ABSTRACT
The focus on local food and local food products in relation to rural tourism experiences has increasingly gained attention, and destinations as well as their various actors are to a wider extent recognising the economic benefits of stressing the local origins and qualities of culinary products (Murdoch et al. 2000; Woods and Deegan 2003; DuPuis and Goodman 2005; Mossberg and Svensson 2009). As a consequence of the enhanced competition between tourism destinations, combined with changes in the perception of food products and food production, some of the new ways of selling the rural through food-related experiences include farm stays, farmers’ markets, food events and festivals (Hall and Sharples 2003, 2008; Hall et al. 2009). Also, the use of local food networks has become an effective instrument for rural areas to mediate a sustainable culinary profile (Marsden et al. 2000; Venn et al. 2006).
