Weetabix to take on sponsorship of Northamptonshire's Food and Drink Awards

The awards showcase some of the county's best produce and places to eat
Breakfast giant Weetabix is to become the headline sponsorBreakfast giant Weetabix is to become the headline sponsor
Breakfast giant Weetabix is to become the headline sponsor

Breakfast giant Weetabix is to become the headline sponsor of the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards after a decade of support from Carlsberg.

The firm, which produces 70 million of its iconic biscuits weekly at its Burton Latimer site, prides itself on sourcing its wheat for Weetabix from local farms within a 50-mile radius.

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More details of the three-year sponsorship deal will be revealed at the launch of the 2020/21 competition next month.

Competition director Rachel Mallows said: “Our finalists and winners not only consistently report a 20 per cent or more increase in sales but also tell us that their success has given them

the confidence to grow and, without forgetting the additional backing of our category sponsors and other partners, we have Carlsberg UK to thank for enabling that remarkable achievement.

“So we are thrilled that Weetabix’s support will allow us to build on those accomplishments and, as we prepare to launch for our twelfth year, would like to raise a glass of Pilsner to the entire Carlsberg team in deepest appreciation of their considerable, hands-on approach to their headline sponsorship of the last ten years and of their continuing patronage."

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Despite handing over the title role Carlsberg UK’s head of corporate affairs Andrew Roache said that, with the competition going from strength to strength, the company’s partnership with the awards does not end there.

He said: “Having called Northampton our home for over 40 years and being incredibly proud not only to brew here but also to employ many people from all across the county, we’re equally proud to have played such a vital role in supporting Northamptonshire’s increasingly successful food and drink sector through our sponsorship over the last decade.

“Their public role is of course to shine a deserved spotlight on those businesses and individuals which excel in their sphere as well as driving up standards by encouraging healthy competition, but what is perhaps less well known is the invaluable support that’s offered to all those who enter, for example in providing feedback to unsuccessful venues to enable them to improve their offering for their diners.

“Our deal was only ever intended to last a year so reaching the 10 year milestone seemed a good time to hand over the headline sponsorship baton and of course we are delighted to see Weetabix pick that up, while we’re thrilled that we shall continue to play our part, including lending our considerable expertise to another of the competition’s great by-products - its mentoring panels - which form such a vital way of supporting emerging and growing businesses."