Who Are We?

 

Made In Northamptonshire (MIN) is a county networking group designed to bring like-minded businesses and individuals from the food and drink sector together in a supportive setting.

It is aimed at:

• Producers wishing to find new markets and to work collaboratively

• Retail outlets wanting to sell the ‘best of Northamptonshire’

• Chefs and eateries looking to source good local produce

• County food and drink firms which support local business

• Those who love the ‘buy local’ philosophy

Made In Northamptonshire was formed in 2011 as a direct response to the requests for information from venues about artisan producers and from producers about how to reach local venues. Within a year there was a clear directive from members to provide a networking framework to enable them to share good practice and selling opportunities, joint procurement savings and collaborative products and drinks.

In 2015 MIN was the focus of a Doctorate report relating to the social impact on the community for the group and its members.  It revealed that all those engaged in MIN had significant benefits from attending and without exception gave back into their own communities or local food webs.

In January 2019 MIN introduced a small membership fee to enable it to extend its offering so that MIN products could read a wider audience. This has culminated in working with Delapre Abbey, Northampton, Jeyes of Earls Barton and Whitco, Thrapston.

Membership is open to anyone from the food and drink industry who would like to join. (See membership page for more details.)

MIN has already enjoyed a number of successes including finding new outlets for county produce and helping retailers to source local products and thereby reduce the ‘food miles’ and has attracted praise including from the Campaign to Protect Rural England for its efforts in promoting the excellence on its doorstep.

It distributes and monitors use of the MIN logo, a county ‘kite-mark’ for producers, retailers and venues stocking and serving local produce and also produces a directory of Northamptonshire producers and suppliers.

 To review and/or download the 2024 directory, which has over 140 listings of everything from local drinks to butchers, bakers to farm shops, please click here