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

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LAWNFEST, 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.

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Dozens 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.

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As 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

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Now 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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The inaugural Real Wine Fair will take place in Holborn, London on 20th May, giving wine and food lovers the opportunity to taste over 600 organically or biodynamically produced wines. Tickets are now on sale for £20 per ticket at www.therealwinefair.com. Two wine trade days will follow on Monday 21st and Tuesday 22nd. Timings will be 10am-6pm on all three days.

The Real Wine Fair celebrates dedicated individuals who work organically or biodynamically in the vineyards and winery. 150 growers and winemakers will be at the event, presenting over 600 wines.

Visitors to The Real Wine Fair can meet and talk to the growers, whilst having the opportunity to taste a diverse range of honest, terroir-driven wines. Several real wine ‘heroes’ have been lined up for a series of seminars and debates including Alice Feiring, author of ‘Naked Wine: Letting grapes do what comes naturally’ and ‘Wine Anorak’, Jamie Goode, co-author of ‘Authentic Wine: toward natural and sustainable wine making’.

There will be an exhibition of contemporary paintings and posters as well as artisan food and drink exhibitors, and restaurant stalls selling “street food”.

All of the wines on show at the fair will be available to purchase from an on-site pop-up shop, created specifically for the event.

In association with this event, up to 200 restaurants across the country will be selling real wine by the glass, throughout the month of May. Details of participating restaurants and a full list of producers will be announced in the next fortnight.

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GO FORAGING with Edinburgh’s award winning chef – Paul Wedgwood and expert forager Robin Harford

Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th May 2012 10am – 4pm £85 pp

Wild food is the ultimate in “local” and “seasonal” produce and historically has always been a source of food for country people. Foraging reawakens your senses, so you gain a greater appreciation of your environment and your place in the natural cycles and rhythms of life.

Chef Paul Wedgwood has teamed up with expert forager Robin Harford to offer a one day foraging course in Edinburgh, followed by a sumptuous gourmet lunch at Wedgwood the Restaurant.

Uncover a secret world of unique edible possibilities around Edinburgh . Discover how to identify wild edible plants. Learn to cook, prepare and preserve these plants. Be immersed in their mystery, history and folklore! Above all learn to forage sustainably, safely and within the law!

After the forage, return to Wedgwood the Restaurant, one of Edinburgh’s top award winning fine dining establishments, and enjoy a sumptuous three course gourmet wild food luncheon prepared and cooked by leading edge chef Paul Wedgwood. “Since we use a great deal of foraged foods in our menus already, we have been inundated with requests to find out more about these fascinating foods” says Chef Paul Wedgwood.

To book visit http://www.foragingcourses.com/wedgwood.

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On the 26th May the 2012 Wallingford Food Festival, organised by the Wallingford Food Festival Community Interest Company, will return to its original home at the Bridge Villa Campsite. This is the second year for the festival which was hugely successful in 2011 with a packed live theatre programme, exhibits and stalls from more than 20 local producers and over 1500 visitors attending on the day!

The Festival is delighted to announce that Gary Jones, Executive Head Chef at Le Manior aux Quat’Saisons, will be headlining in the cookery demonstration tent. Gary commented –

“The heart of a great kitchen is fantastic ingredients and the Wallingford Food Festival shows the wealth and quality of the produce available locally. I am looking forward to being part of the 2012 festival.”

There will be a range of local producers exhibiting, including: Coopers Pork, Thamesdown Nursery, local brewers and wines and many more. Additionally, there will be entertainment for the children and other items of interest. If you are keen to hear about cooking, local food and other related topics, a range of demonstration and talks will be held during the day.

The aims of the festival are:-
to promote the value of locally produced food from meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs, etc and processed food such as bread, cakes, jams, preserves, beers, wines, meals etc.
to show the sustainability of locally produced food and the part seasonality plays in food availability
to educate how food is produced and how to use it
to promote Wallingford as a key market town in South Oxfordshire

Paul Bellchambers, owner/chef of The Late Chef and Director of the festival, said,

“The success of the festival in 2011 was amazing and surpassed our own expectations! The feedback we had was full of praise and positive comments. For 2012 we are planning an exciting and expanding festival. We are delighted to have VZUG sponsoring our demo kitchen and we are grateful for their enthusiastic involvement with the festival. We are looking forward to having a great festival in 2012.”.

The list of sponsors so far includes:- Grundon, Higgs Group, SPC Group, Locks Estate Agents and JustRight Marquees, with additional sponsors waiting to get involved with the festival.

For full details see the Food Festival website – http://www.wallingfordfoodfestival.co.uk.

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The fifth National Butchers’ Week takes place between March 25th-31st 2012 and promises to be bigger and better than ever with butchers, schools and consumers nationwide all set to take part.

The annual event – which is organised by leading industry magazine Meat Trades Journal and supported by key industry sponsors – aims to raise support for butchers throughout the UK.

Dozens of special recipes to try out before, during and after National Butchers’ week – all celebrating the UK’s rich heritage as a nation of meat lovers – can already be found at http://www.nationalbutchersweek.co.uk/page/recipes.html.

And shoppers can get into the spirit of the week by popping down to their local butcher, thousands of which will be holding special events throughout the week, from meat masterclasses to special recipe competitions.

More information, including a special ‘Ask the Expert’ section, can be found at www.nationalbutchersweek.co.uk, while meat lovers can find their nearest butcher by logging on to www.findabutcher.co.uk and simply typing in their postcode.

Meanwhile, hundreds of schools are expected to take part in special sausage and burger making lessons (see http://www.nationalbutchersweek.co.uk/page/schools.html for more details).

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An unusual ingredient will appear on London menus over the weekend of April 27th – 29th. Members of the London Brewers’ Alliance will be supplying hop shoots to the pubs, bars and restaurants they supply and challenging chefs across the capital to incorporate these tasty little spears into a variety of imaginatively created dishes.

Everyone knows that the hop (Humulus lupulus) is the bittering agent used in virtually all beers produced anywhere. Not everyone knows that they were introduced into Britain by the Romans, and the Romans, weren’t beer drinkers. They ate the shoots of the hop as a vegetable and this tradition was revived in later centuries once the commercial production of hops was commenced in the fifteenth century.

Hops are harvested in September, but in the spring the hop growers have to thin the shoots and train the most promising specimens onto the strings up which they will grow to heights of around sixteen feet. Nowadays these shoots are mechanically thinned, but when this work was done by hand, the shoots were gathered and frequently eaten.

Hop shoots are part of a number of plants that have picked up the pseudonym ‘Poor Man’s Asparagus’. This group includes samphire, salsify, Good King Henry and Alexanders; plants that were once eaten much more widely than they are today. The name suggests how they were traditionally prepared; fried in butter and, with a little salt, served straight from the pan.

On April 27th Members of the London Brewers’ Alliance will visit the Kentish hop farm of Chris Liliwhite to gather hop shoots and then will race back to London to distribute freshly cut shoots to anxiously waiting chefs (see below), eager to give even the most widely travelled foodie a taste sensation they are unlikely to have tried before.

Chris provides a little background to his hop farm.

“Lenhall Farm sits between the two villages of Bridge and Bishopsbourne, on the outskirts of Canterbury. I am not sure exactly when hop production started on the site, but the oast was built in 1875 and hops have been grown continuously since then. I became involved in the hop growing there in 2001, when the previous tenant left because of the poor state of the wirework and depressed prices. At present I am growing 10 acres of hop, a mixture of Challenger & East Kent Goldings. My family have been growing hops for five generations so you could say it’s in the blood. 2011 crop produced an excelent hop crop and our Goldings won first prize in the English National Hop Competition. “

The idea behind the Hop Shoot Festival is to remind Londoners of the historic connection between the city and the land. For centuries London was the brewing capital of the world. East Anglia produced and still produces the world’s best malting barley and Kent still produces some of the world’s finest hops. London’s brewers relied on both these regions for the ingredients required in huge quantities to slake the thirsts of generations of drinkers.

A record number of breweries opened in London in 2011 and an incredible total of 18 breweries now operate in the capital. LBA members are supplying a growing number of outlets as increasing numbers of drinkers and operators wake up to the fact that there is currently a renaissance in London brewing. There are now more breweries operating in the London region today than at any time since the 1950s.

The Hop Shoot Festival is a celebration of that renaissance, a recognition that we are living through an exciting period in the long history of brewing in London and a reminder of the continuous nature of the relationship between town and country.

A sizeable number of venues have expressed a keen desire to participate. To date these include:-
The Bull – Highgate
The Euston Flyer – Euston
The Victoria – Bayswater
Duke’s Brew & Que – Hackney
Horseshoe – Hampstead
The Draft House – Battersea
The Draft House – Clapham
The Draft House – London Bridge
Old Red Cow – Smithfield
The Clifton – St Johns Wood
Crown & Anchor – Chiswick
White Swan – Twickenham
The Botanist – Kew
Ben’s Canteen – St John’s Hill.

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