Food Town hamper in exchange for feedback
The presentation has taken place of a food hamper put up as a prize to encourage visitors to the Wellington Food Town launch event to fill in a feedback form.
The hamper was filled with hundreds of pounds of food and vouchers donated by producers who took part in the event, which attracted an estimated attendance of nearly 5,000 people.
Almost 1,000 feedback forms were returned on the day and the winner of the hamper was Mrs Denise Howell, of High Street, Wellington.
Mrs Howell was presented with the hamper by John Pragnell, chairman of Wellington Economic Partnership, which organised the launch event.
She said: “It was a brilliant event to have locally and I was quite surprised to see all the different foods that are available in the area, it really opened my eyes to what you can get locally and how good it is.
“I went along with some friends and to win the hamper just before Christmas is wonderful. It is the first time I have ever won anything like this, I am thrilled with it.”
The launch event was the official start of a five-year project to turn Wellington into the ‘Food Town’ of Somerset, much as Ludlow is recognised as a centre of food excellence in the Midlands.
It involved about 40 local food stalls set up in a giant town centre marquee to showcase everything from Christmas cakes to bison sausages, and food co-operatives to recycling information.
Mr Pragnell said feedback from visitors was important because it would be carefully analysed in order to help the Food Town steering group enhance future events.
He said several more activities were already in the pipeline for 2007 and it was important to be able to let people know about them as details were firmed up.
Mr Pragnell said: “The intention is to move towards a major two-day festival of food in the town which we want to become a fixture on the annual events calendar, probably in early autumn.
“We have made a good start with the launch event and now we must build on it and keep the interest and enthusiasm going.
“Part of that will involve a reception near the end of January where we will invite everybody involved in the launch so we can say ‘thank you’ to them and start to look in more detail at the activities for 2007.”
The Wellington Food Town catchment area takes in much of Somerset and a large chunk of Devon, an containing eight Rick Stein Food Heroes and dozens of other award-winning producers.
Wellington Food Town is organised by Wellington Economic Partnership in conjunction with Taunton Deane Borough Council and Wellington Town Council, and is supported by Wellington Chamber of Commerce and Trade, Wellington Farmers’ Market, and Somerset Food Links.
More information is available from Nicky Saunter at Somerset Food Links on 01458 241401 or email nickys@foodlinks.org.uk or by logging on to www.wellingtonfoodtown.blogspot.com.

• Our photograph shows Wellington Economic Partnership chairman John Pragnell congratulating Denise Howell on winning a hamper of Christmas food from the Wellington Food Town launch event.