The Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival has been cancelled for 2024.
The need to offer a greater variety of support to food producers and the risk of weather-related cancellations are among the reasons given for the decision.
Manx Radio's Sian Cowper asked Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Clare Barber about the decision, and about plans for a new 'Meet The Buyers' event.
Hi I'm Sean, one of the news editors at Manx Radio. Last week we heard the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival for this year has been cancelled and while some producers have concerns about the loss of the event, the environment, food and agriculture minister Claire Barber has been defending the decision. I asked her why the event has been scrapped. So we'd had quite a lot of feedback over the last couple of years and of course we have had some significant challenges. I think it's fair to say the last couple of years as well which has highlighted the level of risk of putting all of our proverbial eggs in one basket I suppose because two years ago we had the passing of the Queen where we almost pulled the event right at the last minute and then last year the weather was particularly inclement meaning we had only a third of the standard visitors and we'd had feedback from stallholders around some of the challenges they faced especially with some of that short notice where we considered cancelling. We'd also had feedback from people going to the event around accessibility around certainly the mud last year and some of the challenges we had with that and also the price because we had had to put the price up and that wouldn't be in the position we'd have been in again this year. So actually we took some time to reflect we spoke to some of the producers we spoke to DFE and just sort of in a more general term about the things that actually they need within the food and drink space and what we've realised actually I think is there's a real opportunity to talk to all the producers because we acknowledge that's something we haven't done that's something we've asked in the communication we put out to really understand actually where they all are in their different processes because I think for some people the sort of food and drink festival model is the right position for them in the place of their business in the time frame of their business where they're at and for other people I don't think that's necessarily what they need but because we only have one big event everyone was having to fit into one box so we want to do this year as a bit of a change I suppose to really increase our presence at the two agricultural shows that's the first piece of the jigsaw but also to look at a buyer's event also to look at how we can really channel our tourists visitors to our various businesses because we used to have a brilliant booklet actually and I know booklets may be a bit outdated we want to make sure it's replicated on the website but really telling the story of where you can go and get products who's selling what's available so I think there's a whole suite of things and in my view there will be some form of festival in the future I just think potentially we may look at different venues maybe different time of year different different regional locations as well so loads of things being considered it's certainly not a case of us just saying we're not going to do anything now the reaction that we've seen from producers posting on social media and speaking to us is that this is essentially going to be quite a big loss for them is that something you agree with so we've certainly we reflected on that and that's why we wanted to make sure that there were alternative things available and we also want to to really focus I suppose on what the intention of the food drink festival is so although it's absolutely it's a celebration no question of of all of the brilliant products we have here it also you know it's to drive people to change in their habits and I think actually being able to do things year-round will really help us to do that in a in a greater way so I absolutely take on board and we really want those producers to get in touch with us and we have reached out to a number of the ones who've commented around social media but I really you know want to bring that information in to understand how we can do things better because it's it's fair to say that it wasn't the case that last year everyone said everything was perfect by any stretch and what feedback have you had from producers so far that quite a mixed bag actually it's we've had some people who you felt initially actually goodness this is going to be a really big hit but actually when we've had the opportunity to talk to them that there may be less concern for some people we recognize it will be a bigger challenge and for other people actually they're really excited and think that the things we're proposing will work far better for their business I think which shows the diversity actually of what different businesses need and the fact that one size just really doesn't fit all in terms of the increased focus on the agricultural shows obviously they have other events going on as well they're not just about the the food produce do food producers see the same kind of yield from those events that they would at the festival so I think it can vary but certainly we have brilliant throughput through the deficits at the agricultural shows and we're going to increase the space within them the number of different concessions that can have pictures so we're really keen for any food and drink producers to come and talk to us who would like to exhibit at those events and I think it's fair to say that you know before I got in this job I always turned up to all of these various events actually with a couple of empty big shopping bags so that I could fill them up with all the various products and try different things and meet producers so I think those functions of what it provides actually are similar in both places I acknowledge there are some elements that won't be at the agricultural shows such as the demonstration kitchen for example that's something that wouldn't be there but I do think that there's an opportunity to replicate a lot of the opportunity to speak to the people who are your potential customers and your current customers actually and to showcase the products and we know that there really is a huge breadth of product to showcase on the island. Now the festival website itself says in 2022 the festival brought in an estimated domestic economic impact of 320,000 pounds the press release from 2021 had that as 365,000. Can the extra focus on the agricultural shows make up that deficit? So we would certainly hope so and of course let's say it's not just the agricultural shows because we also want to look at that you know going out meet the buyer opportunity and for some people who are looking to you go into different markets that's a real opportunity and we know that we've got retail businesses who want to buy more local products and they want to find out how they can do that. We're also doing an industry meetup event we think that's really important and as I say actually the booklet I think will be a really useful thing that was something we've had feedback from that when people get off the boat they can find information about the trains and they can get information about the buses and all the banks national heritage sites and various other activities what's missing is something that gives you a really comprehensive guide to what should you try when you're on the island man what's the food and drink things that are our specialities which are our businesses who can you go to which restaurants are providing which things and also which shops can you go to if you want to take some you know tasty goodies back home with you so that's another piece of the jigsaw but I say those are just some of the things and we're also in conversation with other people about some of the regional opportunities for our smaller food food and drink markets we also know we've got the ongoing support we provide to the foodies market and also the farmers market and what I really want to get to actually is a calendar of year-round events where almost you know every other weekend at the minimum you know there's somewhere that you can go confidently on the island to go and see producers and I think that's absolutely the position we'd like to get to and say I'm certainly not ruling out that there might well be something different we do next year I just think for this year it just wasn't something we felt was possible to proceed with and we know that it's often a busy time of year for the food producers they have the southern show the royal show and then the food festival all in about a six week or so period but some producers it takes months to prepare for that do you think the producers could have been given more notice I certainly acknowledged you know in an ideal well we would have given more notice and I think there was a number of different things that needed to come together from our part to be sure that this was a decision we were we were taking but you know I hope that you know I think it's 85 days was the amount we gave and we did acknowledge that you know that hopefully would allow enough time but also enough time for people to move to some of those other events that we were highlighting and some of those events that we haven't yet been able to talk about that we hope will be coming on to the calendar and we'll be advertising soon now you've touched on that there will be a new event for the producers to showcase their produce to to buy us on and off island what more can you tell us about that so that's very much you know a work in progress but very much in partnership with DFE and I think that's another thing I think it's a really good news story you're definitely DFE really want to work much closer on how we promote food and drink both on island and off island and I think it's it's fair to say that that's been you know helped I suppose by the work we've been doing through Tesco's because we've come together and actually having then talked to producers we can see that there's there's far more that we can do when we're working together we know that they ran the manks menu campaign I was talking to someone the other day who said I think it's in in one of the channel islands they're doing a two week long sort of restaurant promotion scheme where they all run different offers and everyone tries to race around to use all the offers over a two-week period to go and see what the restaurants are offering so I think there's different ideas as well that we can pull from elsewhere and if people want to come and talk to us that's absolutely something we're open about you know I think we put the email address food at gov.im any producers who want to get in touch with either feedback things that they think would work certainly for their business would really be interested in hearing so the consumer though the the food festival it's that chance to go and try things you've maybe not come across before do you think having a sort of a more industry event like this perhaps takes away from that access to the consumer so I think that's it's a different thing I suppose it's another piece of the jigsaw but for the consumer to come and you to try things you certainly I think the presence of the agricultural shows that does offer that and will offer that for a greater number of products but also we know that we've also got the various markets as I say foodies market farmers market we know that some of the regional commissioners are really keen to do more in their local area as well so I think it's there's just so many groups who are invested actually in our our local food and drink in terms of understanding the produce and knowing what we can change to where we can where we can access it so we had had feedback as I said from people who felt that actually the food and drink tickets were getting too expensive the number of things that potentially they could try were reducing so we'd had some quite interesting feedback in advance and you know I accept there are people who were absolutely loyal to food and drink festival you know and I hope that once they start to see the sort of things we want to be putting out that actually they'll see there's many opportunities for them to come and support those food and drink providers and as I say I'm certainly not ruling out next year having something that fills this space maybe in a slightly different way maybe maybe in a less weather dependent venue maybe a slightly different time of year I don't know these are all things we're working through now in terms of this meet the buyers event talking particularly with off-island buyers you gave evidence recently to a Timball committee where you talked about the cost of freight potentially being a barrier to some producers this event it sounds like it will put people in touch with buyers but how do you overcome that cost barrier so we know that that's something we've committed as government to explore anyway and I think it's it's just really important that we've we're we're listening we're taking that on and the other thing that I think it's worth you're reflecting is there's there's different people who are exporting so there's people who are exporting a product that's exactly as it came out of the ground and there's people who've already been able to add the significant value to that by processing that product and I think they're facing different challenges and I think it's important to reflect actually on a sort of say at the minute we've got a one-size-fits-all picture but actually different people have different challenges we're listening to all those different groups and we're definitely hearing some of the challenges they face but you know from my perspective that's the thing we we absolutely are committed to working with the steam packet in conversation with Treasury about but also you know we want to encourage export and we know that we've got businesses on Ireland who are managing to export and do that profitably and successfully successfully. In 2021 when you were talking about the festival itself you said it plays a significant role in growing the food and drinks sector which is a key goal in our food matter strategy is that not the case anymore? So I think when I spoke then we hadn't had two years where we've really been at risk of losing this and I suppose that's been something that really played on my mind you know we spent a lot of time considering could we go ahead when we had the sad passing of Her Majesty and interesting we had some quite negative feedback actually for our decision to proceed but the reality for us is because we're sinking all our costs into one event if we choose to cancel it late late notice or as last year if the weather potentially had have led to us having to cancel we did go ahead but obviously as we know we had to then resolve the villa marina grounds which had turned into something of a swamp and that put people off as well attending because we're putting everything into that you know we really are at risk if we if we lose that then all the money that we're using to promote food and drink in one year is lost and I can't recover that cost so I think you know absolutely I stand by what I said at that point I hadn't had the benefit of seeing those two years of significant risk and actually I think there's an opportunity to de-risk but also as I say to try to move away from the one-size-fits-all model. Thank you for making it to the end of the Manxeradian newscast you are obviously someone with exquisite taste may I politely suggest you might want to subscribe to this and a wide range of Manxeradia podcasts at your favorite podcast provider so our best bits will magically appear on your smartphone thank you (gentle music)
