On Thursday 19th November I had the honour and the privilege of welcoming a selection of South Suffolk’s finest food and drink producers to the Houses of Parliament for an event celebrating our wonderful corner of the nation.
Among those who exhibited their wares were Jimmy’s Farm, Giffords Hall Vineyard, Hadleigh Maid, Suffolk Food Hall and Adnams Brewery & Distillery. I was also delighted to welcome representatives from Mid Suffolk and Ipswich Tourist Information Centres, whose stall promoting South Suffolk as a visitor destination proved hugely popular with attendees of the event.
The afternoon saw nearly 500 visitors to the event, drawn by the scent of cooking sausages and by the promise of delicious samples of the wares of all exhibitors. Among those who were able to attend were a number of MPs, all of whom were quick to express their admiration for the quality of the products on show.
A number of local councillors from the South Suffolk area were also in attendance, and I was pleased to welcome those from all political affiliations to the Palace of Westminster for the first time in my capacity as Member of Parliament.
I hope that this will be the first of many such events that I will arrange over my time as a Member of Parliament, and I am deeply grateful for the enthusiasm and hard work of all the exhibitors who made the South Suffolk Parliamentary Food Day such an incredible success.
