Routes to Market

Build effective partnerships between producers and retailers

Modern university campus with distinctive brick and white buildings, open plaza, and landscaped terraces under a blue sky.

Who should attend?

Food and drink producers who want to learn how best to work with retailers to expand their reach and distribution

Modern university campus area with students walking and a sign for the Forum at the University of Exeter.

Why should I attend?

This workshop will be valuable for any producer seeking to build lasting, profitable relationships with retailers. Hear from both sides of the coin, with George’s perspective as a retailer & Barny as a producer selling though multiple channels.

Modern building courtyard with glass walls and people talking and sitting on benches

What will I takeaway?

We will explore the importance of small supply chains, why they’re more resilient & why our local food system is so special. There will be practical takeaways & tips to maximise sales & boost exposure for your brand.

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George Dart, Dart’s Farm

From a small roadside hut in the 1970s, Darts Farm has evolved into the UK’s most award-winning Farm Shop, championing hundreds of small-scale local producers. George is 3rd generation & the driving force behind their new developments, retail & hospitality.

Smiling man standing in an orchard holding an apple

Barny Butterfield, Sandford Orchards

Barny is founder of independent, family-owned Sandford Orchards, an award-winning cider producer based in Crediton in the oldest working cider mill in the UK. Founded in 2002, Sandford Orchards takes a fresh, natural and low impact approach and combines tradition and innovation to produce their much loved range of ciders which are stocked in retail outlets and hospitality venues across the country.