Clare Gerbrands Consultancy

Clare Gerbrands is a nationally recognised expert in local and ethical sourcing, direct marketing, ethical retail and social enterprise. Clare has an excellent track record of setting up and running award-winning farmers markets and local food projects and is a regular speaker at national events.

Projects include;

• guest lecturer in further education colleges and universities
• consultant to new and established community organisations
• sourcing local food for multiple retailers
• setting up new social enterprises
• working with the community
• working with the media
• sourcing and branding re-usable fairly traded shoppers for multiples
• talks, workshops and seminars

Over the years Clare has shared a platform with eminent speakers including Michael Meacher MP; Dame Fiona Reynolds DBE, Director-General of the National Trust; Suzie Smith, Editor of Country Living Magazine, Nina Plank of New York Farmers' Markets and Tracy Worcester of ISEC, amongst others.

A regular contributor at the FARMA Annual Conference, Clare writes a weekly "Market Matters" column for the local newspaper, Stroud Life and has written a monthly column for the Weekend Magazine.

Market make-overs

Clare Gerbrands is a qualified "Welcome Farmer" trainer and has vast experience of working with market managers and producers to improve foot-fall and sales.

In 2001, Clare devised and wrote the first "Farmers' Market Manager's Handbook". Funded by The Countryside Agency, Gloucestershire County Council and The South West Regional Development Agency. The handbook was the first of its kind written and published in the UK. Copies were ordered by local authorities and community groups in England, Wales, and even Finland. The handbook provided the basis for many further publications and toolkits published around the UK.

Clare was a founder member and director of the National Association of Farmers Markets (NAFM) and was involved in helping to formulate the criteria for stallholders selling at farmers markets in the UK from 2000 to 2003.

Past events include;

Organising and facilitating the following;

• Year long series of seminars for Gloucestershire farmers covering all aspects of direct selling for Gloucestershire Food Links.
• Series of Welcome Farmer courses with Hartpury College, helping farmers and producers make the most of direct sales.
• Stall make-over workshops for farmers at The Royal Agricultural College
• Sourcing farmers and growers t sell through the "local Harvest" scheme in South West Co-op supermarkets
• Sourcing fair-trade re-usable shopping bags for the co-op - the first supermarket in the UK to use fairly traded bags

Appearing as guest a speaker at;

• The launch of the Cotswolds AONB
• NAFM annual conferences
• FARMA annual conferences
• Kent Farmers Markets Association Conference keynote speaker covering "Marketing", " Working with the Media" and "Organising Special Events"
• Facilitating "Working Together to Sell More" stallholders workshop and seminar at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester

Clare was invited to be a judge for the Stroud Life Business Awards in 2009 and 2010 and hosted the Business Award Dinner with the editor Jason Chare in 2010.

Clare was a founder director of the National Association of Farmers Markets and jointly set up Gloucestershire Food Links, The Made in Stroud Shop and Made in Gloucestershire.

Clare's workshops and talks are always met with enthusiasm and guaranteed to start a discussion amongst delegates.

Call Clare on 07946 473359 or e-mail clarestroud@live.co.uk