Enterprise North Canterbury helping local producers during lockdown

Enterprise North Canterbury food and beverage business development manager Alissa Wilson has been checking in with local producers during lockdown. Photo / Enterprise North Canterbury

Enterprise North Canterbury has been supporting local producers to keep operating during lockdown.

Using its Made North Canterbury provenance brand, Enterprise North Canterbury has been connecting consumers with local food and beverage businesses.

"Very soon after the lockdown was announced it became apparent that North Canterbury consumers were wanting to continue to support local producers," Enterprise North Canterbury food and beverage business development manager Alissa Wilson said.

"We had inquiries as to which Made North Canterbury members were able to deliver during Alert Level 4 and we also had members contacting us to see if we could notify consumers that they were open for business."

Checking the Made North Canterbury member database, Wilson found most were deemed essential food and beverage businesses by the Government and compiled an online database.

The database featured 39 local producers who could offer contactless delivery during lockdown, ranging from eggs, meat and dairy to staples, honey, coffee, wine, beer and even gin.

"All of our members offer quality, fresh, locally produced items," Wilson said.

"By choosing to support them you are guaranteed a tasty addition to your pantry or fridge and you're supporting a local business, whose profit will go back into the local economy, which is just what we all need right now."

Since lockdown, Wilson has been inundated with local producers keen to be Made North Canterbury members.

"I think the value of becoming a Made North Canterbury member and being part of a community of like-minded businesses becomes very apparent at times like this.

"As well as helping to extensively promote our local producers, we work to connect our members to suppliers and to create relationships and collaborations.

"Outside of lockdown we also create and engage in large scale food and beverage events, to get members' names and products out to wider audiences."