Ground-breaking Partnership Provides Powerful Platform for Cornish Food and Drink
Released on 5th April by Cornwall Food & Drink
The award-winning team behind Cornwall Food & Drink launches the Great Cornish Food Store as part of new Truro development.
The network organisation Cornwall Food & Drink has announced that it is creating a pioneering new local food retail outlet to be located alongside the new Waitrose store at the Tregurra Park and Ride opening this summer.
With a retail experience that will engage shoppers on a Cornish culinary exploration, the Great Cornish Food Store will promote choice, discovery and understanding of what it means to buy local and how this decision impacts our economy, well-being, environment and community.
Covering around 5,000 square feet, the store will open for up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week. With a strong focus on fresh produce and great service, the retail development is not only the most ambitious project dedicated entirely to local food and drink that Cornwall has ever seen, but a first in food retail nationally too.
The move is being led by Cornwall Food & Drink’s Managing Director, Ruth Huxley, who has hand-picked an experienced team to help run the new business. At the helm will be Angie Coombs, known to many for her role as General Manager of the Duchy of Cornwall Nursery and Café, and formerly leading Taste of the West’s Cornwall operation. Renowned chef Paul Ripley will be overseeing the in-store café, deli and food-to-go area, bringing his Michelin-star quality to a new informal way of shopping and dining. Claire Vickers, former Head of Marketing at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall, will lead the marketing and promotion of the store and of the wider food and drink industry of Cornwall.
Philip Warren and Son, the well-known butchers and farmers from Launceston, will be overseeing the procurement of fresh meat from Cornish farms with traditional methods of maturing and butchery.
Commenting on the move, Ruth Huxley said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to add a whole new dimension to our ability to celebrate and showcase Cornwall’s outstanding food and drink industry. For the first time, a comprehensive range of local produce will be available to people literally as they go about their regular supermarket shop, opening up tremendous new possibilities for the brilliant food and drink suppliers on our doorstep and new opportunities for shoppers who currently find it difficult to source all the local produce they would like.”
The recently appointed Waitrose branch manager, Chris Reynard, said, "Cornwall Food & Drink’s expertise and passion will be invaluable in helping to showcase the outstanding quality food and drink available from the region. We are looking forward to working together to create a real food lovers’ destination, which can help encourage more people to visit and shop in Truro."
The task of fitting out the store and recruiting the rest of the team ready for opening is now under way in earnest. Anyone interested in supplying or working at the Great Cornish Food Store is asked to get in touch with Cornwall Food & Drink as soon as possible.
For further information visit: www.greatcornishfood.co.uk/store
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More information:
Issued on behalf of Great Cornish Food Store by Cornwall Food & Drink. For further information, interviews or imagery please contact either Claire Vickers on 01872 865101 or on claire@cornwallfoodanddrink.co.uk
Notes to editors:
Photo credit: Simon Burt. L-R: Ruth Huxley, Claire Vickers, Paul Ripley and Angie Coombs
Cornwall Food & Drink is an exciting food hub, created to encourage, aid and provide crucial development, promotion, evolution, collaboration and co-operation amongst the food and drink industry of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.