A little taste of the county for visitors
Travel agents across the country are being encouraged to sell "food trail" trips around Lincolnshire to holidaymakers.
The trails take visitors across the county over five days visiting different food businesses.
The brochures give a list of recommended places to visit to get not only a taste, but an insight into how Lincolnshire's finest dishes are created.
The trails have been identified by Visit Lincolnshire, the county's tourism service, and Tastes Of Lincolnshire, a county council project set up to promote local food and drink.
Visits by groups of holidaymakers currently bring £6.5m to Lincolnshire's economy, but Visit Lincolnshire hope to boost that figure.
Among the destinations included in the trails are the award winning Odling Brothers butchers near Lincoln, cheese producers Cote Hill Farm, of Market Rasen, Batemans Brewery, near Skegness, and Alford Windmill tea room.
Alan Odling, a director at the Navenby butchers, said he joined the campaign with an open mind hoping to raise the profile of their business and attract more customers.
He said: "We thought we would just give it a go as we have good produce that we are proud of and hopefully we will get some new customers."
The marketing campaign follows research conducted in 2008, which showed more people associated Lincolnshire with its famous sausage above anything else.
Penny Baker, chief executive for Visit Lincolnshire, said serving local food and drink was central to delivering a quality visitor experience.
She said: "Food is a major part of any holiday and delicious, locally sourced food really can contribute to the reputation of a destination."
The trails were launched at a travel trade event at Alexandra Palace in London on January 16.
Since then, travel agents say they have seen a marked increase in the number of people considering Lincoln as a holiday destination.
Patrick Hunt, who owns The Olde Barn Hotel in Marston, near Grantham, attended the event in London alongside the Visit Lincolnshire team.
He said his business had received a lot of interest following the event, confirming bookings for 360 nights.
He said: "Lincolnshire is one of the top destinations for group organisers. I'm supporting the event to spread the word."
After the success of the campaign, Visit Lincolnshire intends to update its website to make the suggested food trails available to the public.
Lincolnshire produces 20 per cent of all the food consumed in Britain.
Taste of Lincolnshire holds annual awards to help businesses boost their reputation.
Comment on this story