"Food & Drink"

South West England is one of the strongest food and drink producing regions in the UK offering a diverse range of products and producers. The key strengths of the sector are: 

• GVA of £2.6bn which represents 4.5% of the regional GVA
• Over 3000 food and drink producers
• Over 60 companies employing more than 200 people within the region
• International brands together with thriving, local niche produce
• The largest agricultural area in England with over 1.8 million hectares
• More than 30% of the UK's dairy production
• The strongest organic sector in England with 26% of all organic farmers
• High quality producers of primary foods - milk, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables.

The 20 million visitors to the South West each year spend a high proportion on food and drink and the strength of the tourist industry offers considerable potential for local food producers. The region already has a well-established reputation as an area of quality food production due to the traditional local foods such as Wiltshire Ham, Double Gloucester Cheese, Somerset Cider, Devon Toffee and Cornish Clotted Cream.