In this week's episode of The Grocery Insider, in association with HRA Global, we speak to John Farrand from The Guild of Fine Food.

Introduction to John Farrand

• How did you get started working in food and drink?
• A quick summary of the Guild of Fine Food
• Education and training
• Academy of Cheese
• Trade Events, Fine Foods North in March in Harrogate - 12-13,000 businesses
• Food Awards - Great Taste started in 1994 250 entries, now just under 1300 entries.
• World Cheese Awards
• Integration with regional trade awards?

Protecting food heritage and interacting with retailers

• How does the Guild of Fine Foods bump into a wholesaler, high-end retailer, how would that work? How do they interact? Readers of the magazine?
• 40 years for a long time, are there any changes over the 40 years, seen of the travel in the market and trends?
• Organic - gone from boom to bust especially in cheese. Is organic a trend that is particularly susceptible to changes in economics and cycles of food fashion?
• Slow food - more fertile territory for the guild. bread or cheese, smoke, dice or prepare food to really hit the high notes in flavours really takes time. A lot of the supply chain concerned with minimising wastage, yield, maximising margin, tends to talk to instead of a short production process. Is slow produced food closer to the world you work in?
• Era from the 50s gently on the way out, foods back into their more natural state, would you agree?
• What science is telling us, less meat but go for quality over quantity? Vegan 2.0. interesting proteins coming out, better and more satisfying for us than soy from yesterday year. Gourmet vegan foods in the future for the guild?

Possible American trade deal and labelling

• American trade deal - may be muted -  from a fine food perspective to you welcome the ability to import from the states? Do you have the same concerns about differential standards that mainstream producers may have? 
• Turning to labelling, this is an area of a lot of interest do you guys get involved in provenance claims etc.

The Future of Fine Food

• 2020 any trends you think we will see or start, any predictions for the year?  (fermentable foods, coffee, very good ready-meals)
• What advice would you give a fresh faced graduate to do or not do as they start their careers?