Rob Pope was in the region as he takes on a new challenge, The Taste Trail, this September.
Ayrshire this week welcomed the UK’s ‘real-life ‘Forrest Gump.’
For British ultra-marathon runner, Rob Pope, was in the region as he takes on a new challenge, The Taste Trail, this September.
The challenge has been set by Nestlé, and will see Rob travel more than 500 miles on foot to follow the story of food from farm to fork in Britain today.
It comes as new research, commissioned by Nestlé UK & Ireland, highlights how removed many of those in Scotland feel from the people and places behind their food.
Around a third (35%) say they feel more disconnected from their food than ever, with the most common reasons including buying most food from supermarkets and rarely thinking about where it comes from (53%), and food being available all year round, making people think less about seasonality or origin (38%).
On 2nd September, his challenge started in Ayrshire.
Rob passed through and stopped by Nestlé’s Girvan factory before continuing on his journey to Brighton on his coast-to-coast challenge.
The whole route sees Rob follow the farm, factory and community story as he passes through York, the Midlands and Crawley before ending up on the south coast.
Along the way, Rob will discover how familiar ingredients are grown, produced and made, while encouraging people to slow down and reconnect with what they eat.
Rob Pope’s challenge forms part of Nestlé’s ‘Made by Britain’ campaign, which showcases Nestlé’s commitment to UK manufacturing, farming and local communities.
That commitment is rooted in more than 160 years of history in the UK, including where Rob’s journey begins in Ayrshire, where Nestlé’s Girvan site produces milk chocolate crumb, a key ingredient used in UK-made confectionery including KitKat, Aero and Quality Street.
The site is supplied with milk from farms through Nestlé’s Milk Plan and partnership with dairy cooperative, First Milk, and plays an important role in connecting dairy farming with the confectionery products made and enjoyed across Britain.
British endurance athlete, Rob Pope said: “As a runner, food was always fuel to me. And most people treat it the same way. We grab it, eat it and move on. We don’t always think about where it came from or who made it.
“Now I’m taking the long way back to it, slowing down to learn where my food is grown and produced right here in Britain.
“Today, I’m in Ayrshire to learn about how milk from British dairy farms is turned into milk chocolate crumb, a key ingredient in some of the UK’s favourite chocolate bars.
“Over 500 miles, coast to coast, my journey covers a dairy farm in Ayrshire, through chocolate city York, the distribution heartland in the Midlands, down to Brighton on the south coast, I will be properly reconnecting with where food comes from.
“I’ve spent my life trying to go faster. This time I’m doing the opposite – slowing right down to learn where my food is grown and produced right here in Britain.”
Dr Emma Keller, Head of Sustainability at Nestlé, said: “Most of us pick food up from a supermarket shelf without thinking too much about how it got there. But behind every product are the farmers, factory teams and local communities who make it possible. So much of the food we know and love are not just made in Britain but made by Britain.
“The Taste Trail is about following that farm to fork journey and meeting some of the people involved along the way. Rob is helping to shine a light on all the steps behind the food we eat, and just as importantly, how we make sure that any surplus food reaches those who need us most. We’re proud to be working with Felix, the UK’s largest food redistribution centre, to donate thousands of meals to those in need.”
Rob added: “I want to use my slowest trip yet to pay attention to where our food comes from.
“I’m excited to meet the people behind the ingredients which ends up in your morning coffee and your favourite chocolate bar.”
As part of the challenge, for every mile covered by Rob, Nestlé will donate more than 300 meal equivalents to Felix, the UK’s largest food redistribution charity.
An estimated total of more than 175,000 meals equivalents will be donated on completion of the challenge, helping more food reach people who need it most.
The public can donate too by visiting https://tinyurl.com/TheTasteTrail.
Rob’s journey will be shared in a series of mini-episodes, released throughout September on @nestleuki, following his visits to the farms, factories and communities that make up The Taste Trail.
Search ‘Nestlé The Taste Trail’ on YouTube to follow Rob’s journey.
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