The Swan Valley promotes itself as a premium food and wine tourism destination boasting a number of the state’s iconic wineries and countless award winning restaurants. Some 63% of the region’s two million visitors see eating out as the key reason for visiting the region with nearly all indicating they were highly satisfied with their experience and would recommend the region to friends.

In 2014, the Swan Valley was crowned Australia’s first Humane Food Region in an initiative created by RSPCA WA, part of the national Choose Wisely program. The Choose Wisely program encourages both consumers and food related businesses (restaurants/cafés) to shop for and use cage-free eggs, free-range chicken and free-range pork.

This opportunity presents a unique point of difference for the region against its competitors and a chance to profile the quality and range of dining experiences in the Swan Valley.

The Swan Valley is well positioned to capitalise on the growing consumer sentiment surrounding the welfare of animals and the increasing interest in buying local produce for both health and environmental reasons.

The City of Swan feels that the Humane Food message will be a strong and powerful differentiator in an overcrowded market and is on point as the region get sets to embark on a rebrand. The City of Swan will therefore be investing significant marketing resources to bring this to the attention of our potential customers and is keen for your business to get involved.

Please feel free to contact me directly about this program.

Kind regards,

Sascha Stone

Tourism Marketing Officer Marketing & PR

PO Box 196, Midland WA 6936T: (08) 9267 9356 M: 0419 295 101E: sascha.stone@swan.wa.gov.au

The Swan Valley is putting Humane Food on the menu

By joining this Swan Valley initiative you are telling your customers that you care about the welfare of animals farmed for food and the quality of the product that you serve.

Your business will be highlighted in the Swan Valley Food & Wine Trail Map and Guide publication, 140,000 copies printed and distributed globally.

Your business will be highlighted on the Swan Valley website visited by over 300,000 people annually.

Your business will be promoted on the Swan Valley facebook page to over 28,000 followers.

Your business will receive window stickers to indicate to customers your participation in the program.

Your business will have access to and be encouraged to use the program’s specific branding elements in your business marketing such as menus and websites.

Your business will be nationally recognised on the RSPCA’s Choose Wisely website.

Your business will be profiled to visiting media.

Your business will be part of an extensive ongoing marketing campaign.

Humane Food. The benefits of joining.

By joining this Swan Valley initiative you are telling your customers that you care about the welfare of farm animals.

In line with the recent re-launch of the RSPCA’s Choose Wisely national program, we have chosen to follow their lead and simplify our criteria for participation.

Entry level to the Swan Valley program is available to any business that uses cage-free eggs and/or higher welfare chicken and/or free range or bred free range pork in some or all food sold. We accept that offering this product to function guests may not always be possible but we expect that all businesses in the program will exclusively use it in their à la carte menu.

Your businesses will be listed on the Choose Wisely web site as ‘we’re on the way’.

The RSPCA’s ultimate goal though is to encourage businesses to use cage-free eggs, higher welfare chicken AND free range or bred free range pork in ALL food sold – this means that businesses will be listed as ‘we’re humane food all the way’ on the Choose Wisely website.

Play your part and register today!

Join us. It’s easy!

‘we’re humane food all the way’

Humane Food Registration Form

Primary Contact

Name:

Role/Title:

Mobile Phone:

Telephone:

Email:

Egg and Hen Calculator

Each hen lays approximately 6 eggs per week. To help you estimate how many hens you can help live cage-free, use the calculation below:

Number of whole eggs used per week

÷ 6 = the number of hens you can help live cage-free.

(This information is also used for the cage-free egg counter on the Choose Wisely website)

Business Details

Business Name:

Street Address:

Postal Address:

Telephone:

Website:

Email:

Business Type: Café Restaurant

Number of public entrances to your business: (So we know how many stickers you require)

Humane Food Registration Form

Program Commitment

Are you currently using cage-free eggs in all items made on the premises? Yes NoExceptions are permissible where products are made elsewhere i.e. sauces however we would like businesses to ultimately source alternatives.

Are you currently using a cage-free egg brand/supplier? Yes No

If yes, please specify brand or supplier If no, when will you start using cage-free eggs? DD/MM/YYYY

Commitment to Choose Wisely

I agree to participate in the Swan Valley Humane Food Region initiative by using the products as outlined above.

Signed: Date:

Please return the completed form to the City of Swan.

Post: Sascha Stone, City of Swan Fax: 9267 9199 PO Box 196, Midland WA 6936

For further information contact Sascha Stone on 9267 9356 or email sascha.stone@swan.wa.gov.au

Are you currently using higher welfare chicken in all items made on the premises? Yes NoExceptions are permissible where products that are made elsewhere and contain chicken from conventional systems are used, although we would encourage businesses to source an alternative.

Are you currently using a higher welfare chicken brand/supplier? Yes No

If yes, please specify brand or supplier If no, when will you start using higher welfare chicken? DD/MM/YYYY

Are you currently using free-range or bred free-range pork in all items made on the premises? Yes NoExceptions are permissible where products are made elsewhere and contain pork from conventional systems are used, we would however encourage businesses to source an alternative.

Are you currently using a free-range or bred free-range pork brand/supplier? Yes No

If yes, please specify brand or supplier If no, when will you start using free-range or bred free-range pork? DD/MM/YYYY