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MUSGRAVE RETAIL PARTNERS GB WINS BEST CONSUMER INITIATIVE FOR SPONSORHIP OF BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT

Musgrave Retail Partners GB has won best consumer initiative in the Grocer Gold Awards 2007 for its sponsorship of British Food Fortnight.  The campaign was deemed to be a ‘unanimous win’ by the judges.

Events, which included local produce samplings, ‘Design a chef’s hat’ competitions and in-store promotions helped to boost footfall in Budgens and Londis stores by 25% and sales of products offered for tastings by 50%.  Media coverage was estimated to have reached an audience of more than 300 million people.

The judges agreed that the initiative was well executed and enhanced the messages of local community, provenance and total family engagement.

Musgrave Retail Partners GB beat off stiff competition from Sainsbury’s (for Active Kids), Tesco (for GDA labelling) and Waitrose (for Dalehead Foods Easy Range ) who were also short-listed for the award.

Says Ross Halliday, Musgrave GB marketing director:  “This is a fantastic award for us to win.  Musgrave GB supports British producers and farmers all year round.  And our Budgens and Londis retail partners are independent retailers who are fully committed to supporting their local communities.  So, as British Food Fortnight continues to grow and local sourcing is now an ‘all-year-round’ issue, this is the perfect campaign for us to sponsor.”

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British Food Fortnight is an annual celebration of our wonderful regional food and drink. The focus for this year's British Food Fortnight is learning about food, about the diverse and delicious range of food available in Britain and about the health benefits and pleasures of eating quality, fresh, seasonal and regional produce.

Launched in Autumn 2002 at Harvest Festival, British Food Fortnight has already gained huge public awareness and is well on the way to becoming an established and meaningful annual event.

Budgens will be supporting British Food Fortnight with instore point of sale material highlighting some distinctly British products and with special offers on its fortnightly promotional leaflet, plus additional support in the Anglia region where the retailer has a large number of stores.

Says Alexia Robinson, British Food Fortnight’s organiser, “Budgens is an excellent example of how retailers can play a powerful role in making quality local food and drink easily accessible to the consumer. British Food Fortnight is all about encouraging retailers and producers to be proactive in educating the public – and in particular young people – about the diverse and delicious range of food in Britain. This is something that Budgens’ stores champion within the communities they serve and they are therefore a perfect partner for the national celebrations.”

For more information about British Food Fortnight visit: www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk

For more information about food from local producers in Budgens stores in the Anglia, Kent and Sussex regions click here