Around 70 guests attended an exclusive brunch focusing on the potential of the UK Food Valley on the first day of the Lincolnshire Show (19^th June). 

The event, staged by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, Team Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire County Council, explored the links between agriculture and other sectors including defence, energy, automotive and aerospace. Guests also gained an insight into some of the projects taking place across the county from a number of expert speakers. 

The event was introduced by Ruth Carver, Chief Executive of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP. Speakers included Dr Ben Murphy from B-Hive Innovations, Dr Anne Richmond from Moy Park, Aaron Gilbraith from GKN Aerospace, Janet Bellamy from The National Centre for Food Manufacturing, Richard Meredith from Dyson Farming and Neal Juster from the University of Lincoln and the Greater Lincolnshire LEP.   

Richard, who is Head of Farming Research at Dyson Farming, said:  “I’ve found today’s event really invigorating, I’ve met lots of other people going through the same journey as us, looking to innovate and invest in technology within their businesses, and it’s been good to hear about their experiences and how we can all work together.” 

James Page, Barclays Eagle Lab Manager, said: “I think the most important message from today is that we need to start shouting more about what we’re doing, we need to promote the work that we’re doing. There are some really talented individuals based in Lincolnshire and it’s all about how we can bring those people together.” 

A key aim of the event was to facilitate connections for future collaboration across the industry to help solve common challenges the sector faces including sustainability, innovation and technology. 

Janet Bellamy, Associate Professor of Digitalisation and Emerging Technology at The National Centre for Food Manufacturing, said: “These events are vital for us as we can meet businesses face to face and they have the opportunity to talk to us and raise any questions. Relationships are key to collaboration and for collaboration you just need to have that first introduction. 

“It was great to see so many businesses showcased and to understand what others are doing and the challenges that they’re facing.” 

Mark Willcox, Technical Director at Branston Ltd, said: “However big they are or however little, businesses can never do it on their own and often it’s the chance conversations that open up into something else that mean you can end up collaborating on something quite exciting.” 

The UK Food Valley is a project by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP to position the Greater Lincolnshire food sector as a Top 10 Global Food Cluster. 

It is a collection of food and farming business clusters, centres of excellence and specialised facilities which collectively accelerate growth and sustainability to help businesses in the sector grow. 

To find out more about the UK Food Valley visit the website. 

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