The food sector around The Humber employs around 48,000 people of whom more than 20,000 are in food processing jobs. Much activity concentrates on fish, because of the Humber estuary, including processing, wholesaling and retailing, and with significant manufacture of crude and refined oils and fats the area accounts for nearly half of the region's employment in growing cereals and other crops.

In North Yorkshire approximately 43,000 people work in the food sector (70% of the sub region's total) with a quarter of those processing meat and poultry. 3,000 people in York are involved in the manufacture of chocolate and cocoa.

Employment rises to over 200,000 when the sector is expanded to include wholesale, retail, agriculture and manufacturing, and food, drink and tobacco companies account for 17.7% of the region's manufacturing employment (Annual business enquiry 2003).

Skills and training courses aimed at these industries are available and the region offers a workforce skilled at all levels, from production operators and unskilled operatives to senior level management.

Across the region, the food and drink industry employs:

South Yorkshire

• 37,000 people are employed in the food sector. Over one third are in baking and 10% in the manufacture of biscuits and rusks.
• Ethnic foods account for approximately 1,000 jobs and is an area of rapid growth.
• Food wholesaling employs 5,000 people - 12% of the sub region's employment - and more than 50% are in retail.

West Yorkshire

• The food sector in this sub-region employs about 65,000 people, approximately one third of the regional total. Vegetable growing and agricultural services account for 75% of agricultural employment in the sub region.
• Bread production, the largest in the food sector, employs more than 3,000 people - mostly in Leeds and Wakefield. Biscuits and rusks account for another 2,000 people.
• Fifty per cent of the region's beer production is based mostly in Leeds and this sub region has 90% of the region's mineral water and soft drinks employment.
• More than 1,000 people are employed in the chocolate and cocoa industry.

North Yorkshire

• Approximately 43,000 people are employed in the food sector in North Yorkshire (70% of the sub region's total) with 25% of its processing in meat and poultry.
• 3,000 people are employed in the manufacture of chocolate and cocoa - mostly in York - with fruit and vegetable wholesaling employing another 1,000.

The Humber

• There is a concentration of activity based on fish, because of location - processing, wholesaling and retailing of fish, and the Humber sub-region employs around 48,000 people in the food sector, which is dominated by food processing - accounting for more than 20,000 jobs.
• Yorkshire and Humber universities supply 5% of all food science graduates in England.