Food ambassadors project for ‘LegenDerry’ local producers

The new project will be developed as an extension of the EU-funded international NICHE project delivered last year, which spawned the ‘Legenderry’ food and drink brand and a local food and drink producers network. The project ran from March 2016 to June 2020 and saw Derry City and Strabane District Council partner with six other regions, including Donegal and parts of Finland, Romania, Crete, Poland and Estonia.

Part of the aim was to develop the food sector, learn from best practice in other regions, highlight the importance of the sector as an economic driver and increase research and innovation.

Achievements included new product development locally including Grainola Goddess and Foyster (an oyster stout), the LegenDerry Street food festival, a slow food dinner delivered by the network and supported by Council, and Walled City Brewery collaborating with a brewery in Finland to create a unique beer as part of a World Beer Series.

Aeidin McCarter, Head of Culture with Derry & Strabane Culture, in a report before the Business & Culture Committee, said part of this has involved the development of the LegenDerry Food project, with 50 local businesses becoming accredited members of the local Food Network, with a website and the new product development blossoming from that.

“The marketing campaign was delivered from July to October 2020. That supported the reopening of the sector that happened last summer. Clearly the pandemic has had a major effect on the food and drink sector and although the brand was launched in 2020 to coincide with the opening, it has been unable really to make the impact we had hoped because of the recurring opening and closing of the food sector.

“So as a result we have set out some legacy plans here for the NICHE project because we believe it is critical we don’t lose the momentum we would have gained,” she said.

Among the actions adopted is a second round of Legenderry accreditation and a Legenderry food ambassador programme to deliver workshops and media training for local producers.

“The total cost of this is £12,000 and this can be accommodated within the existing tourism budget,” Aeidin McCarter said.

Proposing the Council approve the funding, Sinn Féin Councillor Michaela Boyle: “I think it’s the right thing to do to go to the second round of accreditation. NICHE has been fantastic with 50 businesses buying into it and this will give other businesses the chance to buy into it. The business sector in terms of hospitality will be leaning toward the Council looking for it to support them whenever they get back to opening safely, and with confidence in the sector. There will be a lot more asked of the Council from the sector as we move forward to Spring / Summer and hopefully we are out of lockdown.”

She added that giving support and confidence to those “on the brink” was vital.

The proposal was seconded by SDLP Colr. Mary Durkan.

Independent Colr. Emmet Doyle said it was fantastic 50 businesses had already signed up and asked whether there was a cost to businesses who wished to do so. Ms McCarter said that in future there may be a cost but at this stage, given what was going on and the wider pressures on the industry, the council has not applied a charge either in the first round nor for this second round.

UUP Alderman Derek Hussey asked whether there was any thought given to developing Irish coffee products developed within the Council area. Ms. McCarter said she was happy to raise that with the steering group.

Chair of the Committee SDLP Colr. Rory Farrell said the website looked “sharp and professional” and welcomed that all producers and food businesses were grouped under this umbrella.

The development of a Local Food and Drink Strategy and Action Plan (2019-2025) was launched February 2019, and the LegenDerry food website can be viewed at www.legenderryfood.com.

The food and drink sector and associated food tourism businesses had been on an upward trajectory for the past decade and notably so in recent years with a strong quality offering across restaurants, hotels, new producers alongside new food festivals and experiences, a report tabled before the Committee stated. “Unfortunately, the impact of the pandemic has had serious implications for the sector. The new health guidelines as well as extended periods of closure and furloughing of staff throughout 2020 has caused major impact. The sector is at a precarious point, consumer confidence will take time to rebuild and for businesses to recover to 2019 levels. The new tourism landscape is hard to imagine at this point, although the recent announcement of a vaccine is cause for some much needed hope,” the report stated.