The event is now firmly established as one of the most high profile events on the national calendar and certainly one of the most powerful in engaging the education, retail and catering sectors.

Here is a summary of our overall achievements to date.

Summary of overall achievements

• 35,000 schools provided annually with information on including food and cookery activities within the curriculum as part of the Fortnight's activities.


• 42,000 shops, pubs and restaurants given details on how to increase sales by sourcing and promoting British produce in the build up to each year’s event.


• Retailers taking part have increased their sales of British food by up to 34% as a direct result of the event.


• Sales of products offered for tastings increased a staggering 50%.


• 84% of new lines stocked for the promotion have been retained since.


• Thousands of events have taken place during the Fortnight from events in schools and parishes, to promotions and special menus in shops, pubs and restaurants.


• The event's 'Buy British' message is seen or heard over 300 million times in the build up to and during the event and has included: coverage in every national newspaper; storylines on BBC Radio 4's The Archers; a special edition of Blue Peter, daily British Food Fortnight recipes on teletext's homepage and has made headlines on the BBC website.


• Terry Wogan has announced on national radio that he wished “Every fortnight was British Food Fortnight”; the Observer Food Monthly magazine said that “The fast-growing umbrella organisation for all aspects of food is British Food Fortnight”; and HRH The Prince of Wales, who endorses the Fortnight, said “I am immensely impressed by the ingenuity and imagination of the schools that have taken part in British Food Fortnight over the last few years.”


• Over 70 organisations work together under its umbrella.


• 80 MPs have attended receptions to hear about the role of the Fortnight in promoting British food.


• Over 20 universities take part in British Food Fortnight’s activities of providing budget food and cookery activities to students.


• The event has helped team up Sure Start Centres across the UK with local chefs to teach parents in deprived areas how to cook.


• The event has established the first nationwide network of private sector organisations that can offer food-related activity based teaching and learning facilities for schools. Already many chefs, producers, butchers, delicatessan-owners, local market authorities have committed their support. In an innovative move organisations representing over 9,000 chefs have teamed up with schools to offer their services in the classroom and to help teachers organise practical cookery activities. The aim is to emulate the French who regularly send chefs into schools to teach children about their national cuisine.