Steve Wrigley, Business Development Director of Tastes of Anglia, has been forging links with the English Food & Drink Alliance.  Steve explains “collectively, along with the seven other Regions in the Alliance, we are in dialogue with the Agricultural Minister Jim Paice, discussing commercial strategies that can be delivered by the individual regions over the next three years”.

The English Food & Drink Alliance is a new organisation formed by the eight English regional food groups to fill the emerging gap for national co-ordination of regional and local food activities where delivery is required at regional and local levels with the knowledge required to tailor activity to take advantage of national trends.  The Alliance facilitates communication with central government departments, national businesses and other countrywide agencies that wish to deliver regional activity within the food and drink sector.  Over 3,000 active regional food-related businesses regularly work with the eight groups.  The English Food & Drink Alliance has proven success in delivering programmes involving business development, consumer awareness and public relations projects. The Alliance offers co-ordinated management of national delivery programmes across the eight regions of England.

Steve has been working with Tastes of Anglia for over three years in a consultancy capacity.  With over 30 years in the Food and Drink industry in senior management positions with Cadbury Ltd, Premier Brands, Coca Cola and Schweppes, Steve has recently taken on extra responsibilities working closely with ToA Operations Director, Tony Bower to manage Tastes of Anglia’s three year growth programme.