Hairy Biker Si King and Radio 4's Caz Graham on lineup for this Lancashire food and drink showcase

Marketing Lancashire has announced what’s on the agenda for its Taste Lancashire food & drink conference 2022, which will take place at Holmes Mill, Clitheroe, on Tuesday November 15. The growing list of speakers now includes Hairy Biker, Si King, whose Lancashire tour in 2021 for “Hairy Bikers Go North’ catapulted to fame several Lancashire food producers.

The event will be presented by BBC Radio 4’s Caz Graham and also features a keynote from Paul Hargreaves, CEO of wholesaler Cotswold Fayre and renowned author of Being A Better Business. The conference, aimed at the county’s hospitality and tourism industry, is a follow-up to the hugely successful events held in 2017 and 2019. It sets out to celebrate, inform and inspire healthy debate amongst the county’s successful and growing food and drink sector; with particular emphasis on boosting the county’s millions of visitors with more gourmet travellers and food lovers.

Rachel McQueen, chief executive of Marketing Lancashire, said: “Our aim to be a must-visit gastronomic destination depends on the creativity, entrepreneurship and hard work of our wonderful food and drink businesses. They play a huge role in Lancashire’s identity and what makes us special. From gin companies continuing to keep Lancashire on an international stage to multi award-winning cheeses, chocolates and heritage brands that are leading a revolution in Lancashire food and drink, we are undoubtedly Britain’s tastiest county.”

Rachel Trenchard, of Goosnargh Gin, said: “We were delighted to feature on Hairy Bikers Go North, and it’s created a big boost in interest in our business, so it will be great to see Si again. We are proud to be a Lancashire producer and, as such, our gins take their inspiration from the surrounding area – whether that be botanicals which inspire a particular gin or a link to the geography or heritage of the region. Our gins are produced using traditional methods, in small batches at our micro distillery in the Forest of Bowland AONB. We are very much looking forward to showcasing our products at the Taste Lancashire Conference and sharing our story so far.”

The conference also welcomes speakers from VisitBritain/VisitEngland who will share insights into world perceptions of British food & drink and discuss best practice in hosting international visitors. Experts from the Department for International Trade, Lancaster University, National Farmers’ Union and Booths will contribute to a wide-ranging discussion on all the hot topics related to food and drin. These will includ; from farm to fork production, the changing tastes and expectations of consumers, how to go about being a better business and how, in these uncertain times, Lancashire can market more Lancashire produce overseas. The event will showcase a dozen or so of the county’s finest producers, who will offer delegates the opportunity to taste and learn more about their products, with a view to new contracts and supplier agreements.