Southern Co-op to host second Pig Den in boost to local producers

Southern Co-op is set to host the second edition of Pig Den, which provides a unique opportunity for local businesses to pitch their products to the retailer.

Inspired by BBC‘s Dragons’ Den, the event last year, see over 20 local food and drink producers pitching a wide range of products – from fishcakes and jams to chocolates and spirits – to four members from Southern Co-op’s buying team for its Local Flavours range.

Hampshire Fare, the not-for-profit organisation behind the event, is now calling out to interested food and drink businesses for the second Pig Den, to be held on 7 July.

Tracy Nash, commercial manager at Hampshire Fare, who initiated the Pig Den event, commented: “This event is a positive business agenda, supporting local businesses and providing great experience for producers to step up to pitch to a retailer with a significant presence across the region.”

Southern Co-op is currently continuing discussions with Hampshire producers who pitched at the first Pig Den, held last October.

Matt Elliott, from Southern Co-op’s Local Flavours team, said: “We were blown away by the quality of the products pitched to us last time. There was no one winner as we came away with a number of producers we wanted to keep chatting to in order to stock their products in the future.

“With Southern Co-op having a commitment to sustainability and a strong ethos of ethical consumerism, we would be keen to hear from producers who echo these values.”

Pig Den is open to producers across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight who are members of Hampshire Fare, which supports local food, drink and craft producers. To apply for membership, producers should contact [email protected] or 02380 733830.