About Us

Natural Partnerships Community Interest Company (CIC) is a not-for-profit organisation, co-directed by Hilary Knight and Paula Seager, to manage a range of projects to support local farming and the food and drink industry. It aims to increase sales and support within the local market and to help build the profile of local food on a national level.

We manage Sussexfoodanddrink.org with exactly this intention in mind, supporting rural businesses in the region.

Paula Seager

Founder of Natural PR Ltd, a leading PR agency in the South East in terms of passion for local produce and managing campaigns and projects which boost the local market. Their work includes Business to Consumer as well as Business to Business campaigns. www.naturalpr.biz

Hilary Knight

Founder of the Sussex Food & Drink Network, an established network offering support to local producers, who has worked in the food sector her whole career. She set up and ran the food group, A Taste of Sussex, as part of the former Sussex Enterprise for almost 8 years and during this time came to recognise the need for networking amongst suppliers and buyers as well as between each other.

About Natural Partnerships

Natural Partnerships Community Interest Company (CIC) was formed in 2013 to benefit the local food and drink business community and the residents and visitors to Sussex seeking local food and drink, bringing together the complementary skills and experience of its two directors Hilary Knight and Paula Seager. 

It is the culmination of many years of work in the local food and drink sector in Sussex by the directors and a determination to raise awareness and promote local producers and the products which are grown, reared, caught and produced in Sussex, as well as those who sell and serve these products including visitor experiences. 

Natural Partnerships has extensive experience of delivering local food and drink projects and has the knowledge and skills to deliver on time and on budget. 

We are highly organised and work collaboratively as we find that the numerous and varied skills required by complex projects are matched by our joint experience and skills including PR and media relations. 

Through our projects we bring together the whole local food and farming community. We always work in partnership with others in the public, private and charity sectors and it is through these strong relationships that we are able to achieve great things.

If you would like to work with us, please do contact us via info@naturalpr.biz

Our Projects

Sussex Food & Drink web portal promoting businesses which make, serve and sell local food & drink 

Sussex Foodie News – consumer focused monthly newsletter with 12,000 subscribers interested in Sussex food & drink 

Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2005-2020 

Sussex Young Chef of the Year 2009-2020 

Good Food Growth South East 2019-2020 (SELEP) 

Taste West Sussex Producer Support Programme 2017-18 (WSCC) 

West Sussex Showcase – Houses of Parliament Nov 2018 (WSCC) 

Southdownsfood.org 2013 – ongoing (partnership with SDNPA and Southern Co-Op) 

Local Food Detective 2016 (Defra)