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National Trust Launch Own Range Food and Drink

12th October, 2009

The National Trust has announced the launch of a range of branded food and drink products, representing the best of British fare at affordable prices.

Starting with the time-honoured British favourites of potatoes and beer, the range - which will include breads, biscuits, meat products and prepared foods - will go on sale in a phased launch from October 2009.

The products take their inspiration from the National Trust itself – both from the Trust’s own produce and from traditional recipes in the Trust’s extensive archive. This launch reflects the Trust’s values of quality, environmental sensitivity and sustainability and is a natural extension of the organisation’s work in championing the very best of Britain’s foods.

All products are produced under licence by specialist suppliers, as part of a long-term brand extension programme developed by the National Trust with The Licensing Company (TLC). The programme currently involves thirty partners who supply products across six market sectors, including house and home, gardening and leisure activities.

The National Trust is one of the UK’s largest owners of farmland with 500,000 acres of food-producing land and over 1,500 tenant farmers. It is supported by over 3.6 million members and 52,000 volunteers.

Rob Macklin, the National Trust’s head of agriculture, commented:

'We are running several campaigns that promote the idea of sustainable food, but this is the first time that we have been able to put our ideas into practice by creating a range of high quality, affordably priced foods and drinks.

What makes these products different is that we are working directly with a number of our farmers and estate managers to bring their produce to a commercially viable, national market, at the same time as pursuing sustainable and environmentally responsible farming practices.

We are also drawing widely on the National Trust’s heritage, bringing to life a collection of traditional recipes that once were used in the working kitchens of some of our best-loved historic houses.

We are committed to responsibly produced, good quality food, whether it is destined for our tea rooms, restaurants, farm shops or supermarkets. We are very excited about developing the range in the coming months, and are confident that consumers will respond positively.'

Planting the seed

National Trust Pembrokeshire Potatoes will go into supermarkets in early October. The potatoes are grown on 420 acres of National Trust coastland at Trehill Farm, Pembrokeshire, which is managed for the Trust by tenant farmers Peter and Gina Smithies. Trehill has won numerous awards for high standards of environmental stewardship as well as the superior quality and taste of its potatoes.

Best of British

Viceroy India Pale Ale, which is brewed under licence by the Westerham Brewery in Kent, uses hops from Scotney Castle, the Trust’s last remaining hop garden. Viceroy is a delicious, golden, nutty and hoppy ale which was inspired by Lord Curzon, 1st Marquis of Kedleston, a generous donor to the National Trust. During his time as Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon recorded in his memoirs a journey made on horseback, during which he started dreaming of beer: 'As I rode down the grassy slopes, I saw coming towards me in the distance the figure of a solitary horseman...at that moment I would have given a kingdom, not for champagne or hock and soda, or hot coffee, but for a glass of beer!'

Viceroy is available in 500ml bottles and on draught from Westerham Brewery. A case of twelve bottles retails at £23. Outlets will include the National Trust’s restaurants, tea rooms and independent licensees

A slice of tradition

Three traditional breads will be available in the National Trust range. The National Trust Stoneground Wholemeal loaf is made to a recipe from Lady Hilaria Gibbs, whose father gave Cotehele Tudor House in Cornwall to the Trust. This loaf uses dark brown sugar and molasses to give a rich, soft crumb to the bread, which is dusted with stoneground flour.

The National Trust Milk Loaf is a sweet, fresh tasting bread, which uses strong white bread flour and butter to give a strong crumb and rich taste. Loved by generations of children and adults alike in traditional sandwiches, this milk bread is baked to an old British recipe and is typical of the bread served in National Trust tearooms and restaurants.

National Trust Barm Bread, the traditional wheaten bread of England, is made with beer produced from hops grown in the Scotney Castle hop garden in Kent, owned by the Trust. The beer raises the bread, while the alcohol is baked off to give an open, richly flavoured crumb with a slight sweetness from the malted and toasted barley.

The three loaves are part of a wider range of bakery goods from Rivermill Ltd. Other items include five traditional biscuits - Stem Ginger and Orange Marmalade, Clotted Cream Rounds, Lancashire Lemon Curds, Golden Honey Oaties and Oat Crumbles – which all take their inspiration from National Trust properties and recipes.