Lumo serves up exclusive opportunity for North East businesses during British Food Fortnight

Leading North-East based rail operator Lumo has announced that it’s giving local food and drink suppliers a unique opportunity to showcase their products in Westminster.

The exciting event, which will take place in January, has been announced on the annual British Food Fortnight, a celebration of the diverse and delicious food that Britain produces.

The initiative is being organised in partnership with Food & Drink North East, with local businesses encouraged to contact the organisation with why they’d like to be part of it. It’s an opportunity for them to gain valuable insights into expanding their businesses, while bringing their products to a brand new audience in the capital.

Lumo is a proud supporter of the local communities it serves, particularly local businesses. The operator runs 100% electric train services between Edinburgh, Newcastle, London and, from December, Glasgow Queen Street. Customers can sip on delicious Newcastle-brewed Donzoko Train Beer during their journeys, or tuck into a tasty locally made Ringtons Ginger Snap Biscuit.

Sharon Hodgson MP, Member of Parliament for Washington and Gateshead South, has pledged her support for the event: “This is a fantastic initiative which I’m sure will prove to be very valuable for our many talented local businesses here in the North East. It’s great to see a successful company like Lumo, who are based in Newcastle, promoting other local businesses. I’m looking forward to being a part of this event and meeting some amazing local people and helping to promote the food and drink industry in our region.”

Richard Salkeld, Head of Communications and Partnerships at Lumo, said: “We’re thrilled to launch this unique opportunity during the annual British Food Fortnight. It’s an exciting time for Lumo at the moment, as we prepare to launch a range of new routes across the UK. We’re proud to bring the spirit of the North East to the rest of the UK and, as part of that, we’re always looking for ways that we can support other local businesses.

“I’m looking forward to seeing who we discover as part of this initiative, with the potential for us to find some tasty new onboard products for our customers too!”

Rhiannon Bearne, Deputy Chief Executive at the North East Chamber of Commerce, said: “This initiative is a brilliant way to showcase the strength and diversity of our region’s food and drink sector. Taking these fantastic local businesses to Westminster raises their profile and provides a valuable platform to grow, collaborate and reach new audiences.

“It’s fantastic to see Lumo and Food & Drink North East working together to champion local businesses and open up new opportunities.”

A number of local businesses have already been confirmed for the event, including Northumberland-based whisky and gin distillery Ad Gefrin, Davenport’s Chocolates in Gateshead, Doddington Dairy in Northumberland, Hummingbird Drinks in Northumberland and Northumberland Coffee.

Lumo’s powerful partnerships with local communities have been recognised at the prestigious Corporate Engagement Awards, with the operator recently winning a number of titles. Lumo also recently achieved the ServiceMark Accreditation from the Institute of Customer Service, a prestigious national benchmark that recognises organisations that have outstanding customer service and are striving for continuous improvement.