FROM ALL AT THE UK FOOD VALLEY WE WISH ALL OUR PARTNERS, COLLEAGUES AND STAKEHOLDERS A SENSATIONALLY FLAVOURSOME CHRISTMAS!

Well – that’s a wrap! Another year of promotions, endorsements, and positioning towards securing a Top 10 Global Food Cluster here in Greater Lincolnshire.

This year has seen the UK Food Valley and partners making strong progress through innovation and investment, which is pivotal in positioning our agrifood industry as increasingly competitive.

We know that agritech plays an enormous part in our local economy representing almost £5bn and supporting 75,000 jobs. As the largest fresh produce sector of any area in the country, we not only produce 30% of vegetables and salads, but are busy driving new investments in production - not least across high tech greenhouses.  And this year has seen a world first in the University of Lincoln’s £2.4m geothermal R&D glasshouse exploiting Lincolnshire’s natural geothermal resources within highly advanced glasshouse technologies.

Our UK Food Valley hosts a leading commercial, academic, and research cluster which drives innovation and commercialisation for productive, sustainable, low carbon, healthy food chains, and we are also the UK’s leading hub for food sector logistics with a large proportion of the nation's food supply moving through the region. Industry trends show that the importance of logistics and storage continues to grow, and this year has seen a number of record-breaking developments in cold storage taking place within the Greater Lincolnshire supply chain.

These are not just statistics and facts; they are strategic assets. Ones which are nationally recognised, and where, together, we have sufficient collective influence to shape policy and decision making.

We are at the forefront of a step change in the way food and farming has long been perceived and we continue to embed our world-class food and farming businesses into the national conversation on innovation, resilience, and most importantly, on national food security. 

Meanwhile, the first Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire; Dame Andrea Jenkyns, was elected in May with a mandate to be a powerful advocate for Lincolnshire, ensuring that local priorities are at the heart of decision-making, with a heavy emphasis on food and farming, and recently launched the mayoral Lincolnshire rural forum at the Great Exhibition in October, pledging to make the case for the sector nationally and beyond.

Promoting what we are doing here in Lincolnshire is critical to our success and we need everyone to join us as ambassadors to raise the profile and share the story of the UK Food Valley.   

In this festive issue are our favourite picks from this year, so please read on to share in our collective progress and pride. And finally, our thanks to all who have supported and participated with us across this year. We could not do this without you.   

Merry Christmas! 

The UK Food Valley Team