Local food

Dorset is home to some of the most delicious and exceptional food in England. However too much of our food comes from the big supermarket chains which sell too little locally produced food.

As supermarkets can dictate the price they pay farmers, many are being forced to close. The local shops that do sell local food are being driven out of business, and therefore need your support as do the producers.

We would like to ask CPRE members not only to help our village shops but also to encourage parish councils to help these shops resolve their parking and other issues, and urge district councils to give 100% business rates relief automatically. Therefore please spend more and make your voice heard!

Campaign to promote quality local food and drink producers

Dorset CPRE launched a new initiative in 2017 to promote local food and drink producers. This follows on from a 2014 campaign to help village shops face the relentless onslaught from supermarkets. For six years we sponsored a class, Best Village Shop, in the Best Dorset Village Competition hosted by Magna Housing. In 2019, the judges declared Chapel Lane Stores, Abbotsbury and Thorncombe Village Shop joint winners. The Best Dorset Village Competition was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID and sadly is in abeyance currently as it needs a new major sponsor, meanwhile North Dorset CPRE profile some of the best village shops in North Dorset in their monthly column in the BV Magazine. In 2023 Child Okeford Village Shop was featured, and it has now won the 2024 prestigious Countryside Alliance Southwest Village Shop of the Year award. Please do visit these shops and remember all Dorset village shops deserve your support.

Dorset CPRE strongly believes too in supporting farmers, especially the more environmentally responsible ones, at a time when the whole question of farm subsidies is up for debate given Brexit.

One trend has been for more shops to belong to a symbol group

One clear trend has been for more shops to belong to a symbol group, such as Spar, to help their buying and provide marketing support. Another has been the higher proportion of quality local produce on sale, which we wholly applaud, although it is not always clearly marked as such, which is a pity. More shops are offering tea rooms which boosts footfall and generate higher margins. You will be glad to hear the war on plastic has been taken on-board faster in village shops than in the supermarkets, with more produce sold without packaging.

Please spend more in your village shops, but particularly on the wonderful local produce they showcase.