FOOD businesses have formed a new group which will aim to improve York’s Newgate Market.

The Food Crew, which started on social networking site Twitter, has had its first meeting, with more than 20 food businesses from Yorkshire.

Sadie Hopkins, owner of York Coffee Emporium, set up the group after asking her Twitter followers for advice on a good networking group.

They discussed setting their own food group up and within a couple of hours, she was inundated with messages asking when the first meeting would be, she said.

The group agreed in its first meeting that one of its priorities would be to support Yorkshire Truly, a block of up to eight local producers who trade from Newgate Market every Friday and Saturday, to transform the image of Newgate Market and increase footfall.

Sadie said: “The fact that Michael Hjort does so well with the York Food Festival shows people do want the markets. The continental markets are always really busy. So why is our market that’s there every day like it is?

“Everybody here makes artisan products and should be down there selling things to local people. That has to be one of the overriding projects and we will look at supporting Yorkshire Truly in that.”

But Sadie said she wanted the group to have a wider remit than just the market, with high demand for a free membership group for very small producers.

She said: “It’s more than just about the market, and more than getting together to have a drink.

“It’s about making local products that people can buy easily, and coming to the market is easy. It’s about producing overall better products and making people think more about what they can buy.

“We want to find out what the consumer wants. We can’t forget everyone here is in business to make money so whatever we do as a food networking group, that has got to be our ultimate goal.”

• The Food Crew can be followed using #foodcrew on Twitter.