Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones aka, the Black Farmer, has launched a new initiative and range of limited edition sausages, to celebrate Windrush Heroes and inspire future generations.
To celebrate Windrush Day on 22 June, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones MBE, founder of The Black Farmer range of food products and based near Launceston on the Devon/Cornwall borders, launched a new campaign, ‘The Windrush Initiative’. The campaign aims to put diversity at the top of the food industry agenda.
Led by the brand’s namesake and founder Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones – a child of the Windrush Generation himself, the Black Farmer ‘Windrush Initiative’ will celebrate the huge contribution made by the many individuals who travelled from Caribbean countries to Britain in the post-war era.
The campaign aims to challenge the under-representation of black people/people of colour in senior roles within the food industry and inspire future generations, by bringing greater attention to the success stories of the many Windrush Heroes who have played an integral role in Britain’s success since the mid 20th century. The Windrush Initiative is supported by a national advertising campaign, along with a limited-edition range of celebratory sweet chilli sausages.
Wilfred, who was awarded an MBE in 2020 for services to farming comments: “As Britain’s only black farmer, I have witnessed first-hand the woeful lack of ethnic diversity in the food and FMCG industry. I have been dealing with the major retailers for years and without exception, their HQ management teams are almost exclusively white. That needs to change, as it is at odds with their customer base and shop floor staff who are hugely diverse.”
“My mission is to use my own success to champion greater diversity and representation within the sector, through initiatives such as our Black History Month campaign and our Windrush Celebration. As a child of the Windrush generation, I feel it is really important to celebrate Windrush Day to not only reflect on the achievements and contributions made by that generation for the greater good of Britain but to help inspire future generations on what can be achieved.”
All the major supermarket retailers have stepped up to support The Black Farmer Windrush Campaign by stocking the special pack of pork and chicken sausages, which features a picture of Wilfred as a five-year old boy not long after he arrived in the UK from Jamaica.
To find out more about The Black Farmer Windrush Initiative and the inspirational stories of many of Britain’s Windrush Heroes visit theblackfarmer.com/windrush-celebration/