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Place on a Plate

The purpose of 'Place on a Plate' is to encourage you to adopt an ethos of offering fresh, locally sourced, seasonal food on your menu and just as importantly, make sure you are telling your customers about it!

Taking the first step is simple – you can start with just one dish…

How do I start?

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Get involved and inspired using our top tips:

  • Find out about local food traditions and specialities in your area.

  • Don’t assume that local food is more expensive.

  • Get to know your local food producers.

  • Know what they offer and when it is available.

  • Bring your staff to meet your local producers so that they can get a feel for the produce.

  • Our 'Place on a Plate' guide shows you how to offer fresh, locally-sourced, seasonal food on your menu and tell your customers about it.

View our full 'Place on a Plate' guide

Rate your business

How well does your business give visitors a 'taste' of your region? See how well you score in our business quiz.

Rate your use of local produce [xls, 18kb]

Why is it important?

Whatever type of food business you are involved in, you can embrace local food with the help of the guidelines offered with the 'Place on a Plate' initiative

The reason is simple: research has shown that local foods are much sought after by both domestic and international visitors.


Supporting indigenous and artisan producers makes sense.

So, whether your business is a café, pub, hotel, restaurant, or bistro, you can embrace local food with the help of the guidelines offered within the initiative.

How can it work for me?

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There are four elements to 'Place on a Plate' that can help you to attract more visitors to your business.

  1. Unique and distinctive - Are you making the most of locally produced food?

  2. Consumer focused - Do you understand what your customers want?

  3. Regional and local - Can customers taste food unique to the region, which they can't elsewhere?

  4. Quality and value assured - Do you consistantly offer good value and high quality produce?