Celebrating Eleven Years of Industry Support for Breakfast

Thursday 14 January 2010

As we enter a new decade, HGCA's Farmhouse Breakfast Week (24 - 30 January) is preparing to celebrate its eleventh year. Since it began, the campaign that promotes the importance of starting the day with a healthy balanced breakfast has gone from strength to strength. The first Farmhouse Breakfast Week was supported by four industry partners and there were just ten events.  It is now supported by over 80 campaign partners, from retailers to farming organisations and food producers, who between them are expected to hold over 1,400 events this month.

The 2010 campaign was launched today (14^th January) at London's Roast restaurant. The event was attended by industry leaders from farming, retail and food production, as well as education specialists and media. 

The campaign theme for 2010 is 'Breakfast Benefits'. This message communicates not only the health benefits of breakfast but also reflects the commercial benefits breakfast offers to businesses, from hotels and cafes, to food producers and retailers.

HGCA Chairman, Jonathan Tipples thanked the industry for their continued support for the campaign: "Over the last ten years Farmhouse Breakfast Week has become a leading event in the food chain's calendar. Promoting the health benefits of breakfast, the campaign has reached millions of parents, school children and consumers. I am confident that this year we will once again build on the success of previous years. This outstanding achievement is largely due to the continued backing of the food and farming industry, for which HGCA is very grateful."

Today's speakers demonstrated the breadth of reach of the campaign. Annabel Karmel, a leading expert and best-selling author on children's food and nutrition, discussed industry opportunities for the breakfast meal occasion. Ms Karmel discussed how both the foodservice sector and food producers could promote healthy breakfasts to families, and gave some valuable insights into how some organisations are benefiting from breakfast: "The foodservice industry is now actively promoting breakfast to both children and adults.  Ten years ago the choice of breakfast dishes was sparse, but thanks to campaigns like Farmhouse Breakfast Week, many are now realising the opportunities the most important meal of the day offers."

Catherine Goodridge, Regional School Food and Health Co-ordinator for the West Midlands also recognised the value of Farmhouse Breakfast Week: "This campaign is now celebrated and supported by more and more schools and their breakfast clubs each year. It is an ideal way to highlight to children, parents and teachers the benefits and importance of starting the day with a healthy balanced breakfast." 

Hundreds of events, including those organised by breakfast clubs, retailers and farming organisations, are taking place across the country in support of Farmhouse Breakfast Week. These range from much celebrated regional competitions, to in-store sampling and industry breakfasts. Events are being held at a wide variety of locations from stations to schools, to farmers markets and cafes. From Glasgow to Grimsby, Carmarthen to Chester and Norwich to Newquay, Farmhouse Breakfast Week 2010 is going to be hard to miss.

- Ends -

For further information please contact:

Naomi Barry                                                 Emily Gudgeon

Ceres                                                         HGCA                

T: 0118 947 5956                                         T: 0247 647 8735

M: 07920 098498                                         E : emily.gudgeon@hgca.com

E : naomi.barry@ceres-pr.co.uk                                            

Or visit: www.farmhousebreakfast.com and follow us on Twitter twitter.com/breakfastweek

Editors Notes:

• Farmhouse Breakfast Week is organised by HGCA
• HGCA aims to improve the production and marketing of cereals. It provides market information, assists cereal product development, promotes exports and funds research and development. It is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)
• Farmhouse Breakfast Week is supported by the National Farmers' Union, the Farmers' Union of Wales, the Ulster Farmers' Union, the National Farmers' Union of Scotland, the Women's Food and Farming Union (WFU), Farm Stay UK