Zoo takes palm oil campaign to Food Festival

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is taking its campaign against palm oil to the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink.

The Zoo is sponsoring the Exeter Chamber of Commerce networking lunch on Friday 25th April, which is part of the Festival. The lunch will include a talk from Paignton Zoo and the Proper Cornish Food Company on how the two organisations worked together to develop palm oil free Cornish pasties.

Palm oil is a widely-used ingredient found in many everyday foods and other products, but its production destroys habitat vital to species in South East Asia, including orang utans.

Paignton Zoo’s Jenny Paton said: “Palm oil cultivation is killing some of the most amazing species on the planet. We can – we must – do without palm oil. Proper Cornish have shown it’s possible.”

Derek Phillips, vice president of Exeter Chamber and chairman of the Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, said “This is the first time we have offered a combined Chamber / Exeter Food Festival event. We are looking forward to hearing from Paignton Zoo and the Proper Cornish Food Company about their important joint initiative.

“Members booking the lunch can take advantage of Stagecoach’s generous offer to transport them from the City’s business parks to the event venue, Exeter Castle, in their vintage red Routemaster London bus.”

A ticket to the lunch also includes entry to the Food Festival for the rest of the day to enjoy the top chef demos and to taste some of the fantastic food and drink produced in the South West.

Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink runs from 25th to 27th April at Exeter Castle and Northernhay Gardens. For more information go to: www.exeterchamber.co.uk or www.exeterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk.

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is a registered charity. For more information go to www.paigntonzoo.org.uk or ring 0844 474 2222.