Notting Hill Carnival Strategic Review - Intelligent Space

meals and microwaveable snacks meant that many ethnic recipes were now widely considered
to be part of the mainstream diet. The report also cited growth in foreign travel, the UK’s
increasing ethnic diversity and increased media coverage of foreign cultures and their eating
habits as the main catalysts for the growing ethnic foods market.
4.58 The LDA study found that most people who attend the Carnival (72 per cent), expected to
spend money on snacks and food from the stalls. Similarly, 70 per cent of visitors purchased
either alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, with more money being spent on drink than any other
category. In relation to The Review Group felt that significantly more could be done to
ensure that the Notting Hill Carnival benefited from the high media profile and consumer
exposure that the event gives to the Caribbean food and drink industry. In many ways, food
and drink is seen as secondary to the main activities and attractions at Carnival - the
procession and the music. Nevertheless the stalls – there were over 300 in 2003 – make an
important contribution to the Carnival atmosphere and spirit, even though they are not
recognised as a distinct Carnival ‘arena’ in the same sense as the masquerade bands or sound
systems. The stallholders also represent the small business and enterprise element of the
Carnival and yet it is not clear to what extent their needs and views are being properly catered
for or addressed.
4.59 One of the most notable weaknesses of the Carnival has been its lack of strategic alliance
building with Caribbean trade bodies, exporters, businesses, high commissions and tourism
authorities. At best, relationships that have been developed have been ad hoc and
unsustainable. In the area of food and drink, the Review Group noted the existence of the
Caribbean Cuisine Consortium, which was founded in April 2003 and whose membership
included Caribbean restaurateurs, take-away proprietors, food and drink suppliers, caterers,
chefs, nutritionists and rum professionals. The Consortium is dedicated to promoting and
celebrating the pleasures, benefits and traditions of Caribbean food and drink, its stated
mission being to ‘encourage the growth and development of Caribbean cuisine in the UK’ 101 .
The Review Group was able to see immediate synergies between the work and vision of the
Consortium and the Carnival’s influence on Caribbean cuisine. There is no doubt that the size
of the Indian and Chinese food markets provides a clear indication of the potential growth
facing the Caribbean food and drink industry in the UK, if properly planned and executed.
The Notting Hill Carnival should be viewed as a major vehicle for assisting that growth.
Cultural Tourism 102 , Globalisation and Carnival’s International Context
4.60 “The spread of the West Indian Carnival began simultaneously with the migration of West
Indians, particularly Trinidadians, to Europe and North America. Not willing to lose their
identity in the clamber of 'big city' life, they formed cultural groups and societies that would,
among other things, organize yearly Carnival celebrations to keep the festive spirit alive
among them. Thus, the influence of Caribbean Carnival reached the world.” 103
4.61 The Notting Hill Carnival enjoys the status of a ‘World Carnival’ – it is the largest carnival in
Europe and second in the world only to the Rio Carnival in Brazil. In recognition of its ‘world
status’, London carnival bands have participated in three World Carnival Conferences in
101
http://www.caribbeanfoodemporium.com/cccaims.htm.
102
Cultural tourism has been defined as ‘travel directed toward experiencing the arts, heritage and special character of a place.’ (see
‘The impact of festivals on cultural tourism’, Razaj Raj – paper presented at the second DeHaan Tourism Management Conference:
‘Developing Cultural Tourism’, Nottingham, December 16, 2003)
103
“The Modern Carnival – Migration and Widening” - World Carnival Conference III (1999), Trinidad and Tobago
154