Nestlé UK & Ireland has launched a 500-mile “Taste Trail” across Britain to highlight the people, farms and facilities behind the food products consumers buy, as new research points to a growing disconnect between shoppers and food provenance.
Ultra-marathon runner Rob Pope, dubbed the UK's “real-life Forrest Gump”, is undertaking the challenge, which began in Ayrshire and will take him through York, the Midlands and Crawley before finishing in Brighton.
The journey forms part of Nestlé's Made by Britain campaign, which highlights the company's UK manufacturing, farming and community activities.
Along the route, Pope will visit farms, factories and communities to explore how familiar ingredients are grown, processed and turned into finished products. His journey will be documented through a series of mini-episodes released throughout September.
Nestlé's research among 2,000 UK adults found that 57 per cent consider where their food comes from important, but many consumers have limited understanding of its origins.
Four in 10 (40 per cent) said they buy most of their food from supermarkets and rarely think about where it comes from, while 39 per cent said the year-round availability of food means they think less about seasonality or origin.
Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of those surveyed also believed that most food sold in the UK is imported, compared with Defra figures showing that 58 per cent of the food consumed in the UK is produced domestically.
Meanwhile, 48 per cent said they would welcome more opportunities to learn about the farmers, producers and other people responsible for the food they purchase.
‘Rushed’ eating habits
The research also highlighted changing eating habits, with 63 per cent of respondents saying they rush their meals and one in 10 reporting that they finish a meal in less than five minutes.
Among those who rush their meals, 35 per cent cited busy work schedules and an equal number said they eat while multitasking.
Despite this, food continues to have an important social role, with 78 per cent agreeing that it helps bring together families, friends and communities.
Pope said the challenge would give him an opportunity to take the “slowest trip” of his life and learn more about where food is produced.
“As a runner, food was always fuel to me. And most people treat it the same way. We grab it, eat it and move on. We don't always think about where it came from or who made it,” he said.
“Now I'm taking the long way back to it, slowing down to learn where my food is grown and produced right here in Britain.”
Supporting food redistribution
The initiative also has a food redistribution element. For every mile Pope completes, Nestlé will donate more than 300 meal equivalents to Felix, the UK's largest food redistribution charity.
Nestlé expects more than 175,000 meal equivalents to be donated by the end of the challenge, helping redistribute surplus food to people who need it.
Dr Emma Keller, head of sustainability at Nestlé, said the campaign aims to highlight the people and communities behind products found on supermarket shelves.
“Behind every product are the farmers, factory teams and local communities who make it possible,” she said. “So much of the food we know and love are not just made in Britain but made by Britain.”
The campaign also highlights Nestlé's long-standing UK manufacturing presence. The company said it has operated in Britain for more than 160 years, with brands including KitKat, manufactured in York for more than 90 years, and Nescafé, produced at its Tutbury site near Derby, which has been a Nestlé factory for 125 years.
Pope's journey will be shared via Nestlé UK & Ireland's social channels throughout September, with consumers able to follow the Taste Trail as he visits the farms, factories and communities involved in Britain's food supply chain.