Presentation: The Pitch

This is a turnip, a vegetable very close to my heart. My father grew and cut this turnip. This turnip is just one of the thousands of turnips that my father, grandfather and myself have grown over the past 70 years. If have ever eaten a pasty, and I’m sure many of you have, then you would have tasted one of my father’s finest.

Yet this turnip is different to most of the turnips most of you in this room have recently bought.

My father sold this turnip directly to the consumer by the roadside; making more money for himself, without using wasteful packaging and without excessive delivery.

 

We’ve an idea so simple, so obvious and so workable that it will revolutionise the way we buy local produce. An idea right on our main roads that is already working, already tried and tested.

We’d like to introduce you to Shopbylayby.

Supermarkets are popular because they are convenient. It’s a simple formula. You know that a supermarket will be open when you want it to be, there will be somewhere to park and you know it’ll have the essential items you want.

We have that formula on our main roads.

There are people trading from laybys in Cornwall; laybys on main roads where you can park easily. However, you never know if these outlets are open or if they will be selling the items you require at a quality you’d expect.

At present, layby traders are a motley crew of burger vans, wooden duck carvers and men selling potatoes, mackerel, firewood and pickled onions from a back of a rusty van.

Shopbylayby will be a network of licensed retail outlets situated in laybys on busy main roads in Cornwall.

Jo, you’ve spoken to some current layby traders?  

We know they are attracting around 78 customers a day, spending on average £5 each. This means a weekly take of over 2000 pounds per pitch.

When are they open?

In the main, from 9am-4pm, missing the peak rush hour business.

What do they sell?

Usually, their own-produced food. They lack the capacity, logistics and premises to stock other essentials like bread and milk.

So Jo, what’s the solution?

A recognisable brand based on a strategic formula of good, local food at a good price, in a good location.

A shipping container?

This will be the selling unit.

Shelving units inside will be designed in sympathy with producers’ delivery boxes, minimising the need for packaging.

So how does it work?

Well, the purpose of Shopbylayby is to facilitate direct trading between producer and consumer. The units will be staffed by the producers as a collective, so they can promote their own products. Buyers can then meet producers and buy with confidence

The units will be in between towns in rural areas, so nearer to the producers and their farms.

We spoke to Rob, a layby trader near Penzance. He sells all local produce, much of it from his father’s farm. He said he was very busy and would very much jump at the chance to sell from a retail unit on the same site. We also spoke to his customers who said they shopped there regularly as the quality was good, the price reasonable and the location convenient.

So, what are we proposing?

We propose that trading laybys are licensed. Applicants who wish to trade must possess the necessary food handing certificates, pledge to be open for set hours of the week and stock local food including essentials.

Shopbylaybys will be subject to license fee for which the trader will obtain a water and electric supply, a unit to trade from, waste collection and marketing and publicity.

The Shopbylayby could run a membership scheme offering discounts, recipes, food suggestions, special offers to other businesses and a reusable Shopbylayby food tray.

We’ve written a general business plan, located several funding streams and consulted food industry experts.

However, we would like to advance this project to the pilot stage where we can open and manage a strategic Shopbylayby before rolling out the concept throughout Cornwall, and the UK.

To make this project the success it deserves to be, we need a more thorough evaluation. There needs to be a comprehensive, meticulous analysis into planning, power and water supply, licensing, location, existing farm shops, health and safety, waste disposal, food handling and sanitation as well as further quantified market research and a realistic cashflow forecast.

We also need to purchase a shipping container in order to construct the optimum Shopbylayby retail unit.

£10,000 will allow us to perfect this model in order to attract future funding and investment. When Cornwall launches Shopbylayby it will be based on a sound practical and economic model. This is a tried and tested model that requires nurturing and regulation to ensure growth. 

The question is not whether the Shopbylayby model will work. By involving  bodies like Cornwall Council and other organisations, we can share the vision, innovation and dedication to help our local producers. 

Two hundred years ago, the Cornish spirit of innovation and invention brought about an industrial revolution.

Let us prove that this spirit is still alive and we are ready as a team bring about a Cornish food revolution with Shopbylayby.

Design Development: A Shipping Container?

 

 

Case Study: Penzance Layby

We spoke to Rob, a layby trader near Penzance. He sells all local produce, much of it from his father’s farm. He said he was very busy and would jump and the chance to sell from a retail unit on the same site.

We also spoke to his customers who said they shopped there regularly as the quality was good, the price reasonable and the location convenient.

Case Study: Falmouth/Truro Farmers Market

Truro Farmers Market was founded in May 1999 as a co-operative of local producers encouraged by Truro City Council and Carrick District Council. 

With the help of John Roach (Quay Foods) the first markets started trading every Saturday. The co-operative has traded in the green and white stalls without a break to become part of the retail fabric of Truro. 

The Falmouth market followed the success in Truro. Although a smaller market the friendly atmosphere is well supported by locals and the influx of summer visitors.

You can view the website here

Falmouth Market Interviews: How much time do you spend selling?

Research: Mapping Local Producers

Information source: www.foodfromcornwall.co.uk.

The numbers refer to our document of producers' details.

As further development, we could plot a mile-radius from any chosen layby to help us select and contact producers.

Design Development: Logo Ideas

 

Design Development: Existing Layby Graphics

Layby Interviews: Any issues competing with supermarkets?

Food Enterprise Interview: Slow Food Cornwall

Contact: Katy Davidson

How did you get involved?

I’ve always been interested in ecology and food.

My family brought me up to be really interested in making my own food and going out and recognising edible plants in the wild. We lived on a council estate but we had a big garden, so dad had us growing our own vegetables. We had our own little patch each.Our neighbours would call us ‘The Addams Family’!

In university, I was volunteering for ‘The Ecologist’ magazine and they arranged for me to work at a stand at the ‘Organic Food Festival’ in 2003. I was sharing the stand with a woman called Sue from Slow Food Bristol.


Who do you promote locally?

Creative Co-op, Yum Share (www.yumshare.co.uk)


Does slow food have connections with other larger organisations?

- Eden project

- Rocket Gardens – gardens for schools.

- Cusgarne Organic Farm


How is The Slow food movement promoting its message in the local area?

- Through events, such as EatIns: 'respectful anarchy'. A gathering of people in a very public place to enjoy local food.

- Website (http://youthfoodmovementuk.squarespace.com/)

- Facebook group (YFM )


How are local Events with Slow Food Funded?

All self-generated or sponsored.



How many people work for the organisation?

It’s all volunteers. But they are so passionate.


Why are they so passionate?

I think what it is, food has been owned by celebrity chefs and it’s been un-touchable and quite elite. The food and the producers. That’s, to me, the more interesting part.

There’s a different generation of chefs coming through but I also think making chefs such celebrities automatically makes ordinary people feel that being able to cook is something quite unattainable.

That’s what the Youth Food Movement is all about, making people realise that they have the power and also the purchasing power that the general public have: 

If more people buy good, clean and fair food (that’s our Slow Food mantra) then it will come down in price, smaller producers will survive.


You can visit the website here 

 

Food Enterprise Interview: Riverford Organics

Contact: Luke King

How did the company get started?

The Company is privately owned and was started by Guy Watson. The farm was originally owned by his father John Watson. He rents some of the land from his brother Ollie who provides the beef for the meat boxes. The idea of the business is to provide local produce to local people.


Who do you supply?

People who are bothered by the ethical reasoning behind where there food comes from. They can come from all walks of life. 



Are there any rules specifying separate transportation of meat/veg?

No, they all go in the same van. But all the meat is packed at a separate plant. That is not a regulation; it is just how Riverford operate.


How is the meat packaged?

Vacuum packed, insulated with lamb’s wool, then put in an ice box and further sealed in a steel box. It is then temperature tested, and altered to optimum temperature for length of journey, usually less than 24 hours.


How do you transport everything in the same van?

Meat in the steel box, dairy in a cool box, veg is loose in each veg box.

We do have regulations when packing ‘finger food’, things like tomatoes or ham which is eaten straight away with no cooking by the customer. If packers transfer from, for example, muddy carrots to tomatoes, we do a hygiene check to prevent things like E-coli.


Are you members of a larger organisation?

No but we are a Franchised Network company. A lot of people feel that a franchise is about big corporate organisation but truthfully it keeps riverford local to the area it is set up. Effectively we are selling them a brand name and an area of 125,000 homes (Distribution Hub), this could be a very small urban area or a large rural area. By doing this we can also control the end price to the customer. This farm supply’s South West/South Wales up to Worcester and Evesham.


If so, how does this benefit your business?

It meant that we grew quickly with little expenditure on advertising as the owner of each franchise already has established contacts in each area.


Does the company have a connection with the local community? If yes, how?

We do have marketing evenings where local people and customers come to eat here. In turn they bring their friends. This helps us keep hold of our customers. Food is about socialising and if you can tap into that you’re winning. It is also a necessity, were not at the luxury end of the market I would question anyone who thinks that £15.95 on veg a week to feed a family of four is expensive. So the key is to engage the customer on a personal level.

Riverford provides school dinners for Landscove Primary. 85% pupils subscribe to them. But it is a pain for us as a company because there is only room for one kitchen that cooks for both school and workers. There has been issues in the past about the quality of workers food and it puts a heavy load on the business; its not financially viable because we just about break even. There is not significant profit.

We also have an educational programme where schools: primary, secondary and sixth form visit on an annual basis. They do have to pay but again, as with the school dinners, there is no significant profit. In addition, we have Farmers Club where children come to learn gardening on our trial plot. 



Do you have any major wastage of crops/produce?  

We have a 2½% loss in terms of UN sellable produce. Which we deal with in Grade out.


Is there anyway it could be used?

Some of it can be used in the farm kitchen but its unpredictable one-day we could get a lot in Grade out the next nothing. Plus due to the nature of fruit and veg it becomes perishable quickly causing problems with health and safety. 


How many people work for your organisation?

I have 170 workers on site, Plus 30 here on site in head office and about a further 30, which work on the farm all year round. 


Why don’t you try to appeal to a larger audience?

Because if I asked for £100,000 for a massive media campaign what guarantee could I give on the returns. It’s about the amount of “Bang for your Buck”. Riverford isn’t a massive company that could swallow the cost. Guy would want to do that but to set up a new packinghouse there is a lot involved. Land Buildings Fittings Food stores Refrigerators etc.

You can visit the website here

Design Development: Logos from Local Food Schemes

Layby Interviews: How is the food delivered?

Local Producer Interview: Cusgarne Organic Farm

Contact: Greg Pascoe

How locally do you sell?

We do a little market in Penryn, which is very accessible for the university. We also supply a farm shop, Trevelyan near Penzance, Archie Brown in Truro, and a few hotels: Tresanton, The Nare, Budock Vean, Trelowarren New Yard Restaurant, Housel Bay Hotel, the Sailing Club at Helford, and Peasouk in Falmouth.


We travel carbon neutral because we are using recycled cooking oil for our vehicles. All the produce goes out on the very same day it’s cut so it’s extremely fresh. There’s no way wholesalers, Riverford or supermarkets can do that. So it does gives us that edge. 


What are the issues with selling your produce locally?

Well, with a box scheme a customer can easily see where, say, £11.50 is going out from their family budget, so they think “oh, if we don’t have that, we’ll save £11.50”. 

But in the supermarket, they probably spend £11.49 or maybe more without realising. When they get to the check-out, £120, and they think “oh jolly good, we don’t have to spend that £11.50 on our veg box” . Unfortunately they don’t then check to see whether the fruit and veg theyve picked up in the supermarket is actually cheaper. 

Also, what they’ve picked up is not as good a quality (in our humble opinion!). It's not as fresh, not as local and not as low in carbon footprint.


What is the main age range of customers?

We have quite a few students, some families - that’s one reason for losing customers: divorce, or if the children move away. And older generation - one of the things they say is “oh, I haven’t tasted eggs like these in years!”  



You can view their website here

Food Enterprise Interview: South Devon Organic Producers (SDOP)

Contact: Michal Vanstone/Ian Noble

How did the company get started?

The Company started in 1998, by Guy Watson who owns Riverford organics. Although we are completely separate business. Riverford was looking for more variety in there boxes. So he conceived the CO OP. We started with 5 members and now have 13.


Who do you supply?

Riverford Organics. We sit down with them once a year with all of our farmers and Riverford specify what they need for the box scheme. This is then shared out by to the farmers it means they have a guaranteed buyer for there produce. Effectively Producers and Distributors work together.


Do you have any major wastage of crops/produce? 

Riverford grades any wastage out.


How many people work for your organisation?

3 in the office. The Chairman. 9 permanent labourers and a potential 50 in the labour pool available in the summer months.

You can visit the website here

 

Layby Interviews: When are you open?

Design Development: What’s so “Super” about Supermarket logos?

They don't say what they sell. Versatile.

From Attitude Design website:

"In the UK the top four supermarkets (Tesco,ASDA, Morrisons, and Sainsbury’s) are thought to sell over 70% of all UK groceries."


"Overall then we can see that all of these companies have very general and open brands. There is not much to them, apart from text. This simplistic form makes them non-obtrusive and non-offensive to their very wide target audiences."


"No inspirational buzz brands like "nice 'n' fresh", just simple names and abbreviations."


"A brand name does not need to be understood to be successful."


"The colours of these logos are vast and various. One thing that surprises me is the lack or organic colours (greens and browns) seeing as the majority of their stock is food."

You can view the full article here

Layby Interviews: Do you need permission to use the land?

Local Producer Interview: Cornish Prepared Vegetables

Contact: Oliver Bromley

What vegetables do you grow? Depending on each season.

We don’t just grow for prepared veg market, we grow a lot of potatoes for Walker’s crisps. That’s our main job through the summer. Our main crops are potatoes, cauliflour and cabbage which we grow for the supermarkets. 

The prepared veg part is our small business, preparing veg for local pubs and restaurants. We also grow carrots, parsnips, caillibrise broccoli, leeks.


How locally do you sell?

As locally as I can. I don’t want to drive the van too far! Penryn, Falmouth, Truro. Really, a 10 miles radius from the farm.


Are the supermarkets you supply local?

No, Lincolnshire and Leicester. Because the product goes to central distribution. So, for Asda, it’s Lincolnshire Field Products, which is a big base. All the Cornish stuff has to be dragged to
Lincolnshire to be QCed and then dragged all the way back to Falmouth, Truro. So, all their food miles are ridiculous. It’s a farce really! They play lip service, the supermarkets do. They’re pacifying the public.


What are the issues with selling your produce locally?

There are issues. You wouldn’t believe how many chefs say they like regional produce and they source locally and all this ‘hype’. But they don’t care really, as long as it’s cheap! But there are some real good chefs out there who love local produce.

Case Study: Local Food Links

Local Food Links makes good fresh food, with local, seasonal ingredients…and with love. Our team of cooks develops our menus to be tasty and appealing as well as affordable, and we deliver meals directly to schools and other venues every day.

Based in Bridport, Dorset.

You can visit their website here

Simple, modern branding:

Case Study: Vegetable Pedallers/Sound Bites

A collaboration between a wholefood store and bicycle delivery scheme in Derby.

Sound Bites focuses on selling local and organic food, but also sells fair trade products cruelty-free body care items, and eco-household cleaning products.
 
Vegetable Pedallers began in recognition of the difficulties faced particularly by elderly and disabled people as a result of many community shops closing down.

The scheme has no minimum order size, which was seen to be a possible barrier for many of our customers, as they tend to live alone and only need small amounts of shopping. The bags are currently (2010) priced between £3.50 and £6 per bag depending on the size.

Soundbites use locally sourced vegetables and fruit whenever the season and availability allows. In the summer and autumn the vegetable bags are often supplemented by produce from a local allotment project. The fresh produce is delivered in re-useable jute bags.

Sound Bites applied for three years worth of funding from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, which was awarded in 2007. Vegetable Pedallers was able to use the equipment that Sound Bites already had i.e. a packing room equipped with prep table, scales and sink.

The co-ordinators promoted the scheme by giving talks at community events, approaching luncheon clubs at churches, contacting the local ‘Live At Home’ schemes.
 
Customer Comment:
"I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and we are unable to own a car. Because of this we had not had fresh fruit and veg in the house for nearly ten years. Thanks to you we are feeling healthier and enjoying a wider variety of food. You are really making a difference." SP

You can view the full article here
You can view the scheme website here

 

Case Study: Cusgarne Organic Farm

For the last 20 years we have been running a successful organic box scheme. We can deliver a wide range of organic fruit and vegetables as well as organic meat, preserves and dairy products to your front door. The farm is located right in the centre of the triangle formed by Truro, Redruth and Falmouth - in the heart of beautiful Cornwall. We currently deliver around 200 boxes per week to people all over this part of Cornwall.

You can view their website here

Very efficient and provides excellent fresh food. Could be a possible supplier for our layby?!

Design Development: Food Miles on Packaging?

Case Study: Making Local Food Work

Making Local Food Work helps people to take ownership of their food and where it comes from by providing advice and support to community food enterprises across England. If you are involved in a community food enterprise or interested in starting one in your community, we may be able to help you.

Arthur Potts Dawson, The People’s Supermarket: 
“The support we’ve received from Making Local Food Work has changed the way our business looks at itself and will be the success of the business in the future.”

Definition of a food hub: 
A hub is an intermediary led by the vision of one or a small number of individuals which by pooling together producers or consumers adds value to the exchange of goods and promotes the development of a local supply chain. (Resources, Making Local Food Work).

You can view their website here

We create a layby food hub?!

Research: Food Co-ops Toolkit

An informative and simple guide to setting up Food Co-operatives.


More and more communities are setting up food co-ops so they can get good food at an affordable price and have more control over where their food comes from.

This toolkit has been produced as part of the Big Lottery funded Making Local Food Work programme to help more communities set up their own food co-ops and buying groups.


It is most useful for individuals and groups who are thinking of setting up quite small scale food co-ops that are going to be run on a not-for-profit basis mainly by volunteers. These may include buying clubs, stalls, bag or box schemes, mobile stores or home delivery schemes, markets or shops.




You can view the full website here