Food

Keen bakers will have a rare opportunity for their cakes, bakes and biscuits to be judged by a celebrity chef on Tuesday 24 May, when Lesley Waters, TV chef and owner of Lesley Waters Cookery School in Halstock, takes on the role of head judge at Brimsmore Gardens' Cake Off in Yeovil. Judging will start at 3pm in The Apple Tree Restaurant, as part of a special Summer Tea Party, which is open to the public to attend.

Following his popular appearance in 2015, the award winning Chef and restaurateur Jean-Christophe Novelli will return to the Channel Island of Guernsey for the second Guernsey International Food Festival, taking place from 23 September to 2 October 2016. Events are taking place daily throughout the festival but Jean-Christophe will be on the island on Friday 23 September and Saturday 24 September to kick off the ten day festival with a gala dinner and live demonstration.

Great British Beef Week (GBBW) is an annual event which takes place around St George's Day (23 April) each year, to raise awareness of the quality and versatility of assured British beef and give the British Beef industry a much-needed boost. Organised by Ladies in Beef, Great British Beef Week puts the spotlight firmly on the fantastic food that British beef farmers, like The Black Farmer, produce. 

A celebration of Italian cuisine in Britain marked the end of a fantastic International Dining Week, which has highlighted the amazing diversity of cuisine styles available here in the UK. This first International Dining Week grew out of the continuing success of National Curry Week, now in its 19th year and organised by the same team. “We are absolutely thrilled with the response to the new event, which suggests an annual repeat for some years to come,” said press spokesperson, Colleen Grove.

Ludlow Food Centre has celebrated its ninth birthday in style after being crowned as Food Hall of the Year at this year's Farm Shop and Deli Awards. The awards, held at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre (NEC), recognise the best in class in the specialist independent retail market, celebrating the very highest standards, levels of service, product innovation and community involvement.

Award winning innovators Flower & White are expanding their delicious range of gourmet desserts to include handmade gluten free Muffins - with an unexpected, but irresistible treat inside. Deliciously light with exceptional fillings, Flower & White's Muffins are made using only the finest ingredients and British free range eggs.

As the second series of Outlander hits TV screens, Edinburgh's five-star visitor attraction, The Scotch Whisky Experience, has launched a unique package to awaken the spirit of times gone by. The new Outlander Whisky Tasting has been created in response to interest from visitors from across the world about Scotland's hidden past, with a focus on the country's 'ghost distilleries'. 

A pioneering Indian restaurant owner is making deliveries in a 100% electric Nissan LEAF as he aims to create Britain's greenest takeaway. Minesh Agnihotri of Indian Summer in Brighton is using the car as he trials a new environmentally friendly waste-free service in the city. The members-only club, being piloted by the restaurant, will see takeaway orders delivered in reusable metal containers known as tiffins.

Craft beer from the Black Country will soon be served in bars in Finland after award-winning craft brewery Sadler’s Ales won its first major exporting deal. The Lye-based brewer will be shipping thousands of bottles of its Hop Bomb and Red Ale IPA over the next 12 months  as it looks to ramp up its overseas business, following a UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) trip to Latvia in November last year.

As it celebrates the 600th birthday of its historic Auld Keep, luxury venue Dundas Castle has launched a series of unique dinner packages. Created specifically for groups, the dinners take place within the historic and atmospheric surroundings of the Auld Keep.

The countdown to the 25th anniversary of National Doughnut Week is well underway as National Doughnut Week is taking place 7th -14th May.  You can get involved and help raise funds in a number of different ways for The Children’s Trust, the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury.

A Norfolk couple have launched an ultra-premium vodka that is set to shake up the spirits market. Forget ice, orange juice or Coke. Wild Knight® Ultra-Premium English vodka is so pure that masking the flavour with mixers would be a crime. Aimed at the discerning drinker and pitting itself against the very best spirits on the market, a sip of Wild Knight will change your opinion of vodka forever.

Waitrose is to launch a major campaign taking customers beyond the barn door to real farms, giving customers the chance to see first-hand where their food comes from. The campaign kicks off with a series of TV adverts which will be filmed on the same day of broadcast. The unprecedented short timescales between filming and screening will give the advert immediacy and authenticity.

From fermented Kombucha tea and naturally flavoured ice cream to vegetable crisps and Greek honey, the trade-only exhibition, which attracts more than 1,000 visitors each year, promises to give food and drink buyers a first-glimpse of many innovative products that have never before been seen at a trade show, helping them explore new ideas and refresh their offering. 

McVitie's Ginger Nuts are back on sale, almost exactly four months after the site was affected by the floods in Northern England last year. Household favourites including McVitie's Ginger Nuts, Custard Creams and Bourbons, along with a number of other products under the McVitie's, Jacob's, Carr's and Crawford's brands, will be returning to supermarket shelves across the UK.

One in five Britons now experience a food intolerance* and while many are using technology to help them manage their diet, until now there’s never been a single app dedicated to offering food options for those who deal with intolerances. From April 2016, the new Spoon Guru app, initially available for iOS (iPad, iPhone) will offer the most comprehensive choice of ingredients, products and recipes for those living with multiple allergies, food intolerances or unique dietary preferences.