Companies set up powerful new group to compete for £80m Hinkley food spend

A group of Somerset’s leading producers have formed a new group in light of the Hinkley Point development.

‘Somerset Larder’, is a group that will compete for the expected £80m spend on food and drink required during the construction of EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C.

At its peak, Europe’s largest construction site will see more than 8,000 meals served each day and Somerset Larder is hoping to provide the site with a full service, one stop catering solution.

If successful, the move will also see the company develop their own range of Somerset Larder products, available exclusively on-site.

Greg Parsons, MD of Somerset Cheddar maker Cricketer Farm and one of Somerset Larder’s founding directors, comments: “While the opportunity for Somerset food and drink businesses was clear, the sheer scale of supply required by EDF Energy provides a huge challenge.

“The only solution was a collaboration between all interested producers and the resulting formation of Somerset Larder, a company that can provide a central food hub for all Hinkley Point C’s catering contractors.

“Served exclusively by local food and drink businesses, should Somerset Larder secure the contract then this will provide huge, long term boost for the county’s economy.”

The company intend to bid for the supply of the site’s main catering operations as well as catering opportunities in the three accommodation campuses.

To illustrate the volumes of produce that will be required, some 1.5m eggs, half a million kilos of meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, 20 tonnes of cheese and 1.2m tea bags will be needed to service the site’s catering needs per year, at peak construction.