stroudfestival

Festival organisers to form a co-operative

2009 festival participants (l-r) Wesley Birch, chef, from J-RooL Bistro, Erin Wheeler, chef, of Woodruffs Organic Café, Grahame Day, co-owner, of Kendrick Street Deli, and Nicholas Lee-Allan, chef, from Star Anise Arts Café. Picture by Andy Read.

A two-week celebration showcasing Stroud’s food and drink producers and outlets is becoming part of the co-operative movement.

Stroud Food and Drink Festival has been organised for the past two years by Stroud Town Council, after being launched by mayor Andy Read.

Now the council wants to hand responsibility of the running of the festival over to the community, and a group of producers, retailers and customers are forming a co-operative to do just that.

As a multiple stakeholder co-operative, anyone with an interest in the future success of the festival will be able to become a member, said director Greg Pilley, who runs Stroud Brewery.

This year’s festival – acknowledged as one of the top ten events in the Cotswolds calendar – takes place from Friday 3 to Sunday 19 September and will feature a food and drink awards, and locally-produced food and drink being sold in shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs.

“Stroud is widely regarded as a destination for good, honest, locally-produced food and drink,” said Greg, “and the festival helps to promote that.

“The festival takes place at harvest time, so locals and visitors can taste Stroud Valleys food and drink at its best.”

The festival runs in tandem with the Stroud Fringe (3-5 September), Stroud Open Homes (11-12 September) and Stroud Walking Festival (3-19 September), which together offer over 150 events, making Stroud the festival capital of the south west during September, and many of the events overlap, allowing visitors, for instance, to walk to a country pub serving local food.

The company behind the festival – Stroud Valley Festivals Ltd – will be officially launched as a co-operative during festival fortnight.

Stroud Town Council continues to be a major supporter of the festival, sponsoring the event to the tune of £6,000 and providing meeting space.

Stroud Food and Drink Festival is being incorporated as a co-operative with the help of Gloucester-based Co-operative Futures, an agency funded by Midcounties Co-operative that encourages the formation of new co-operatives in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Swindon, Wiltshire and the West Midlands.

Director Jim Pettipher said: “The co-operative consortium model suits festivals and community initiatives very well. Anyone who is looking to incorporate their organising committee as a limited company would do well to look at the co-operative model.”

Anyone interested in helping to organise, or participating in, Stroud Food Festival can find more information at www.stroudfoodfest.com

Anyone who wants to start or grow a business that is a co-operative or community owned enterprise can contact Jim Pettipher at Co-operative Futures on 0845 456 2506 or at info@co-operativefutures.coop