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Foodies Festival Hove Lawns

by Andrew on May 21, 2012 in Tasting Events/Shows with No comments

Foodies Festival returns to Hove Lawns on May 25,26,27 to bring you the most exciting mix of food, drink and culinary talent.

Join us in the Chefs Theatre for cooking demonstrations from Michelin starred and TV chefs including Michelin star Stephen Crane from Ockenden Manor, Gordon Ramsay’s Charita Jones, Michael Bremner and Matt Gillan.

TV’s Alex Mckay will teach budding young chefs in the brand new Childrens Cookery Theatre while you relax in a deck chair with an ice cream on the Jamie magazine City Beach, and try food from around the world in the new Street Food Avenue.

Foodies is delighted to welcome Loyd Grossman to the Brighton Foodies Festival. Loyd will be in the Chefs Theatre to give insider tips on how to refine your palatte and in the Loyd Grossman marquee where you can enjoy delicious recipes using a variety of sauces.

Tickets for Foodies Festivals are available now by phoning 0844 995 1111 or by visiting www.foodiesfestival.com


Lawnfest 2012

by Andrew on May 16, 2012 in food, Tasting Events/Shows with No comments

lawnfest 2012LAWNFEST, a boutique, family-friendly festival will be held on beautiful grounds in Sevenoaks, Kent on the 30th June 2012.

Prepare to have your taste buds indulged this year, with chef Nicole Walshaw heading up the Lawnfest Food Shed.

Reflecting her core values, Nicole has identified local Kent based produce, which has been responsibly farmed.

“All the food I have located for the event is in season and grown with care so it will not need much tampering with. I’m really there just to enhance the natural flavours – this is what the love of food is all about”.

Guests will enter the Lawnfest Food Shed enclosed in a fully covered vintage style Marquee with tables lovingly dressed with flowers and potted herbs. As the sun goes down, over the grounds, the festival will transform into a warm, lantern lit atmosphere, where delicious food, cold drinks, music and art will enchant and captivate the audience.

Fitting in with the ethos, very special guests, Street Kitchen, will be cooking up hand-made gourmet burgers with their famous sweet potato fries.

These comforting delights will be accompanied by organic iced “freshies” made with fruit tea kindly provided by Clipper Teas. The London Distillery Company will donate premium organic, London Dry Gin to The Lawnfest Food Shed, made with Kent’s finest botanicals.

After being inspired by the local culinary dishes, guests can then visit the Lawnfest farmers market to pick up the ingredients – before refreshing themselves with offerings of Chapel Down wines and Shepherd Neame real ales and lager.

The Food Shed will serve chilli con carne and veggie chilli, made in a traditional style with real ale and cocoa, served with corn chips, crème fresh and coriander, or tempt with a summer squash, spinach and sesame tart beside a wild rocket salad or step-up to a grilled apricot, watercress and cured gammon ciabatta. That’s just a taster.

Finally, for those that fancy a sit down traditional English tea, Violet’s Vintage Teas will be serving freshly made cakes, finger sandwiches and scones with a huge dollop of real clotted cream.

“Lawnfest is all about the feel-good,” says Camilla Al Fayed. “It brings together the ingredients in life that make us feel great. Music and art play a big part of this, and are particularly important in helping the pupils of West Heath start moving forward with their lives. But food enjoyment is equally fundamental. Nicole is brilliant at creating food experiences, and together with her farmers’ market, Lawnfest is going to be an interactive celebration of food.

BOOK YOUR EXTENDED EARLYBIRD TICKETS NOW! www.lawnfest.co.uk
£20 Adults
Free Children aged 8 and younger
£10 Children 9 years and above
£40 Family (two adults, two children)

Please note, Lawnfest Food Shed uses 100% recyclable or biodegradable packaging across the festival.

Devon Restaurant Month

by Andrew on May 15, 2012 in Eating Out, Tasting Events/Shows with No comments

devon restaurant monthDozens of restaurants from across Devon have signed up to a new initiative and will be holding special events to celebrate the county’s best food and drink throughout the month of June.

More than 30 businesses are taking part in Devon Restaurant Month and have organised a series of exclusive promotions and offers, as well as unique menus as part of the campaign. Each eatery has its own dedicated listing which can be found at www.devonrestaurantmonth.co.uk.

Food and drink fans will be able to enjoy a wide range of discounts off meals, cookery demonstrations, wine tasting sessions, steak nights, fish and seafood evenings, four course lunches, Italian and French themed events, suppers, dinners and fine dining experiences.

Some high-profile restaurants and chefs taking part include Bovey Castle, the Tanner Brothers, The Horn of Plenty, Southernhay House Exeter, Mill End Hotel and Restaurant, Gorton’s, The Cary Arms and Torquay’s Michelin-starred The Elephant.

‘Devon Restaurant Month’ has also received the support of the county’s tourism organisations Visit Devon, Visit South Devon and Discover Dartmouth, as well as Taste of the West and Food and Drink Devon.

Jeff Cooper, Devon Restaurant Month’s Founder and Organiser, says,

“The amount of interest that Devon Restaurant Month has received has been just fantastic – each restaurant taking part has pulled out all the stops to come up with some exciting and innovative ideas. It is great that everyone is so passionate about celebrating the best food and drink that Devon has to offer. Each event is unique and now we really want to encourage people to take the opportunity to see where their nearest event is, book their place and go along and get involved.”

A competition has also been organised where entrants are being offered the chance to write their own ‘Devon Restaurant Month’ menu which will be prepared by one of Devon’s top chefs and served in their restaurant throughout June.

The author of the winning entry, and three friends, will be guests of honour at the Elizabethan Inn, in Luton near Newton Abbot, on Friday 1 June to sample their own menu with specially selected wine to complement the food.

Entrants should visit the website and submit their contact details, starter, main course and dessert, along with a sentence or two explaining why judges should pick the menu.

It is hoped that ‘Devon Restaurant Month’ will help lead to an increase in custom for the businesses involved and raise awareness of the quality and breadth of the county’s award-winning food and drink offer.

For more information about ‘Devon Restaurant Month’ visit www.devonrestaurantmonth.co.uk or the dedicated Facebook Page.

Vinopolis Chocolate and Wine Tasting

by Andrew on April 30, 2012 in Tasting Events/Shows with No comments

chocoliciousAs part of an ongoing campaign to champion the best British producers, London’s premium wine and food tasting experience, Vinopolis, is offering the ultimate treat for chocolate lovers.

Vinopolis has teamed up with artisan chocolatier, So Chocolicious, for special chocolate and wine tasting sessions on the wine tour on Saturday 5 May. Visitors to the tour can join So Chocolicious’ founder, Hayleigh Bazelya, to sample a selection of devilish handmade treats complimented by wine paired by Senior Wine Expert (and self-confessed chocoholic), Melanie Reeve.

Indulge in delicious White Chocolate and Hazelnut Truffles paired with Lourensford Chardonnay 2010 or Blackberry and Cinnamon Dark Chocolate Truffles paired with Bonterra Merlot 2009 before enjoying tastings of wine, spirits and beer from around the world.

Vinopolis wine tour packages start from £22.50 per person and include a 15 minute ‘how to taste wine session’ as well as a Bombay Sapphire cocktail and a tasting notebook for each guest.

For further information or to book please visit www.vinopolis.co.uk or call 0207 940 3000.

Find So Chocolicious in London’s Borough Market and online at www.chocoliciousltd.co.uk

Glynde Food and English Wine Festival

by Andrew on April 26, 2012 in Tasting Events/Shows with No comments

glynde food and english wine festivalNow in its 6th year, the Glynde Food and English Wine Festival offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the country’s biggest gathering of English vineyards, alongside the very best local and regional food producers in the beautiful setting of Glynde Place.

Viscount Hampden, Festival Founder, comments:

‘English wines are now proving themselves on an international level and Glynde is becoming the largest and most significant gathering of some of the best vineyards in the country. Coupled with the best artisan producers, it’s a marvellous showcase’.

Visitors can explore English wine through tastings at the vineyards’ stands and Tutored Tastings with wine broadcaster Ewan Lacey and Stephen Skelton MW. There will be free talks on viticulture and wine production for those wishing to learn more.

Ewan Lacey comments:

‘I’m so excited to be involved in the English Wine festival, the strides that have been made here in England have rightly made it one of the most exciting wine growing regions in the world. I’m looking forward to tasting the best and having a chance to share in the rewards of the hard work that our wine makers are reaping’

Free to all visitors, one of the major highlights of the festival is the Chef Demo Stage. This year’s line up includes John Torode, Dhruv Baker, Peter Bayless, Tim Anderson (MasterChef winner 2011) plus actress and cook, Lisa Faulkner.

For a more hands on experience at the festival, visitors can also sign up for Cookery Masterclasses with John Torode and try food, wine & beer matching with Ewan Lacey and Tim Anderson. For children, the Kitchen Academy will run all weekend encouraging the next generation of chefs to cook great dishes they can then make at home – from Vegi Sushi to Mexican Quesadillas.

NEW for 2012 is the Summer Feast, an exclusive party hosted by John Torode and Dhruv Baker. Held in the main festival marquee on the Saturday night of the festival, this will be a unique opportunity to try some stunning food and enjoy the striking surroundings of Glynde Place into the evening. Tickets are £50 ,but will need to be purchased in advance due to limited availability.

‘With a plethora of cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, cookery classes, artisan food producers, English wines, beers, ciders and a street food market – there won’t be a minute in the day not to be enjoying fantastic food and drink!’ Says Viscount Hampden.

Tickets for this year’s festival are now on sale.

Glynde Food and English Wine Festival
Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th July 2012
Glynde Place, Glynde, East Sussex BN8 6SX

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