At the 56th annual Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) conference in London, the Taste Real initiative received a 2012 Award of Excellence in the “product development” category.
Taste Real connects restaurateurs, growers, producers and processors and has been working to develop the value chain for the local agri-food sector.
The highly successful consumer events and partner programs have shown the benefit to moving Taste Real to the next level.
“We’ve just completed Wellington’s economic development strategy and within it, it cites value-added agriculture, local food and on-farm diversification, support for small- and medium-sized enterprises and tourism development based on regional strengths as opportunities for growth,” said Minto Mayor George Bridge, chair of the county’s economic development committee.
“Taste Real is an excellent vehicle to implement this recommendation.”
Taste Real currently has 124 partners, with 71 per cent of them operating within Wellington County.
It has received notable buy-in from businesses because of the benefits they receive from the program.
“The Taste Real brand is a made-in-Wellington project,” said Jana Reichert, county economic development officer.
“It is about growing the regional agri-food sector by creating business-to-business opportunities via trade shows and training events and promoting the region’s assets.
She added, “As a collective of the municipalities, Guelph and the University of Guelph, we are very proud and excited to be receiving this award.”
