Food

This November, for one week only, Londoners will be able to say 'Hallou-mi!' to the latest pop-up restaurant with halloumi in every course on the menu. This exciting new venture has been launched by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) as a way of showcasing their national cheese and entice people to visit the island.

Located in trendy Hoxton in partnership with 100 Hoxton, the restaurant will open for one week only on Monday 13th November. Created especially for the event by Executive Chef Francis Puyat, the menu comprises an array of halloumi-inspired dishes including:

• Halloumi and cauliflower fritters with a lime pickle yoghurt
• A fresh grilled courgette and halloumi salad with fennel, pine nuts, harissa, honey & lemon
• A chargrilled halloumi flatbread with butternut & dukkah spices
• Crumbed halloumi fingers with a tomato chilli jam
• & to finish off, the best halloumi ice cream you will ever taste!
• Diners can also choose one of two Cypriot inspired cocktails by Mixologist Chad Canning formerly of Nopi: a harissa Bloody Mary or a Cilantro & Ginger Martini

CTO is delighted to have the opportunity to showcase the versatility of Cypriot halloumi. UK Director, Orestis Rossides said 'Halloumi is Cyprus' most popular cheese and we're so excited to be able to bring a key element of Cypriot culture to our pop up venture with 100 Hoxton.'

Andrew Zilouf, Director of 100 Hoxton said: 'As lovers of innovative food, we were thrilled to partner with the CTO for this project and have worked really hard to create a menu that we hope is both inspiring and delicious!'

Theo Paphitis said: 'Cyprus and its food are true passions of mine and the pop up restaurant will bring the delicious Cypriot cheese, halloumi, to every dish on the menu...even the dessert!  I'm sure many other people will fall in love with the Cypriot national cheese once they've tried it – and perhaps even visit Cyprus to discover the rest of the island's delicious cuisine and wine'.

From sharpening knife skills and refining recipes to geeking out on the science behind the techniques, brand new online cookery school, The Devilled Egg opens a world of poaching, preserving and patisserie at the touch of a button. With in-depth video tutorials and downloadable recipes added weekly, an A-Z of useful terminology and techniques, plus access to support and advice from the chefs, this new-look online platform delivers a culinary masterclass to any home kitchen.

Welcoming autumn's glut of orchard fruits and late vegetable harvests, The Devilled Egg's head chef, Barbora Ormerod, has prepared tutorials to take the season's staples to lip-smacking new places, including a recipe for autumnal gyoza, packed with pumpkin, tofu and quinoa. Designed to teach home cooks a new skill for their repertoire, whilst experimenting with fresh flavour combinations, these gyoza parcels reinvent a Japanese street food classic with trademark Devilled Egg twists, including Amaretti biscuits in the filling.

Whether it's learning the fundamentals, deciphering the jargon or mastering tricky techniques, subscribers have the flexibility to work through The Devilled Egg step-by-step, as they explore, experiment and embrace the art of home cooking. Thanks to Barbora's creative, practical and encouraging approach to teaching, seasoned home cooks and novices alike can challenge themselves at their own pace and make the most of autumn's bounty, whether served up with steak, packaged in pastry or preserved as presents ready for Christmas.

Multi award-winning, Indian fine dining restaurant, Pushkar Cocktail Bar and Dining, will be launching their Indochinese Food Festival on 23^rd October, which will run until 12^th November. After the huge success of the Indochinese themed festival at their sister restaurant PRAZA earlier this year, Pushkar will be celebrating the fusion of Chinese and Indian food with their own selection of Indochinese dishes.

Indochinese cuisine is the Indian adaptation of Chinese cooking techniques and seasonings and is believed to have been developed by the small Chinese community that lived in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) for over a century. The amalgamation of Chinese and Indian flavour seamlessly marries together to create a wholly unique culinary experience.

Tickling the taste buds of Indian and Chinese food lovers alike, Pushkar’s Indochinese Food Festival will see the return of best-selling cuisine served at PRAZA earlier this year, such as the Indian Chinese street food classic, Chinese Bhel and the flavoursome Vegetable Manchurian, along with new dishes entirely exclusive to Pushkar.

Rai Singh, Creative Director at Pushkar, comments: “We’re extremely excited to bring back our Indochinese Food Festival to Pushkar. We always strive to bring something new to the table, presenting new tastes and flavours for our guests.”

In recent months, businesses across the UK have been preparing for the introduction of the new twelve sided £1 coin.

From Monday 16 October, as the old 'round' pound coin ceased to be legal tender, retailers will no longer be required to accept them and aren't able to give them out as change.

Our tills and self-service machines are already accepting the new £1 coin, and are on hand to help with any questions our customers might have while they're shopping. We've also been updating all 400,000 of our trolleys to take both the old and new £1, to make sure there's no disruption for our customers.

However, with the Royal Mint estimating that there are still £500 million worth of old pound coins in circulation, many shoppers will be busy digging out old pound coins from bags, coats and the back of the sofa before the deadline.

That's why, to help customers who still have old coins after Sunday, we'll continue to accept round pounds at our tills and self-service machines for an additional week. While we won't be giving out the round pounds in change, accepting the coins at our checkouts will give people just a little extra help – and make shopping a little bit simpler for lots of our customers.

Waitrose is extending the trial of its 'Cook Well from Waitrose' healthy recipe box service with the addition of 60 new dishes, an extra delivery day on Mondays and the option to choose a four person/family box.

The retailer's chefs and nutritionists have worked together to develop easy to prepare meals that are nutritionally balanced, with no red traffic lights for saturated fat, sugar and salt, and all providing at least one of the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

The delivery service - created in conjunction with tech consultancy ThoughtWorks - caters for one-off and weekly subscription customers with a new menu each week with eight recipes to choose from. Boxes contain pre-portioned, bagged ingredients for easy storage and minimal waste and step-by-step recipe cards, all delivered directly to customers' homes free of charge. The goods are packed in upcycled sheep's wool designed to keep everything chilled until 10pm on the day of delivery.

Archie Mason, Head of Business Development at the John Lewis Partnership said: “Waitrose was the first supermarket to develop a recipe box scheme which went live in March this year to selected customers. We have been greatly encouraged by the initial response with customers delighted at the quality and convenience we are offering and the fact that recipes have been specifically tailored to be nutritionally balanced.

We have taken their feedback on board, adding more delicious healthy recipes this month along with an additional delivery day and from October, the option to order a box for a family of four. Our recipe box scheme gives people another way to access and enjoy quality Waitrose food, delivered to their doorstep.”

Nathalie Winn, Senior Nutritionist, who helped develop the recipes, said: “The trial has been a great example of how Waitrose is able to bring together its food expertise in different areas to create a unique offer of recipes to our customers. We have prioritised no red traffic lights for the nutrients we need to reduce in the diet; saturated fat, sugar and salt, whilst offering recipes with more of the ingredients we need to eat more of, such as oily fish and fruit and veg. Its success has highlighted how, with a little help, customers can enjoy delicious and nutritionally balanced, home-made Waitrose-quality meals easily.”

Customers can select up to three meals to serve two people per week, choosing from vegetarian, pescetarian and meat options. A three recipe box is priced at £6.50 per portion with options such as 'tikka carrots and spiced chickpea dahl with tamarind potatoes' and 'miso cod, sticky coconut rice and chilli glazed pak choi'.

A wine from the Tesco finest* range has been crowned best Sauvignon Blanc in the country following the announcement of the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC) trophies today.

The Tesco finest* North Row Sauvignon Blanc 2016 beat off over 300 other Sauvignon Blancs including customer favourites Oyster Bay, Brancott Estate and The Ned to be awarded the Sauvignon Blanc Trophy 2017, the first supermarket own label to do so.

Described as a 'crisp dry wine and a classic example of a concentrated and vibrant Sauvignon Blanc with powerful aromas and lengthy finish.' The finest* North Row Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect wine to enjoy chilled or with simple fresh seafood dishes or garden salads.

Tesco's Product Developer for the wine, Alexandra Runciman said: “We are over the moon to have received the coveted best Sauvignon Blanc Trophy from the IWSC. We are proud to work closely with our customers and trusted partners to offer great quality, world-class wines at affordable prices, and our finest* North Row Sauvignon offers just that.”

Alongside the Tesco finest* North Row Sauvignon Blanc, a further 13 Tesco finest* wines received medals, with the newly launched Tesco finest* SR Sauvignon Riesling and Tesco finest* Barossa Shiraz both scooping silver medals.

The All Saints Community Development Company launches a new event in Birmingham this month. The event, in Kings Heath, will be held in the Village Square on the third Saturday of each month.

Historically, the Arts & Craft Market has taken place on this day but the organiser now recognise the need to add another dimension (or two) to this event. This will include multiple street food traders, seating, music and activities for kids.

Initially trialled as a one off event in the summer, the team found that the format worked so well that that have decided to introduce it as a regular event.

With the monthly Street Food Market being held on the second Saturday of the month, this means that there are now two consecutive weekends of street food in the Kings Heath. However, there will be differences. The Street Food Market features live DJ’s, bar and established food traders. The Art, Craft and Food Event will be a much more relaxed affair allowing visitors to sample food from some of the newest traders on the street food scene, chill with family/friends, and do a little shopping at the same time (just in time for Christmas!).

On the retail side, visitors can expect to find an eclectic mix of work from local artists, handmade items, gifts and, on occasion, genuine antiques.

Upcoming Art, Craft and Food Events will take place on Saturday October 21 and Saturday November 18.

The Street Food Markets will take place on Saturday October 14 and Saturday November 11. There will be a special two day Christmas Market taking place on December 9 and 10, incorporating elements from both of these events and more.

The buzz around Dartmouth Food Festival is building with only a few weeks left to go. Kingswear based Manna from Devon Cooking School is gearing up for its tenth consecutive year of involvement with the festival.

Commenting on behalf of Manna from Devon, co-owner David Jones says: “The Food Festival is a highlight in our calendar. Not only does it offer a fantastic opportunity for everyone to experience the incredible array of produce and cooking available here in Devon, it also attracts great names from across the nation from the culinary world. For us it's a great chance to catch up with our friends in the industry, including Romy Gill, Mitch Tonks and Richard Bertinet.” David continues: “Having previously held the position of Chair of the Food Festival for seven consecutive years it's great to be still hugely involved.”

A testament to their popularity, many of the workshops in the Manna from Devon Cooking School theatre are already sold out. Visitors are advised to book in advance to avoid disappointment and if no places are left you should pop along early in case of any last minute availability.

Dartmouth Food Festival is now in its 16th year and continues to be recognised as one of the leading food festivals in the country. This year there will be a varied cross section of producers ranging from festival sponsor Salcombe Gin, award winning Lyme Bay Winery and Luscombe Drinks on the drinks side, South Devon Chilli Farm and Cootealicious offering tasty treats, to festival newcomers River Amble Creamy and Sandford Orchards. In addition, there is the main festival cookery demo theatre where highlights include Allister Bishop from South Sands Hotel on Sunday at 2pm.

National Cocktail Week – the week we've all been waiting for – is finally arriving on 2nd October 2017, so put your wine glasses aside and get ready to drink minty mojitos and delicious daiquiris to your hearts content. There has never been a better time to sit back and relax with your favourite drink in hand, or why not break with routine and try something different? Anyone for a Copa Verde, an unusual mix of tequila, lime juice, water, agave syrup and avocado?!

For cocktail lovers who want to celebrate the week in style, head to GBR, Mayfair's hottest new opening, part of the award-winning five-star hotel, DUKES LONDON.

Enjoy a classic cocktail made by GBR's highly trained bartenders who have learnt their tricks from DUKES' world-renowned bartender Alessandro Palazzi, or for those looking for something different, why not ask for a personalised cocktail made to suit you.

During National Cocktail Week, GBR will select a specific cocktail each day from its extensive cocktail list, including the Cosmo Daisy, Little St Sour and St James Manhattan.

Birmingham’s favourite dish will be celebrated at a new exhibition open at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, which explores the histories of the city’s famous curry houses.

Birmingham is home to hundreds of Indian restaurants, but most are unaware it was the Bangladeshi community that pioneered the ‘curry culture’ in Britain.

Running from 23rd Sept 2017 until 7^th Jan 2018, Knights of the Raj, is part of Soul City Arts’ project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and aims to showcase the untold stories of those who pioneered the historic trade, tracing its origins back to the 1940s.

The exhibition includes furnished interiors, images, films and recorded histories. Augmented reality will be used to enhance the visitor experience through their mobile phones. One of the stand-out artefacts on display is a booth from the interior of the well-known Birmingham City Centre curry restaurant, Koh-i-Noor, giving visitors a truly authentic experience.

The restaurant opened on Horse Fair in the 1960s, making it one of the oldest curry houses in Birmingham, and one of the ‘first wave’ of curry houses to open in Britain. The booth, along with associated items, including menus and a prayer hat belonging to the restaurant’s former owner, have also been acquired by Birmingham Museums Trust to become a permanent part of the city’s collection.

The items have been acquired through Collecting Birmingham, a three year Birmingham Museums Trust project which was created to develop a collection of museum objects which tell stories of growing up, living and working in the city.

Initially formed of two adjacent restaurants, the Bengal Rooms and Star of India, Koh-i-Noor closed in 2016 for refurbishments. It has since reopened with a much more contemporary décor and a focus on modern dining.

Similar changes have been made by many other Indian restaurants as they attempt to attract new visitors and survive in a changing and competitive market. As a result, the classic interiors of the original curry houses of the 1960s, 70s and 80s are disappearing and so the objects were recognised as being of significant regional importance.

Rebecca Bridgman, Curator of Islamic & South Asian Art at Birmingham Museums Trust said: “The curry house institution and the Balti dish in particular, are profoundly rooted in Birmingham’s history. As the first wave of these restaurants are vanishing or being demolished, it is vitally important that their story is preserved. We are thrilled that Soul City Arts have brought this exhibition to BMAG and that the Koh-i-Noor restaurant booth will become a permanent part of the city’s history.”

As the first generation of post-war curry house owners are now reaching the end of their lives, this exhibition offers a vital insight into the people behind the industry, and how the trade grew and became integral to the life of Birmingham's Bangladeshi community.

The Knights of the Raj project is a partnership with Soul City Arts and Future Seed CIC, which is supported by Heritage Lottery Fund and Giro Cash and Carry. The exhibition is part of the Birmingham’s Year of South Asian Culture, celebrating the rich heritage and cultural diversity of Birmingham.

Mohammed Ali MBE of Soul City Arts, said: The untold stories of the Indian restaurant trade give us a fascinating insight into the curry trade. The narrative brings out unexpected stories of struggle and conflict, determination and perseverance, and hope and aspiration. These stories need to be heard to help us understand one another in the complex world we live in.”

A rare and unique gourmet variety of avocado is to be exclusively launched by Tesco across the UK.

The GEM® avocado which has eye-catching, natural gold flecks on its outer skin offers customers a smoother and creamier taste than regular varieties because it remains on the tree much longer.

It is also slightly sweeter than other varieties and has a thicker skin making it easier to scoop out with a spoon.

The launch should cause a stir for the growing number of UK avocado fans with demand so strong in the last few years that the fruit has even overtaken sales of oranges for the first time ever.

At Tesco, avocado demand is up by more than 30 per cent in the last year alone because of the current interest in healthy eating.

Tesco avocado buyer Andrew Pattison said:

“This outstanding avocado stands out from other varieties because of its rich taste, melt in the mouth texture, smooth creaminess and slight nuttiness.

“But it is also notable for its eye-catching golden lenticels or speckles which appear on the dark skin of the ripe fruit and which make it stand out from other avocado varieties.

“It's not the kind of avocado you will want to mash up and turn into guacamole but rather show off as a special treat at a dinner party as either an exotic entrée or part of the main dish.”

The GEM® will be supplied from a number of countries, but specifically South Africa at the moment.

It is currently farmed by an elite group of licensed growers around the world. The ones Tesco are getting are grown in South African and are hand-picked to ensure the fruit remains in top condition.

Tesco recently sold two other rare varieties of avocado – a mini version called Zilla Eggs and a giant sized one called the Avozilla, which is roughly five times the size of the regular type.

British apple farmers are to be given a helping hand by Tesco after frosts earlier this year hampered the growth of this autumn's crop.

Unseasonal temperatures dropped to -4C at the end of April in parts of Britain and caused a fruit blemish known as 'frost ring' which leaves a ring mark around the circumference or a large blemish on the skin.

For some growers it will mean a struggle supplying apples to supermarkets because of crop specifications set by retailers governing the overall look and quality of fruit and vegetables.

But to help growers and prevent otherwise perfectly good apples from going to waste Tesco has now widened those specifications to ensure they will still go on sale.

And the move by Tesco will mean that a variety of different apples, including 300 tonnes of Bramley variety, will now end up on supermarket shelves across the UK.

John Worth, Tesco's apple expert said:

“We're working with our apple growers to use as much of the crop and prevent perfectly good fruit from going to waste.

“We want to support our growers wherever we can – and although some apples might be smaller or blemished, they still have the same great taste our customers expect.”

Slightly blemished apples will be sold as part of the supermarket's standard range whilst the more blemished fruit will be sold as part of Tesco's 'Perfectly Imperfect' range.

22 September is the Autumn Equinox and the first day of England's most gloriously colourful – and some would say delicious – season. As the colours change, the apples turn rosy and the nights draw in, discover unique English activities from cider-making to red deer spotting via mushroom foraging and autumn colour walks.

TASTY FOOD FESTIVALS

Autumn is synonymous with abundance and harvest, when so many of England's tastiest produce is in its fullest flavour – and what's more, 17 September to 2 October is British Food Fortnight, so all the more reason to investigate all things edible. York's biggest food and drink festival transforms the city into a foodie wonderland from 23 September – 2 October, with events ranging from a Chocolate Tasting Panel to a Gin Tipple Lunch taking place across various venues including some of the city's most historic buildings including, for the first time, the 17th century King's Manor. 1 October sees the Forest of Dean's Forest Showcase Food Festival, a 'celebration of food, music and art' held in the grounds of the splendid Speech House Hotel; expect top local and artisan producers, a mouth-watering array of hot food, real ale and wine, plus talks, parent and child cookery lessons, chef demos and live music. And celebrate the sausage in Lincolnshire on 22 October, at the Lincoln Sausage Festival, which presents the county's famous export in the castle grounds – 30,000 bangers are served on the day.

APPLE-SOLUTELY AUTUMNAL

Autumn = apples to many people, while for many others apples = cider. Impress your friends with a home-made brew after a visit to Upper Neatham Farm's Practical Cider Making Course. Organised over the course of a weekend at the idyllic Hampshire property – whose orchard has 100 trees of different varieties – the course will teach you to select, prepare and pick apples, press them into juice and then follow the fermentation process to make them that much more delicious; choose from residential or non-residential packages. For a family-friendly celebration of the apple, also in Hampshire, head to Blackmoor Estate's Apple Tasting Day on 8 October. The free event presents the opportunity to taste an incredible variety of apples, meet an 'apple doctor' (to identify mystery apples), as well as enjoy horse and cart rides, Morris dancing and more.

SATISFYING FORAGING

Foraging is all the rage among top chefs and no wonder – discovering your own ingredients in the wild, picking them, then cooking them is far more fulfilling than a trek to the local supermarket. Tudor Farmhouse Hotel is a former working farm that has been stylishly converted into a boutique hotel with a gastronomic edge, thanks to its award-winning head chef Rob Cox and in-house forager Raoul van Den Broucke. Raoul runs fascinating foraging expeditions that take guests out into the beautiful Forest of Dean countryside to collect seasonal delicacies, followed by a sumptuous lunch. Tudor Farmhouse is also offering an Autumn Leaves Escape package – ideal, combined with a foraging course. For those who can't resist the heady smell of a freshly unearthed mushroom, Suffolk Market runs Mushroom Foraging and Wild Cooking events. Each starts with a walk through ancient woodland in the heart of Constable country, continues with plenty of mushroom identifying and picking, and ends with lunchtime treats made from the fruits of your forage. And you get a goody bag full of recipes, a foraging calendar and a selection of wild food products to take home!

The long-awaited shortlist of finalists for the 2017 Food & Drink Devon Awards has been announced, following months of blind tasting, deliberation and judging. Entries from across the county included 250 products, 63 producers, 65 hospitality and 25 retail establishments, all judged by experts from the industry. The winners will be revealed at a prestigious ceremony at the stunning Deer Park Country House Hotel on Monday 9th October.

Commenting on the high standard of this year's awards entries, Barbara King, Chair of Food & Drink Devon, says: “As an organisation we champion Devon's producers and food and drink industry.  We have been seriously impressed with everything entered this year.  We have so much outstanding produce on offer here in Devon and the quality of hospitality across the board is second to none.” Barbara continues: “We would also like to thank our award sponsors for all their support.” The 2017 sponsors are Luscombe Drinks, Raw PR & Marketing, Peplows, M C Kelly, Black & White Asset Finance, Stephens Scown, Zip Water, Tastebuds, Inkreadible and Hedgerow Print.

In celebration of Devon's best produce, Platinum awards will be given to any of the 250 tasted products given a perfect score of 100%, Gold awards go to products achieving 90-99%, and Silver to those scoring 85-89%.

There's enormous variety this year on the producer shortlist for the Taste of Devon Product award, with everything from shellfish to rare breed meats, artisan spirits and craft beers, ice creams from both North and South Devon plus traditional Christmas puddings represented.

“As customers get all the more discerning, choosing provenance and traceability over mass-produced food and drink, our independent shops and businesses can really shine,” continues Barbara. “Ultimately that is why it is so important we all support our local fishermen, farmers, delis, cafés, chefs and artisans.”

Newly established business Pretty Local takes on two well-known businesses Eversfield Organic and Riverford Organic Farmers in the category for Best Online Retailer.  Best Retailer will be awarded to one of Ashburton Delicatessen, Aune Valley Meat or North Devon's Besshill Farm Shop.  Producers on the Best Packaging shortlist are Bell & Loxton, Hanlons Brewery, Hunt's Cider and Salcombe Distilling Co and the shortlist for the Best Overall Producer includes Devon Distillery, Lyme Bay Winery, Salcombe Distilling and Sharpham Wine & Cheese.

Establishments on the Taste of Devon Hospitality shortlist include Boringdon Hall, Old Vienna and Thurlestone Hotel for Best Fine Dining Restaurant. Vying for Best Restaurant status is Barnstaple's Fat Belly Freds, Il Casita in Crediton and the Pig & Pallet in Exeter. Other categories include Best Hotel Restaurant, Pub Restaurant, Pub, Bistro and Best Café categories, there are three businesses hoping to win Best Street Food:  Open Sesame, the Glorious Oyster and the Teign Canteen.

Businesses on the shortlist list for this year's new categories Best Farmers Market and Best Cookery School include: Crediton, Tavistock and Totnes Farmers Markets and Ashburton and Exeter Cookery Schools and Salcombe Distilling.

With our increasing appetite for home--grown it seems only right that we have a fortnight every year to celebrate our great British food heritage.

The 15th British Food Fortnight runs from 23 Sept-8 Oct 2017 and this year is poised to stage another big splash with hundreds of events in schools, shops, pubs, restaurants, hospitals and communities across the country paying homage to our producers both locally and nationally.  In excess of 1.5 million meals a day served during the Fortnight will carry the great British food stamp, all courtesy of catering organisations including the likes of Sodexo, Brakes, Cucina and Hampshire Fare.

The campaign, run by Love British Food, kicked off earlier in the summer with official sponsors, Co-op backing UK farmers by only selling 100% British bacon, lamb, beef, chicken, ham, pork, sausages and turkey from May this year. Pop into any of the 2,600 Co-op stores and you will be greeted by food tasters, displays and promotions. There will be regional events in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff and a fun, educational roadshow on food provenance in primary schools.  It’s also launching a campaign to celebrate the UK’s Food Heroines, the female growers, producers, farmers and suppliers who keep British food traditions alive and thriving.

With legendary chef Raymond Blanc at the helm of British Food Fortnight and supported by wellbeing writer and organic farmer, Liz Earle there is a ground swell of support across the regions.  Raymond and Liz will be leading the search for the most imaginative celebrations of British food taking place during the Fortnight and anyone organising an event is encouraged to enter.  Entries are expected from the many towns and villages which are staging their very own food festival and giving a platform to the growing number of new artisan producers while applauding our local food heroes.

A highlight of the Fortnight is the Love British Food Harvest Torch which continues its journey around the country and this year will have travelled from Lincoln Cathedral to St. David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire.  The Harvest Torch is a symbol of thanksgiving for all our wonderful home-grown food and over 400 Harvest events will be taking place across the UK. A huge fan of the traditional harvest, Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Cornwall will be sending words of support to the National Harvest Service at St. David’s.

“British Food Fortnight has been so powerful in inspiring people around the country, whether big cities like Bath and Peterborough or individual schools, care homes and most importantly tackling British food in the public sector,” says Alexia Robinson, founder of Love British Food and British Food Fortnight.  “In this 15th year, it’s evident that there is a real love for this event, unique in that even though it has such a national presence it is still very much a grassroots movement.

“Fresh challenges face farmers and the food industry this year and these are uncertain times but with backing from the big names in retail, foodservice, key charities and with Raymond Blanc and Liz Earle on board we’re seeing this event grow exponentially each year, and it speaks volumes about our changing attitude to the food we eat and where it comes from.”

Photo courtesy of Moor Hall Hotel