The food and drink sector is worth over AUD20 billion to the Northwest, and is the country’s largest food and drink-producing region. It generates 14 per cent of the region’s income and employees 103,000 people across 2,000 companies - the UK’s highest concentration of food and drink manufacturing businesses.

The Northwest has significant strengths in a number of food and drink manufacturing areas, including dairy production, red meat and cereal processing, specialty foods and regional food production. Many of the world’s best known food brands call the Northwest home, including Nestle, Halewood foods, Fox’s, Heinz, Kellogg’s, Patak Foods and Vimto.

The NWDA has invested over AUD15 million into two ground-breaking projects to assist the productivity of food businesses throughout the region:

• Tastes of the Northwest: This will assist over 2,300 food businesses in gaining access to new markets, as well as strengthening marketing advice, product development and skills training
• Distinctly Cumbrian: This is a programme to support farmers and new and exciting rural businesses in improving the production, distribution and marketing of local produce