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Linking farms, food and tourism
Friday 2 November 2007
The Devonshire Red from Lloyd Maunder and rural tourism specialist Cartwheel are linking up through a programme of promotions focusing on the landscape of the West Country as a place to visit and enjoy as well as a source of quality food.
"The local landscape and the farming families who look after it are key to both brands," says Gina Woodcraft, chief executive of Cartwheel. "We have an affinity that could help re-connect people with the whole farming-food-landscape cycle. Afterall, we wouldn't have the beautiful West Country landscape for people to visit without the farmers who work it to produce food like Devonshire Red chicken."
The two brands started discussions in the Spring, just before the launch of the new Devonshire Red campaign at the Devon County Show. This summer they devised a successful promotion giving away a Devonshire farm holiday, plus meals and days out, through Lloyd Maunder's chain of 15 butchers shops and the Cartwheel website.
A micro website was constructed for entries which will now be used for future initiatives, including a 'Spring Chicken' promotion in February and a possible on-pack promotion with Devonshire Red products, which are available nationwide, later next year.
"Both we and Cartwheel are focused on helping farmers stay on the land through successful diversification," says Andrew Maunder, commercial director of Lloyd Maunder which works with 157 family-run farms in the West Country to produce its chicken. "The landscape is what it's all about. It's why people visit this area, and also why we can farm chicken so successfully here. Our own brand The Devonshire Red actually references to the county's red soil, as we wanted to position the product squarely within the amazing landscape where it's produced."
Cartwheel is a not-for-profit membership organisation which has pioneered the promotion of countryside and farm holidays in the South West. The Devonshire Red is Lloyd Maunder's brand of higher welfare chicken, including organic and free range, plus corn fed which is reared indoors to RSPCS standards.
For more press information contact Veronica Newport on 01363 866927 or email veronica@n-pr.co.uk.