Food

Tesco is to help prevent a potential lemon shortage by putting a greener version of the fruit on its supermarket shelves.

Despite the skin being slightly green the fruit is still as crisp and zesty as you'd find as when they completely turn yellow.

But now Tesco has lifted the colour quality specifications for lemons in a move that will also help offset food waste in the home by adding up to an extra two days shelf life to the fruit as it turns yellow.

The shortage has been caused by significantly reduced end of season volume in Spain, from where the UK gets the bulk of its lemons until the end of spring, which has reduced availability to UK retailers.

Traditionally in late June the South African lemon season starts which then takes over as the UK's main supply source.

But Tesco will now take the greener South African lemons earlier than usual to keep supplies going.

Tesco citrus fruit buyer Savia Weidinger explains:

“These greener lemons that we now have on sale are already mature and perfect tasting inside but need longer for the skin to turn yellow.   

“With the South African crop that happens towards the end of June as evenings cool which helps the fruit to colour up.

“The move not only means that shoppers will again be easily able to buy a fruit that is growing in popularity but they will gain extra freshness.”

The move should be popular with customers as lemons have jumped in popularity by nearly 10 per cent in the last year with more people using them in recipes and juicing.

Tesco has committed to making sure no good food goes to waste and works with farmers and suppliers to adjust crop specifications.

The greener lemons will be available in 800 tesco stores across the UK.

Alzheimer’s Society’s first ever Cupcake Day pop up experience has been embarking on a mini tour of the UK ahead of Cupcake Day on Thursday 14 June. Starting its journey in Newcastle, it visited Birmingham on Thursday 7th June.

The pop up was situated in Birmingham city centre on Edgbaston Street between the Bullring and Markets. Alzheimer’s Society staff were distributing free Cupcakes to the public and talking to them about dementia. Hundreds of Cupcakes were handed out to people who were encouraged to get involved in Cupcake Day and join the fight against dementia.

Anne-Marie Heeney from Birmingham said: “It’s so great to see something like this where it’s so visual and can start a conversation about dementia. I think that conversations about dementia don’t have to be depressing.”

People were able to enjoy free hand-finished cupcakes, supplied by The Cake Crew, get creative at a special ‘Glam Your Cupcake’ station and speak with Dementia Advisers about any concerns they might have.

Carol Bowsher, Dementia Adviser for Alzheimer’s Society was in attendance. She said: “I spoke with a woman who was worried about her mother. She wasn’t sure about what sort of symptoms she should be looking for and we discussed that perhaps a general health check could be beneficial.”

Alzheimer’s Society’s Cupcake Day raises funds to support people affected by dementia. Recently, Alzheimer’s Society joined forces with Alzheimer’s Research UK and the Government to fund the UK’s first ever Dementia Research Institute.

Emma Dowler, Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society said: “We have had a fantastic time handing out Cupcakes to the public to celebrate the oncoming Cupcake Day. It’s great to see Birmingham uniting against dementia.”

In the UK, there are 850,000 people living with dementia and more than 10,000 people live with the condition in Birmingham and Solihull. It is estimated that dementia costs the UK economy over £26 billion per year. Dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes.. Each cupcake will help Alzheimer’s Society find a cure, improve care and offer help and understanding for people affected.

Simon Tregunna, visiting Birmingham from Cornwall, stopped to talk at the Cupcake Day experience. He said: “This Cupcake Day experience is a good idea and raises awareness. My mother-in-law has become more forgetful recently and we are worried about her memory. Where I’m from, it’s bit of a wait to see a GP, it’s sketchy.”

Alzheimer’s Society is urging everyone to unite against dementia with their families, friends and colleagues, by baking or buying cupcakes to raise vital funds. People can celebrate Cupcake Day on 14 June or mark the occasion another time in the month. Alzheimer’s Society welcomes everyone in uniting against dementia by signing up for Cupcake Day at www.cupcakeday.org.uk

Hot on the heels of introducing its biggest ever range of meat-free foods in October 2017, Waitrose is set to expand its selection of vegan and vegetarian food. The supermarket will increase its total vegan and vegetarian assortment by 60%.

Among the 50 new products are two exclusive brands, The Happy Pear – created by renowned plant-based and whole food chef duo David and Stephen Flynn, and The Vegetarian Butcher - a Dutch company specialising in meat substitutes, made using plant-based proteins.

Kantar UK Insights predict 2018 to be the year Brits go vegan, also noting it is the year that plant-based diets go mainstream. Waitrose is seeing this reflected in its sales of vegetarian food, up 34% against the same time last year.

In a supermarket first, the retailer will have a dedicated vegan section, which will be signposted in its shops. In total, the range will feature 125 ingredients, ready meals and other meat-free products designed to make shopping easier for customers looking for vegetarian and vegan options.

Chloe Graves, Waitrose Chilled Vegetarian and Vegan Buyer says, “Our current selection of products has been selling really well week after week, with requests for more choice coming from our customers and Partners, so we could clearly see there was an appetite to have more vegetarian and vegan options in our shops.

“Increasing our range builds on the work we did last year to increase choice for our customers in this area. We are working with some fantastic exclusive brands to ensure our shoppers have a really unique selection of food to choose from.

“With flexitarianism also on the rise, we have made sure we have dishes and ingredients for those looking to opt for a meat-free meal, that was suitable for the whole family to enjoy.”

David and Stephen Flynn, The Happy Pear co-founders said: “We are chuffed to be entering the UK market with our products and really honoured to be working with Waitrose to expand its vegan range. Our great-tasting, vegan products are all made from natural ingredients and are great for all lifestyles and those wanting to eat more veg.

“We have been working with Waitrose since 2016, creating vegan recipe videos and on customer events, and this is a great, growing partnership, which supports our mission to help people live healthier and happier lives.”

The range, which launches in Waitrose from Monday 4th June, will see an increase of products available in all shops, with 134 branches with a vegan bay.

Philippine Airlines today launched the Filipino Food Festival in London, a culinary celebration running throughout June with over 20 restaurants, supperclubs, pop-ups, food stalls and chefs taking part across the capital.

A rich tapestry of Indian, Malay, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Pacific Islander and American influences, Filipino cuisine has been heralded as “the original fusion cuisine” by VOGUE and the next big food trend by top chef Anthony Bourdain.

Offers include an exclusive tasting menu with free-flowing prosecco cocktails at Romulo Café, High St. Kensington, an island-inspired tasting experience at MBER in The City and bespoke cocktails at select venues from official drinks partner Don Papa - a premium aged, small batch rum from the Philippines. For the chance to win return flights to The Philippines, diners simply need to upload a snap of their meals via Instagram using the hashtag #FilipinoFoodFestival.

Philippine Airlines are offering special fares to coincide with the festival, with return flights to Manila starting from £523 with all taxes included. As the nation's first and only four-star airline as rated by Skytrax, the carrier aims to reach five-star status by 2020. This programme includes an array of improvements and innovations to all onboard food and beverages.

Philippine Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo said “One of the most exciting aspects of cultural diplomacy is culinary diplomacy. By offering the distinctive flavours and colours of the Filipino cuisine, we hope to entice participants to this festival to discover more of the Philippines, preferably by spending a holiday on one of our islands.”

Philippine Airlines Country Manager David Cochrane said “Much like the rich cultural diversity of Filipino food, PAL brings together East and West with our daily non-stop flights between London and Manila. As official airline of The Filipino Food Festival, we are proud to present the flavours of the Philippines both in the air and on the ground.”London's First Filipino Food Festival runs from 5th-30th June.

Ostrich eggs arrive in selected Waitrose branches.

Giant British ostrich eggs are making their annual appearance exclusively at selected Waitrose branches this week - perfect timing if you're preparing a big breakfast or brunch this weekend.

Weighing in at a mighty 2 kg (4.4lbs), one ostrich egg is equivalent to 24 large hen eggs. It takes 50 minutes to perfectly boil an ostrich egg, which makes a wonderful centrepiece with toast or asparagus soldiers.

The ostrich eggs are laid seasonally on a farm in Lincolnshire and the birds are precise in the manner in which they lay them. The dominant female will lay around 7-10 eggs in the centre of the nest and the other females place their eggs to the outside. Both the female and male birds take turns to incubate the eggs, which can take up to 42 days.

Ostrich eggs are part of Waitrose's range of speciality eggs - the largest selection available at a UK supermarket - which includes delicate Quails eggs, Braddock Whites duck eggs and Old Cotswold Legbars hen eggs.

Jay Ledwich, egg buyer at Waitrose said, “Our customers love to eggs-periment with different ingredients. Although traditional hen's eggs are a shopping list staple, our range of speciality eggs make a lovely treat. Our ostrich or ducks eggs are perfect for a big birthday breakfast or weekend brunch.”

Last month the supermarket introduced Cornish Blue Duck Eggs, from wild mallard ducks on a Cornish farm, which are available until mid-June, priced at £2.75 (6 eggs). Also in the range are turkey eggs, which are available until mid-August, priced at £2.99 (2 eggs).

Waitrose boasts the largest selection of speciality eggs on supermarket shelves. Quail's eggs are available all year and the rarer eggs are available in selected branches for a few months at a time. The Clarence Court Ostrich egg is £19.99 and The Clarence Court Goose Egg is £6.99 each.

Brits admit that they are too reserved and embarrassed to ‘slurp’ ramen, the traditional way to enjoy the popular Japanese broth dish, in new research released by The City Kitchen.

More than two thirds (67%) of GB adults stated that they would not slurp ramen noodles in the traditional way even after being made aware of the benefits. Nearly half of all respondents (48%) admitted one of the reasons they’d be less likely to slurp their ramen is because they would be too embarrassed, and more than a third (39%) thought that it would be an unusual thing to do in the UK.

Slurping ramen is thought to be the best way to enjoy ramen as it aerates the noodles, helping the flavours of the ramen fully develop in the mouth and also improves the taste of the broth. By eating quickly in this way, the meal can also be enjoyed while it is hot.

The new YouGov research with more than 2,000 GB adults was commissioned by chilled ready meal range The City Kitchen to mark the launch of its new Chicken Miso Ramen and a campaign to encourage Brits to slurp their ramen.

A The City Kitchen spokesperson said: “It might be a little messy and loud but slurping ramen really is the best way to appreciate all the flavours of this amazing dish. We encourage anyone to give slurping a try!”

Nearly half of the research respondents (44%) would be put off slurping by the ‘unpleasant sound’, and nearly the same amount (42%) thought it would be too messy. Peer pressure helps, as more than a third (43%) admitted they would slurp if the people they were eating with were also slurping.

The research also revealed:

• Over two thirds (71%) did not know that ramen is traditionally slurped.
• More than three quarters (86%) of full time students were aware of ramen, while only 15% of retirees had heard of the noodle broth.
• While those aged 18 – 24 (79%) were the most likely to know about ramen, they were also among the least likely to slurp ramen in public (such as at a restaurant), with just 16% stating they would be likely to give slurping in public a go.

The new City Kitchen Chicken Ramen Bowl is based on a traditional Japanese recipe of Hokkaido Miso Broth and features Udon noodles and Choi sum. To help encourage ramen fans to slurp their noodles, The City Kitchen has launched a new competition in partnership with popular YouTuber, xAmeliax (Amelia Goodhead), to win a £600 Secret Escapes voucher. To be in with a chance of winning, entrants are being asked to submit a video of themselves slurping ramen.

The City Kitchen is a travel-inspired chilled ready meal range available exclusively in Tesco. In addition to the Chicken Miso Ramen, a Vegetable Gyoza & Shiitake Broth, Sweet and Sour Passion Fruit Chicken, Thai Chilli Sticky Pork, Brazilian Coconut Chicken and a vegetarian Paneer Butter Masala have also been added to the range.

Lucy Verity, culinary development chef at The City Kitchen commented: “We take inspiration from cuisines around the world to create our dishes and our new meals are no exception. As one of Japan’s most popular dishes, we are really proud to bring our take on ramen to UK foodies.”

Food-on-the-go retailer Greggs surprised unsuspecting gourmets by serving up lunch under the guise of an artisan delicatessen at a top London food festival.

The high street brand went undercover to showcase its new summer lunch offering to foodies but with a twist. The menu includes a feta and beetroot dip salad with a roast vegetable grain, an oriental chicken sticky rice salad and their first ever vegan addition – a Mexican bean wrap.

A covert video released today shows food fans praising tapas-style dishes served from a hipster deli called ‘Gregory and Gregory.’ The viral video captures their stunned reactions as told they’re actually eating from Greggs.

The brand installed the pop-up ‘undercover Greggs’ at Foodies Festival - a three-day event attended amongst some of the biggest names in the business including Michelin-starred chefs from the UK’s top gourmet restaurants and TV chefs.

The high street brand wanted to trial its new menu on some of Britain’s most discerning palates so they booked a pitch amongst the street food and artisan producers in the market area of the festival site that would convincingly blend in with the upmarket array of stalls.

The food which was freshly prepared by Greggs included salads, pasta, rice dishes and vegan wraps.

When told he was in fact eating Greggs, one surprised festivalgoer said: “You wouldn’t normally find me in a Greggs but I think what they’ve done with these new salads is brilliant. I’ll certainly be popping in there for lunch in future.”

Another customer said: “Greggs – you think of pasties, don’t you, and sausage rolls. I genuinely found this range of salads and wraps surprisingly good!”

Malcolm Copland, commercial director at Greggs said: “London is a global gourmet destination from its street food scene to the incredible array of critically acclaimed restaurants – so where better to try out our new lunchtime range. The reaction to the new menu has been fantastic and we’re now rolling it out across the UK.”

Celebrities who attended the festival included new Saturday Kitchen host Matt Tebutt, Michelin Starred Chefs Atul Kochhar, Josh Eggleton, Stephen Crane, Robert Potter and Brad Carter as well as top TV chef Glynn Purnell, MasterChef Winner 2017 Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed & healthy eating sensation Bettina Campolucci-Bordi.

The annual event held in Syon Park is the UK’s biggest food festival.

The Sunday roast is a well-known British tradition, however new research by one of the UK’s leading furniture and flooring specialists, ScS, reveals the much-loved roast is on the decline in the UK and sees the rise of other hearty dishes which are fast becoming people’s preferred plateful, as well as some unusual roast essentials.

While we might still view the weekly Sunday roast as a family favourite, the study found only 39% of people in the UK sit down to eat the traditional meal once a week, with 17% stating they only eat it once a month. The Sunday roast proved to be most popular with the older generation, with more than half (54%) of people aged 65+ (baby boomers) saying they still eat a roast dinner once a week, in comparison to only 29% of those aged 25 – 34 (millennials), and 35% of those aged 18 – 25 (generation z).

Amanda Gummer, Child Psychologist, and founder of Fundamentally Children, said: “As our lives are so busy these days it is hard to find time to spend together as a family. Meal times allow parents to connect with their children and are ideal for everyone’s emotional wellbeing. Previous research has shown that family meals may be linked with lower rates of depression, as well as higher exam grades and self-esteem.”

When it comes to the essential items of the Sunday lunch, as a nation we’re all agreed that the humble potato should take a leading role. But in terms of the choice of meat or meat alternatives, both chicken and beef came out on top, with 28% of people choosing one of these options as their favourite roast ‘essential’.

The other top items, as voted for by people in the UK, were:

·         Roast potatoes (80%)

·         Yorkshire pudding (64%)

·         Carrots (59%)

·         Meat gravy (54%)

·         Stuffing (45%)

·         Broccoli (41%)

Other, more unusual Sunday roast additions included kale, with one in 10 participants choosing this as an option for their roast dinner, and ketchup, with 7% of people in the South East of England, and 5% of people in Scotland admitting they add the sauce to their roast dinner.

For those who prefer an alternative to the traditional Sunday roast, shepherd’s pie came out as most popular, with 25% of people voting for this as their go-to roast alternative. This was closely followed by Indian food and cottage pie, with 23% voting for these options.

The popularity of the Sunday roast also differs between cities, with 63% of people in Sheffield most likely to eat a roast dinner once a week, to half of people (50%) in Edinburgh admitting they only eat a roast once a month or on special occasions. The popularity of each roast item varies by location too, with the most popular city for chicken being Norwich, with 42%, for lamb it was Manchester, with 33%, and for pork it was Glasgow, with 23%.

Vicki Burns, Communications Executive at ScS, said: “We know people value time spent together round the dinner table, with seven out of 10 UK parents telling us they wished they were able to have more family mealtimes. So it’s surprising to see that the roast is losing its tradition with families, and as a nation we seem to be enjoying the rise of some untraditional roast items, such as kale and ketchup.

“What’s even more interesting is that the Sunday roast was voted the most likely dish to bring the family together for a meal, so could it be that the much-needed return of the Sunday roast, and all those new alternatives, can bring us back together around the dinner table once more, whether it’s a new take on the old classic or a tasty vegetarian alternative.”

The Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) has partnered with the Expedia Group to offer even more value and further enhance the Year of Culinary Experiences 2018 with a special summer campaign, ‘Brilliant Barbados: Year of Culinary Experiences’. The campaign places a strong emphasis on Barbados’ rich food history and rum as they promote the destination as the culinary capital of the Caribbean.

The announcement of the new campaign was made during the Connect Barbados conference by William ‘Billy’ Griffith, CEO of the BTMI. “The Year of Culinary Experiences is off to a great start. We recently launched it in our top source market – the United Kingdom, with much fanfare, and it was well-received by all in attendance. Everyone is excited to come to Barbados and to see what all the fuss is about. We think that partnering with a giant like the Expedia Group, on top of all the interest and intrigue the Year of Culinary Experiences is gathering, is going to bring a phenomenal boost to our summer business,” Griffith said.

Under this campaign, visitors travelling to Barbados receive up to 40 percent off accommodation rates in participating hotels and access special dining options including lunch discounts at participating restaurants. The offer is valid for booking dates between May 1 and October 31, 2018 and the travel window is open until November 30.

Visitors and locals alike can enjoy top class dining at some of Barbados' best restaurants for just US$50.00 per person, including VAT and service charge, and a bottle of wine per couple for dinner. For lunch meals, the programme allows savings of 10 percent at participating restaurants.

There are currently over 20 accommodations participating in the summer campaign, across several categories. From all-inclusive options such as Sugar Bay on the South Coast, to boutique hotels such as The Atlantis Hotel in the East, and the recently renovated Fairmont Royal Pavilion on the West have come on board for this major promotion.

Those who book through Expedia will be spoilt for choice as they choose from 14 restaurants offering breakfast specials, 48 with lunch, and 30 for dinner as part of the Re-Discover dine-around programme.

Strong digital focus

“We are already marketing the summer campaign aggressively in all of our international markets through our traditional channels; however, we are also supplementing these efforts with a strategic, integrated digital marketing component,” Griffith said.

The campaign is also supported by other digital initiatives including robust social media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, as well as newsletters and online advertising in prime digital real estate.

“As consumers’ booking habits continue to diversify, we are charged with ensuring we remain competitive, particularly in the digital field. This is why we are especially excited about this partnership with the Expedia Group, which is not only our biggest Online Travel Agent (OTA) partners, but also the largest OTA in the world. Expedia naturally has a very robust digital marketing focus, and our in-house digital team is working very closely with them on this campaign, and beyond, to augment our efforts in marketing destination Barbados,” Griffith added.

Love British Food, the organisation championing home-produced food, is celebrating the increasing number of UK hospitals that are sourcing and serving local British seasonal foods to patients.

Andy Jones, former chair of the Hospital Caterers Association says “We know that many hospitals in the UK are already buying and serving British food. Of the £205m spent by the NHS on food for patients probably about 75% is spent on British food.  Our aim is to ensure these hospitals continue to buy and serve British and not switch to cheaper imports and at the same time encourage more hospitals to make the commitment to buy and serve British.

“The average budget per patient per day is £3.45, however by using good quality seasonal ingredients purchased locally it’s possible to greatly improve patient meals.  With austerity affecting us all and Brexit looming there is never a better time to buy British.   All caterers in all sectors especially those within the NHS Healthcare and Social Care will benefit greatly by having menus that support the season.  This will save money and allows caterers to meet patient needs better.”

Nottingham City Hospital for instance saves £1m a year of which over 65% is procured locally by sourcing local ingredients and cooking daily.  And the Morecambe Bay Trust works closely with local suppliers and champions British produce to feed around 800,000 hospital patients and 50-60 meals a day to patients in the community. Freeman Hospital which is part of the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a traditional cooking hospital serving over 770,000 patient meals every day.  It works closely with suppliers throughout the year making sure they use as much British and local produce as possible while focusing on cooking nutritious meals and saving money too.

Love British Food asked Michelin-starred chef Phil Howard to create a meal to a £4 per head budget (based on 3 courses).  Might sound like a tall order but by putting vegetables as the central focus and using cheaper cuts of meat Phil managed to produce amazing dishes.  These included Sourdough bread with Longley Farm Jersey butter; Steamed hispi cabbage with a coddle Chapel Farm eggs dressing and a Roulade of Welsh Black Mountain chicken with creamed potato, Worcestershire leek hearts and spinach and a dessert of Organic buttermilk mousse with Yorkshire rhubarb and orange.  Guests tasting the dishes were impressed.  Phil Howard says, “Providing British meals on a small budget can be done - as long as one respects the seasons - this is key. With the buying power that some hospitals have there is a strong case for more British seasonal produce to be served to patients”.

Alexia Robinson, Founder of Love British Food says, “We are delighted that so many hospitals are on board and have a British seasonal offering.  We’ve demonstrated that it can be done and we want to hear from these hospitals so we can showcase their great work.  We are encouraging more hospitals to follow suit and to this end we are happy to help by putting hospitals in touch with local suppliers and offering the Love British Food logo to all hospitals taking part.  The menu Phil Howard produced shows that it is feasible to create delicious and nutritious meals on a small budget.”

The 2019 National Fish & Chip Awards are now open for entry with the quest now on to find the champion businesses that will be crowned at the grand final ceremony in London in January next year.

Run by Seafish, the public body that supports the £6bn UK Seafood Industry, the National Fish & Chip Awards are widely regarded as the Oscars of the fish and chip world, with 14 different award categories recognising the best of the best.

As well as the fish and chips, the awards celebrate operators who run their businesses sustainably, display marketing innovation and focus on staff and product development.

To find the best in the industry, a team of experienced judges travel the UK to mystery dine and appraise the operational practices of respective fish and chip businesses.

Fish and chips aren’t just one of the UK’s favourite foods; they’re an institution.

From being one of the few fares not rationed during the Second World War, to a favourite snack of The Beatles, fish and chips are an integral part of British culture.

For the past 30 years Seafish has celebrated the best of the best across the UK’s fish and chips sector, including takeaways, restaurants, pubs, cafes, canteens and mobile operators who serve up the tastiest and most sustainable fish and chips.

Andy Gray, Trade Marketing Manager at Seafish, said: “The annual awards program provides an excellent opportunity to reward and celebrate the businesses and individuals throughout the UK that are serving fantastic fish and chips and providing customers with great eating and dining experiences.

“As a nation, we eat in the region of 382 million portions of fish and chips every year so shops and restaurants that are successful in the awards can take pride in the fact that they are amongst the crème de la crème when it comes to fish and chip businesses.

“Everyone has a favourite fish and chip shop and we are asking the public to make sure their favourite gets the recognition it deserves by encouraging them to enter the awards.”

Being judged as a finalist in the awards, particularly in the flagship Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award, has seen businesses experience turnover increases by as much as 100%. This year’s Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award champions, father and son David and Nick Miller from Millers Fish & Chips in Haxby, North Yorkshire have been on a roll since picking up the title in January, going on to experience success in the in the Taste of England category as part of the recent Visit England Awards for Excellence.

They said: “When we heard Millers Fish & Chips had been announced as the UK’s best fish and chip takeaway it was a really special moment for our family. It felt absolutely amazing and the feedback from our customers, industry friends and partners ever since has been nothing short of incredible."

“We’ve been busier than ever before since the award win. It’s had a huge impact on our business. Most importantly, it’s bringing people from all over the country – and even abroad – to our shop in Haxby. To speak to customers and learn that they’ve travelled many hundreds of miles just to sink their teeth into delicious fish and chips makes us feel really proud to serve them."

The World Cheese Awards will visit Norway for the first time this year, to form part of a brand new festival, The Norwegian Food Nation, taking place in Bergen on Friday 2 and Saturday 3 November. In partnership with HANEN, an organisation which champions the best that the Norwegian countryside has to offer, the Guild of Fine Food will stage the planet's largest cheese-only competition at the iconic Grieg Hall in the heart of the city.

With more nations represented than ever before in 2017, this year's competition is set to grow once again, with a record-breaking 3,500 entries expected for the 31st edition of the awards. The world will be watching live on WCA TV as 230 experts from every corner of the globe judge all the entries in a single day, nestled between the North Sea and the Seven Mountains that frame the city.

Away from the awe-inspiring sight and smell of entries from six continents being nosed, tasted and graded, The Norwegian Food Nation will be shining a spotlight on the quiet culinary revolution that has taken place in Norway over recent years. Featuring a food festival, conference sessions, presentations and tasting tours, the two-day event will give the country's producers and chefs a platform to showcase their food and drink on a world stage.

Following the huge surge in interest for Norwegian cheese in 2016, when Kraftkar from Tingvollost was named World Champion Cheese in San Sebastián, this year's awards has been brought to Bergen with the support of Norway's Minister of Agriculture and Food, Jon Georg Dale, and the Bergen city government. Already designated as a UNESCO Creative City for Gastronomy, Bergen is now preparing to host some of the world's top palates and food people for an epic celebration of all things cheese.

City Year UK is delighted to announce it has bagged £1,000 from Tesco’s Bags of Help community grant scheme which will support its work in the West Midlands. Bags of Help is run in partnership with environmental charity Groundwork, and sees grants raised from the sale of carrier bags awarded to thousands of local community projects every year. Since launching in 2015, it’s provided more than £48 million to over 13,000 local community projects.

Millions of shoppers have voted in Tesco stores up and down the country and it can now be revealed that City Year UK has been awarded £1,000 in the West Midlands. Work will now begin on bringing the project to life. The money will go towards City Year UK’s Book Buddies programme, which is aimed at improving literacy in schools by supporting the charity’s young volunteer mentors who are serving full-time as mentors, tutors and role models.

Gordon Higginson, City Year UK’s Director of Service Excellence, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this funding for our Book Buddies programme. Our volunteers have dedicated a year of their lives to tackling low social mobility and educational inequality and the support from Tesco will allow our literacy programme to benefit more pupils in the West Midlands.”

Alec Brown, Tesco’s Head of Community, said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success and we’ve been overwhelmed by the response from customers. It’s such a special scheme because it’s local people who decide how the money will be spent in their community. We can’t wait to see the projects come to life.”

Voting ran in stores throughout January and February with customers choosing which local project they would like to get the top award using a token given to them at the checkout. Tesco customers get the chance to vote for three different groups each time they shop. Every other month, when votes are collected, three groups in each of Tesco’s regions are awarded funding.

Groundwork’s National Chief Executive, Graham Duxbury, said: “Bags of Help continues to enable local communities up and down the UK to improve the local spaces and places that matter to them. The diversity of projects that are being funded shows that local communities have a passion to create something great in their area. We are pleased to be able to be a part of the journey and provide support and encouragement to help local communities thrive.”

Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities. Anyone can nominate a project and organisations can apply online.

Costa Coffee has today announced it will become the first ever coffee chain in the UK to commit to recycling the same volume of cups it puts onto the market in a bid to tackle the challenge of coffee cup recycling and to stop them ending up in landfill.

The UK's favourite coffee shop will recycle up to 500 million coffee cups a year by 2020, the equivalent of its entire yearly sales of takeaway cups and a fifth of the 2.5 billion takeaway coffee cups consumed as a nation each year.

Takeaway coffee cups can be recycled but they must be collected correctly and sent to the right recycling plants. Today's announcement will see Costa pay to make sure takeaway coffee cups are collected and sent to those paper mills which can recycle them. There are currently 3 UK paper mills (James Cropper, ACE UK and DS Smith*) that can recycle these cups and from today they will move from recycling 14m** cups to 100m this year.

Costa will pay a supplement of £70 to the waste collectors for every tonne of cups collected***. This takes the value of one tonne of cups**** from being worth on average £50 to £120, a 140% increase, making it commercially and financially attractive for waste collectors to put in place the infrastructure and processes to collect, sort and transport coffee cups to recycling plants, meaning fewer cups will end up in landfill. Today's announcement launches in partnership with five national waste collectors – Veolia, Biffa, Suez, Grundon and First Mile.

Dominic Paul, Managing Director for Costa, said: “Costa is putting its money where its mouth is to find an immediate solution to increasing the volume of takeaway coffee cups being recycled in the UK. It also dispels the myth that coffee cups can't be recycled!”

“Following today's announcement up to 100 million cups will be recycled this year alone and if the nation's other coffee chains sign up, there is no reason why all takeaway cups could not be recycled by as early as 2020.

“At Costa we want to guarantee our customers that if they throw their cup into the right recycling bin it will get recycled, and today's announcement is a major step towards that happening. We have set our own target to recycle the same volume of takeaway cups we use every year and call on other cup retailers to join and help to build a dynamic market for takeaway coffee cup recycling.”

Commenting on today's announcement Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey, said:

“Congratulations Costa on taking this significant step to help coffee lovers do the right thing and increase recycling. We all have a responsibility to our environment and this is a significant step by a British business which should dramatically increase the number of disposable coffee cups we recycle in this country.

“We want to help companies become plastic free and through our 25 Year Environment Plan we are putting in place the ambitions to encourage all of us to play our part in ending the scourge of plastic waste in our natural environment.”

Costa was the first coffee retailer to put in place a nationwide in-store recycling scheme, accepting any branded paper cup, and to date has recycled 14 million cups since February 2017. Today's announcement will work alongside Costa's ongoing commitments to increase the use of reusable cups, whilst working with a number of designers and cup manufacturers, looking at how to minimalize and eventually eliminate plastic in takeaway cups.

Costa also offers a 25p discount to all customers that use a reusable cup and recently announced that it will remove all plastic straws from its stores. As part of Whitbread PLC, Costa was part of the first major UK business to sign up to the 'Refill' plastic water bottle scheme, providing over 3,500 refill stations across the country.

Puerto Vallarta is home to over 300 restaurants. From modest eateries managed by local Vallartenses to fine-dining restaurants offering the latest international fusions to street tacos, Puerto Vallarta’s abundance of cuisines has made it Mexico’s gastronomy beach destination. Those looking for a foodie challenge and try as many of the destination’s restaurants as possible will find a bargain with the city’s Restaurant Week, which will last 25 days with 59 participating restaurants in its 2018 edition.

Now on its 14th year, Restaurant Week will have a record number of participants and Vallarta Lifestyles Media Group, which organizes the gastronomic festival, has increased the number of days to provide a larger number of visitors to the destination the opportunity to taste more of the destination’s plethora of culinary offerings.

“One of the most common “should have” we hear from visitors to Puerto Vallarta is that they should have tried more of our restaurants,” said Javier Aranda Pedrero, Director of the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board. “Restaurant Week allows visitors to taste great quality restaurants without breaking the bank. We are especially excited with this year’s participants as it includes many restaurants popular within the local community, which will provide visitors the opportunity to eat with Vallartenses.”

All participating restaurants will offer three-course menus (with three different options) at fixed prices (tips and beverages not included). This year, many of the participating restaurants will also offer three menu price categories.

This year’s 59 participating restaurants are: Agrodolce, Ambrosia Grill, Archie’s Wok, Azafrán, Barcelona Tapas, BARRIO BISTRO by Memo Wulff, Boccon Di Vino, Café des Artistes, Coco Tropical, Daiquiri Dick’s, Da Simone, De Cántaro, Di Vino Dante, Eishan Oriental Cuisine, El Arrayan, Florios, Fusion Gourmet, Gaby’s Restaurant Bar, Gaviotas, Hacienda San Angel, India Gate, Kaiser Maximilian, Katana Sushi & Bar, La Cappella, La Cigale French Bistro, La Leche, La Pancha, La Trattoria, Layla’s Restaurante, Mamá Sirena, Mark’s Bar & Grill, Matiz, Mérida Grill, Mikado, Nicksan, No Way José!, Oso’s Fish Market Restaurant, Pezlimon, Pizzeria La Dolce, Porto Bello, Restaurante Icú, River Café, Roberto’s Mexican Seafood, Sapori Di Sicilia, Seasons P.V., Serrano’s Meat House, Sí Señor Beach, Sushi Pop, Taste Restaurant @ Casa Cupula, Teresa Bar & Bistro, The Blue Shrimp, The Iguana, The Swedes, Tintoque, Trio Mediterranean, Tuna Blanca, Vallarta Factory, Vitea Oceanfront Bistro and Warique Restaurante.

A fun run with a tasty twist is coming to Cannon Hill Park for the first time to help raise vital funds for a local hospice.

Taking place on Saturday 28 April, ‘The Chocolate 5k’ – which is organised by Birmingham St Mary’s – is a run like no other, as participants race round the scenic park whilst indulging in chocolate treats.

Sweet-toothed Brummies can choose to run, jog or walk around the route, as they pick up branded goodies from a number of chocolate stations.

On finishing the course, runners will be rewarded with even more tasty treats, as they will be able to enjoy a gooey chocolate pot, as well as take home a commemorative medal.

Last year, The Chocolate 5k raised £25,000 for the hospice, which provides crucial care and support to local people living with life-limiting illness. The Selly Park-based charity is hoping to raise even more funds at the run this year, so that it can continue to provide its care at the hospice, in people’s homes and in the community.

Lucy Watkins, head of fundraising at Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “Whether you’re a running enthusiast or just have a sweet-tooth, The Chocolate 5k is a great way for you to enjoy tasty treats completely guilt-free. Every penny raised will go towards the hospice, so your generous support will ensure that we can continue to provide our free, vital services to families living across Birmingham and Sandwell.”

In addition to delicious goodies, participants can also enjoy face painting, raffles, and games at the park, as well as meet one of the world’s most famous chocolate makers – Willy Wonka.

The Chocolate 5k has recently been shortlisted for a national running award, making it into The Running Award’s top three ‘Best Charity Fun Runs in the UK’.