The Catey’s 2023

of widening out the campaign within our region and sharing our experience with other businesses to promote and grow food tourism, and we happily agreed. Over the years, GFF has attracted a small and exclusive selection of GFF sponsors including Goldensheaf batter mixes and more recently T Quality foodservice.

- Participating GFF 2023 businesses benefited from:

- Subsidised Coeliac UK training for staff and an online industry GF Foodservice skills and processes workshop

- Inclusion in the campaign social media marketing and advertising plan.

- Consumer market research and prize draw, GF cookery demonstrations and a consumer focus group.

- Free GF sample products and tee shirts.

Participating business had to agree to a ‘contract’, i.e, conditions of participation, including training at least 50% of their staff using the Coeliac UK online module and putting on a special GF menu item or menu for the duration of the promotion. Having returned from London empty handed, we are busy preparing for the next Gluten Free Fortnight which will run from 14-29 October and for then increasing it to two slots next year in the Spring and Autumn of 2024.

The application process for a Catey is 4000 words plus supporting documents, and there’s no free tickets for the finals unlike the lucky finalists for The Fish & Chip Awards who get two free tickets, so it’s a big undertaking in terms of time and money.

Will we have another crack at it? It’s on my bucket list, so yes I expect so, when the time is right!

In the meantime, we have our sights set on one or two more of the categories at The National Fish & Chip Awards, these are the awards that we have found have by far and away the best name recognition with the public and also our Gluten Free Fortnight in October 2023.

As the proud winner of the 2023 National Fish & Chip Field to Frier Award, I have been asked to speak at the Isle of Ely Produce Day in September and if there’s appetite for it, I would be delighted to do a short talk on the benefits, undertakings and expected results of Gluten Free Fortnight. www.therealfoodcafe.com