News and Features

From Burnham to Baltonsborough and Clevedon to Creech St. Michael, Levels’ Best is an umbrella brand for quality food and drink produced on the Somerset levels and moors.

Without meaning to temper the excitement at the launch of this fabulous range in any way, an umbrella brand representing good quality food is not a new concept.  Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference and Tesco Finest ranges each offer over 1000 products that they claim are of the ‘highest quality’.  Market data shows that these brands are in good growth.  Customers buy the products because they know and trust the brand names and believe they represent quality. 

Advocates of local food often eschew the likes of Tesco et al, and in recent years the surge in public interest in farmers markets and farm shops has led the supermarkets to try and understand this trend and re-capture lost customers.  Most of them have introduced local selections and many have re-merchandised the fresh fruit and vegetable fixtures to create more of a ‘market-feel’ and heavily invested in their meat, deli and fish counters.

Levels’ Best turns the tables and improves on something the supermarkets do well – quality collective branding.

When you buy Levels' Best you can be assured that this branded food or drink has been produced by people who practice conservation land management, animal welfare, rear native breeds of livestock and where feasible plant traditional varieties of plants and seeds within the 260 square miles (114 parishes) of the Somerset Levels and Moors.

For example dairy products must be processed and packaged within the Somerset levels and moors and made from milk produced on a farm within the area.  All cows must be fully traceable and their food and bedding produced on the same farm where possible.

Duncan and Sally Palmer run Bower Hinton Farm shop, which they set up on the Palmer family farm in 2006.  Sally says, “Our regular and passing customers always want to know where the food comes from.  Did we grow it ourselves?  How far has it come? They also want to know how the animals are reared and to talk to us about environmental issues. The Levels’ Best brand will give people confidence and reassurance”.  

So far over 50 producers have met the criteria and been granted permission to use the Levels’ Best trademark.  We will be featuring some of them in detail over the next few months.

 www.levelsbest.co.uk has details of all the producers as well as pubs, restaurants and cafes using Levels’ Best produce.  Or visit The Level’s Best Market Place at Montacute House.