Regional producers have received a trade boost after a food hub secured a deal to supply two national supermarket chains in East Anglia.The Elveden Fine Foods business was set up at the Elveden Estate, near Thetford, four years ago to source, promote and market local food and drink suppliers.

Regional producers have received a trade boost after a food hub secured a deal to supply two national supermarket chains in East Anglia.

The Elveden Fine Foods business was set up at the Elveden Estate, near Thetford, four years ago to source, promote and market local food and drink suppliers.

The co-operative is now celebrating fresh success after getting almost 150 new bakery and fresh meat products onto the shelves of nine Asda stores in the East.

The food hub, which already supplied 88 products to Asda supermarkets, has also agreed a deal with Waitrose to sell 25 of its lines at 27 stores in the region.

Officials from Elveden Fine

Foods, which represents more than

60 small to medium suppliers and acts as a regional distribution centre, called on other producers to

come forward to add to their portfolio.

New suppliers that have benefitted from the hub are Reads Bakery at Framlingham, FL Edge Butchers from East Harling, Fynn Valley, Buxhall, Anglia Pre-Packed Fish from Lowestoft, O'Flynns Bakery, Norwich, Dingley Dell Pork from Campsea Ashe, Banham Poultry from Attleborough, Jonas Seafoods from East Runton.

Natasha Card, from Elveden Fine Foods, said the hub provided practical business advice, bar-coding, and distribution to enable small producers to supply large supermarkets.

'We are constantly looking for new and exciting suppliers to add to our Asda range, and we regularly attend food markets and festivals to try to stay ahead in supplying the very best our region has to offer.

'We try to give the local suppliers access to a customer base that would normally be out of their reach. Little and often supply makes it possible for small volume suppliers to service Asda stores, while at the same time giving them a better understanding of the requirements of a major supermarket,' she said.

The Elveden Estate has been in the Guinness family since 1894 and comprises some 22,486 acres of

forest, heath and farmland.

Paul Dover, Asda customer planning manager, said: 'The new local products in East Anglia are the result of working with Elveden to listen to which local products our customers want and we believe the new range is relevant and exciting for customers.'

Local suppliers can contact Elveden Fine Foods on 01842 898053

or e-mail Natasha.card@elveden.com