Red Tractor celebrates 10th birthday

Janet Street-Porter, the TV presenter and writer, led the celebrations which included cutting a giant six-foot Red Tractor birthday cake on London’s Southbank on Tuesday (June 16).

Ms Street-Porter said Red Tractor, which assures the high standard of food grown on over 78,000 British farms, was a credit to the industry.

“It gives shoppers a great opportunity to buy quality food and drink with reassurance that their food is safe, they know where it comes from and that it’s produced with the welfare of animals and the environment in mind,” she said.

Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman, who joined Ms Street-Porter at the cake cutting ceremony, gave her own support to the logo.

She added she would “ensure that food procured by government departments, and eventually the whole public sector, meets British standards of production wherever it can be done without increasing the overall cost.”

Even though Red Tractor operates off a shoestring budget of less than £1 million annually, all major retailers and more than 500 leading companies use the logo.

Retailers such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco, brands such as Silverspoon and Country Life and leading service sector providers such as Sodexo, all help the logo punch well above its weight.

David Gregory of Assured Food Standards (AFS), the body that runs Red Tractor, said the brand was going from strength to strength.

“We’re now looking forward to another decade of dynamic growth for Red Tractor,” he said.

Red Tractor Week was launched on Monday (June 14) and will run until Sunday (June 20).

Independent research shows the Red Tractor mark is now recognised by 55 per cent of consumers and the anniversary week has been used to drive consumer awareness and understanding of the mark even further.

Farmer Rosie Dunn said the industry would reap the benefit. 

“It’s great to be able simply to tell people to look out for the Red Tractor and help support our farmers,” she said.

To encourage Red Tractor members to get involved and push awareness of the week, AFS launched an online toolkit.

It also created an on-line Summer Eating Guide jam-packed with seasonal recipes, activities for children and information on the UK’s top Outdoor Eating Spots.

Throughout the week shoppers up and down the country have been able to win Red Tractor prizes through media promotions and giveaways while contract caterers and wholesalers have served up themed meals and ‘dish of the day’ into schools and offices.

For more information on Red Tractor Week, which runs until Sunday, visit the website www.myredtractor.org.uk/week/

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