Part of that is a sustainable tourism plan to grow back tourism in a
greener way. The plan looks at ways to reduce the impact of tourism on the environment,
respect local host communities and maximise economic benefits for tourism businesses and
local communities all over the UK. The UK wants to be a leader in sustainable tourism and the
goal is to be Net Zero by 2050. One goal included in the recovery process of the tourism sector
is to return visitor numbers as they were pre pandemic, however, without causing overtourism
and negative impacts on local communities, similar to those witnessed in destinations such as
Dubrovnik and Venice (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, 2021). Department for
Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (2021) is referring to the fact that growth in the tourism sector
includes many positive effects such as employment and economic benefits. However, some
destinations experience difficulties dealing with large number of tourists. This may lead to
overtourism and tensions between tourists and residents when the quality of life as well as
the tourist experience is perceived as quite low (Camatti et al., 2020; Perkumienė &
Pranskūnienė, 2019). In Dubrovnik, negative effects caused by overtourism can be seen on
cultural and natural environments, locals, and visitors. Overtourism may also influence
infrastructure including air pollution, waste management issues, noise pollution, water supply
issues etc. (Camatti et al., 2020).

According to Björk & Kauppinen-Räisänen (2016) tourists show an increased interest in local
food. Boutsioukou (2018) agrees and states that 27,6% of travellers are influenced by food
and drink when choosing a destination. The generation most influenced by it is generation Z
(born between 1997 and 2012) and millennials, also called generation Y (born between early

6
1980-mid 1990). Consumers buy directly from farmers at farmers’ markets and farm shops
and local restaurants increasingly serve food cooked from locally produced ingredients to add
value to the experience. Locally grown produce is perceived as tastier and fresher and it is
viewed as safer to consume, authentic, pure, and traditional. Food and drink could be a way
of attracting tourists and building an identity in areas lacking many other attractions or
attractive nature. It can then help attract visitors and develop the local economy (Björk &
Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2016). According to World Food Travel Association (2022) culinary
tourism is important as it increases local pride, it attracts visitors that are sustainable,
respectful and educated and it has a big economic impact on the destination.

The production of food is a big driver of climate change (European Commission, 2022) and the
food system is under threat and needs to become more resilient and sustainable. The Covid-
19 pandemic made people aware of links between ecosystems, supply chains, people’s health,
consumption patterns and planetary boundaries and more people are changing their way of
life to mitigate the impacts on the climate. The reappearances of droughts, forest fires, floods
and new pests are current reminders that we need to do much more to keep the planet
healthy, the Covid-19 pandemic was just one example (European Commission, 2020). As a
result, many people are becoming aware of their own surroundings and what is on their
doorstep, both in terms of nature, activities, and food. Therefore, food miles are a recurring
subject, food transported long distances before it ends up on our plates. Food that possibly
could have been grown around the corner, maybe if we would have just waited for the right
season. No matter how interested a tourist may be in food, however, they must all eat while
travelling. For some it is a major draw and what decides the choice of destination. Except for
a pleasurable experience, the food at a destination can provide an insight into the way of life
and a way of understanding differences between the tourists and the visited culture as well
as boost the local economy (Ellis et al., 2018). This could be a possible reaction to the all-
inclusive trips during which tourists mainly consume food they know from home and therefore
are closed off from any sort of culture at the destination (Liberato, Mendes & Liberato, 2020).
The money would most likely not boost the local economy but a global chain in a different
country.

7
We know tourists are more interested in local food, however, the UK is not exactly famous for
its food and British food still have a bad reputation. However, the UK has come a long way and
there are many producers, farms, orchards, and full destinations famous for their food and
drink.

1.1 Research question

Following up on the identified important role of food not solely in relation to sustainable
development but also in destination development, the present study aims at investigating the
value of local food in selected places in the UK and its role in the marketing of the regarded
destinations. This thesis will therefore focus on one main research question:

“What is the role of local food in the marketing of tourist destinations in the UK?”

However, to answer the main research question, the following sub-questions must also be
answered:

“How important is local food for the image of a UK destination?”

“Does British food (still) deserve its bad reputation?”

To investigate this field of study, several case studies of Destination Management

Organisations (DMOs) were conducted. A DMO is a non-profit organisation managing and
developing tourism in an area. Among other things, they provide marketing opportunities,
networking events, industry expertise and training courses to businesses in the area (insights,
2022; Visit Britain, 2022b)

The study was carried out in collaboration with AC Travel & Leisure Ltd., a Destination
Management Company (DMC). A DMC is usually a local organisation with extensive local
expertise and experience, responsible for arranging services for an out-of-town client. It can
include accommodation, entertainment, ground transportation, tours, dinners etc. (MacRae,
2021; Pizam, 2021).

8
1.2 Outline
The start of this paper will analyse the theoretical foundations for the reader to gain an
understanding of the concepts used, and to understand the background of the topic. The first
chapter will discuss what culinary tourism is in general and chapter two will discuss the
definition of the term local food, if it exists and how difficult it can be to define what local food
is. Chapter three will discuss farm to fork, and the effects local food and drink can have on a
community. Chapter four will look at why it may be better to use local instead of imported
food. The fifth chapter will investigate how food is used in the marketing of tourist
destinations as well as how storytelling could be used when marketing a destination through
food. The last part will explore the perceptions of British food. The background is
comprehensive but needed for an understanding of the term local food and to understand the
analysis of what the role of local food is in the marketing of a destination. To fully understand
why local food is, or may be, used in the marketing of tourist destinations it is important to
understand more about what local food is and the struggles the UK is facing when challenging
people’s perception of British food.

After presenting the background, theories, and methodology, the practical part, the actual
case studies, are presented. Five UK destinations, famous for their local food and drink, were
studied: Bristol, Cornwall, Cumbria, Kent, and Scotland. The results are presented and
connected to the background theories and an analysis of the case studies and outcome is
presented. Following is the discussion and conclusion of the subject as well as suggestions for
future research.

2. Background
Tourism in which local gastronomy plays a central role can be called culinary tourism
(Boutsioukou, 2018) or food tourism. According to Stone, Migacz & Wolf (2019), this form of
tourism includes many different areas and activities such as visits to wineries, breweries,
distilleries, farmers markets, cooking schools, etc. as well as experiencing local restaurants.
However, they state the term culinary tourism could refer more to high-end food experiences.
Culinary tourism may also be interpreted as a wider term, including food and beverage. Food

9
tourism could be limited to include only food and not beverage. Therefore, the term culinary
tourism will be used throughout this thesis.

2.1 Culinary tourism

Ellis et al. (2018) and Boutsioukou (2018) describe food as a representation of traditions,
stories and symbols. It can portray a place or its history by telling the cultural and heritage
story of a destination. Thereby tourists can experience performance, and engagement
through the consumed food.

2.1.1 Culinary tourism from the destination perspective

According to Freire & Gertner (2021) during the last decade, culinary tourism has grown
significantly and many tourist destinations are trying to offer culinary experiences, for
example through food festivals and local food tours. Tourism is usually about emotional
arousal as it is satisfying emotional wants rather than human needs. Food, on the other hand,
fulfils two needs, one physiological and one social. Everybody must eat; however, eating is
also a social matter, and it is an important part of the overall tourism experience. If providing
tourists with memorable and authentic culinary experiences, they may become loyal and good
ambassadors by sharing their positive culinary experiences with other tourists (Liberato,
Mendes & Liberato, 2020).

Local food can be used for regional development in marketing by service providers,
destinations, regions, or countries. Different destinations have different kinds of food
connected to the country, Italy is famous for pizza and pasta, Iceland for fermented shark,
Korea is known for Kimchi, Scotland for Haggis, and England has its signature dish: fish & chips
(Björk & Kauppinen-Räisänen, 2016; Ellis et al., 2018). Some countries, such as France and
Italy, have always been known for their fine food and it is often used in the marketing of these
destinations (Ellis et al., 2018). The UK is not a typical culinary destination but already in 2007
the National Tourism Organisations of Britain, Scotland and Wales promoted food from these
regions (Ellis et al., 2018).

10
Food and drink can be a competitive advantage for a destination and central to destination
development. Food and drink can also be a tool in rural development through creation/
protection of jobs, development of agriculture and small-scale ventures (Ellis et al., 2018) and
culinary tourism binds farmers, producers, distributors, retailers and consumers together
(Yeoman & McMahon-Beatte, 2016). However, tourism is extremely competitive and
therefore national and local uniqueness must be identified and emphasised (Ellis et al., 2018).
Raising awareness about the food at a destination can also help protect local food ingredients,
traditions and culture by promoting the uniqueness of regional cuisine (Boutsioukou, 2018).

Food and culture have been influenced by migrating people and many cities serve food from
the whole world to visitors and residents. Showcasing the many different ethnic groups living
at a destination is a way of using food in the marketing of that destination (Stalmirska, 2020).
Having a world that is becoming a smaller place due to cultural globalisation may, however,
result in local cultures and traditions disappearing, and cultural differences become eroded.
Many city centres of the world look similar, with the same major retailers, banks, and
restaurants such as McDonald’s and Starbucks. Some researchers are even talking about the
emergence of a global culture or world culture and some food and dishes can be found
anywhere in the world. This may be a threat to food that is connected to a place but there are
possibilities of co-existence. Globalisation may be suppressing uniqueness but is also
producing diversity and bring a variety of food to choose from for tourists and locals. The
arrival of a global restaurant can even lead to revivals of local delicacies such as the revival of
falafel in Israel following the arrival of McDonalds. There are examples of ‘glocalisation’ as
well; where global and local work together and global products become accepted and adapted
to suit local needs. An example is McDonald’s creating burgers in different markets, made to
suit those markets needs for example in India and Japan. However, if global franchise
operators start to dominate, products will be predictable and that can lead to sameness and
destinations will be unable to deliver uniqueness. The destinations that strive to be unique
will attract tourists that are global in their preferences and choices (Stalmirska, 2020).

2.1.2 Culinary tourism from the tourist perspective

While for some people culinary experiences are not the main purpose of the trip, others travel
only for seeking trips focusing on food and drink (Boutsioukou 2018). According to Yeoman &

11
McMahon-Beatte (2016) culinary tourism is a major part of holidays today and Ellis et al.
(2018) state that food takes up a third of the tourist’s budget when travelling. In 2017, culinary
tourism was identified as the fourth largest spending category when travelling. It does,
however, not make everybody a culinary tourist but it shows the great potential culinary
tourism can have on a destination (Boutsioukou, 2018).

Due to globalisation and influences from other parts of the world, consumers are increasingly
willing to try new ingredients and products, especially when travelling. Another influence on
people’s growing curiosity is the number of TV shows about chefs, travelling and cooking
(Boutsioukou, 2018). This is influencing what people cook at home but also how they eat while
travelling and even the choice of destination (Stalmirska, 2020).

To explore a destination through food, tourists must understand the history, customs,
standards, norms and consumption of a destination as well as the role of food in the daily life
of locals (Liberato, Mendes & Liberato, 2020). Food is not only viewed upon as important
because of the taste of it or the positive impacts on the local economy but also because what,
why and how we eat says something about the people, why they travel and the society they
live in (Hall, 2003). People in different places all have unique food traditions and table
manners, including the presentation and selection of food, preparation skills and the
aesthetics of the dishes (Mohamed et al., 2020).

“Food tourism may be defined as visitation to primary and secondary food producers, food
festivals, restaurants and specific locations for which food tasting and/or experiencing the
attributes of specialist food production region are the primary motivating factor for travel”
(Hall, 2003, p. 10). This means a journey is made to experience a particular type of food or
produce from a region or dishes cooked by a specific chef (Hall, 2003). Foodies used to be
considered travellers interested in fine dining or wine tours, however these days they are
more complex. Foodies may have interests in food related to food preparation techniques,
entertainment related to food, heritage and food connections etc. and a general type of food
experience will not appeal to everyone, a culinary tourist at one destination is not necessarily
a culinary tourist at another destination. It is important for destinations to know who their
type of foodie/s is and to ensure they differentiate themselves from other destinations.

12
Understanding the differences between tourists is increasingly important when targeting
potential visitors (Knollenberg et al., 2021).

Björk & Kauppinen-Räisänen (2016) identify three types of travellers; experiencers (those who
travel to gain food experiences), enjoyers (those with a positive attitude towards food) and
survivors (those with very little or no interest in food. Experiencers search for food
experiences before travelling, they are open-minded and value originality, locality,
authenticity, and uniqueness, and for them food is essential for the choice of destination.
According to Yeoman & McMahon-Beatte (2016) foodies are tourists passionate about food
and where food is the main reason for travelling, however culinary tourism is now a part of
life and everybody can be a culinary tourist. In Figure 2 and 3, below, are different kinds of
culinary tourists presented and their culinary interests when travelling, and how different
kinds of tourists search for, and experience, food (Liberato, Mendes & Liberato 2020).

Figure 2: Relationship between types of culinary tourists and their interests in the food of a
touristic destination, as motivation for travel (Liberato, Mendes & Liberato, 2020).

13
Figure 3: Types of tourists and the search for food authenticity of a touristic destination
(Liberato, Mendes & Liberato, 2020).

Boutsioukou (2018) argue millennials are the driving force behind culinary tourism through
their demands for ethically produced food, quick meals, love of discovering new cuisines and
being the driving force behind the vegetarian and vegan movements. This combined with their
love for cooking with locals, visiting farmers markets, trying street food, and exploring
different restaurants while travelling have made them understand the history and the culture
of the destination. However, the author state that older generations are becoming more
open-minded about culinary tourism due to a larger income, the high number of experienced
travellers, and curiosity.

Culinary tourists are often portrayed as climate aware and asking for sustainable food
experiences with local and authentic food (Yeoman & McMahon-Beatte, 2016). Yeoman &
McMahon-Beatte (2016) state that authenticity, activism, and slow food are a rebellion
against the globalisation and McDonald’s and that culinary tourism is a vision of the future.
They continue with stating that tomorrow’s tourist desire vibrant experiences that are also

14
sustainable and authentic. Tourists are becoming more demanding and are increasingly asking
for organic and natural food, unprocessed, naturally free-from, cruelty-free, non-GMO, food
mainly based on vegetables, meat substitutes, traceability, healthy cooking techniques,
healthy snacks etc. There is a growing interaction between tourists and locals and as a result
destinations develop new activities and new standards of consumption. Many tourists are also
highly informed and some know more about the local products than the producers themselves
(Liberato, Mendes & Liberato, 2020). Boutsioukou (2018) identified four trending food
behaviours: street food, organic and ethical food, gourmet food and innovative gastronomy
as well as four trends in culinary tourism in 2018; gastronomy tours by locals, home cooking
and meal sharing, street food and markets, and cooking lessons.

Even for BTMICE travellers (business travel, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions)
dining out can be a fun pastime but also a diversion (Ellis et al., 2018). Especially since tourists
are becoming more adventurous when it comes to food and many are looking for something
genuine and authentic (Ellis et al., 2018). According to Boutsioukou (2018, p. 17):

“Tour operators must tap into the culinary tourism trend by building packages
around destinations that are globally known for their rich gastronomy and
traditions as is the case with Italy, France, China, and Vietnam. To ensure the
success of such offerings, operators must seek to combine the culinary tourism
trend with other emerging trends such as ecotourism, wellness, and cultural and
adventure tourism.”

2.2 Definition of the term local food

In an interview-based study by Stalmirska (2021) the interpretation of local food varies in
different areas and some state the food should be sourced within 30 miles (Yorkshire), to be
called local, but it may be extended to 50-60 miles in large cities such as London and
Manchester. They may find it more difficult to source local produce within 30 miles in big cities
and therefore it could be extended. However, these are comments from interviewees in
Yorkshire, UK, made by Stalmirska. Others say that local is anything that is produced in, for
example, Yorkshire with Yorkshire ingredients. Another question is whether something
typically local made by overseas ingredients, but produced locally, can be called local. There

15
will almost certainly not be a clear definition of local food as it is related to social, economic,
and cultural criteria (Stalmirska, 2021).

Local food creates a sense of belonging at the destination and it enhances visitor’s
understanding of a destination (Stalmirska, 2021). However, in the present era of globalisation
and when those who can afford, in 24 hours, can bring in food and produce from almost
anywhere in the world, Hall (2003) is asking, what local really means.

Another term lacking a legal definition is “sustainable food” that could be connected to the
term “local food”. According to Sustain (2013) the definition of sustainable food is that it
provides safe and nutritious products, creates jobs, secures livelihoods, protects natural
resources, and helps to tackle climate change. What they mean by this is that people must:
• reduce food waste and packaging (waste-free)
• consume more vegetables and less meat and dairy
• buy local, seasonal, and environmentally friendly food
• choose Fairtrade-certified products
• choose fish from sustainable sources
• cut down on sugar, salt and fat and avoid questionable ingredients
• grow their own food and buy the rest from local sources

2.3 Community impacts by food and drink

The Farm to Fork Strategy by the European Commission (2022) is a part of the European Green
Deal “aiming to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly”. Food systems
account for nearly a third of global Greenhouse Gas emissions and result in biodiversity loss.
There are also negative health impacts such as under- and over-nutrition and especially the
primary producers are not receiving fair economic returns. The Farm to Fork Strategy aims to
accelerate the transition towards a sustainable food system mitigating climate change,
reversing the loss of biodiversity as well as ensuring everyone has access to sustainable and
nutritious food. Below, in Figure 4, are the four main goals included in the EU Farm to Fork
strategy, working towards more sustainable and resilient food systems.

16
Figure 4: Farm to Fork Strategy, European Green Deal (European Commission, 2022).

The UK government have appointed a representative to lead a major review of the UK food
system and to investigate the entire food system, from field to fork, stating it is the right time
as the UK has left the EU. It is proving a great opportunity for British farmers and food
producers, however there are challenges as well with an expanding population, climate
change and diet-related diseases (GOV.UK, 2019).

Food in the UK varies depending on which region is visited, the south, such as Cornwall and
Brighton, is famous for the seafood and fresh produce as well as its wine production. Yorkshire
is famous for Yorkshire puddings but also sweet dishes such as curd tart and parkin (a type of
ginger cake) and some of the best meat, cheese, beer, and pastries in Britain are found here.
Visitors and locals can also choose between many local farm shops and farmers markets. In
Scotland, the whisky production and distillery visits are a highlight of many visits (Visit Britain,
2022b). However, eating and drinking is not a key reason for coming to the UK, although many
tourists aim to try British food when they are visiting. In a survey conducted by Visit Britain
(2015), 56% of visitors believe the UK is a good place to try local specialties and 4 out of 5 are
satisfied with British food and drink.

An interest in local produce from outside the destination may help to stimulate local
awareness and interest, help with maintenance of plant and animal variety as well as increase

17
pride in the community and enhance local identity and culture (Hall, Mitchell & Sharples,
2003).

According to Choe & Kim (2018) local food can increase the image of a destination as it is
showing local, regional, and personal identity. People are curious and searching for knowledge
by nature. Travelling to other countries and specifically trying food from different countries,
learn about new ways of cooking and eating local food as well as the stories behind it can
provide a person with new knowledge. Basically, tourists are likely to fulfil their curiosity and
desire for novelty by consuming local food as it is expected to be something new, and tourists
expect to learn something about a country’s food culture. Important for satisfaction and the
will to return to a local restaurant is the emotional value experienced by the diner, such as
enjoyment, pleasure, excitement, or relaxation. Many expect to experience positive
emotional benefits when eating local food, which may be different from their normal diet.
Tourists rating the cuisine highly at a destination are also more likely to be satisfied with the
trip and rate the destination as attractive.

2.4 Local versus imported food

With the world being more open and the availability of ingredients from all over the world,
should we really go back to only source local? According to sources regular consumers would
possibly read, local food is better for the environment because it travels a shorter distance
than imported food and they state flights and ships pollute more than the shorter distance by
road. Locally grown food can also be picked when ripe instead of imported food that must be
picked earlier to not go bad during the journey. That means imported food is lower in nutrition
as they have not yet reached their levels of vitamins and minerals and the minute they are
picked, the nutrition starts to decrease. When travelling further, the risk of bruising and
spoiling also increases which contributes to food waste. Eating more local also means eating
more food in season and the nutrition gained from our food in season is what the body needs
at that time as it supports the body’s natural healing processes. For example, in summer
nature provides us with many juicy fruits and vegetables to keep us hydrated and leafy greens
in the spring help the body detox after a winter of heavier food. When buying local you also
invest in your own community by helping farmers stay in business and creating job
opportunities (de Gruchy, 2022; Killeen, 2017).

18
The term food miles is often used as a marketing tool and in food labelling, however when
invented, the idea was to make people aware of the origins of their food, not to measure
environmental impact (Macdiarmid, 2013). Despite that, indications have been made that
local food is the solution to the CO2 released by transporting food. However, research done
by Coley, Howard & Winter (2009) show that if consumers drive 7.4 km return to purchase
local organic vegetables their carbon emissions are likely to be greater than the emissions
released by a large-scale vegetable box supplier including cold storage, packing, transport to
a regional hub and transport to customers. According to Macdiarmid (2013) many studies
show that Green House Gas (GHG) emissions of food grown in heated greenhouses in the UK
out of season are higher than products imported to the UK grown naturally in season abroad.
However, Coley, Howard & Winter, (2009) state carbon is not the only way to measure the
impacts of buying local or global, consumers must evaluate impacts on biodiversity, landscape,
local employment as well as fair working conditions and in places where water stress is high,
growing food can increase the stress on water supplies (Macdiarmid, 2013).

An assumption is that seasonal food is related to local food, however according to Macdiarmid
(2013) seasonal can be global seasonal or local seasonal. Eating seasonal produce can include
eating an orange in the UK that has been grown in season in Spain, but it can also be food that
is grown in season, locally. Local and seasonal food is often described as tastier, fresher and
of better quality than imported food or food produced out of its natural season. However,
storage and transportation were shown to have a low impact on nutrient loss. In some places,
eating local and seasonal all year would be possible, however during winter months in, for
example, the UK there would be a limited variety and therefore not very appealing to
consumers. In addition, being reliant on only local produce reduces resilience when crop
failures are experienced in many different places due to extreme weather events caused by
climate change. Another nutritional threat is instead caused by the change in crops to
maximise yields at the expense of nutrient composition of the food. Research has shown that
the β-carotene of bananas can vary from <1 μg/100 g to 8500 μg/100 g and the iron content
of rice can vary from 0·7 to 6·4 mg/100 g. This is a major concern for health.

19
According to Ewing-Chow (2020) the number of Brits buying local food has increased by 35%
compared to before the pandemic and in the UK more communities and companies are
started such as OddBox selling wonky fruit and vegetables online delivered to your door. Food
that would not make it to the shops and otherwise become food waste (OddBox, 2022). There
is also the Open Food Network, a kind of online farmers’ market connecting producers and
consumers, working for fairer food systems (Open Food Network UK, 2022). These are just
two of the companies trying to rescue food from becoming waste or working for a fairer food
system.

Another issue regards producers who are not being paid enough. Calculations have been made
that suggests 20% of the supermarket retail cost ends up with farmers, while the rest is going
to transportation, employees, wholesalers, and packers. An alternative would be to sell
directly to consumers through farmers’ markets, farm shops as well as box deliveries. Studies
even show that consumers are prepared to pay more for produce when purchasing it directly
from the producer than what they are prepared to pay for a similar product at the
supermarket. Most people even perceived produce at the farmers’ market were of higher
quality than the supermarket products and in below, Figure 5, different examples of supply
chains are shown. The first supply chain (a) is showing the ‘regular’ supply chain when buying
food from a supermarket. The second (b), is showing the supply chain when consumers buy
directly from producers, for example farmers’ markets, when there are no intermediaries. The
third supply chain (c) is showing when producers run a cooperative or collaborate in other
ways. Number four (d) is showing a restaurant buying produce from different local suppliers,
cook it and sell it to consumers. The last chain (e) is showing several different connections and
networks between different producers such as networking events, education, information,
joint marketing etc. and the consumer (Hall, Mitchell & Sharples, 2003).

20
Figure 5: Different supply chain alternatives (Hall, Mitchell & Sharples, 2003).

Farmers’ markets could make a substantial contribution to rural economies, and they are
increasingly popular. In 1997 the first farmers’ market was (re)established in Bath in the UK

21
and by 2002 there were 240 farmers´ markets in the UK. According to the last count, in 2018,
there were 650 farmers´ markets in the UK (Hall, Mitchell & Sharples, 2003 and Harris, 2020).

Already in 2005 Lane (2005) wrote an article about the growing interest in gastronomic
tourism in the UK. Since the industrialisation, which threatened artisan producers and made
many producers abandon their traditional techniques, there is now a demand for quality
produce and locally produced food. People now want to know where their food is coming
from, and many want food that emphasises a destination’s heritage and culture. Some
consumers were already then rather supporting their local businesses than buying products
that had been travelling long distances.

Hall, Mitchell & Sharples (2003) have listed a few practical components of how to integrate
local food to maximise economic and social leverage between producers and the tourism
industry:
• Use local material for packaging
• ‘Buy local’ campaigns
• Hotels and restaurants should buy, and promote, local food and beverage as well as
use local banks and credit unions
• Bottle and package food locally before exporting it
• Use local food as an attraction to visitors
• Connect producers, stakeholders, and institutions to create linkages and exchanges
• Attract external resources through the Internet
• Emphasize local identity in branding through place of origin on the label
• Sell produce in farm shop, farmers markets etc., direct to consumers
• Use newsletters, web sites etc. to create relationships between consumer and
producer

The increase in interest, and money spent on, culinary tourism can contribute to the
preservation and promotion of traditional foods, such as oysters and the Cornish pasty in
Cornwall, UK, and the ceviche in Peru. An increasing demand helps sustain and support
livelihoods dependent on those products (Knollenberg et al., 2021).

22
2.5 Marketing of a tourist destination through food
Traditionally food has been used to develop tourism products in rural areas but according to
Stalmirska (2020) there is an increase in urban tourist destinations using food in destination
marketing as a means of trying to position themselves in the competitive environment and
the competition is stronger than ever. Du Rand & Heath (2006) agrees that in the beginning
of the 21st Century, food tourism started growing due to a change in customer needs,
environmental awareness, and destination competitiveness and sustainability. In response to
this, there was a development of food strategies, food tourism networks, marketing activities,
food events, food festivals, gourmet cooking holidays, culinary tours as well as the promotion
of local products. Food was previously not seen as an important part of a tourism experience,
however it can, and sometimes does, play an important, or even the main, role such as visiting
a specific restaurant, brewery or event (Knollenberg et al., 2021). Local food can therefore
prove an important part of a regional marketing strategy (Sharples, 2003) and many countries
are now beginning to understand the power of using food as a marketing tool and the
importance of food for the image of the destination (Choe & Kim, 2018). There are many
opportunities to create a positive link between food and a destination as food is branded by
nationality such as French, Italian, Chinese etc. If highlighted, promoted, and developed well,
culinary tourism may enhance a destination’s attractiveness and contribute to economic
development. It may also improve the food heritage and quality of life in the community
(Mohamed et al., 2020; Du Rand & Heath, 2006).

Du Rand & Heath (2006) argues that no destination can ignore the importance of using local
food in their marketing as culinary tourism is linked to destination marketing and it is regarded
as an attraction at the destination. Food can enhance the experience of other tourism
products and it deepens the experience as the only product that can be experienced using all
human senses (Knollenberg et al., 2021). Local culinary experiences are a combination of
agriculture, culture and tourism and it is something tangible that tourists can experience to
understand an abstract culture. Agriculture provides the product, culture provides the history
and authenticity, and tourism provides the infrastructure and services, and they combine the
three components into a culinary experience and offer opportunities to market food as an

23
attraction (Mohamed et al., 2020; Du Rand & Heath, 2006). The quality of the holiday
experience is mostly determined by food and it is becoming a key factor in a destination’s
sustainable competitiveness (Du Rand & Heath, 2006). Food is expressive of a region and its
culture and can therefore be used to differentiate different destinations (Knollenberg et al.,
2021). Therefore, food is now allowed to take more place in the marketing of a destination
(Stalmirska, 2020).

Vázquez-Martinez, Sanchís-Pedregosa & Leal-Rodríguez (2019) are pointing out that some
authors see gastronomy as one of the main attributes of the place branding, whereas others
consider gastronomy as one of the key elements to the improvement, sustainability, and
strengthening of tourist destinations. This means gastronomy is an essential part of tourism
and pivotal both in production and consumption. The authors suggest that a destination that
has a strong relationship between food production and tourism can enhance food exports,
increase entrepreneurial initiatives among locals as well as add value to the destination.
Promoting local food is a good way of supporting agriculture and the local economy by adding
value and authenticity as well as preserving culinary heritage, broadening the tourism offer
and stimulating agricultural production. However, food is not just about bringing in income
but a cultural enhancement activity contributing to the overall experience (Du Rand & Heath,
2006). It is also important to aim for sustainable tourism development and not only look to
increase the number of tourists (Knollenberg et al., 2021).

2.5.1 How to attract culinary tourists or “foodies”

People travel to gain new experiences and take a break from everyday life and food is part of
satisfying these needs, proving food is a major part of a destination brand (Freire & Gertner,
2021). Historically it was about providing food for tourists but now tourists are travelling to
search for and enjoy food and drink (Du Rand & Heath, 2006).

To attract foodies, people with a passion for food and drink but not food professionals, the
destinations must ensure their full offer is attractive to tourists such as their services, heritage,
and stories, to produce attractive food and drink offers. It is the collective product that draws
potential tourists to the destination (Knollenberg et al., 2021). Different destinations use
different strategies to develop food and drink experiences to attract foodies. This can entail

24
everything from the government assisting with restaurant renovations, marketing street food,
hosting food festivals, food and drink trails and development of clusters (Knollenberg et al.,
2021). Destinations must work hard to distinguish themselves in an increasingly competitive
market and be strategic in what they offer. Therefore suppliers, operators and destination
companies creating food and drink experiences must understand the strengths of its food and
work together to create a strong food identity that differentiate them from other destinations.
Foodies can have many different interests and it is important for the destination to understand
what kind of foodies they attract in order to tailor the marketing to the right kind of foodies.
This includes connecting tourists with the production, harvesting, processing, cooking, serving
and consumption of the food (Knollenberg et al., 2021; Mohamed et al., 2020).

A memorable culinary experience can enhance the overall experience of a holiday and cause
an emotional connection between the tourist and the destination, and tourists are more likely
to return if they were satisfied with the food experiences. Therefore, restaurants and food
experiences are pivotal to the overall experience and the destination brand. However, the
destination brand will be suffering if the food in a destination is not perceived as good (Freire
& Gertner, 2021).

Stone, Migacz & Wolf (2019) state that most food tourism research focuses on activities
before and during travelling, however food may also play a large role in the memory of a
visited destination as well as future behaviour. They found that 80.2% agreed that food and
drink experiences are important to the overall satisfaction of a trip, and it increases the
likelihood of a tourist returning to a destination. It also makes visitors more likely to
recommend the destination and over 50% of travellers posted their food and drink
experiences on social media. It is also common to buy food or drink as gifts or to consume
when back home.

Most governments have their own tourism websites that are government-sponsored, and
they are an important tool for destinations to market their local culture and food. These
websites can be key to food tourism marketing when designed adequately with high-quality
pictures and videos. Videos and visual images are a powerful marketing tool. However, the
first step is to identify and introduce local food culture. Partnerships between DMOs and

25
private and public sectors is important to provide financial support for marketing activities
(Mohamed et al., 2020).

2.5.2 Storytelling
Storytelling is the art of telling a story and while some parts are delivered, other parts remain
undelivered, and the listener can interpret some unintended messages (Ben Youssef, Leicht &
Marongiu, 2019). People have, for as long as we know, been telling each other stories about
the place where they live, places they have visited and where they are from. A sense of place
is essential to human life and people like to tell, and listen to, stories (Bassano et al., 2019).
People soak up facts easier when told a story rather than raw data as they are more likely to
remember stories due to the fact that they can be kept factually, visually and emotionally in
the memory (Ben Youssef, Leicht & Marongiu, 2019). The reason for this is that facts activate
one zone in the brain, however stories activate up to seven zones in the brain meaning that
stories engage its listeners in a deeper way. The story also stays with people much longer than
a single memory of a meal or a drink (Le Pouesard, 2022).

Consequently, compared to traditional advertising, storytelling is perceived in a more positive

way and brand benefits tend to be less criticised. Since stories often have heroes the brand,
staff or customers can be turned into heroes in the story. Due to the positive effects of heroes;
personification or anthropomorphism is therefore pivotal for storytelling. However,
storytelling can also be stories shared between consumers and many make travel decisions
based on the stories and recommendations of other tourists (Ben Youssef, Leicht & Marongiu,
2019).

Many believe local food tells the story of a place and that it is the heart and soul of a
destination and the stories about the food such as the origin of the ingredients can be used to
tell a story about the destination (Stalmirska, 2020). Telling stories is important to enhance
the competitiveness of a destination and visitors’ decisions are increasingly influenced by it.
Stories attract consumer interest, and they learn about a destinations’ history and culture
through local food and storytelling (Stalmirska, 2020; Ben Youssef, Leicht & Marongiu, 2019).
Through specific place attributes and place identity a destination can differentiate its offerings

26
and find stories that have never been told, and authenticity is an important aspect of
storytelling (Ben Youssef, Leicht & Marongiu, 2019).

Food is our way of remembering holidays or big life events (Fleming, 2013). Flavour is linked
with memory and emotion; they are all processed by the same part of the brain. Whenever a
person eats something, the brain is subconsciously trying to compare it to other food the
person has eaten and find a similarity. A powerful story behind the food has the ability of
bringing up memories, which then enhances the taste of the food. People are now more
interested in the provenance of the food served in restaurants, and ingredients as well as the
land that has produced them can be explained with tales and stories (Fleming, 2013). Quoted
by Tan (2022) chef Damian D’Silva, of restaurant Folklore, explains what storytelling means to
him:
“I believe it makes the dining experience a lot more meaningful when you know
the story behind the dish. The diner takes something back that he or she has
never known before. It’s not that it makes someone clever; it makes someone
aware. When there is awareness, there will be a new inquisitiveness to know
more about the cuisine or culture.”

Restaurants have many opportunities to tell stories through their tableware, décor, lighting,
music as well as food and beverage. They should be seen as a contribution to the bigger picture
and not just individually. With the help of new technologies and the Internet, storytelling is
simpler than ever and it has become a powerful tool when marketing destinations but it
should be given more attention (Bassano et al., 2019). The stories can be told on their social
media, blogs, website, articles and other community channels where they tell stories about
their producers, ingredients, the local village etc. (Le Pouesard, 2022).

However, stories are not only for consumers, but stories also engage staff. Chef Fernando
Arevalo at restaurant Preludio says most waiters are not planning to be waiters forever and
most chefs are working to feed their families. Including them in the creative part of storytelling
gives them a sense of belonging and ownership and it makes staff more loyal. It also makes
them appreciate the products they are working with in the kitchen. Quoted by Tan (2022)
Arevalo explains:

27
 “If you tell a cook that the butter is the most expensive in the world, it doesn’t
mean anything to them. But when you tell them the story about the guy who
makes the butter — how he shovels nine tonnes of butter twice a week by hand
and you show them a picture with the shovel and tell them about his father and
grandfather who have all done the same — the cook now looks at the butter in a
new light and he goes: ‘Oh my god, I need to protect this butter’. Because now it
means so much more than how much it costs.”

2.6 Perceptions of British food

When tourists book a trip to the UK, food is not necessarily at the top of the list. The cultural
and historical attractions are usually what appeal most to UK visitors. Going out to eat/drink
ranked second to last (4%), when tourists were asked about the reasons for visiting, behind
heritage/history (30%), culture (25%), to see world famous places (24%), visiting
family/friends (20%), shopping (20%), relaxation (14%), and countryside/outdoors/adventure
(9%). Only sport (2%) ranked lower than food (Visit Britain, 2016).

Figure 6: Reasons to visit the UK, based on research by Visit Britain (2016), own design.

However, the above numbers, in Figure 6, do not mean that UK food does not delight or appeal
to tourists, only that it is not the primary reason for visiting and 55% of visitors were interested
in trying local food and drink. The food most people were interested in trying was a full English

28
breakfast, ranked highest, and then roast dinner, fish and chips, and afternoon tea, however
there is also a big interest in trying British beer, cakes, pudding, and Haggis (Visit Britain, 2016).

According to a study made by Visit Britain (2017) people who consider food a factor for their
travel decisions tend to be younger, more adventurous and have a better perception of British
food. When asking tourists what they think of British food 60% agreed that British food
products are of good quality and 56% believe the UK is a good place to try local specialities.
When asked what food Britain is famous for 52% answered “baked goods”, 45% whisky and
43% meat. However, people who had visited the UK in the last 12 months were more aware
of cheese, sparkling wine, fish and seafood, and curry. The nationalities most interested in
trying local food are Chinese and Brazilians with Turkish, Dutch, and Japanese on the other
end of the scale. Only 19% of respondents in a survey in 2015 associated the UK with food as
an export, however it varies a lot by market. The countries with the strongest associations
with Britain and food is South Africa (36%), India (27%) and Australia (23%). However, on the
other end is Japan (7%) and South Korea (9%). In both France and Italy, two countries strongly
associated with food themselves, only 10% associated the UK with food (Visit Britain, 2016;
Visit Britain, 2017).

Among tourists who have previously visited the UK, the interest in British food seems to be
higher than among those who have not visited the UK. This may indicate that British food is
more appealing than what was expected. This is confirmed when 41% of overnight visitors say
they are very satisfied with the food and drink experiences in the UK, and 38% were very
satisfied. In general, women are the ones most interested in trying British food and trying new
food in general when travelling (Visit Britain, 2016).

When tourists are in the UK, research done by Visit Britain (2019) show that two of the top-
four activities people would most likely do when travelling to the UK involve food and drink.
The top four activities are 1. ‘Driving through the countryside of England’, 2. ‘Taking a canal
boat tour through the waterways of England’, 3. ‘A food tour of one of London’s best foodie
markets’, and 4. ‘Enjoying a traditional afternoon tea’. However, when comparing the average
score within each theme Food & Drink is found in place five out of seven. Despite the low
score as a theme, half of the respondents would like to take ‘A food tour of one of London’s

29
best foodie markets’, and ‘Enjoy a traditional afternoon tea’. The results show that there is a
growing interest in, and knowledge of, British food options offered to visitors. Those who have
previously been in the UK showed more interest in food and drink activities than those who
had not previously been. However, the image of British food is still challenging.

The reasons to return to a holiday destination are generally the food and drink offer, seeing
other sights and attractions or visiting other parts of the country. However, when comparing
the reasons to return to the UK compared to a destination in general, local food and drink is
not a reason to come back. In general, 45% choose local food and drink as a reason to return
to a destination, however only 24% of previous visitors to the UK state that as a reason to
return to the UK. Local food and drink appear as a top five reason to return to a destination in
general, except for the Egypt market. The Japanese and South Korean markets are more likely
to come back to a destination because of the local food and drink. The overall reason to come
back to the UK is to visit a different part of the country whereas the local food and drink is less
likely to make people come back (Visit Britain, 2020).

Food does not have to be the main reason for travelling but being able to offer a good food
experience while tourists are there will add to the good experience. Department for Digital,
Culture, Media & Sport (2021, p. 38) is mentioning in its report that “developing the country’s
food tourism offer is an exciting area for exploration” and they will explore how the food and
beverage in the UK can develop tourism further, including in rural areas where producers are
often based.

3. Methodology
3.1 Purpose and aim
The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how important local food is for
the image of a tourist destination. The aim of this study is to understand how destinations use
food and drink in the marketing of their UK tourist destinations.

30
3.2 Research process
The reason I chose to research how local food is used in the marketing of tourist destinations
in the UK was because I had first decided to research if UK could become a food destination.
The subject was chosen because many places in the UK are ahead of other countries when it
comes to farm to fork restaurants, taking care of food waste, no waste shops, having food that
would not have made it to the supermarkets delivered in boxes on peoples’ doorsteps etc.
The UK is not famous for their food, but it is slowly starting to change and therefore I wanted
to research if the UK could become a food destination.

After having spent a few weeks in the UK and understanding that my perceptions were true
in some areas and far from the truth in other parts of the country and the idea of interviewing
restaurants and Destination Management Companies proved much more difficult than
anticipated, I decided to change my subject. A possible explanation is that after two years of
lockdowns and living with the Covid-19 pandemic most restrictions were removed and having
lost a lot of staff many were overwhelmed with the requests and business coming in.

Conducting this research for a Destination Management Company, the Managing Director put
me in contact with the CEO of UK Inbound who in turn put me in contact with a couple of
Destination Management Organisations and a few other organisations. Due to the contacts I
gained through UK Inbound, it made sense to look more at the marketing side of it and as I
had already done a lot of reading on culinary tourism and it being a big interest of mine, I did
not want to let go of that subject completely. Therefore, I decided to research what role local
food plays in the marketing of tourist destinations in the UK. I managed to book a few
interviews on my own but thanks to UK Inbound I was able to conduct eight interviews in total.
Some were quite similar in their answers, but others were more unique.

3.3 Research design

I chose to conduct several case studies because I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of
how local food is used in destination marketing and how important it is for a tourist
destination to offer good food. Conducting several case studies allows the researcher to make
an analysis within and across settings. The result of multiple case studies are therefore

31
normally more robust and generalisable (D. O’Gorman & Macintosh, 2015). According to
Hammond & Wellington (2020) when conducting case studies, the researcher is adaptive and
tries to understand local conditions as well as take advantage of opportunities they may be
presented with. However, an issue may be that the researcher will not fully know what kind
of case they have until they have started researching it. D. O’Gorman & Macintosh (2015) state
cases in several case studies should be selected in a way that the researcher may have similar
or contradictory results. In this case, similar cases were studied to be able to compare results
between destinations with food as a common attribute.

My hope is that the results of this study will inspire the destinations in the study to learn from
each other but also for other destinations to be inspired to use local food in their destination
marketing and develop their food offerings. I also hope the results can be of use to AC Travel
when looking for inspiration for their corporate groups and for the destinations to learn about
the difficulties experienced by a DMC when looking for local and sustainable options.

3.4 Research approach

A literature review was made of existing articles and books about local food, culinary tourism,
destination marketing and storytelling. Based on the studied literature, I decided to conduct
interviews with DMOs and other organisations in the UK where food and drink is an important
part of the offer. Eight semi-structured interviews were held as well as regular contact with
the DMC that was also my host organisation.

All interviews were held face-to-face on Zoom where me and the respondent could see each
other. According to Sreejesh, Mohapatra & Anusree (2014) face-to-face interviews have a
number of advantages over interviews conducted in other ways. Advantages may include
opportunities for feedback and clarifications, if the respondent start discussing irrelevant
subjects the interviewer can ask further questions or lead the respondent back to the subject.
When conducting a face-to-face interview, the interview is expected to be longer as the
respondent is more likely to answer all questions and to feel comfortable answering questions.

All interviews were held on Zoom, and I started by thanking them for taking the time to talk
to me as well as giving them a short presentation of myself and the subject. I was also asking

32
for their consent to record the interview. Everybody agreed to be recorded and it gave me the
opportunity to be more alert and listen carefully as well as ask follow-up questions instead of
focusing on taking notes. The interviews were between 20-60 minutes long and due to the
development of Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic, both I and the respondents seemed
comfortable with the format. All interviews were recorded and later transcribed and analysed
by me.

I asked the same questions to all DMOs except one that was conducted before the change of
subject. However, complementary questions were sent later through email. For the other
organisations I altered some of the questions to fit their organisation. Most respondents felt
very calm and comfortable, and the atmosphere was very friendly and relaxed and most
offered to answer further questions should I have any. Some also asked to have a copy of the
thesis sent to them when finished as it would be interesting to read about the other
destinations.

Transcribing interviews is time-consuming; however, it did help me understand, process, and

analyse the data. It also helps with not having to rely on your memory but hear exactly what
the respondent said. The dialect could, however, still be an issue when neither the
microphone nor I picked up what was said on a few occasions. When using Zoom for interviews
the connection, microphone and speakers can be an issue and that sometimes affected the
recording, however the transcribing picked up most of what was said. My intention was to
travel to the different areas and conduct the interviews face to face but due to different
circumstances such as that a few of them were still working from home due to the Covid-19
pandemic and limitations in my budget Zoom worked out as a good solution.

I had ten questions that most respondents answered (the questions can be found in Appendix
1), however depending on the answers, follow-up questions were sometimes asked. This led
to more flow in the interviews and gave me and the respondents more freedom as to not
being stuck with the exact questions. Sometimes I would skip questions if they had already
spoken about it in another answer and, sometimes I would say that they already mentioned
it or talked about it but read the question anyway and asked if they wanted to add something.
Flexibility was very important as it allowed space for follow-up questions.

33
3.5 Data analysis
Interviews often lead to large amounts of data that the researcher must try to understand.
The researcher can divide data into more manageable smaller parts, this is the most common
way to analyse data, called coding. The codes can be developed prior or post data collection
(D. O’Gorman & Macintosh, 2015). I analysed most interviews the day after conducting them.
That gave me a break between the interview and the analysis to make it settle before analysing
it. However, it was still quite fresh in my memory when doing the analysis. To analyse the
interviews, I used a thematic approach to identify, analyse and report patterns within the
collected data (D. O’Gorman & Macintosh, 2015). This is one of the most common approaches
and a theme can consist of a category identified by the researcher that relates to the chosen
subject or the research question that builds on codes identified in transcripts (Bryman, 2012).
When choosing a thematic approach to analyse interviews, there are some important rules to
follow, as seen in Figure 7, first identified by Braun & Clarke (2006), and later adapted by D.
O’Gorman & Macintosh (2015).

Figure 7: Phases of thematic analysis (D. O’Gorman & Macintosh, 2015).

After analysing a couple of interviews, I started seeing some patterns and decided to look for
literature on the subject. Although I read some literature before starting the practical part, to

34
have some idea of what to ask respondents, doing the theoretical part and the results
simultaneously is the best way for me to do research.

3.6 Sample
I had an idea of who I wanted to conduct interviews with for my initial topic, however when it
proved difficult to schedule interviews, and even receive a response from anybody at all, and
I had the talk with the CEO of UK Inbound who put me in contact with a couple of DMOs, I
decided to change subject. I was able to schedule two interviews on my own with different
DMO’s and UK Inbound reached out to a further three. In total I conducted eight interviews,
whereas five were with DMOs, one with an awards certification programme recognising
sustainable tourism businesses, one with a charitable organisation within culture, sport and
learning, and one with a trade organisation within food, drink and craft businesses. The
organisations UK Inbound contacted on my behalf fitted my subject and sample well and it
helped guide me on the way of my new topic.

Furthermore, I reached out to several restaurants, DMCs and a further four DMOs, however
most of them did not reply and one replied they did not have the time. One DMO asked me
to send the questions via email and they replied with short answers, however it was difficult
to make an analysis of the short answers and I felt that both of us could have gotten more out
of an interview over Zoom.

3.7 Ethics
My research involved interviews with human respondents and therefore ethics was important
to consider. According to D. O’Gorman & Macintosh (2015) considering ethics is important for
three reasons: navigating sensitive topics, improving research outcomes, and ensuring
professional conduct. The researcher may study something that is sensitive, which could
include different topics and what is sensitive may be viewed differently by different parties.
Ethics will also improve the quality of the outcome when including respondents fully informed
of what the research is about and who can relate to it with their own experiences. Ethics can
also go beyond the present and organisations may have codes of conduct that could include
regulations of how to behave in relation to research as part of the organisation.

35
Interviews typically demand much more of a respondent than surveys and it is more of an
intrusion. It takes more of the respondent’s time, demands more attention, asks for more in-
depth reflection and it may include difficult topics as well as require more effort by the
respondents when answering questions. Potential for harm is also greater when participating
in interviews if privacy is breached. One thing to make clear when conducting interviews is
that participation by the respondent is fully voluntary (Vogt, Gardner & Haeffele, 2012).

Many respondents worry about their privacy when participating in interviews and how the
researcher will report what you have learnt from them (Vogt, Gardner & Haeffele, 2012). A
few participants asked for a copy of the finished thesis to read and learn about the other
destinations; therefore, it was pivotal I asked for permission from all respondents to include
their names and to send the thesis to other destinations. I asked my respondents for
permission to include their personal names and company names in the thesis, however not
everybody was comfortable with me including their personal name. Therefore, I have chosen
to only include the company names of all respondents. My host organisation, AC Travel, that
were used mostly to try the theories on have agreed to have their names included in the
thesis.

3.8 Limitations
The difficulties in scheduling interviews meant I did not have complete control over who I
could interview. However, the interviews I conducted fitted well into my research, although
there are some other destinations I would have liked to include in my research that are big
food destinations, such as Yorkshire. Not being able to travel to the destinations was also
limiting, seeing the destination could have made the analysis deeper. For somebody working
with marketing at the destination to talk about what they do is one thing, but it is something
completely different to be on the other end and investigate if the efforts reach the tourist.
The change of topic and the confusion in between, before deciding on the new topic, resulted
in some time constraints which may have affected the depth of the topic.

To gain an even deeper understanding, it would have been valuable to ask tourists what they
think of the food at each destination and why they travel to these destinations as well as if

36
they have been affected by marketing of food and drink at these destinations to either confirm
what the tourism professionals were saying, or not. A talk was held with the host organisation,
a DMC, to understand their views of the subject but also to understand what their clients are
asking for. This may not be representative of all clients, however, as they are mostly working
with corporate groups.

The analysis of the DMO websites is not as deep as it should be, it is more of an overview than
a deep analysis. Therefore, I have chosen to call it an overview instead of analysis. This could
qualify as a full research on its own and then be performed on a much deeper level. However,
it is important to include as it connects back to the interviews with the DMOs.

4. Culinary tourism case studies and analysis

In this section I will present the most important findings from my case studies. Interviews were
conducted with representatives from five different regions as well as a couple of talks with my
host organisation, based in London but with the whole of UK and Ireland as their market. The
regions selected all have a strong food and drink offer and they are located in different parts
of the UK; Bristol, Cornwall, Cumbria (Lake District), Kent and Scotland. The map below, in
Figure 8, highlights the destinations studied for a further understanding of the different
locations.

37
Figure 8: Culinary destinations in the UK, part of this research, own design.

Interviews were held with representatives from the following organisations:

Cumbria Tourism/Visit Lake District (Most of Lake District is part of Cumbria)
Glasgow Life
Green Tourism
Produced in Kent
Visit Cornwall
Visit Kent
Visit Scotland
Visit West (Bristol, Bath, North & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire)

A couple of informal talks as well as email correspondence were held with representatives
from AC Travel & Leisure Ltd. (AC Travel). AC Travel is mostly working with the Nordic
corporate market (Sweden, Norway, and Denmark). Clients will contact an agent in their home
country who will in turn contact AC Travel, responsible for putting a package together based
on the client’s requests. AC Travel will contact partners in the UK such as accommodation,
activities, transportation, and restaurants and make an offer to the agent who in turn contact

38
the client. AC Travel is in the middle and must listen to client’s needs, the agent, and their UK
partners. They are therefore aware of client’s wants and needs as well as current trends
among partners.

This part will connect to the literature previously explored. First a general introduction to the
different destinations will be made including what kind of food and drink they are famous for.
The term local food is widely discussed and does not yet have an official definition. Section
two will therefore explore how respondents define local food. The third section will discuss
community impacts by food and drink. Following section, four, discusses how local food is
boosting the local economy. The marketing of a destination using local food and drink as well
as storytelling will be discussed in the following sections. The sixth section will discuss
perceptions of British food. All UK destinations are facing a challenge when marketing British
food abroad. This section is investigating if the presumptions are still true. A destination can
have attractive nature, activities, cultural and historical attractions but if the food is boring or
bland, what would happen to the destination? This will be explored in section seven. At the
end of each subchapter a short analysis and the main takeaways from that chapter will be
presented. An overview of the DMOs websites to investigate how local food is used in their
marketing is also presented. Furthermore, a talk was held with AC Travel for views on these
subjects from their perspective and to understand what clients are asking for.

4.1 UK as a culinary tourist destination

UK is a producer of some of the best food in the world, however a lot is exported to other
countries, much of the Scottish seafood is shipped to countries like Spain and France. Unique
to the UK is that nowhere in the world will you find food from so many different countries as
you can do in UK. Good, authentic, international food, often cooked with British produce. This
is probably a result from the British overseas territories, but possibly one of the few positive
outcomes from that time (Jansson, 2022).

Kent is known as the Garden of England thus local produce is easily accessed and therefore it
is also natural to include food in the marketing of the area. The area is known for its many
castles and gardens and that is the main reason tourists visit Kent and it is one reason Kent is
called the Garden of England, however another part is the agriculture and farming (Visit Kent,

39
2022c). Kent is famous for its orchards and the national fruit collection, Brogdale is home to
over 4000 different types of fruits such as apples, pears, cherries, plums etc. (Brogdale
Collections, 2022; Visit Kent, 2022) but there are also vineyards and hop gardens,
cheesemakers and cideries as well as the coastline providing them with fish and shellfish (Visit
Kent, 2022c).

Cumbria is famous for traditional and quite stodgy food such as sausages, pies, and cakes.
However with eight Michelin star restaurants and a further 12 recognised by the Michelin
Guide (2022) there are many high-end restaurants and many forage their own ingredients.
However, Cumbria is very hilly and therefore growing fruit and vegetables is difficult,
therefore traditionally the area is most suited for hill farming, with mainly cattle and grazing,
hence, traditional Cumbrian is very meat based. This is a challenge now when speaking about
plant-based diets and therefore projects are underway to encourage farmers to use some of
their land to try and grow fruit trees and vegetables in efforts to shift people a little and be
less dependent on meat production. However, it is difficult because some of the land is just
not suitable because it is too high and hilly. There are also projects where entire valleys are
aiming at becoming low carbon valleys and restaurants are collaborating with local farmers to
encourage them to grow more products that they would like to serve in their restaurants to
shift them away from just grazing and livestock (Cumbria Tourism, 2022).

For Visit West (2022) sustainability is in the core of the destination and the region, and has
been for many years, and Bristol was named European Green Capital in 2015. Since 2017,
Bristol has been working with the World Food Travel Organisation and local partners to
develop Bristol into a culinary destination. Being a culinary destination for Bristol is about
having great food offers, lots of local provenance, connecting local suppliers, developing local
supply chains, and looking at food retail, the role of street food and markets as well as dining
and drinks and how it all fits together. In 2019 Bristol was named “World’s Best Culinary
Destination”. However, when asked about what Bristol is famous for it is not the food that is
mentioned first but the beer and the many breweries as well as the inclusive and friendly
atmosphere and collaborations between them. Many are also choosing to sell their beer in
local corner shops instead of in big supermarkets to support local supply chains. The second
thing that is mentioned is the gin distilleries where one is working with local restaurants to

40
create a bespoke gin that suits their style of food. There are also many cider makers, wineries,
cheese makers, meat (mainly beef and pork), seasonal vegetables etc.

Scotland is known for its many whisky distilleries, but like many other places in the UK,
Scotland is experiencing an increase in gin distilleries. New whisky distilleries often make gin
while waiting for the whisky to mature, for an income in the meantime. Unlike whisky, gin is
made quickly (Visit Scotland, 2022f). Scotland is also famous for its seafood, beef, game and
lamb, (Visit Scotland, 2022; Glasgow Life, 2022). However, Glasgow is famous for the diversity
and the mix of different kind of restaurants. Regardless of what people can afford, there is
something for everyone, from affordable options to Michelin starred restaurants as well as a
very strong vegetarian and vegan offer, mixed with Scottish cuisine. People know when they
travel to Glasgow that they can find anything from Scottish to curries to Thai (Glasgow Life,
2022). Glasgow is a post-industrial city that has gone through huge amounts of change and
there are many things going on (Glasgow Life, 2022). They are now aiming at becoming
Europe’s most sustainable city and they have a big focus on food and drink (Visit Scotland,
2022f) with ambitions of becoming the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2030 (GDSM,
2022).

Cornwall is famous for its Cornish Pasty, cheese, meat, and seafood such as oysters, fish, and
mussels. On the drink side many wine producers are located in the area, one of which is Camel
Valley that has won prices for the best sparkling rosé wine (Camel Valley, 2022) and have
beaten the champagnes with their sparkling wine. However, other vineyards are also doing
very well, mostly producers of whites and rosés as the climate is more suited for that kind of
wine. Just like the other counties, there are many gin producers in Cornwall, however all but
one, Colwith Farm, bring in Polish potato vodka, that most gins are made of, and re-distil it.
Colwith Farm is a potato farmer in Cornwall, that produce their own potato vodka, then turn
it into Cornish gin to make it truly Cornish. There are a few things such as the Cathedral City
cheddar cheese that is found in all supermarkets across the UK. This is completely made in
Cornwall by Cornish milk, however, according to Visit Cornwall (2022), most people would
probably assume it has nothing to do with Cornwall. Many market gardens have opened up to
supply restaurants with herbs, spices, chillies etc. There is also a saffron farmer providing
Cornwall with saffron, normally imported from Spain. Some Cornish specialties are made with

41
saffron such as saffron buns and cakes and they can now use local saffron. This is made
possible by entrepreneurs seeing opportunities to help others make their products even more
Cornish. During the last 20 years, they have seen the change in chefs buying quality ingredients
but to develop the supply chain increasingly and buy more local. Now there is almost a
challenge of how local you can make it, starting from key ingredients, growing to more and
more local and now looking at everything you can grow in the area. Cornwall is also the only
place in the UK growing tea. Tregothnan is used by British Embassies all over the world as well
as served by top Cornish restaurants as it is truly English tea, it would normally come from Sri
Lanka and India (Visit Cornwall, 2022c).

4.1.1 Main takeaways

The high-quality British produce as well as the international food from every corner of the
world are reasons to appreciate British food. The studied counties are famous for different
kinds of produce depending on the conditions in the area and what was historically shipped
in, however a big part of the produce has been exported to other countries which proves an
issue. Whisky distilleries and breweries have historically been very connected with the UK but
adding to that, gin distilleries are opening all over the country and British wine is earning more
recognition.

4.2 Definition of the term local food

According to Produced in Kent (2022), the obvious local is the food that is grown or made in
the county, however, there are also the coffee makers importing the coffee beans but then
adding more value through grinding and roasting and providing local employment. Local
means different things to different people and local could be food from their village, their
district, or their county. A few years ago, they were talking about a 30-mile radius, however
some pointed out that from certain places in Kent that would include the tip of France, for
example from Dover to Calais, to point out the absurdity of being too hung up on a definition.
In a study made by Stalmirska (2021) stakeholders in Yorkshire stated food should be sourced
within 30 miles to be called local but they also agreed the distance could be extended in large
cities such as London and Manchester. Others say anything produced within the county, in
this case Yorkshire, with Yorkshire ingredients can be called local.

42
Some retailers in Kent will only sell local produce, consequently they are not selling bananas,
lemons etc., but other retailers stock a mix of both as people are otherwise going elsewhere
for the imported products. Produced in Kent (2022) state it is about being clear about what is
local and what is not. If you are a small local shop and decide not to stock what people want
on an everyday basis the consumers must go to the supermarket for those products and they
are then more likely to go to the supermarket for everything. It is about traceability, telling
stories, and naming names of your producers and about how things are sourced. Many
companies go through Fairtrade or local cooperative organisations or talk directly with the
farmers when they are sourcing things like coffee beans and chocolate. York is, for example,
very famous for chocolate, however, the cocoa trees do not grow in York, but the chocolate
history goes back hundreds of years, exactly like Belgium, famous for its chocolate.
Traceability can mean that it is sourced locally but it can also mean that you know every step
of the chain of your product.

Glasgow Life (2022) states local produce is “obviously local” but also Scottish and they
associate it with authenticity, quality, and having local provenance and it has not been brought
in from another country. One part of local food is food specific for that area and the other part
is overall Scottish food (Visit Scotland, 2022f). It is difficult to source entirely from Scotland,
therefore most restaurants use a mix of Scottish and imported produce (Glasgow Life, 2022).
Taste Our Best is a Visit Scotland scheme that promotes businesses that serve locally sourced
food and drink (Visit Scotland, 2022d) and 40% of the produce restaurants use must be locally
sourced if they want to be part of the scheme. One part of local food is food specific for that
area and the other part is overall Scottish food according to Visit Scotland (2022).

To Visit West (2022) local food is ingredients or finished products made within, or close to, the
destination. Bristol, with a large international community, also focuses on local food with
international influences.

Visit Cornwall (2022) defines local food as produce, processed and prepared food sourced
“within the most convenient short distance”. Explaining that, he mentions adding 50% of value
to something means it can be called local. For example, if Argentinian beef is used to make a

43
Cornish pasty it can be called local. There is not just one aspect of it though, lots of vegetables
are grown in Cornwall but they also make lots of food such as pasties and clotted cream and
if producers bring in cream from elsewhere and turn it into clotted cream in Cornwall, they
can call it Cornish clotted cream as they have added more value to it. However, for something
to be truly local, or at least more local, Visit Cornwall encourages their members and
restaurants to put the supplier’s names on the products.

In Cornwall the independent restaurants are very good at using local produce, however the
big chains are not, although there are not too many chain restaurants in Cornwall. Many of
the medium and higher end restaurants even list their suppliers. Many people are very proud
to push it to be as local as possible and show others that they can do better (Visit Cornwall,
2022c).

To Cumbria Tourism (2022) local produce is not about food miles, it is about sourcing things
from within the county as much as possible but also championing local producers and local
products. However, there is some crossover, and they source products within a 10–20-mile
periphery of the county border. For them it is all about sustainability and to support smaller
local producers and to be able to track a product right back to where it came from and its
heritage rather than something being shipped in and then sourced in Cumbria. However, there
are several ports on the west coast of Cumbria where plenty of spices used to come in.
Therefore, they have a few very distinctive dishes such as the spicy Cumberland sausage and
the Grasmere Gingerbread that has been produced in a certain shop since the 1850’s and has
been trademarked. There is also the Rum Nicky, a sort of sweet pie made from dates, ginger,
rum and brown sugar (Hollywood, 2022), that uses rum that used to come in through the ports
(Cumbria Tourism, 2022). Stalmirska (2021) is raising the question of whether something
typically local that is produced locally with imported ingredients can be called local. There is
no clear definition of local food as it is related to social, economic, and cultural norms.

4.2.1 Main takeaways

Most of the respondents define local as something that is produced, processed or prepared
within, or close to, the county. Nobody believes in the 30-mile radius discussed a few years
ago. In some parts of Kent, that would include the tip of France. Some state local is also about

44
traceability and the phrase ‘truly local’ was discussed where local products are made from
local ingredients. However, some counties are famous for food made by ingredients that has
traditionally been shipped in, such as rum and spices and that can still be called local.

4.3 Community impacts by food and drink

Produced in Kent is a membership organisation working with predominantly food and drink
businesses but also some artisan craft, however food and drink is one of their cornerstones.
They help companies market themselves through the Produced in Kent website, email
newsletters and social media whether it is attracting people to shops, restaurants and cafés
or a destination, or visiting a vineyard or a food festival. They are also mentoring and
supporting businesses and trying to create collaborations between them to benefit from other
businesses around. Produced in Kent have a close collaboration with Visit Kent that is more
focused on tourism but since food and tourism often intersect they are running campaigns
together and share each other’s marketing for a greater benefit (Produced in Kent, 2022b).

In 2021 Bristol received Gold Sustainable City status following the Going for Gold campaign
launched in 2019. This recognises the work made by the Bristol food system aiming at solving
social, environmental, and economic issues (Going for Gold Bristol, 2021). A big reason why
Bristol is a culinary city is because it is very multicultural, and due to the difficulties to
articulate the diverse culture they were inspired by a programme called 91 ways. The 91 ways
programme is named after the 91 languages spoken in Bristol (91 Ways, 2022b) and it is about
celebrating cultural differences and connections through food as the easiest way to introduce
a culture and what made the culture distinct was through the food they ate (Visit West,
2022a). The aim of 91 Ways (2022a) “is to build a more global city through encouraging people
to share their personal food journeys recipes, and passions. We believe this will help to bridge
the gaps between Bristol’s 91 language communities and build a more united city.”. Important
in Bristol is also the inclusive and friendly atmosphere between producers. Many sell their
beer in local corner shops instead of big supermarkets, and there are events such as “She
drinks beer” aimed at all the women working in the industry (Visit West, 2022a).

Visit Cornwall are collaborating with Cornwall Food & Drink that help food and drink
businesses to build brands, make money, delight new audiences, employ more people etc.

45
(Cornwall Food & Drink, 2022). Collaborating with others is vital and it is what creates a
premium product. Culture is very important, and people complain that the restaurants close
too early in Cornwall but that is the way they do it and have always done. As Visit Cornwall
explained, nobody would go to Barcelona and try to eat dinner at 6pm, it is just not how they
do it in Spain. Just like Barcelona, Cornwall does not want to change their culture and become
like any other place with the same food (Visit Cornwall, 2022c).

An issue in Scotland is the many restaurants serving locally sourced food, but who do not
mention it on the menus. Visitors are interested in local food and come to Scotland looking
for it, and they are prepared to pay more for locally sourced food. Visit Scotland are trying to
make sure businesses understand that it is important to brag about their locally sourced beef
or the fish that just arrived from the harbour and not just put it on the menu as any other item
that arrived from the wholesalers and may have been sourced from anywhere. Sourcing locally
may not be the cheapest option, but it is what visitors are looking for. However, it is also about
service, cleanliness, knowledge of the menu and understanding how to cook with the
ingredients you have. A restaurant can source the best local produce but if they do not know
how to treat it, people will not want to pay for it (Visit Scotland, 2022f).

Initially Taste Our Best was focused on making Scotland a food destination with emphasis on
high-end restaurants but now the focus is to inspire as many restaurants as possible to source
locally. There is still a lot to be done going forward and there are conversations about food
waste and reducing food miles, more businesses sourcing local etc. A key to making this
happen is to make it easy for the businesses and provide the tools for them just like Taste Our
Best did when they said 40% of the food needs to be sourced locally. Food and drink is at the
heart of the goal working for net zero and mapping out what the next few years will look like
(Visit Scotland, 2022f).

4.3.1 Main takeaways

Food and drink can be used to celebrate cultural differences, attract tourists to a destination
and encourage collaborations between different stakeholders. Visitors at a destination are
often prepared to pay more for local food, therefore it is important for restaurants ensure

46
people know they are serving local food. In a few places, some restaurants do not mention it
at all.

4.4 Boosting the local economy

Visit Cornwall (2022) mentions circular economy and how to make money stay at the
destination. Using Gotland, Sweden, as an example Visit Cornwall (2022) explains how to make
a place more successful economically:
“The first thing is, get money coming into the island by the selling things or
getting people to come and leave their money behind. The second one is not to
have too much money going out and that's where local purchasing comes in. And
the third one is getting it going as round as many local suppliers as possible
because the money, that's that bit, and the other bit is stopping it going out. The
other one is making it go round lots of times. So, it’s called the circular economy
and not having too much leakage.”

In Cornwall, tourists spend approximately £2 billion but just over 50% leaves Cornwall again
and having that extra billion staying in Cornwall would make a massive difference to the local
economy. Approximately 27% of that is spent on food and drink including going to the national
supermarkets but increasing the local spending is the easiest way of making the circular
economy work. Having lots of local independent businesses spending local is the best for
creating a circular economy. The chains will always look at how to make the most profit and
they are unlikely to contribute to circular economy (Visit Cornwall, 2022). According to
Stalmirska (2020) there is also a risk of sameness and predictable products if global franchise
operators start to dominate. Destinations will not be able to deliver uniqueness and will
therefore not attract tourists who prefer unique destinations.

Discussing circular economy with AC Travel and making the money stay at the destination is
something they are thinking about, however when dealing with bigger groups, they
experience issues finding local hotels and restaurants with the right capacity. The hotels must
have the capacity to accept larger groups including twin rooms, conference rooms and the
requested standard. This is often limited to the large international chain hotels. However, if
receiving requests from smaller groups, they are making efforts to book smaller, local,

47
independent hotels. The experience of staying in smaller independent hotels is often a more
positive one (Brodin Cangialosi, 2022).

The Covid-19 pandemic has probably sped up the process of eating local as the hospitality
industry has struggled during the pandemic. Visit Kent and Produced in Kent launched a
campaign called “support your local” to encourage people to eat more local food to support
their local businesses as well as encouraging restaurants, cafés, and attractions to use local
produce. Brexit may also have an impact on increasing the locally sourced food due to the
more difficult situation to trade with the EU and we may see more seasonal food served in
restaurants and pubs (Visit Kent, 2022c). The UK has struggled with supplies coming into the
country which have resulted in shortening of supply chains but it is difficult to know whether
it is a direct result of Brexit or Covid or something else (Produced in Kent, 2022b).

In Bristol it is important to connect local suppliers and create partnerships, develop local
supply chains and understanding the importance of street food and markets. The interplay
between local provenance, dining, drinks and how it all fits together is essential when creating
a culinary destination. The partnerships have created some “weird and wonderful projects”
(Visit West, 2022a) especially involving breweries. Collaboration between different local
businesses creates small circular local supply chains (Visit West, 2022a).

Cumbria Tourism (2022) is trying to influence businesses to use more local produce from a net
zero point of view. Their ambition is to be net zero by 2037, 13 years ahead of the goal set by
the government, and due to the high carbon footprint from the food and drink sector they are
trying to raise more awareness to reduce food miles as well as putting more money back into
the local economy. It makes the local communities thrive when you are supporting other local
businesses and that then gives you the really good story to tell at the restaurant or in the shop.
They are arranging networking events to try and increase networking between businesses just
to make them aware of each other.

After Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic the Scottish Government is working towards having
more businesses sourcing local. During the Covid-19 pandemic it was difficult to source food
from elsewhere so people and businesses that would not normally buy local were using more

48
local produce. Throughout the pandemic the locals are the ones that have kept businesses
going and they have focused a lot on other locals by offering takeaways, therefore they do not
want businesses to forget about the people on their doorstep and ensure they can continue
for them but also for the visitors (Visit Scotland, 2022f).

A big project was just about to launch, when speaking to Produced in Kent (2022), called Food
Loop which is a Business to Business food waste app about reducing food waste that never
reaches the consumer. It is about connecting businesses so that the food that never gets eaten
end up in charity kitchens, food banks or with other manufacturers that can turn it into a
product etc. rather than ending up as animal feed or anaerobic digestion. “It’s about trying to
challenge this perception that food waste is waste when actually a lot of food waste is edible”
(Produced in Kent, 2022). You simply put what food you have, or what you need, in the app
and the app matches the businesses based on mutual requirements (Food Loop, 2022). The
Food Loop app is launched, and will be tested for a year, in Kent and Northampton but could
easily be replicated anywhere in the country (Produced in Kent, 2022b).

4.4.1 Main takeaways

Circular economy is important to make the money spent at the destination, stay at the
destination. By choosing local restaurants sourcing local produce, the money is more likely to
stay at the destination than if choosing international chains. The UK has struggled with
supplies coming into the country lately, due to Brexit, Covid-19 or other reasons, which have
resulted in shortening of supply chains, and collaborations and partnerships have been
created, with the Food Loop app as one example.

4.5 The marketing of tourist destinations through food

According to Visit Kent (2022) there is an ethos in Kent that to be a good pub you need to
source locally although not everyone does. However, through the organisation Produced in
Kent, that champion local food, it is very accessible and easy to source locally. Due to the high
number of vineyards in the area a new brand called The Wine Garden of England is set up,
trying to promote Kent as the UK version of Napa Valley in the United States.

49
Local restaurants using local produce is not the only thing included in the Kent brand, but also
farmers’ markets where people can buy local vegetables, fish, wine, cheese etc. That is also
used in the marketing of the destination as a reason to visit the area, to drive tourism and
bring more visitors in. Visit Kent (2022) also mentions the contributions to the local economy
when tourists for example visit a vineyard they receive the full experience from walking
around the vines, meeting the winemaker, going back to try the local wine, having some food
with it and then purchasing in the shop which drives the economy and supports that business
while the guests have a fantastic experience meeting locals and trying local food and beverage.

Being a part of Produced in Kent means members are showcased on their website. Anybody
looking for local or trying to source locally can find them there. Produced in Kent also send
email newsletters and they have an active social media network. They talk to local media and
look for marketing opportunities for their members in local or national publications. Members
have access to the Produced in Kent logo as well as support on anything from going through
their marketing plan, talking about the next step in their business, where they may go for
funding etc. They also encourage collaborations and organise networking events where
members meet each other. These events are very important as there is a limit to how much
people can spend with each individual business but if local businesses recommend other local
businesses, they keep the spend moving around. It is also about trying to make an overnight
into a weekend, into a week, making people feel like they must come back because they did
not have time for everything they wanted to do (Produced in Kent, 2022b).

Produced in Kent (2022) is spotting a trend that people are not travelling as far for a holiday
and with the rising petrol costs, maybe people choose to travel shorter distances and then
local food and drink plays a huge part in that. When it comes to marketing, many people have
already done their research when they go somewhere, the Google searches, the TripAdvisor
checks and have already decided where to go but then there are others that like to be told
where to go and what to see. For them you can do very direct marketing, for example through
cottages that give examples of tours and activities and have offers that you can book at the
same time as accommodation. Here is also where networking proves important and when
businesses recommend each other.

50
According to Cumbria Tourism (2022) the three main reasons for tourists to Visit Cumbria, or
the Lake District, is culture, food and drink, and outdoor adventure. They discovered quite
early on that the food and drink was a very important part of the offer. There are a couple of
Michelin star restaurants in the area and as that would draw people in, the marketing has
been steered in that way as it was obvious food and drink offers were important to visitors.
As a result, others have seen the opportunity and been able to capitalise on that, and because
of that there is more to market. Many restaurants in Cumbria are based in hotels and guest
houses, and they draw people into their accommodation based on their food and drink offer.

Cumbria Tourism (2022) state they are very lucky from a marketing point of view as there are
plenty of very good products in the area. To reach the right target group they explain that they
have a segment within their database with people they know are mainly visiting for food and
drink and when running a campaign, it is usually based on the three key themes (nature,
culture and food and drink). With the largest number of Michelin star restaurants outside of
London there are a lot of good PR stories that come out of it. Food is often a subject in their
blog as well which is important for marketing purposes. Some people are visiting Cumbria with
food and drink as the only reason for visit, although food and drink tend to rank quite high
when other people are asked why they visit. However, if people would come only for the food
if the hills and the nature was not there remains unanswered. It is most likely a combination
of the different offers that draws people in.

Visit Scotland use food and drink extensively in their marketing, through their website and
social media channels but also through their partners. They take every opportunity to promote
Scottish produce and it is something they are looking to strengthen if possible. It is important
in order to attract visitors looking to spend money that goes to the local economy (Visit
Scotland, 2022f).

To market the food scene in Glasgow there have been a few campaigns focusing on managing
food waste. A food ambassador has been appointed to lead the way and shine a light on the
range of different restaurants in Glasgow. There are groups that have come together to
develop food maps and food trails to showcase the range of offers and to make it easy for
people to find restaurants. There are also digital campaigns, social media, and blogs. It is also

51
important to attract locals and the social media activity involves ideas of where to eat brunch,
meals, dinners etc. Food is important to include in the marketing of Glasgow because it is part
of the overall experience, and it is a growth sector. The marketing show that they have an
authentic offer and want to appeal to all audiences and budgets, and it is part of the package
of offerings as food will always be a part of the experience, no matter the reason visitors are
coming to Glasgow. It is a key offer and something they do want to shout about (Glasgow Life,
2022). Visit Scotland (2022a) has even put together a 128-page food guide divided in different
foodie trails such as cheese, chocolate, whisky, smokie trails etc. The food is playing the
biggest part although there is also information on what else there is to do in the different
areas.

Food is a crucial part of the offer in Bristol and a recurring subject in their blog as well as a
regular post every Friday, called Food Friday. They view their food and drink offer as
inspiration to travel as well as to celebrate the local international communities (Visit West,
2022a). Stalmirska (2020) agree that food and culture have been influenced by migrating
people and many cities serve food from the entire world to visitors and residents. A way of
using food in the marketing of a destination is by showcasing the many different ethnic groups
living there. Many events are held in Bristol, such as already mentioned “She drinks beer” but
also “East Bristol Brewery Trail” including breweries with open doors, street food and DJ’s and
people can walk or cycle between them (Visit West, 2022a).

In Cornwall it all started with Rick Stein (a famous English chef) cooking with local produce in
his TV show in the 1980’s, the restaurants followed and now the pubs. Many pubs have rooms
to let and if they want visitors to pay a decent price for the room, they must make sure the
food matches the room. Therefore, many of the pubs now source locally and even grow herbs
and spices themselves. Visit Cornwall (2022c) states:
“Somebody said to me once, a few years ago…you’ve got to be very careful with
food and when you’re selling it, ‘cause if you could buy that from Marks &
Spencer’s and cook it yourself…and it tastes roughly the same, that's not good
enough. It's got to taste better than you can cook, or you can buy somewhere
else. And then you could wrap the experience around it" (Visit Cornwall, 2022c).

52
Food is often used in the marketing of Cornwall as a tourist destination. When Cornwall hosted
the G7 meeting in 2020 the world leaders and the journalists were all served local food. The
perception of the UK is that it is “cold, miserable and rubbish food” (Visit Cornwall, 2022c) but
when they have journalists visiting they take them from a fish & chip shop to a pub, a
restaurant, and a Michelin star restaurant to showcase the food on offer. Cornwall has done
some twinning with Brittany in France, and they are now sending hoteliers and bistros on visits
because Brittany tourism is trying to convince the French that Cornwall delivers better food
than they do, at least during daytime and in cafés. France is probably still better when it comes
to evening and fine dining, but their lunches are quite poor. When they visit Cornwall they are
often quite surprised that the food in the UK is not what they think it is, that everything from
ice cream and all the way through, it is all local (Visit Cornwall, 2022c).

Many tourists buy food products such as tea, jam and biscuits and bring home as gifts for
others, instead of souvenirs such as mugs or snow globes (Visit Cornwall, 2022c). This is also
an important part of the marketing. This is confirmed by Stone, Migacz & Wolf (2019) that
agrees many visitors buy food or drinks as gifts or to consume when back home. Another way
of marketing Cornwall is through all the visitors they have, which gives businesses in Cornwall
a much larger market than only the locals. If done right, there is still a market in the winter
when tourists are home, when they can order Cornish produce online. The many cooking
shows on British TV where Cornish chefs are often taking part is the best kind of marketing. A
tourist board can tell people to come to Cornwall but when a celebrity chef or a quality chef
does it, people listen, they are the biggest influencers in gastronomic tourism. Many assume
that if the food is good, it must be worth going there (Visit Cornwall, 2022c). Boutsioukou
(2018) is writing about the globalisation and the many TV shows about chefs, travelling and
cooking influencing travel decisions and behaviours. This makes people more willing to try
new ingredients and products at home but especially when travelling.

A DMC can also play a big part in the marketing of a destination and apart from participating
in trade events and workshops, AC Travel is sending a newsletter every month as well as follow
up meetings with emails and presentations. These sometimes contain sustainable
accommodation, restaurants and other information based on their previous meeting. During
quiet periods, such as summer and Christmas, AC Travel sometimes design packages and

53
forward to their agents as suggestions. AC Travel make efforts to promote and push
sustainable options, however the decision is always made by the client and although the
tourism business is talking about sustainability and becoming more sustainable, both in the
UK and in Scandinavia, the clients rarely ask for it (Brodin Cangialosi, 2022). Brodin Cangialosi
(2022) state, when possible, they include sustainable options in their offers, but group size
and restaurant and hotel capacity do not always match.

Food is often an important part of requests at AC Travel, groups want good food and agents
often ask whether staff at AC Travel have tried it themselves to ensure the food is of good
quality. If clients request a specific restaurant and AC Travel knows of better options, they try
to steer them towards the better option to ensure a good experience. AC Travel’s biggest
market has traditionally been London but currently Scotland is bigger and booking restaurants
serving local food is easier in Scotland, than in London, where the food scene is very
international (Brodin Cangialosi, 2022). An issue with restaurants serving local food is their
capacity and especially post Covid-19 it is proving difficult to find restaurants with the capacity
to accept full groups, many have a shortage of staff after being closed (Jansson, 2022).

4.5.1 Storytelling
The story behind the name “Garden of England” dates back to the 16th Century when King
Henry VIII tasted a bowl of cherries from Kent and gave Kent the name and confirmed that
Kent truly was the Garden of England. Since then, the whole area has had the perception of
local food and drink and that it is very accessible because of the amount they have (Visit Kent,
2022c).

A problem in Kent, similar to Scotland, is that some businesses have always used local
produce, but they do not “shout about it” (Produced in Kent, 2022b) and have still not
understood that it is a great way of differentiating themselves in the marketplace, it is just
what they do and have always done. The job of Produced in Kent is therefore also to drive
awareness amongst those businesses, of the business benefits of using local. The UK is
currently facing a massive increase in the cost of living and people will have less money to
spend, therefore these businesses must explain their story for people to understand why they
should spend their money with them instead of with the big chains (Produced in Kent, 2022b).

54
According to Cumbria Tourism (2022) businesses have recognised that they have a lot of
quality produce on their doorstep and have started using that to tell stories. Cumbria has a
rich food and drink history and heritage so people have always known they can eat very good
quality local produce in the area. Many businesses use that as a key selling point and as a
result many also focus on sustainability and seasonal menus and if visitors come back there is
something new on the menu. Storytelling is also important for many restaurants, telling the
story behind the food they are serving. It keeps smaller businesses going and help with
conservation and the local economy instead of mass produce coming in (Cumbria Tourism,
2022).

In 2022 Visit Scotland is running a campaign, Year of Stories, highlighting stories inspired by,
written, or created, in Scotland (Visit Scotland, 2022b). This has enabled businesses to tell
their stories about what they do with their food, how they source or catch it, the water
resource to make whisky etc. A rich content can come from the food and drink business so
Visit Scotland is working closely with them to tell their stories which will capture the interest
of the consumers (Visit Scotland, 2022f).

Food and drink is a big drive for people to visit Scotland as they are positively associated with
food. Especially whisky is a big reason to travel to Scotland. However, for Glasgow the reason
for visiting for most people is a mix of food and the other offers. They are working towards
having more restaurants serve food cooked with local produce, it is part of their own strategy
at Glasgow Life and for the national agency Scottish Enterprise Food and Drink, that they have
a close relationship with, food and drink is a big priority. They are also working closely with
the food ambassador and Visit Scotland. Food and drink is an integral part of what they are
doing and they recognise it as a massive part of their overall offer as well as sustainability.
They are supporting businesses to reach their green credentials and spread their sustainability
message as well as supporting them to source local produce, serve good quality food and tell
the story about where the food comes from as well as the providence and the seasonal choices
(Glasgow Life, 2022).

55
In Bristol restaurants increasingly put the origin of food sources on menus to highlight local
suppliers and produce, paired with explanations of who they are and highlighting any with
specific social purpose. Psychopomp Microdistillery, a gin distillery, is collaborating with
individual restaurants to make gin that perfectly pairs with their food and New Bristol Brewery
is collaborating with Adidas. All these examples make for perfect stories to tell consumers
(Visit West, 2022a).

Neither Jansson (2022) nor Brodin Cangialosi (2022) have seen any tendences among the
restaurants they collaborate with on the subject of storytelling. However, they have noticed
it among smaller restaurants, pubs, and Michelin restaurants. They keep coming back to the
issue of group size however, their understanding is that most restaurants and chefs using
storytelling and local produce are smaller, cosy pubs or Michelin star restaurants, neither of
which is suitable for their groups and especially not the larger ones. Jansson (2022) is giving
an example of a Tom Kitchin restaurant in Edinburgh where guests are given a map of where
ingredients are produced, everything as close to the restaurant as possible. They believe this
is fantastic, but difficult for AC Travel to use. Although, Jansson is giving an example of a group
travelling to Scotland in September, 2022. They have organised a dinner in a rural castle
producing their own ingredients and source the rest from other local producers in the area.
Presenting this kind of experience to the client feels good and the client normally like it even
though they did not request it themselves.

4.5.2 Main takeaways

Food and drink is an extremely important part of the marketing in all studied destinations.
Except for their own efforts, partnerships and stakeholders marketing each other is important
as well as tourists buying food and drink as gifts or to consume when back home. Cooking
shows with chefs from certain areas can also boost tourism as well as events and festivals.

Although none of the respondents spoke about storytelling directly, many was speaking about
it between the lines and that it is important to tell the story of the ingredients and the dishes.
Many have good stories to tell and with the massive increase in cost of living it is going to be
more important for restaurants and bars to ensure guests understand why they should spend
the money with them.

56
4.6 Perceptions of British food
British food has had a bad reputation for a long time, probably well-deserved if going back
approximately 30-40 years, however this is not the case today, but it seems the bad reputation
is difficult to erase. Jansson (2022) remembers when he first moved to the UK, in 1982, when
the pub food was of very bad quality, however today many pubs are serving fantastic food.
The food scene in the UK has changed massively over the last 40 years and for the last ten to
fifteen years it has been very good.

Culinary tourism is a growing market for the British and more people are choosing culinary
experiences for birthdays and celebrations such as vineyard or distillery visits. Tourists, both
national and international, are very interested in visiting places associated with food like a
brewery with a story, meeting the locals behind the story and tasting and trying so food and
drink is a big part of the holiday. For international guests coming to the UK, they want to see
London, Bath, Stonehenge, the typical tourist attractions, but they are also very interested in
food and drink activities. Food is important, but it is not the main reason for travel however it
is a big part of the experience, and it is up there as one of the top three reasons to visit the
destination. Visit Kent want to improve the perception of British food and showcase what they
are really good at as well as position Kent as a sustainable destination by showcasing the
amount of local produce they are using, and through that reducing food miles as well as food
waste (Visit Kent, 2022c).

Freire & Gertner (2021) agrees with food being important for the destination brand as one of
the main motivational triggers for travelling. One interesting outcome of their study is,
however, that UK residents are travelling to Spain and Portugal as the food in the UK is not
interesting or not very good. Visit Kent (2022) knows the perception of British food is not the
best internationally, many think about fish & chips but several organisations are now trying to
push internationally and make people aware of the fantastic food the UK has to offer and all
the local produce that is to be found in the country. Visit Cornwall (2022) agrees that there is
a dated understanding that all food in the UK is bland, boring, and badly done and it is quite
an issue. This is confirmed by the research done by Visit Britain (2019) and Visit Britain (2016)
indicating that the image of British food is still challenging but that tourists who had previously

57
been in the UK seemed to have a more interest in food and drink activities in the UK. Jansson
(2022) agrees that the attitude towards British food is a challenge. It may have been well-
deserved 20-30 years ago, however the food served in the UK today is completely different
with good British food as well as food from all around the world cooked with local produce
and the many fantastic pubs. The food in the UK is better than many other places around the
world.

The food scene has become more competitive with new food destinations popping up in other
parts of the country, which, as long as it is healthy competition is good for the consumer, but
it is also good for the reputation of British food which historically has not been the best (Visit
West, 2022a).

4.6.1 Main takeaways

British food has a history of being bad, boring and bland. However, this is not the case today
and during the last two decades the food in the UK has developed tremendously. Not just the
British food but the fantastic international food found in some cities. Food is, for most tourists,
still not the sole reason to travel to either of the destinations, however it is one of the top
three reasons to visit the studied destinations combined with the other attractions.

4.7 What would a destination be without good food and drink?

Visit Kent (2022) states local food is very important for the image of Kent, and as the Garden
of England food and tourism is a huge part of what they are trying to sell. They say food is a
big part of the holiday and you can have a great holiday but all it takes is one bad meal to have
a bad day or to not enjoy the trip.
“So food and drink is something that people will be doing on every part of their
journey, every part of the day, so it needs to be good…so I think the more we can
shout about it, local food, the experiences around local food, the quality of local
food…I think that's hugely important for our brand and for others and the more
we get it right…the better brand we will have, I suppose” (Visit Kent, 2022c).

58
Produced in Kent did a project many years ago with Visit Kent, trying to make stakeholders
promote a Kent breakfast. Produced in Kent (2022) said “people will maybe remember
whether the bed was comfy or not, but they will talk about the breakfast”. Freire & Gertner
(2021) agree that a memorable culinary experience can enhance the overall experience of a
holiday and Stone, Migacz & Wolf (2019) state that food may play a large role in the memory
of a visited destination.

Produced in Kent (2022) state they have seen a big increase in people wanting to be active
and do things such as tastings and workshops, not just eat the food but to experience it and
have a hands-on experience and understand it. It is unclear if this is a result of the pandemic,
when people have been very isolated for two years, or if it is a long-term trend, it is too early
to tell. They also believe the Covid-19 pandemic has had a big impact on the fact that people
are choosing to eat more local. During the pandemic many people had to eat what was on
their doorstep resulting in people realising what was nearby. However, the environmental and
sustainability agenda has had a big impact as well on what people buy, where they buy it from
and how they buy it.

Some destinations in Cumbria are mainly foodie destinations, such as Cartmel, a small
medieval village home to two Simon Rogan restaurants, one awarded with three Michelin
stars and a Michelin green star, and one awarded with one Michelin star. He also owns a pub
and a farm that provides produce for his restaurants as well as his shop so a lot of it is operated
by Simon Rogan, a famous British chef. However, Cartmel is also home to the British classic,
Sticky toffee pudding with the Sticky toffee pudding company retailing their puddings
nationally as well as the Cartmel Cheese Shop, a high-end wine shop, a brewery producing
local beers and a local bakery and bread shop. The amount of tourists visiting Cartmel for the
food is enough to support all these businesses and it is what has turned Cartmel into a foodie
destination (Cumbria Tourism, 2022).

When talking about how important food is for the image of Cumbria as a destination Cumbria
Tourism (2022) state it is incredibly important. Even though many visit for other reasons a lot
of people want to partake in food and drink activities and many participate in outdoor
activities just to be able to eat cake at the end of it. It all goes hand in hand and some of the

59
areas like Cartmel attract many people because of their food and the Grasmere Gingerbread
shop draws people into Grasmere.

Visit West (2022) state food and drink adds to the personality and distinctiveness of a
destination and food is very important for the image of Bristol. Products may not be unique,
like gin, cheese, and wine, but it is important to interpret these in context of the destination.
Being awarded with several awards, previously mentioned (Gold Sustainable City Standard,
European Green Capital, and World’s Best Culinary Destination), food and drink is obviously
very important for Bristol. The 91 ways programme has had a massive impact on the image of
Bristol as a food city in the way it has helped with integration and to celebrate cultural
differences.

Food is also very important for the image of Scotland, and it is becoming even more important
as they want to be a food destination and that is something Visit Scotland is working towards.
Part of that is to make a review of Taste Our Best where they are looking to include other
sectors such as agritourism. It is also driving up the quality and the standards in trying to meet
what the visitors are looking for and it encourages businesses to source local produce (Visit
Scotland, 2022f).

According to Glasgow Life (2022) visitors are interested in especially Scottish and authentic
food. They know Scotland is famous for seafood, meat, vegetables, and lamb as well as tablets
and whisky and they want to try that when visiting Scotland. Sometimes they pack it up as
part of an offer to make it as easy and accessible as possible. For example with trade groups,
they package it as part of their package to give them an opportunity to sample local food and
drink. Glasgow Life (2022) state food is therefore very important for the image of Glasgow and
massively important for any kind of visit. It is just as important as the other offers, whether it
is music, cultural heritage or any of the other things on offer in Glasgow. Food and drink is the
key element of that but it is probably not the reason for people to travel to Glasgow, they
would probably come for the other reasons but discover the food and drink on offer while
they are there.

60
On the question why Glasgow has come a lot further than other UK cities on the sustainability
work, Glasgow Life (2022) answers that there has been support from the city, local authorities
and social enterprise. One area that evolved by ‘accident’ is Finnieston just off the city centre
of Glasgow. A large live entertainment venue, Hydro, was built in the area in 2013, next to the
SEC Campus, a large conference venue, and suddenly there were thousands of people coming
for concerts all year round. Restaurants started popping up in the nearby neighbourhood and
it was not particularly planned, and nobody anticipated the scale of it, and it helped the
gentrification of that area with a mix of edgy and quality restaurants. Glasgow life also believes
the diverse offer that Glasgow has with live performances, music, culture, contemporary art
etc. help bring people to the city so the audiences are there to sustain the number of small
businesses. Green Tourism (2022) believes the reason why Scotland is doing so good is
because it is coming from the government.

Food is vital for the image of Cornwall. Produce from Cornwall is found in many other parts of
the country as well, and whenever there is produce from Cornwall in dishes that information
will be added, which means Cornwall is a selling point in other parts of the country as well. To
be a good regional brand, such as Tuscany and Provence, part of that comes from the food
around it. To be a fully rounded destination it cannot just be about what you do there but also
the cuisine that you eat. The food and drink is what makes a good destination. When
journalists come to visit, representatives from Visit Cornwall take them around to try local
food and even if it is fish and chips, which is not a local dish, they use local potatoes and local
fish. They also use a lot of imagery of local food and drinks in the marketing of Cornwall. It is
part of the experience and when you travel somewhere you do want the food to be good,
nobody enjoys the experience when the food is bad or just ordinary (Visit Cornwall, 2022c).
Freire & Gertner (2021) agrees that culinary experiences are pivotal for the overall experience
and that tourists are more likely to return to a destination where they have had a memorable
culinary experience. The authors state that if the food is perceived as bad or not good, the
destination brand will be suffering.

Cornwall is a destination affected by seasonality, but culinary tourism is a big driver out of the
main holiday season. Especially for the older market that is not steered by the main school
holidays (Visit Cornwall, 2022c). Respondents in interviews made by Stalmirska (2021) state

61
that local food is an important tool in extending the season as it can attract people to
destinations during off season. Visit Cornwall (2022) explains that for a destination to be a
true destination is three dimensional. One is the visual parts and the touristy things you do,
another is gastronomy and the third one is individuality or culture. If a region has all three, it
is a strong region and can be a good destination to sell. If a destination is missing one of those
it will never become a strong destination. The respondent is comparing a destination to a
chocolate box, the wrapping is the visual part but they have to deliver the substance which is
the experiences and the food and drink as well as the cultural aspect. If a destination wants
repeat visits (Cornwall has 85-90% repeat business) the destination must deliver the fully
rounded experience, but if it is just “come, see and look” (Visit Cornwall, 2022) there will not
be many repeat visits. To be a sustainable destination they must generate many loyal repeat
visitors who like the area, they will then buy the food when they are not there. The food gives
the destination depth, without it, it would be quite a shallow experience.

During peak season the food is very important in Cornwall, but it is not the driver, however all
those visitors would not visit Cornwall if the food was bad. Outside of the peak season food is
in the top three reasons to come to Cornwall but the food element is critical, more during off
season than summer (Visit Cornwall, 2022c).

Three quarters of the visits to Cornwall is a secondary holiday or a short break and those
visitors want to get into the substance of a destination and food and drink together with arts
and culture are the main reasons people decide to come for a secondary holiday. Without the
food and drink they would not be able to attract people outside of the main season. Other
seasonal destinations experience problems with restaurants closing during off season.
However, in Cornwall there are three or four hubs of restaurants in different areas, and more
on the way which creates gastronomic driven tourism. Many food festivals are organised in
Cornwall which attract tourists as well, such as an oyster festival, mussel festival and fish
festival and more as well as the Padstow Christmas festival which is also about food. There is
a lot of innovation and new events and companies are started all the time, such as events at
Nancarrow Farm that transformed one of their barns to have feast nights where everybody is
sitting around long tables eating the same food (Nancarrow Farm, 2022) as well as The Hidden
Hut on the beach, serving lunch, but also organise dinners where they cook one meal and

62
everybody must bring their own plates, cutlery and drinks and sit on the grass (The Hidden
Hut, 2022).

AC Travel have also noticed that food is an important part of the overall package and visitors
are curious about British food and especially drink. However, most people still do not know
about British wine, but the agents are starting to understand the UK is producing high quality
wine. The more famous drinks are gin and Scotch whisky. Beer breweries have always existed,
but the market is growing with more breweries opening all the time (Jansson, 2022). A popular
activity for smaller groups in London is to participate in guided tours of food markets. There
are the big famous food markets, such as Borough Market, but also many small popups doing
everything from roasting their own coffee, making cheese, and drying ham to microbreweries
and gin distilleries. When possible, these products are made from local produce and both
Jansson (2022) and Brodin Cangialosi (2022) see many of these initiatives. When receiving
requests from smaller groups of 10-12 people, they sometimes recommend food walks but
for the larger groups it is unfortunately not possible. According to Visit Britain (2019) ‘a food
tour of one of London’s best foodie markets’ is third on the list of the most popular activities
among tourists.

4.7.1 Main takeaways

A good food and drink offer give the destination depth and creates repeat visits. To eat and
drink is something every tourist must do and the better food and drink, the better experience.
It is extremely important for the image of the destinations and a full village, like Cartmel, can
be built around food, and it can help with integration, like in Bristol. It is also clear that tourists
are more interested in food and drink, they want to participate in activities and tours built
around food and drink and eat good food when travelling. British wine is still less famous
internationally, but it is changing slowly.

4.8 Overview of DMO websites

In addition to the interviews a quick overview of official websites at the studied destinations
was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of how local food is used in the marketing of
each destination and to make a comparison with the responses from the interviews.

63
In addition to the websites, a scan was made of the official Facebook and Instagram pages and
posts dating approximately two months back (from the 1st of March 2022). A Google search
was also conducted to investigate how many hits each destination had as well as what kind of
websites came up. The words used were “Food and drink in (destination name)”.

4.8.1 Bristol
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic Visit West was created consisting of Bristol, Bath and
Northeast Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. On their first page there is
no information about food, however the Visit West website is focusing on tourism businesses
(Visit West, 2022b). If visiting the Visit Bristol website “Food & Drink” is a category in the main
menu with many different subcategories such as Lunches & Cafes, Pubs & Bars, Best of Bristol
and Street Food in Bristol, all with a list of recommended places and a few more personal
recommendations. There is also a “Don’t miss” category with blog posts on food themes such
as the best vegan restaurants in Bristol and Michelin-starred restaurants in Bristol (Visit
Bristol, 2022).

Almost one in three posts on the official Visit Bristol Facebook page was directly or indirectly
about food. There were less posts about food on the Instagram page although it was still
present. Also, like their website, on social media it is obvious the food and drink offer is very
important in Bristol. When making a quick Google search with the words “Food and drink in
Bristol” there were 57 200 000 hits consisting of restaurant suggestions, food blogs,
TripAdvisor and local newspaper articles.

4.8.2 Cornwall
The first thing noticed when visiting the Visit Cornwall website is the video of Cornwall
landscapes (Visit Cornwall, 2022d). However, in the menu above, “Eat” is a category that, if
clicked, takes the visitor to a Food and Drink page with some general information about what
kind of food experiences to expect from a visit in Cornwall, followed by a list of restaurants. It
is possible to filter by what kind of food and drink the visitor is looking for but also by location,
who is going, budget and accessibility (Visit Cornwall, 2022a). Heading further down on the
first page there is a category called Tantalise Your Tastebuds with a little information and some

64
subcategories such as Pubs in Cornwall, Vineyards in Cornwall etc. that leads to the same list
as previously encountered but with a filter chosen (Visit Cornwall, 2022b). There is also a blog
where “Food and Drink” is the category with the second most posts, only to be beaten by
“Active and Outdoors”. However the link from the food and drink page takes the visitor to a
blog post from 2018 (Visit Cornwall, 2018). Visit Cornwall also have a “What’s on” category
where all events are listed. Food has a part in this as well with its many festivals and other
food events (Visit Cornwall, 2022e).

The official social media pages (Facebook and Instagram) include food in quite a few of their
posts and visitors may find the inspiration here that they will not find on the website. When
making a quick Google search with the words “Food and drink in Cornwall” there are
27 700 000 hits consisting of accommodation, restaurants, Cornwall tourism sites, a dedicated
Instagram site to Cornwall food and drink and websites fully dedicated to food and drink in
Cornwall.

4.8.3 Cumbria
Cumbria Tourism is mainly focused on tourism businesses, therefore a tourist is more likely to
visit the Visit Lake District website that show a similar video to the one of Cornwall, with
landscapes of the Lake District. However, it is mixed with a few other images of food, castles,
and activities. In the intro text food is mentioned and, in the roll-down menu there is a “Food
and Drink” category. Scrolling down on the first page, there is also a “Food and Drink” category
(Visit Lake District, 2022b). These will take the visitor to the same page where they will find a
comprehensive description of food and drink in the Lake District and Cumbria. Incorporated
in the text are links to different categories including Michelin restaurants, famous Cumbrian
foods, interviews with Lake District chefs, dog-friendly places and much more. Below are
further ideas to explore as well as a search function and highlights (Visit Lake District, 2022a).

In quite a few of the Instagram and Facebook posts food has a place even if the post is not
directly about food and a there are a few posts directly about food. When making a quick
Google search with the words “Food and drink in Cumbria” there are 26 400 000 hits
consisting of TripAdvisor lists, local produce websites, accommodation, and food sites.

65
4.8.4 Kent
Visiting the Visit Kent website food and drink is mentioned in the intro text and below is a link
to 10 places to enjoy Afternoon Tea. One of the main categories is “Stay and Eat” with many
subcategories on accommodation and food and drink (Visit Kent, 2022d). Clicking on Food and
Drink the visitor is taken to a page with a description of local food and drink, suggestions and
links incorporated in the text to different restaurants as well as some subcategories such as
Vineyards, Breweries and Distilleries, Kent Produce etc. These are taking the visitor to sites
with further information and links on the chosen subject (Visit Kent, 2022a).

Although a little difficult to find (even though the link is in the main menu, but it does not
explain it is a blog, it is simply called Inspirational Ideas), just like the others, Visit Kent has a
blog, and it is possible to select a category such as “Food & Drink”. The visitor can also choose
a subcategory such as Afternoon Tea, Distillery, Local Produce, Tasting etc. However, if clicking
the subcategories there are no results in either category. There are, however, many results if
only choosing “Food & Drink” (Visit Kent, 2022b). When browsing Visit Kent social media
(Instagram and Facebook) there is little about food except a saved story with some
information and a link to the blog.

The Produced in Kent website is almost entirely about food and drink and it is easy to find
information about their members and the visitor can filter by category or search by location
or name or by clicking the map (Produced in Kent, 2022a).

When making a quick Google search with the words “Food and drink in Kent” there are
81 600 000 results consisting of several websites writing about food and drink as well as
newspaper articles.

4.8.5 Scotland
The first thing anybody seas that visit the Visit Scotland website is a YouTube video of people
having fun in Scotland and after the video there are other suggestions such as Year of Stories,
mentioned previously. On the first page there is nothing about food, however there is a
“Sustainable & Responsible Tourism” category and another one of “Scotland’s Year of Stories
2022” (Visit Scotland, 2022g), although there is nothing about food yet (Visit Scotland, 2022b).

66
“Food & Drink” is a subcategory under “See & Do” which makes it a little bit more difficult to
find compared to the other websites. However, when clicking on the link the visitor is met
with a video of the wide variety of food and drink that is to be found in Scotland. There is also
a description of Scottish food and drink and pictures with links to for example “Best Scottish
food you must try”, “Vegan Foodie Experiences”, ”Speyside’s malt whisky trail” etc. (Visit
Scotland, 2022c) all taken from the blog. Just like the other blogs, the visitor can choose
between different categories where “Food & Drink” is one (Visit Scotland, 2022e).

When browsing Visit Scotland social media (Instagram and Facebook) there is nothing about
food in the more recent posts (last two months). When making a quick Google search with the
words “Food and drink in Scotland” there are 139 000 000 hits consisting of tour companies
with suggestions of food visitors must try, suggestions of restaurants as well as the
government writing about the food and drink industry.

5. Discussion
The thesis is built around one main research question and two sub questions:
“What is the role of local food in the marketing of tourist destinations in the UK?”
“How important is local food for the image of a UK destination?”
“Does British food (still) deserve its bad reputation?”

5.1 Definition of the term local food

An issue with the term “local food” is that there are no rules or definitions of what local is.
Some are defining local food by a mile radius, it must be produced within 30 miles, however
that proves an issue regarding cities such as London and Manchester that may not be able to
source within 30 miles. Although it has been suggested that big cities could extend this
distance to 50 miles. Another issue when discussing a 30 miles definition raised by Produced
in Kent (2022), is that in some parts of Kent, this would include parts of France. A better
definition would be that the food must be produced in, or close to, the county, if located on
the border, some produce from another county may be produced closer to them than some
things produced in the county.

67
Many foods that Cumbria call local are made from ingredients imported from other parts of
the world. Stalmirska (2021) is raising the question whether that can be called local. The
history of the imported ingredients goes back a long way and have shaped the dishes Cumbria
is famous for today. One example is the gingerbread made in Grasmere and when I visited
Grasmere on a trip to the Lake District in Cumbria, the guide spoke highly of the gingerbread
and how the participants simply ‘must’ try it. A long queue on the pavement, proved the
gingerbread is a big part of culinary tourism in Cumbria. As well as Sticky toffee pudding,
Cumberland sausage and the Kendal mint cake to name a few. When listening to the guide
mention culinary treats on all stops on the one-day tour of the Lake District, it became obvious
food is a pivotal part of tourism in the area despite ingredients perhaps not being grown there.
Another example is York with its long history of manufacturing chocolate products, despite
the lack of cocoa trees in the UK. However, they are adding value to the product, it is creating
jobs and it contributes to the local economy.

Defining what is local is a complicated matter and there are many aspects to consider. The
respondents all spoke about local food as something that is made or grown in the county,
something that contributes to the local economy but also about traceability, naming names
and telling stories. The respondents all mentioned it is not about a mile radius but that local
can mean different things to different people. Despite not having an official definition, the
respondents were quite similar in their responses about the definition of local food.

It is an issue not having a definition of local food. Having a definition would make it easier to
create guidelines and the whole industry would follow the same rules. However, it is a complex
matter when different areas experience different conditions. With sourcing within or close to
the county border, naming producers and enforcing traceability as well as ensuring produce
is sourced locally, when possible, we have come a long way.

5.2 The importance of food at a destination

All respondents state that food is extremely important for the image of their destination as
well as a very important part of the full offer, just as important as any other attraction such as
nature, culture, gardens, or castles. Most agree that without the other attractions the food

68
may not be enough to attract tourists to their destination but equally, without the food the
other attractions may not be strong enough, or as Visit Cornwall (2022) stated, food creates
repeat visits. The other attractions may be enough for one visit, but the food gives a
destination depth and is what makes people come back. All tourists must eat, and they will be
more satisfied if they eat good food than if the food at the destination is bad or bland. Having
visited a place with poor food, it is unlikely people will return.

Research is also showing that tourists are prepared to pay more for local food than for
something imported, therefore it is pivotal to ensure guests know it is local. A question is,
however, if locals are prepared to pay more for local food. Tourists may have a different
budget than that of the local population and there may be a danger in increasing prices and
possibly shutting out the locals. Another aspect is that when tourists choose local restaurants
using local suppliers, the money is staying at the destination, creating a circular economy.

Historically tourists have been travelling to the UK for culture, history, shopping, and nature.
Food has not been a reason to travel although it is starting to change. However, it is often in
combination with other attractions. Food is also an excellent way of extending the season for
destinations affected by seasonal tourism. Ensuring restaurants stay open and being able to
offer high quality food outside of the main season could attract tourists open to travel outside
of the main school holidays. The sights will still be there, but with less people.

5.3 The perception of British food

A big issue is the perception of British food that has historically been very bad. It was probably
well-deserved several years ago, however it still affect tourists today, although food is much
better in the UK than in many other countries. The UK is full of restaurants serving food from
everywhere in the world and some destinations are famous for the multicultural food, such as
Bristol that used food as a way of integration. This has created a food scene where tourists
can be served food from many different countries in combination with locally brewed beer
and gin from local distilleries. Cornwall is trying to convince the French that the food is better
in Cornwall than in France with everything from locally produced ice cream and all the way
through to wine and cheese as well as the famous Cornish pasties and clotted cream. Kent is
famous for their fruit and vegetables as well as the sea food and wine. In research done by

69
Visit Britain activities including food is high on tourists lists even if they state food is not a
reason to travel to the UK. Research, however, show that returning visitors were more
interested in British food and many were satisfied with the food when leaving and that shows
the food is better than expected. If research would have been conducted in each county, the
results may have been different.

Some countries, such as France and Italy, have always been known for their fine food and it is
often used in marketing of their destinations. Therefore, it is more difficult for other countries,
such as the UK, not previously known for its food, on the contrary, has a bad reputation for its
food, to become a culinary destination. However, as the world is changing, and people care
more about sustainability there may be a chance for other countries to promote their food
and become a culinary destination.

The bad reputation of British food seems difficult to erase, although they do try. However, it
does not seem to reach the consumers. It could perhaps have something to do with the UK
historically being famous for other things. In the older market one may understand their view
of British food, it is what they have grown up with. However, people in their thirties and
forties, who may have visited the UK in the last ten years should have had the chance to taste
better British food. This could be a case of people travelling for other reasons than food and
ending up at restaurants in tourist areas, overcharging tourists for bland food. Had they
instead taken some time to research other food options, the experience could have been very
different. The many well-visited food markets in London and farmers’ markets all over UK is
another example of the interest in food and the quality of local produce. The research that
has been done on tourist’s perceptions of British food considered the whole country, the
results could possibly have differed if looking at individual destinations in the UK.

The UK is home to some of the best chefs, bakers and pastry chefs in the world and the quality
of the food, drink, bread and pastries is extremely high. Having spent approximately three
months in the UK while carrying out this research it sometimes requires some searching but
there is a great amount of good food, bread, pastries and drink to taste around the country.

70
5.4 Culinary tourism and the MICE market
AC Travel is a DMC focusing on the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions)
market. They are making efforts to push sustainable options; however, an issue is the size of
their groups. When groups are small, 10-15 people, it is easier to choose local restaurants,
smaller hotels etc. There is a demand for good restaurants and food experiences among
groups, although when groups are bigger, 50-100 people most sustainable and locally owned
options do not have the capacity to host the group. This means bigger venues must be used,
and these are often international chains.

According to literature and conducted interviews the interest in local food and sustainability
is high, however AC Travel is not experiencing this when receiving group requests and an
interesting comment is that many partners are talking about sustainability, but the clients are
almost never asking about it which then brings the question if there is a demand for it. The
same goes for local food, the groups request ‘good food’ but rarely ‘local food’. In the talks
with DMOs the main focus was on individual travellers and some destinations, like Cornwall,
is mainly visited by the domestic market. The British may start to appreciate the local food,
but the bad reputation of British food on the international market still affects tourism.

5.5 The marketing of a tourist destination

When going through the destinations official tourism websites, all have large sections on the
food and drink topic. Cornwall is, surprisingly, the destination with the least organised and
inspiring food and drink section and the visitor will have to look for information rather than
being fed with information as on the other destinations websites. Bristol, Cumbria, Kent, and
Scotland all have attractive food and drink sections with inspiring links, pictures, and videos.
It is obvious in all cases, however, that food and drink is an important part of the offer and
there is an extensive food and drink offering at all destinations. They all have blogs which is
an easy way of updating visitors about everything from food and drink to events and activities.
In all blogs the visitor can filter by category so that everybody can read posts by their
preference such as food and drink.

71
When looking at the destinations official social media pages (Facebook and Instagram) the
food and drink posts are more common in some flows than others. Cumbria is using pictures
of food and drink in some of their posts even if the post is not obviously about food and drink,
but it may be part of it, showing that food and drink is an important part of any offer. Food
and drink is not as present as anticipated, however a reason can be that it is difficult to take
attractive photos of food and drink but furthermore that the destinations are famous for other
attractions than solely food and drink. Social media is also used in a different way, compared
to the website. If looking for specific information, one most likely uses the website, however
if looking for general inspiration one may browse the destination’s social media.

When conducting a Google search of food and drink at each destination Scotland had most
hits with Kent as the second. I interpret the results in the way that Scotland and Kent are big
culinary destinations. An explanation to why Scotland had many hits could be that I chose to
include Scotland as one destination, it is much bigger than the other destinations and include
cities such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen in one. A pre-assumption was, however, that
Cornwall would have more hits than the other destinations due to its strong links with food
and drink, but it was second to last. However, Cornwall had full websites dedicated to food
and drink. All destinations had well over 25 000 000 hits which would indicate they all have
attractive food and drink offers. This does, however, not say anything about the quality of the
links.

According to Björk & Kauppinen-Räisänen (2016) food is a good way of attracting tourists and
building an identity in areas lacking attractive nature or other attractions. However, this does
not seem to be the case at the studied destinations in the UK, where all are famous for their
food and drink but also for their nature and attractions.

Storytelling was important for most destinations, even though it was rarely expressed in
words. Storytelling can be used both for telling stories about ingredients, dishes, and staff, to
create an understanding among guests of where the food or dish is coming from and add value
to the meal as well as creating a memory. Although it can also be used by employers to create
an understanding among staff about produce and food and why to care about it. Some
projects, such as 91 Ways in Bristol, may lay the ground for many stories to tell about dishes,

72
ingredients, and places. With less money to spend and an increasing competition between
stakeholders, it is important to stand out from the crowd, tell consumers the story of the
restaurants and ensure they understand why they should spend their money on them.

5.6 Is local better?

Opinions differ whether eating local or imported food is best when taking all different aspects
in consideration, such as GHG emissions and food miles, job opportunities, local economy,
nutrition, climate change etc. My pre-assumption was that it is always better to eat local due
to transportation, nutrition and to support the local community. However, it is proven local is
not always better, especially when discussing GHG emissions. On some occasions, depending
on the travelled distance, it may be time-consuming eating local if having to travel further
distances to buy local and perhaps having to visit different places as well as the supermarket
to complete the shopping.

All studied destinations are working towards increasing the local offer and are very proud of
the local food they produce. Local food is creating job opportunities and local pride, and many
believe local food taste better because it is picked when ripe. Another advantage is that having
control of the full process from farm to fork is easier when produced locally, when reducing
the number of intermediators, and it is building relationships between producers and
consumers. This may help people understand, and care, more about the food and as a result,
reduce food waste. Local may not always be the best option but to support the local economy
can never be wrong. To only be reliant on local food may be taking it too far, however a mix
between good imported and local food is probably the way to go.

There may be a danger in focusing too much on local food. “Local” can easily become the next
“sustainable”, a word that is used extensively everywhere for marketing purposes, losing its
meaning along the way. Is something made locally with imported ingredients really local? How
many ingredients must be local for it to be called local or how far should the history of the
product go back for it to be called local? There are no good answers to this but using the local
concept too much may bring a risk of it losing its meaning. Personally, I believe there is a
difference between something that was historically shipped in and local products that have

73
been developed from those ingredients, and products that are brought in today to be refined
and sold as local. Especially if it could have been produced from start to finish in the local area.

6. Conclusion
A challenge when researching topics connected to local food is that there is no official
definition of the term local food. Suggestions have been made to define local food by a 30
miles definition, produce should be sourced within 30-50 miles. However, in some parts of
Kent that would include the tip of France. Instead, respondents in the conducted interviews
define local food as food sourced or produced in, or close to, the county or “within the most
convenient short distance”. Local is about relationships, naming producers and traceability.
Importing produce and adding value to it means you can call it local, therefore the wording
“truly local” was discussed, when both produce, and the finished product were local. However,
some counties in the UK are famous for food made by ingredients historically imported such
as spices and rum in Cumbria and chocolate in York. These counties are famous for food made
by these ingredients and the history goes back a long way. This does not necessarily mean the
food is not local.

The destinations included in the research were Bristol, Cornwall, Cumbria, Kent and Scotland.
All studied destinations claim food and drink plays a major part in the marketing of their
destinations. Food and drink is one of the main reasons people visit all studied destinations in
combination with other attractions such as nature, culture and adventure. In Cornwall it is
also an important way of extending the season and attracting people outside of the main
tourist season.

Many uses networking events to create relationships between stakeholders in the area, for
them to become aware of other stakeholders, collaborate and recommend each other. There
is a limit to how much every visitor can spend with each company, but if they can recommend
each other, they keep the spend moving around and they also ensure money is staying at the
destination. It is also about turning an overnight into a weekend, into a week, making people
feel like they must come back because they did not have time for everything.

74
Marketing includes many different aspects and destinations can be promoted through the
many chefs on TV in cooking and travel shows that influence travel decisions and behaviours.
Visitors themselves are good ambassadors when talking about the destination and the food
with friends and family, but also through social media and when buying food to eat at home
or as gifts for friends and family.

All DMO websites have extensive food and drink sections with plenty of inspiration, attractive
videos, and pictures as well as food blogs updated with the latest information. Food and drink
was often among the categories with most posts, proving it is an attractive topic.

AC Travel are doing their best to promote local food and sustainable options to corporate
groups; however, the size of the groups often prove an issue when restaurants cannot accept
large groups. This is especially problematic now, after the Covid-19 pandemic, when
everything is starting up again but often with a shortage of staff.

Storytelling was a subject most respondents talked about, between the lines, telling the story
of the ingredients. Some restaurants are doing this well, but others cook with local ingredients
without understanding it is something to be proud of and tell people. Serving local food can
differentiate them from others. Research has shown that people are prepared to pay more
when it is local and Visit Scotland is running a campaign throughout 2022, Year of Stories, to
tell the stories of Scotland. The UK is facing a massive increase in the cost of living and many
people will have less money to spend. Therefore, businesses must explain their story and
ensure people understand why they should spend their money with them.

An issue when trying to promote British food is the bad reputation it has but does not deserve.
It was probably well deserved 30-40 years ago but not today. The UK produces some of the
best food in the world, unfortunately a big part of it is exported. Unique to the UK is all the
international restaurants, nowhere in the world will visitors find food from so many different
countries as they do in UK. Good, authentic, international food, often cooked with British
produce. Research is showing that 4 out of 5 tourists are satisfied with British food and drink,
proving food and drink is better than expected.

75
Based on the research questions I believe I managed to come to an understanding of the role
of local food in the marketing of the studied destinations and how important local food is for
the image of these destinations. If British food still deserves a bad reputation is a difficult
question to answer because taste is based on personal preference, however my personal
opinion as well as the opinions of the respondents is that British food no longer deserves its
bad reputation, therefore I believe I managed to answer all questions.

6.1 Future research

The effects of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic could be explored more. It is clear both have
influenced the UK and has brought difficulties with importing food. However, since Brexit and
Covid-19 happened approximately at the same time, it is difficult to differentiate the effects.
It is also too early to know what long-term effects Brexit will have on British food and tourism.

To understand the full picture of how important food is for the tourism experience, a study
can be made on tourists travelling to each destination and investigate how food and drink
impacted the decision to travel as well as how satisfied tourists were with the culinary
experience when leaving.

A follow-up study could be made on the long-term effects Covid-19 has had on people’s desire
to eat and drink more local.

The term “local food” does not have a definition as local means different things to different
people and regions. More research could be done on that fact and to make efforts to define
local food.

Another field of future research could be done on destinations not using local food in their
marketing to understand why local food is not used and how it can be integrated in the
marketing of their destinations.

The perception of British food is still (undeservedly) quite bad. Research on how to change the
view of the food at a destination could be interesting.

76
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank the following people and companies for help, advice,
interviews, insights and information during this research:

Per Jansson and Linda Brodin Cangialosi – AC Travel & Leisure Ltd.
Joss Stone – UK Inbound
Magnus Larsson – Subject reader
Leonie Paul – Second subject reader
Representatives from:
Cumbria Tourism
Glasgow Life
Green Tourism
Produced in Kent
Visit Cornwall
Visit Kent
Visit Scotland
Visit West

77
References
91 Ways (2022a) About us. 14 April 2022. 91 WAYS to build a global city.
https://91ways.org/about-us/ [Accessed: 14 April 2022].

91 Ways (2022b) Core Purpose. 14 April 2022. 91 WAYS to build a global city.
https://91ways.org/core-purpose/ [Accessed: 14 April 2022].

Bassano, C., Barile, S., Piciocchi, P., Spohrer, J.C., Iandolo, F. & Fisk, R. (2019) Storytelling
about places: Tourism marketing in the digital age. Cities. 87 (04), 10–20.
doi:10.1016/j.cities.2018.12.025.

Ben Youssef, K., Leicht, T. & Marongiu, L. (2019) Storytelling in the context of destination
marketing: an analysis of conceptualisations and impact measurement. Journal of Strategic
Marketing. 27 (8), 696–713. doi:10.1080/0965254X.2018.1464498.

Björk, P. & Kauppinen-Räisänen, H. (2016) Local food: a source for destination attraction.
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. 28 (1), 177–194.
doi:10.1108/IJCHM-05-2014-0214.

Boutsioukou, K. (2018) Key trends in culinary tourism. GlobalData. https://sector.tov.be/wp-

content/uploads/2018/11/GlobalData_Keytrendsinculinarytourism_130918.pdf [Accessed: 4
February 2022].

Brodin Cangialosi, L. (2022) AC Travel & Leisure Ltd. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 5
May 2022.

Brogdale Collections (2022) The Fruit Collection. 5 April 2022. Brogdale Collections.
https://brogdalecollections.org/the-fruit-collection/ [Accessed: 5 April 2022].

Bryman, A. (2012) Social research methods. 4th ed. Oxford ; New York, Oxford University
Press.

Camatti, N., Bertocchi, D., Carić, H. & van der Borg, J. (2020) A digital response system to
mitigate overtourism. The case of Dubrovnik. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 37 (8–
9), 887–901. doi:10.1080/10548408.2020.1828230.

Camel Valley (2022) Awards: Camel Valley. 2022. Camel Valley Cornwall.
https://www.camelvalley.com/awards [Accessed: 28 April 2022].

Choe, J.Y. (Jacey) & Kim, S. (Sam) (2018) Effects of tourists’ local food consumption value on
attitude, food destination image, and behavioral intention. International Journal of
Hospitality Management. 71, 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2017.11.007.

Coley, D., Howard, M. & Winter, M. (2009) Local food, food miles and carbon emissions: A
comparison of farm shop and mass distribution approaches. Food Policy. 34 (2), 150–155.
doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2008.11.001.

78
Cornwall Food & Drink (2022) What we do... 2022. Cornwall Food & Drink.
http://www.cornwallfoodanddrink.co.uk/what-we-do/ [Accessed: 28 April 2022].

Cumbria Tourism (2022) Cumbria Tourism. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 8 April
2022.

D. O’Gorman, K. & Macintosh, R. (2015) Global management series: research methods for
business and management. Oxford, Goodfellow Publishers.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (2021) The Tourism Recovery Plan.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_
data/file/992974/Tourism_Recovery_Plan__Web_Accessible_.pdf.

Du Rand, G.E. & Heath, E. (2006) Towards a Framework for Food Tourism as an Element of
Destination Marketing. Current Issues in Tourism. 9 (3), 206–234. doi:10.2164/cit/226.0.

Ellis, A., Park, E., Kim, S. & Yeoman, I. (2018) What is food tourism? Tourism Management.
68, 250–263. doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2018.03.025.

European Commission (2022) Farm to Fork Strategy. 2022. European Commission.

https://ec.europa.eu/food/horizontal-topics/farm-fork-strategy_en [Accessed: 10 March
2022].

European Commission (2020) Farm to Fork Strategy.

https://ec.europa.eu/food/system/files/2020-05/f2f_action-plan_2020_strategy-
info_en.pdf.

Ewing-Chow, D. (2020) COVID-19 Has Given Consumers Five New Reasons To Eat Local.
Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2020/07/30/covid-19-has-given-
consumers-five-new-reasons-to-eat-local/.

Fleming, A. (2013) Food with a story to tell. The Guardian. 11 September.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/sep/11/food-with-story-to-tell.

Food Loop (2022) Help Put Surplus Food on the Table. 20 April 2022. Food Loop.
https://foodloop.app/ [Accessed: 20 April 2022].

Freire, J.R. & Gertner, R.K. (2021) The relevance of food for the development of a destination
brand. Place Branding and Public Diplomacy. 17 (2), 193–204. doi:10.1057/s41254-020-
00164-5.

GDSM (2022) Global Destination Sustainability Index 2021. 2022. GDS-Movement.

https://www.gds.earth/2021-results/ [Accessed: 2 March 2022].

Glasgow Life (2022) Glasgow Life. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 21 April 2022.

79
Going for Gold Bristol (2021) Bristol named Gold Sustainable Food City. 14 June 2021. Going
for Gold Bristol. https://www.goingforgoldbristol.co.uk/bristol-named-gold-sustainable-
food-city/ [Accessed: 21 May 2022].

GOV.UK (2019) Gove appoints Dimbleby to pioneer ‘farm to fork’ revolution. 27 June 2019.
GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gove-appoints-dimbleby-to-pioneer-farm-
to-fork-revolution [Accessed: 10 March 2022].

Green Tourism (2022) Green Tourism. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 7 April 2022.

de Gruchy, H. (2022) Addicted to Avocados? The Disadvantages of Importing Food. 2022. Eco
& Beyond. https://www.ecoandbeyond.co/articles/disadvantages-of-importing-food/
[Accessed: 11 March 2022].

Hall, C.M. (2003) The consumption of experiences or the experience of consumption? An

introduction to the tourism of taste. In: C.M. Hall, L. Sharples, R. Mitchell, N. Macionis, & B.
Cambourne (eds.). Food Tourism Around The World development, management and
markets. Elsevier. pp. 1–24. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7506-5503-3.50004-X.

Hall, C.M., Mitchell, R. & Sharples, L. (2003) Consuming places: the role of food, wine and
tourism in regional development. In: C.M. Hall, L. Sharples, R. Mitchell, N. Macionis, & B.
Cambourne (eds.). Food tourism around the world: development, management, and
markets. transferred to digital printing. Amsterdam, Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 25–59.

Hammond, M. & Wellington, J.J. (2020) Research methods: the key concepts. Routledge key
guides. Second ed. Abingdon New York, NY, Routledge.

Harris, L. (2020) So you want to… sell produce at a farmers market? 12 March 2020. Farmers
Weekly. https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/diversification/so-you-want-to-sell-produce-at-a-
farmers-market [Accessed: 15 April 2022].

Hollywood, P. (2022) Paul Hollywood’s Cumberland Rum Nicky. 11 April 2022. The Great
British Bake Off. https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/recipes/all/paul-hollywood-
cumberland-rum-nicky/ [Accessed: 11 April 2022].

Jansson, P. (2022) AC Travel & Leisure Ltd. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 5 May
2022.

Knollenberg, W., Duffy, L.N., Kline, C. & Kim, G. (2021) Creating Competitive Advantage for
Food Tourism Destinations Through Food and Beverage Experiences. Tourism Planning &
Development. 18 (4), 379–397. doi:10.1080/21568316.2020.1798687.

Lane, M. (2005) A taste for gastro-tourism. BBC News Magazine.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4245534.stm.

Le Pouesard, M. (2022) Harnessing the power of storytelling in restaurants. 2022. Hospitality

Insights. https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/power-storytelling-restaurants [Accessed: 3 May

80
2022].

Liberato, P., Mendes, T. & Liberato, D. (2020) Culinary Tourism and Food Trends. In: Á.
Rocha, A. Abreu, J.V. de Carvalho, D. Liberato, E.A. González, & P. Liberato (eds.). Advances
in Tourism, Technology and Smart Systems. Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies.
Singapore, Springer Singapore. pp. 517–526. doi:10.1007/978-981-15-2024-2_45.

Macdiarmid, J.I. (2013) Seasonality and dietary requirements: will eating seasonal food
contribute to health and environmental sustainability? Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.
73 (3), 368–375. doi:10.1017/S0029665113003753.

Michelin Guide (2022) Cumbria MICHELIN Restaurants - the MICHELIN Guide United
Kingdom. 11 April 2022. MICHELIN Guide.
https://guide.michelin.com/gb/en/cumbria/restaurants [Accessed: 11 April 2022].

Mohamed, M.E., Hewedi, M., Lehto, X. & Maayouf, M. (2020) Marketing local food and
cuisine culture online: a case study of DMO’s websites in Egypt. International Journal of
Tourism Cities. 6 (4), 1045–1068. doi:10.1108/IJTC-05-2019-0067.

Nancarrow Farm (2022) Nancarrow : Barns for Weddings, Feasts & Corporate. 2022.
Nancarrow Farm. //www.nancarrowfarm.co.uk/ [Accessed: 28 April 2022].

OddBox (2022) Wonky Fruit & Veg | Deliciously Odd & Delivered to Your Door. 2022.
ODDBOX. https://www.oddbox.co.uk/ [Accessed: 11 March 2022].

Open Food Network UK (2022) Open Food Network. 2022. Open Food Network UK.
https://openfoodnetwork.org.uk/ [Accessed: 11 March 2022].

Perkumienė, D. & Pranskūnienė, R. (2019) Overtourism: Between the Right to Travel and
Residents’ Rights. Sustainability. 11 (7), 21–38. doi:10.3390/su11072138.

Pizam, A. (2021) International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management.

Produced in Kent (2022a) Food & Drink - Produced in Kent. 2022. Produced in Kent.
https://www.producedinkent.co.uk/discover/food-drink [Accessed: 12 May 2022].

Produced in Kent (2022b) Produced in Kent. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 7 April
2022.

Roxas, F.M.Y., Rivera, J.P.R. & Gutierrez, E.L.M. (2020) Mapping stakeholders’ roles in
governing sustainable tourism destinations. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
45, 387–398. doi:10.1016/j.jhtm.2020.09.005.

Sharples, L. (2003) Food tourism in the Peak District National Park, England. In: C.M. Hall, L.
Sharples, R. Mitchell, N. Macionis, & B. Cambourne (eds.). Food tourism around the world:
development, management, and markets. transferred to digital printing. Amsterdam,
Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 206–227.

81
Sreejesh, S., Mohapatra, S. & Anusree, M.R. (2014) Business Research Methods. Switzerland,
Springer.

Stalmirska, A.M. (2020) Cultural globalisation and food in urban destination marketing.
Tourism Geographies. 1–19. doi:10.1080/14616688.2020.1857429.

Stalmirska, A.M. (2021) Local Food in Tourism Destination Development: The Supply-Side
Perspectives. Tourism Planning & Development. 1–18. doi:10.1080/21568316.2021.1928739.

Stone, M.J., Migacz, S. & Wolf, E. (2019) Beyond the journey: the lasting impact of culinary
tourism activities. Current Issues in Tourism. 22 (2), 147–152.
doi:10.1080/13683500.2018.1427705.

Sustain (2013) The Sustain Guide To Good Food.

https://www.sustainweb.org/publications/the_sustain_guide_to_good_food/.

Tan, R. (2022) When Chefs Become Storytellers. 2022. MICHELIN Guide.

https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/features/when-chefs-become-storytellers [Accessed:
3 May 2022].

The Hidden Hut (2022) The Hidden Hut. 2022. The Hidden Hut.
https://www.hiddenhut.co.uk/ [Accessed: 28 April 2022].

UN Environment Management Group (2022) The UN Sustainable Development Goals. 2022.

United Nations EMG. https://unemg.org/our-work/supporting-the-sdgs/the-un-sustainable-
development-goals/ [Accessed: 5 May 2022].

UNWTO (2022) Sustainable development. 2022. World Tourism Organisation.

https://www.unwto.org/sustainable-development [Accessed: 4 May 2022].
UNWTO & UNDP (2017) Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals – Journey to 2030.
doi:10.18111/9789284419340.

Vázquez-Martinez, U.J., Sanchís-Pedregosa, C. & Leal-Rodríguez, A.L. (2019) Is Gastronomy A

Relevant Factor for Sustainable Tourism? An Empirical Analysis of Spain Country Brand.
Sustainability. 11 (9), 2696. doi:10.3390/su11092696.

Visit Bristol (2022) Visit Bristol - Official Bristol Tourist Information Site. 2022. Visit Bristol.
https://visitbristol.co.uk/ [Accessed: 11 May 2022].

Visit Britain (2022a) Find local support. 2022. Visit Britain.

https://www.visitbritain.org/business-advice/find-local-support-0 [Accessed: 4 May 2022].

Visit Britain (2017) Food is Great - Britain & Northern Ireland.

https://www.visitbritain.org/inbound-food-drink-research.

Visit Britain (2016) How the world views Britain’s food.

https://www.visitbritain.org/inbound-food-drink-research.

82
Visit Britain (2015) Inbound food & drink research. 22 April 2015. Visit Britain.
https://www.visitbritain.org/inbound-food-drink-research [Accessed: 10 March 2022].

Visit Britain (2019) Interest in holiday activities in Britain.

https://www.visitbritain.org/understanding-international-visitors.

Visit Britain (2020) Reasons to return to a holiday destination.

https://www.visitbritain.org/understanding-international-visitors.

Visit Britain (2022b) The Food and Drink Tourism Hub. 2022. VisitBritain.
https://trade.visitbritain.com/destination-uk/food-and-drink/ [Accessed: 10 March 2022].

Visit Cornwall (2022a) Food and drink. 2022. Visit Cornwall.

https://www.visitcornwall.com/food-and-drink [Accessed: 12 May 2022].

Visit Cornwall (2018) Late Summer 2018 Food Bites. The Cornwall Experts Blog.
https://www.visitcornwall.com/about-cornwall/blogging-cornwall/cornwall-bites-
september-foodie.

Visit Cornwall (2022b) Love Cornwall Food and Drink. 2022. Visit Cornwall.
https://www.visitcornwall.com/love-cornwall-food-and-drink [Accessed: 12 May 2022].

Visit Cornwall (2022c) Visit Cornwall. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 27 April 2022.

Visit Cornwall (2022d) Visit Cornwall. 2022. Visit Cornwall. https://www.visitcornwall.com/

[Accessed: 12 May 2022].

Visit Cornwall (2022e) What’s on - Events in Cornwall. 2022. Visit Cornwall.

https://www.visitcornwall.com/whats-on [Accessed: 12 May 2022].

Visit Kent (2022a) Kent Food and Drink. 2022. Kent Garden of England.
https://www.visitkent.co.uk/stay-and-eat/food-and-drink/ [Accessed: 12 May 2022].
Visit Kent (2022b) The Visit Kent Blog. The Visit Kent Blog. https://www.visitkent.co.uk/visit-
kent-blog/.

Visit Kent (2022c) Visit Kent. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 4 April 2022.

Visit Kent (2022d) Visit Kent, The Garden of England. 2022. Kent Garden of England.
https://www.visitkent.co.uk/ [Accessed: 12 May 2022].

Visit Lake District (2022a) Food and Drink in the Lake District and Cumbria. 2022. Visit Lake
District. https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/food-and-drink [Accessed: 12 May 2022].

Visit Lake District (2022b) Welcome to the Lake District, Cumbria. 2022. Visit Lake District.
https://www.visitlakedistrict.com/ [Accessed: 12 May 2022].

83
Visit Scotland (2022a) A Taste of Scotland’s Foodie Trails.
https://www.visitscotland.com/ebrochures/en/foodie-trails.pdf.

Visit Scotland (2022b) Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022. 2022. Visit Scotland.
https://www.visitscotland.com/about/themed-years/stories/ [Accessed: 24 April 2022].

Visit Scotland (2022c) Scottish Food & Drink. 2022. Visit Scotland.
https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/food-drink/ [Accessed: 12 May 2022].

Visit Scotland (2022d) Taste Our Best. 2022. Visit Scotland.

http://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/visitor-experience/taste-our-best
[Accessed: 24 April 2022].

Visit Scotland (2022e) The Blog | VisitScotland. The Blog.

https://www.visitscotland.com/blog/.

Visit Scotland (2022f) Visit Scotland. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 20 April 2022.

Visit Scotland (2022g) Welcome to Scotland. 2022. Visit Scotland.

https://www.visitscotland.com/ [Accessed: 12 May 2022].

Visit West (2022a) Visit West. Interview by Anna Söderström [Zoom], 14 March 2022.

Visit West (2022b) Visit West. 2022. Visit West. https://www.visitwest.co.uk/ [Accessed: 11
May 2022].

Vogt, W.P., Gardner, D.C. & Haeffele, L.M. (2012) When to use what research design. New
York, N.Y., Guilford Press.

World Food Travel Association (2022) What is Food Tourism? 2022. World Food Travel
Association. https://worldfoodtravel.org/what-is-food-tourism/ [Accessed: 10 March 2022].

Yeoman, I. & McMahon-Beatte, U. (2016) The future of food tourism. Journal of Tourism
Futures. 2 (1), 95–98. doi:10.1108/JTF-12-2015-0051.

84
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Interview questions

DMOs
• What does the term local food mean to you?
• Do restaurants use local produce at your destination?
• What kind of food would you say your destination is famous for?
• How important is local food for the image of your destination? (What would you be
without it?)
• Is local food used in the marketing of your destination?
• How?
• Why do you use local food to market your destination?
• Are tourists interested in local food?
• Are tourists choosing your destination because of the food?
• Are you actively working towards having more restaurants serving food cooked with
local produce?

Green Tourism
• Can you please tell me a little bit about what you do?
• What does the term local food mean to you?
• Would you say being a member of Green Tourism is a marketing tool?
• What kind of support do you give your members?
• Do you think the UK use local food enough in the marketing of its destinations?
• Are tourists, travelling to the UK, interested in green options?
• Are you actively working towards having more restaurants serving food cooked with
local produce?
• Why do you think there is such a big interest in local food and eating seasonally?
• Do you think this has been sped up “thanks to” Covid?
• Do you think Brexit will have an impact on the food industry in the UK?
• Is climate change a challenge or an opportunity? E.g. challenge because of droughts,
opportunity because people understand they need to make a change.

85
Produced in Kent
• Can you please tell me a little bit about what you do?
• Can you tell me a little about your collaboration with Visit Kent?
• What does the term local food mean to you?
• How are you working towards having more restaurants serving food cooked with local
produce?
• What kind of support do you give your members?
• How do you ensure visitors are informed of which restaurants are cooking with local
produce or using local spirits etc?
• Do you try to influence customer behaviours and the choices they make? (Where they
decide to eat.)
• Why do you think there is such a big interest in local food and eating seasonally?
• Do you think this has been sped up “thanks to” Covid?
• Do you think Brexit will have an impact on the food industry in the UK?
• Is climate change a challenge or an opportunity? E.g. challenge because of droughts,
opportunity because people understand they need to make a change.

86