The National Trust Moves Into Food and Drink

SWINDON, England -

SWINDON, England, October 5 /PRNewswire/ –

The National Trust today announced the launch of a range of branded food and drink products. Starting with potatoes and beer, the range - which will include breads, biscuits, meat products and prepared foods - will go on sale in a phased launch from October 2009.

The products take their inspiration from the National Trust itself - both from the Trust’s own produce and from traditional recipes in the Trust’s extensive archive. This launch is a natural extension of the organisation’s work in championing the very best of Britain’s foods.

National Trust Pembrokeshire Potatoes will go into supermarkets in early October. The potatoes are grown on 420 acres of National Trust coastland at Trehill Farm, Pembrokeshire, which is managed for the Trust by tenant farmers Peter and Gina Smithies. Trehill has won numerous awards for high standards of environmental stewardship as well as the superior quality and taste of its potatoes.

Viceroy India Pale Ale, which is brewed by the Westerham Brewery in Kent, uses hops from Scotney Castle, the Trust’s last remaining hop garden. Viceroy is a delicious, golden, nutty and hoppy ale which was inspired by Lord Curzon, 1st Marquis of Kedleston, a generous donor to the National Trust.

The National Trust Stoneground Wholemeal loaf is made to a recipe from Lady Hilaria Gibbs, whose father gave Cotehele Tudor House in Cornwall to the Trust. This loaf uses dark brown sugar and molasses to give a rich, soft crumb to the bread, which is dusted with stoneground flour.

Baked to an old British recipe, The National Trust Milk Loaf is a sweet, fresh tasting bread, which uses strong white bread flour and butter to give a strong crumb and rich taste.

National Trust Barm Bread, the traditional wheaten bread of England, is made with beer produced from hops grown in the Scotney Castle hop garden in Kent, owned by the Trust.

The National Trust is one of the UK’s largest owners of farmland with 500,000 acres of food-producing land and over 1,500 tenant farmers. It is supported by over 3.6 million members and 52,000 volunteers.

Source: The National Trust

Contact: For information, contact Jessica Gulliveror Julia Walker at Midas PR, +44(0)20-7361-7860, jessica.gulliver at midaspr.co.uk or julia.walker at midaspr.co.uk.