| Food and drink is the second largest manufacturing | | | | South London is the base for a number of innovative |
| sector in London. It is also the manufacturing sector | | | | businesses, such as Lambeth-based Today Was Fun, |
| which has performed the best in the capital over the | | | | a supplier of organic teas. The company, founded by |
| last five years. West London Business says that 10 | | | | Sharyn Wortman, increased its international sales |
| per cent of all London jobs are linked to the food | | | | approximately ten-fold between 2005 and the end of |
| and drink sector in some way. | | | | 2007 and won the Best Newcomer award in UK |
| According to a mapping study of the capital's food | | | | Trade & Investment's 2008 London Passport to |
| and drink production industry funded by the European | | | | Export Awards. |
| Union, there are 870 businesses in London's food and | | | | London Mayor Boris Johnson recently called on food |
| drink supply chain with a total estimated turnover of | | | | businesses in London to step up efforts to reduce |
| £3.3 billion. The same research also suggested that | | | | their carbon footprint. This followed the publication of |
| 94 per cent of the businesses in the sector are small | | | | a report commissioned by the Greater London |
| and medium-sized enterprises with a turnover of less | | | | Authority and the London Development Agency that |
| than £1 million each. | | | | found Londoners' eating habits to be responsible for |
| There are thousands of restaurants in the capital and | | | | more greenhouse gases each year than the entire |
| thousands of food and drink outlets. West London | | | | national output of Estonia. |
| Business estimates that eating out contributes £8 | | | | The sector is responding. The vast majority of |
| billion a year to London's economy. | | | | London's food and drink production companies service |
| Different parts of London are famous for different | | | | local retailers and food services. Only a small |
| kinds of food and drink. | | | | proportion supply national retailers. One 'green' food |
| West London has been a magnet for businesses in | | | | business is Lambeth-based Today Was Fun, whose |
| the food and drink sector for 80 years. According to | | | | green tea was the first carbon neutral tea. That's |
| West London Business, the local chamber of | | | | according to the CarbonNeutral Company, which |
| commerce, the sector employs 15,000 people in the | | | | carries out a simple calculation to establish how much |
| area. There are 140 businesses involved in the food | | | | carbon is produced in making and transporting the |
| industry on the Park Royal Industrial Estate alone, | | | | tea. The business neutralises its impact on the |
| employing 6,000 people. One of these is the recently | | | | environment by buying carbon credits to cover |
| opened Park Royal Food Innovation Centre, which | | | | emissions. |
| supports the development of London's small and | | | | Part of the aim of the Park Royal Food Innovation |
| medium-sized food and drink enterprises. | | | | Centre in West London is to promote sustainable |
| Sugar production has a long tradition in East London. | | | | local food and drink production. The centre, which |
| Today, Tate & Lyle, with its Silvertown works, is the | | | | opened in October 2009, acts as a hub for food |
| only cane sugar refiner in the UK. East London also | | | | processing companies in London, helping them to |
| has a strong brewing tradition. The Black Eagle | | | | achieve growth by providing a range of specialist |
| brewery at 91 Brick Lane produced beer until 1989, | | | | services which will encourage them to innovate in |
| the Albion brewery until 1959 and the Anchor | | | | terms of new products, processes, packaging, |
| Brewery in Mile End road until 1975. These days, East | | | | healthy eating and sustainability. |
| London is better known for its curry restaurants, | | | | Saving water is a big issue for London's food and |
| particularly along Brick Lane. | | | | drink businesses. According to the Food and Drink |
| North London is the chosen location for many small | | | | Federation (FDF), the UK food and drink industry |
| businesses active in food and drink processing. Enfield | | | | takes 430,000 cubic metres from the public water |
| provides the home for London's only flour mill, G. R. | | | | supply every day, accounting for approximately 10 |
| Wright & Sons, at Ponders End. North London | | | | per cent of all industrial use. It also takes about a |
| Business, the local chamber of commerce, helps small | | | | tenth of all water abstracted from rivers and other |
| and medium-sized enterprises in the area to network, | | | | water courses. This amounts to another 260,000 |
| meet new contacts and do business with each other | | | | cubic metres a day. |
| through North London Food Linx. | | | | |
