Why now
Climate shocks and import volatility are exposing gaps in our food system. Cornwall can lead the way with shorter supply chains, local processing, and climate-smart growing.
What we’ll do
This practical working session brings together producers (chutneys, relishes, sauces, jams, condiments) and growers/farmers to:
- Map real demand against local growing capacity for key ingredients (onions, tomatoes, peppers/chillies, apples/berries, herbs).
- Identify what’s missing and what it would take to grow more in Cornwall.
- Explore practical steps to process more locally (peeling/dicing, chilling/freezing, canning/jarring).
- Pin down a shortlist of pilot actions for the 2026 harvest and beyond.
Who should attend
- Producers using fruit/veg/herbs at volume (chutneys, relishes, sauces, jams, condiments).
- Farmers/growers interested in current or future crops listed above.
- Partners & enablers: NFU, Eden Project, Phytome, universities, skills & funding bodies.
Bring with you (if you can)
- Producers: Approx. annual ingredient volumes, sourcing breakdown (Cornwall/UK/import), key pain points.
- Growers: Current crops & volumes, crop interests, constraints (land, labour, water, infrastructure).
Help us prepare
To make the most of the day, we’d like attendees to complete a quick survey in advance. This will help us map real demand against Cornwall’s growing capacity and identify where local processing can make the biggest difference.
Agenda
- Welcome, context, objectives and introductions
- Producer demand snapshot (group exercise)
- Grower capacity & constraints (group exercise)
- Processing pathway: what/where/how
- Priorities & pilot actions
- Next steps, commitments & lunch networking
Data capture
Your input matters. Alongside the grower and producer surveys, we wil be using Menti Polls during the session to capture live feedback on volumes, opportunities, and priorities. A short post-event summary will be shared with all attendees so you can see the collective picture and next steps.
