The UK’s ‘real-life Forrest Gump’, ultra-marathon runner Rob Pope, is taking on a new challenge, The Taste Trail, which will see him travel more than 500 miles on foot to follow the story of food from farm to fork in Britain today.
Starting in Ayrshire on Scotland’s west coast, the route will take him through York, the Midlands and Crawley before finishing in Brighton on the south coast. Along the way, Rob will discover how familiar ingredients are grown, produced and made, while encouraging people to slow down and reconnect with what they eat.
The challenge comes as new research commissioned by Nestlé UK & Ireland highlights how removed many Britons feel from the people and places behind their food. The most common reasons include buying most food from supermarkets and rarely thinking about where it comes from (40%), and food being available all year round, making people think less about seasonality or origin (39%).
British endurance athlete, Rob Pope said: “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.
“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. Over 500 miles, coast to coast, from a dairy farm in Ayrshire, through chocolate city York, the distribution heartland in the Midlands, down to Brighton on the south coast, I will be properly reconnecting with where food comes from.
“I’ve spent my life trying to go faster. This time I’m doing the opposite – slowing right down to learn where my food is grown and produced right here in Britain.”
Rob Pope’s challenge forms part of Nestlé’s ‘Made by Britain’ campaign, which showcases Nestlé’s commitment to UK manufacturing, farming and local communities.
That commitment is rooted in more than 160 years of history in the UK, where Nestlé manufactures some of Britain’s best-loved brands including KitKat, made in York for more than 90 years, and world-famous coffee Nescafé, produced in Tutbury near Derby, which has been a Nestlé factory for 125 years.
Dr Emma Keller, head of sustainability at Nestlé, said: “Most of us pick food up from a supermarket shelf without thinking too much about how it got there. But behind every product are the farmers, factory teams and local communities who make it possible. So much of the food we know and love are not just made in Britain but made by Britain.
“The Taste Trail is about following that farm to fork journey and meeting some of the people involved along the way. Rob is helping to shine a light on all the steps behind the food we eat, and just as importantly, how we make sure that any surplus food reaches those who need us most. We’re proud to be working with Felix, the UK’s largest food redistribution centre, to donate thousands of meals to those in need.”
How well we know our food
The findings point to a growing gap between consumers’ interest in food provenance and their understanding of the journey from farm to fork. The poll of 2,000 UK adults found that nearly three in five (57%) say where their food comes from is important to them. However, almost a quarter (24%) believe most food sold in the UK is imported, despite Defra figures2 showing that the UK produces 58% of the food it consumes.
Almost half (48%) of those surveyed said they would welcome more chances to learn about the farmers, producers and people responsible for the food they buy.
Rushed modern mealtimes
The study also found that many Britons are speeding through their meals. Two-thirds (63%) say they rush what they eat, with one in ten finishing their meal in less than five minutes. For many, eating has become something squeezed between busy work schedules (35%) and multi-tasking (35%) among other daily jobs.
Yet food has lost none of its social importance. More than three quarters (78%) agree food plays an important role in bringing people together with family, friends and communities.
Rob added: “I want to use my slowest trip yet to pay attention to where our food comes from.
“I’m excited to meet the people behind the ingredients which ends up in your morning coffee and your favourite chocolate bar.”
As part of the challenge, for every mile covered by Rob, Nestlé will donate more than 300 meal equivalents to Felix, the UK’s largest food redistribution charity. An estimated total of more than 175,000 meals equivalents will be donated on completion of the challenge, helping more food reach people who need it most.
Rob’s journey will be shared in a series of mini-episodes, released throughout September on @nestleuki, following his visits to the farms, factories and communities that make up The Taste Trail.
Search ‘Nestlé The Taste Trail’ on YouTube to follow Rob’s journey. To donate, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/
