AROUND half of the small local food producers which attended a Meet the Producer day with supermarket Waitrose have made it through to the next round and are a step closer to seeing their products on the supermarket shelves.

Regional food group Taste North East (TNE) organised the recent event and selected 18 suppliers to showcase their products to Waitrose’s local and regional product sourcing team.

TNE general manager Sandy Duncan said: “We spend a lot of time with businesses in the food and drink industry. It means we are able to match suppliers to the right buyers, like Waitrose.

“It is through our depth of knowledge and understanding of local and regional producers and their products that we are able to put forward suitable suppliers to appropriate buyers.

“Waitrose was looking for products containing local ingredients, made to traditional recipes by people with strong ties to their local communities.

“This criteria was certainly reflected in the quality and breadth of products presented to them at the Meet the Producer event.”