CHAMPIONING the best of Hampshire’s food, drink and craft producers will now take to the road thanks to a major grant.

Hampshire Fare have acquired a liveried van with the intention of launching the Hampshire Fare Roadshow after securing funding from the Loddon & Test LEADER Programme.

Due to this year’s pandemic and accompanying lockdown restrictions, the county’s events programme has suffered. However, this liveried van will ensure Hampshire Fare is transport-ready for events in 2021, as well as allowing the development of a new flexible Hampshire Fare Roadshow.

Hampshire Fare commercial manager Tracy Nash said: “It is fantastic that securing the liveried van and establishing the Roadshow coincides with Hampshire Fare’s 30th anniversary next year. Programme funding includes the provision of collateral such as pop-up gazebo and boards portraying some of our members’ stories. Altogether this will allow the development of a Hampshire Fare Roadshow going forwards, enabling us to do our best to promote all of our members’ fantastic produce and places to buy, eat and stay in the region. It will help us market Hampshire as a staycation experience.”

As the project is all about supporting the local economy and promoting local businesses, Hampshire Fare also bought locally the VW Caddy van was supplied by Breeze Volkswagen Van Centre Southampton and liveried by Extreme Signs Ltd in Totton.

Chairman Mike Wright added: “This is yet another example of how much we want to support our members and promote Hampshire’s great local products. We are a proactive membership organisation that always looks for a better way to do things.”