Northamptonshire Day in Parliament: ‘I am incredibly proud to say I’m from this county’
An MP invited the community to the Houses of Parliament to celebrate Northamptonshire Day, which was a roaring success and showed the best of what the county has to offer.
Mike Reader MP for Northampton South and his team proudly organised the Northamptonshire Day Parliamentary Reception on the morning of Thursday, October 23.
Hosted in Portcullis House in the Houses of Parliament, the reception showcased the county’s businesses, cultural heritage and civic identity to a packed room of people.
Attendees included 14 MPs and specially invited guests from across the county, and it proved a valuable opportunity to highlight Northamptonshire’s strengths and discuss regional growth.
The room was buzzing with excited conversation from start to finish, and multiple of the county’s MPs shared their pride about representing Northants on a national scale.
Mike Reader MP said: “When I decided to stand for Parliament and when I was elected, I said I wanted to really champion Northamptonshire. I felt for a long time that we haven’t had, particularly in Northampton, champions in Parliament who talk about the great things we do – and to make people realise that Northamptonshire isn’t just somewhere you drive through when you’re going north and isn’t the place that used to make shoes.
“It is a place of real innovation, from Silverstone and the vast manufacturing we see around the home of one of the world’s greatest sports Formula 1 in our constituency, to the real advanced manufacturing and innovation we see in the food sector like Weetabix, Carlsberg and British Pepper and Spice. Through to the amazing entrepreneurial businesses who have been in the county for centuries and decades, or who are coming through.
“We should be really proud of everything our county does, from the amazing heritage and cultural aspect right through to the innovation and businesses really driving growth and creating jobs and opportunities.”
Later on, Rosie Wrighting MP for Kettering added: “I am incredibly proud to say I’m from Northamptonshire. I think our county offers so much to the country but often we’re quite modest about that – and I think that’s because throughout history we’ve just got on with it in quite difficult environments as well.
“That’s why days like today are to actually shout about what we do, be proud of who we are, what we add to this country and what we’ve done throughout history.
“I’m proud to represent Kettering but I’m even prouder to be from here. When I grew up in Kettering, despite not growing up in a privileged background, I saw the opportunities around me – whether it was apprenticeships in local companies and the tourism, the culture that we offered. It inspired me to go forward and drive for a better future and be elected into this Government.”
‘We couldn’t be prouder’
Jo Gordon, chief executive at the Royal & Derngate theatre, spoke to the Chronicle & Echo at the event – having recently been named the UK’s ‘most welcoming theatre’ at the UK Theatre Awards 2025.
“We’re such champions for Northampton and Northamptonshire, with the cultural output that we have,” said Jo.
“Royal & Derngate is such a core part, I think, of Northampton town centre and we have about 300,000 people every year who come through the doors. We take that responsibility seriously, and to be a community and civic hub where people can come.”
The chief executive says it is an “exciting” time as the sector has acknowledged them as a leader, as well as putting Northamptonshire on the map nationally.
Though Jo said it is easy to feel like they are “punching above their weight” as the Royal & Derngate is a small venue in the country’s terms, the team has realised they are actually “leading the way”.
“We couldn’t be prouder,” said Jo, who praised Northamptonshire audiences for proving they are willing to support the theatre no matter what.
‘It has that wonderful balance of rurality and towns’
Born and bred Northamptonian Rachel Mallows was in attendance, representing a variety of food and drink producers on behalf of Made In Northamptonshire and the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards.
Made In Northamptonshire has been running since 2011, with a commitment to supporting food and drink producers and getting them more engaged with venues – including Houghton Hams, Mee Blueberries, Eat Curious and Ganders Goat in Parliament on Thursday.
“I’m really proud,” said Rachel. “It’s great to see so many of our amazing businesses and people who are really keen to shout. At the heart of Northamptonshire are great people who help make great businesses.”
When asked why she is proud to live and work in the county, Rachel added: “To me, there’s something about the people. The people are good and if you do what you say you’re going to do, they’ll follow you. I love the countryside, it has that wonderful balance of rurality and towns.”
‘We are flying high’
Jeyes of Earls Barton, located at the heart of the village in the shadow of one of England’s finest Anglo-Saxon towers, blends hospitality, retail and history.
Pip, Anna and Georgina Jeyes are passionate about creating an unforgettable experience and making a lasting impression on regular guests, new customers and visiting tourists alike. This also includes championing local collaborations, produce and community.
“We’re really proud,” said Pip, when asked how it feels to live and work in this county. “I’m so proud to have an amazing name like Jeyes and I want to showcase it and do it justice.”
Jeyes’s Northamptonshire Sauce is a family recipe passed down from Pip and Anna’s great great grandfather, and this legacy continues to go from strength to strength.
“We’re now at a level, particularly with our products that we’ve developed over the past five years, where our name is really quite out there now,” said Pip. “We are flying high at the moment and we’re loving every minute of it.”