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Find out how successful the 2022 Somerset Food Trail was. Held over 10 days in July 2022, the festival saw 198 participating enterprises take part, with 247 events held, and up to 10,000 visitors celebrating the best of sustainable food and farming LOOK BACK AT THE 2022 SOMERSET FOOD TRAIL FESTIVAL THE 2022 FESTIVAL: A 'ROARING SUCCESS!' We were blown away by last year's Somerset Food Trail Festival – the first one we'd held since our small pilot to test the concept, and then delayed by Covid for two years. And what an amazing ten days it was! A ‘roaring success’ , according to the Western Gazette. Click on the video above to recall the heady days of July 2022 when you joined us in celebrating the very best sustainably produced food in Somerset. Some key stats: 198 participating enterprises took part 247 events held Organised and publicised by 25 volunteers 8,500 to 10,000 visitors over the festival 65,726 people reached via social media Coverage on ITV Regional News, The Guardian, Independent, various national magazines and key local media 7,055 unique visitors to the website 10,000 copies of the brochure distributed 85% of visitors surveyed said they would come again 80% of visitors surveyed said they had increased their knowledge and awareness of sustainable farming and food production Three quarters of surveyed visitors said they were inspired to take action as a result of taking part, including buying local/sustainable produce. Considering we'd set out with a plan to showcase 60 venues, perhaps 80 if we were lucky, as you can see, the Food Trail far exceeded all our expectations. We would like to offer a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone involved – all our generous sponsors, volunteers, venues and visitors – for sharing the ‘Local Love’ . Further findings of how the event went can be found in our Evaluation Report; thanks to Colin Atkinson for all his work on this. EXPLORE THE 2022 TR AIL Take a look at the 2022 Festival Guide below to get an idea of who was involved in the Food Trail. Bon appetit! Buy a copy of the 2022 Festival guide. Cost: £5, including postage Buy now 2022 SFT brochure "Participating in the Food Trail made a significant difference to our farm and farm shop, providing the opportunity to show people the difference that farming organically makes to the environment and animal welfare" – Rob Walrond, organic farmer, Gleb e Farm OUR 2022 SPONSORS Newsletter The Somerset Food Trail is organised by the Sustainable Food Somerset charity. Registered charity number: 1107311 Company number: 4290175

If you are a food, farming or growing enterprise, find out how you can take part in the Somerset Food Trail, with links to the application form plus resources and guides to help you and your visitors make the most of the Somerset Food Trail festival. TAKING PART: VENUES SOMERSET FOOD TRAIL INFORMATION FOR PARTICIPATING VENUES Applications have now opened for food, farming and growing enterprises, as well as other venues such as restaurants, cafes and pubs, to take part in this year's Food Trail. On this page, you can find information on how to take part, including links to the application form , important information about listing fees, advice on event management, and more. APPLY TO TAKE PART IN THE FOOD TRAIL LISTINGS FEES This year we have introduced a modest listings fee for most venues (non-profits and community groups are exempt) to enable us to cover some of our costs. Although the Somerset Food Trail is run by volunteers, it costs us hundreds of pounds each year just to keep the website going, and we also need funds to cover publicity and signage costs. The fee includes listing of your profile and event/s during the festival, inclusion in our interactive map during the festival – and your profile on our website all year round . Standard listing fee: £20 Pubs, restaurants, eateries, cafés and shops: £40 Charities, CICs, CBS, not-for profits and smallholdings: £0 A fter we have received your form, you will be emailed details of how to make your payment to us. We have tried to maintain the balance between covering some costs and being as inclusive as possible, and we really don't want the listings fee to stop anyone taking part. If you think we have not got this balance right, please email us to discuss it. PUBS, CAFÉS & RESTAURANTS Any eateries taking part in the 2025 Food Festival must include some locally sourced food in their menu for the ten-day period of the festival itself. This doesn't have to be your whole menu but we will be contacting you ahead of the Food Trail for your local food menu, plus details of where you've sourced the local ingredients from – which we will upload to the website. LINKS TO THE APPLICATION FORM AND MORE PRACTICALITIES Please see below for links to the application form, as well as advice on how to make the most of your participation in the Food Trail, and other resources such as flyers, posters, social media frames and other downloads. Please also make sure you have signed up to our mailing list and follow us on social media. APPLICATION FORM FOR VENUES LINK WHAT WE MEAN BY SUSTAINABILITY LINK PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR VENUES LINK DOWNLOADS: SIGNS, FLYERS, POSTERS LINK Somerset Food Trail would like to thank all participating enterprises, hosts, performers, guest curators, individuals and partner organisations for their support, co-operation and enthusiasm, and for their dedication to producing the finest quality, local, sustainable food and drink.

Read about Our Partners in the Somerset Food Trail, which support our campaign to promote the best of local, sustainably produced food and farming. OUR PARTNERS We are very grateful to all our project partners and supporters of the Somerset Food Trail, all of whom share our desire to promote and celebrate the best of local, sustainably produced and – of course – delicious food. THE PIG – NEAR BATH We owe a special thanks to THE PIG – near Bath, a hotel and popular restaurant which has been a great friend of the Food Trail throughout. We love their ethos – they are big on sustainability and in 2024 became a certified B Corp organisation, which means they are part of a global community of businesses and organisations that meet high standards of social and environmental impact. And they really do live their values. We especially like their commitment to source at least 80% of the food that they serve from within a 25-mile radius of the hotel, including their own extensive kitchen gardens. As such they support a number of the producers represented on this year's Trail. We look forward to a day when 'local first' and 'sustainable only' is common policy, not ju s t in upmarket eateries and hotels but in hospitals and schools as well . They say: 'We’re always looking for new ways to reduce our impact on the environment, whether that’s bottling water on-site, cutting down food waste and packaging, seeking out sustainable suppliers and charity partners, getting into beekeeping or improving our composting skills. You can be sure that we are thinking about every detail, every day and making a positive difference wherever we can.' THE PIG – near Bath THE PIG – near Bath HIDDEN SOMERSET & STABLE DESIGN Hidden Somerset We’re excited to share that Hidden Somerset and Stable Design are teaming up with the Somerset Food Trail to tell the stories of South Somerset’s incredible producers and venues. Rooted in a shared passion for people, place, and produce, this partnership brings together the Food Trail’s celebration of sustainable local food with Hidden Somerset’s talent for uncovering the region’s lesser-known treasures. Together, we’ll be capturing the true flavour and spirit of Somerset — not just what’s on the plate, but the hands, history and heart behind it. With Stable Design’s thoughtful storytelling and deep local knowledge, we’ll be painting a richer, more detailed picture of the people who make this area so special. Follow along as we shine a light on the makers, landscapes, and flavours of South Somerset — and join us in celebrating the stories that nourish us all. SOMERSET TOWN COUNCIL Generous sponsors of the Trail for the last two years, committed to supporting the transition to more sustainable farming and food. They also host the annual SCOP Climate Conference for parish leaders in Somerset. THE GREEN SCYTHE FAIR The Green Scythe Fair is a magical one day environmental fair in a beautiful setting on the Somerset Levels run entirely by volunteers. A highlight in the calendar! Somerset Food Trail would like to thank all participating enterprises, hosts, performers, guest curators, individuals and partner organisations for their support, co-operation and enthusiasm, and for their dedication to producing the finest quality, local, sustainable food and drink.

If you are a participating enterprise or venue taking part in the Somerset Food Trail, this is where you can find resources such as Visitor Feedback Forms, Venue Monitoring Forms, Health & Safety Disclaimer notices, Risk Assessment Forms, Logos, Poster PDFs, RESOURCES FOR VENUES SOMERSET FOOD TRAIL RESOURCES FOR PARTICIPATING VENUES If you are a participating enterprise or venue taking part in the Food Trail, this is where you can find resources such as directional signs, general guidance for venues, health & safety advice, disclaimer notices, risk assessment and visitor feedback forms and other resources and advice to help you and your visitors get the most out of this year’s event. You can also find resources to help publicise your event/activity such as logos, poster PDFs and Facebook/Instagram graphic post adverts. SIGNS All participating enterprises will be offered one or two directional signs, delivered to venues the week before the event, for you to erect in the best locations for guiding visitors to your venue. Numbers are limited so if you need more, you can download and print off these A4 posters/flyers to use. LEFT ARROW PDF file RIGHT ARROW PDF file LOGO, E-FLYER, SOCIAL MEDIA Download JPG and PNG files for these flyers here, or click 'Download' under each image below for PDF versions. Most will print happily on A4 sized paper. JPG & PNG files SFT logo PNG & JPEG files DOWNLOAD E-FLYER / SOCIAL MEDIA PNG, JPEG & PDF files DOWNLOAD PDF FLYER / SOCIAL MEDIA PNG, JPEG & PDF files DOWNLOAD PDF FLYER / SOCIAL MEDIA PNG, JPEG & PDF files DOWNLOAD PDF E-FLYER / SOCIAL MEDIA PNG, JPEG & PDF files DOWNLOAD PDF SOCIAL MEDIA FRAMES With space for you to add your own photo INSTAGRAM FRAME BLANK AT THE TOP DOWNLOAD INSTAGRAM FRAME BLANK AT THE BOTTOM DOWNLOAD RESOURCES-HEALTH-SAFETY HEALTH & SAFETY If you are a farm venue, please read the health & safety guidance for Leaf’s ‘Open Farm Sunday’ which applies equally to the Food Trail. Please also read the general guidance below. GENERAL GUIDANCE FOR VENUES LINK FOOD TRAIL DISCLAIMER LINK GUIDANCE FOR EVENT ORGANISERS LINK VENUE RISK ASSESSMENT FORM LINK TEMPORARY EVENT NOTICE LINK EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES COUNTRYSIDE CLASSROOM LINK SAFE SCHOOL VISITS TO FARMS LINK LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM LINK FOOD FOR LIFE: SCHOOL FOOD LINK ANIMALS IN FARM VISITS & EDUCATION LINK VISITOR FEEDBACK FORMS We are keen to gather as much feedback as possible about the Food Trail as a whole so that we can learn what people enjoyed, and what improvements we can make for future trails. We also want to gather testimonials that we can use in future promotion and fundraising. If you are able to help, please use the resources below to gather feedback at your venue or event. The feedback form can be accessed via a QR code or as a paper copy. Both options are available below. Everyone who gives feedback can enter our draw to win a Somerset Food Trail hamper. Just download the form and print it out for your visitors. If your mobile phone coverage is good, you can print out the QR code sign and display it prominently. Make sure people know that when they point their phone's camera at the QR code, they will be taken to an online version of the feedback form. Alternatively, you can print out the paper feedback forms and send them to us after the event. PAPER VISITOR FEEDBACK FORM LINK A4 SIGN WITH QR CODE FOR VISITOR FEEDBACK LINK HOW TO COLLECT VISITOR FEEDBACK LINK Somerset Food Trail would like to thank all participating enterprises, hosts, performers, guest curators, individuals and partner organisations for their support, co-operation and enthusiasm, and for their dedication to producing the finest quality, local, sustainable food and drink.

Read about how an increasing body of evidence is pointing to the central role of industrialised farming, with its fertilisers and pesticides, in an unfolding ecological and human health crisis. We explain why sustainable practices such as organic or regenerative farming benefits biodiversity and eco systems. SUSTAINABILITY SOMERSET FOOD TRAIL SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE FARMS For decades, fertilisers and pesticides have been sold to our farmers as the key to greater efficiency and a way to bring cheap food to the world. But an increasing body of evidence is pointing to their central role in an unfolding ecological and human health crisis. We've set out some of the key points below and also compiled a Sustainability document to describe what we mean by sustainable food and farming. You can access it by clicking the link below. Sustainability Gothelney Farm, Charlynch. Photo: Oliver Edwards: THE CASE FOR REGENERATING SOILS RESTORING NATURE Ever since Rachel Carson's 1962 book Silent Spring , exposed the destruction of wildlife through the widespread use of pesticides, we've become increasingly aware of their impact on biodiversity and eco systems. But it’s not just insects and birds that are in trouble. Pesticides are also destroying the microbial life in soils on which all other life depends. Recent studies show evidence of a corresponding plunge in the variety of microbes in our own gut biome, now understood to be central to both physical and mental health. Just as our own guts need a balanced, varied diet that's low in toxins, to encourage ‘beneficial bacteria’, so do our soils. It's now accepted that a biologically active soil gives healthier, more nutritionally dense plants, with better functioning roots that require fewer interventions, whilst having the added benefits of building more soil carbon and supporting more biodiversity. Yet industrial-scale monoculture farming is failing to provide this. It's failing to sufficiently nourish our soils (and nature) and failing to nourish us. That's why the Somerset Food Trail Festival highlights nature-friendly farms that are producing food in a way that protects the soil, enhances biodiversity and mitigates against climate change. According to Slow Food UK, which promotes local food cultures, we have lost 94% of our vegetable varieties over the last 100 years. In 1903, we had almost 500 varieties of lettuce; by 1983, we had just 36. And more than half of the world's calories nowadays come from just three crops. FEED THE FUTURE ONE MAN. ONE REGENERATIVE FARM Fred Price of Gothelney Farm (also pictured above) shares his story of Gothelney Farmer 's transition away from industrial farming to a regenerative system in this video. His story illustrates the vital role of farms in redesigning our food system, and how regenerative farming practices can have a beneficial impact on nature and people, while at the same time helping combat biodiversity loss, climate change, and food waste. But it cannot be farmers navigating the transition to a circular food system alone. Food businesses and retailers need to rethink their dynamics with farmers to foster and scale transformation — by applying the principles of the circular economy, we can redesign our food system for nature to thrive. Learn more and watch the full Gothelney Farm film on the Circular Economy Show: https://bit.ly/42FgvWC FOOD, FARMING & SUSTAINABILITY ORGANIC FARMING Modern organic farming is an agroecological system of farming that was developed as a response to the environmental harm caused by chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilsers. Organic farmers and growers work to a strict set of standards to ensure they sustain the health of soils, ecosystems, animals and people. Farms certified as organic by the Soil Association have the highest animal welfare standards for farming in the UK. www.soilassociation.org Read More PERMACULTURE Permaculture is a framework for creating sustanable ways of living, based on understandings of how nature works. It is a practical method of developing ecologically harmonious, efficient and productive systems that can be used by anyone, anywhere. At its heart, permaculture has three ethics: earth care, people care and fair shares. With permaculture, people are treading lightly on our planet, in harmony with nature, says the Pemaculture Association. www.permaculture.org.uk Read More REGENERATIVE FARMING There's a buzz around regenerative farming, with its focus on the health of the soil and replenishing and restoring nature. Core principles include minimising soil disturbance, maximising crop diversity; keeping the soil covered; maintaining living root systems year round; and integrating livestock. These approaches are critical, advocates say, to halting soil degradation – a serious global problem – and retainning the ability to grow crops in the future. regenerationinternational.org Read More SUSTAINABLE FOOD PLACES Sustainable Food Somerset (formerly Wells Food Network) is a member of Sustainable Food Places, a partnership led by the Soil Association, Food Matters and Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming. It works across all aspects of the food system to solve some of today’s most pressing social, environmental and economic issues. It's part of a growing global movement working for a healthy, sustainable and more equitable food system. www.sustainablefoodplaces.org Read More For more on our work to make Somerset's food system more sustainable, visit www.sustainablefoodsomerset.org . 'If you’ve never heard about the amazing potential of regenerative agriculture and land use practices to naturally sequester a critical mass of CO2 in the soil and forests, you’re not alone. One of the best-kept secrets in the world today is that the solution to global warming and the climate crisis (as well as poverty and deteriorating public health) lies right under our feet, and at the end of our knives and forks.' Ronnie Cummins, Regeneration International Steering Committee Member

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2023 Food Trail Participants Discover all the participants taking part in the Somerset Food Trail festival, listed below. Or look for them according to category: ​ FARMERS & GROWERS ARTISAN FOOD ARTISAN DRINK FARM/FOOD SHOPS CAFES, PUBS & EATERIES COMMUNITY FOOD MARKETS EXPERIENCES 66 42 Acres Frome BA11 5HL 42 Acres is a regenerative estate, nature reserve & wellbeing retreat centre. We aim to live in harmony with nature, ourselves and others, growing and consuming food in a way that serves the health of people and planet. 42 Acres 17 Ad Astra Cider Stone Allerton, Axbridge BS26 2NG Ad Astra is new craft cider company and taproom in Somerset. RAF veteran making fantastic ciders using classic cider apples apples from our own 12 acre orchard. RAF-themed Taproom in an historic Somerset cider barn. Ad Astra Cider 53 Avalon Vineyard - Pennard Organic Wines & Ciders Shepton Mallet BA4 6UA Organic English wines (grape & fruit), mead, liqueurs and cider. Free of chemical residues and grown in harmony with the environment. Avalon Vineyard - Pennard Organic Wines & Ciders 116 Barrington Village Market Ilminster TA19 0JE The Community Coffee Morning and Produce Market takes place on the fourth Saturday of the month from 10 am to 12 noon. Barrington Village Market 139 ACEarts Somerton TA11 7NB Gallery and education charity with a dynamic range of art and contemporary craft throughout the year and stimulating workshops. We have events focused on essential pollinators during the festival. ACEarts 88 Andrew Barclay Butchers Wincanton BA9 9JU Andrew Barclay started out as a 12-year-old butcher’s boy. Sixty years later, he's still in the same business. This traditional family butchers prioritises sourcing locally from high welfare producers. Andrew Barclay Butchers 15 Axbridge Farmers' Market Axbridge BS26 2AP Popular market held on the 1st Saturday of every month in Axbridge's 400-year-old market square in the centre of this ancient town. Axbridge Farmers' Market 5 Bath Artisan Market Bath BA1 2HA Held on the 1st Saturday of the month, expect over 70 stalls. Established in 2012, this market is home to artists, designers, vintage sellers and local food producers. Bath Artisan Market 107 ARK at Egwood CIC Merriott TA16 5QN Charity supporting people to improve their mental and physical health, overcome social isolation and build confidence through land-based activities – animals, nature, horticulture, rural arts and crafts and cooking. ARK at Egwood CIC 74 At The Chapel Bruton BA10 0AE Boutique hotel in an elegant 17th-century building, with eight beautifully designed rooms, an artisanal bakery, wine store and restaurant serving the best West Country produce. Join us on Thurs 27 for our film & discussion night. At The Chapel 47 Baltonsborough Food Fayre Baltonsborough BA6 8PX Baltonsborough Village Hall – the hub for the community – is holding the Baltonsborough Food Fayre, hosting 20-30 food and drink producers to celebrate local food and drink producers & providers. Baltonsborough Food Fayre 4 Bath Farmers' Market Bath BA1 1JB Popular market on the last Saturday of the month, offering quality, fresh, seasonal produce sold directly by the people who produce them – mostly within a 40 mile radius of Bath. Bath Farmers' Market Load more

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