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Recipe Challenge 2008: prize to be awarded by the Hairy Bikers
on Saturday 25th October at the Flavours of Herefordshire Food
Festival
Create a menu for 5 using local produce. Enter the Herefordshire
Recipe Challenge and you could meet the Hairy Bikers at the
Flavours of Herefordshire Food Festival and win £50!
Many people think local food is expensive. It aint necessarily so.
So Flavours and Herefoodshire are challenging people to come up
with a meal for 2 for £5, made entirely from local Herefordshire
produce. The Challenge is to come up with a main course and
vegetables - but if you can manage to include another course or
even two - within the budget we would like to hear about it!
Flour, herbs, spices and condiments can be sourced from outside the
county. List prices and suppliers of the main ingredients. Estimate
a fair price for produce you have grown yourself. We would like
lots of entries: plenty of straight forward menus for local meals
that ordinary people could make with ease. And advanced options for
those with more culinary talent are most welcome too.
Send your entries to
gem@herefordshire.gov.uk
by 6th October or to Trish Marsh at the Councils Plough Lane
offices, Hereford HR4 0XH and spread the word! And if youd like to
learn more about the Flavours of Herefordshire and this year's Food
Festival on October 27/28th at Hereford Racecourse visit
http://www.flavoursofhereordshire.org.uk/
September 2008 update
Please join us on Saturday September 6th for 'Exploring
Herefood': a leisurely guided walk round food related places old
& new.
The walk will start at 13, Harold Street, Hereford, at 11am and
will include a visit to the Farmers Market in High town Hereford.
There is no charge: please bring Herefordshire food &/or drink
to share for lunch after the walk (this can be left at 13, Harold
Street) - or pick some up while we are at the Market.
Many people don't know where they can find local food in
Hereford itself. I'm hoping this event will pool everyone's
information so we can start to publicise a listing of shops and
eating places selling local food in the city.
And enter the new Flavours of Hereford Local Food challenge - a
chance to meet the Hairy Bikers and win £50! Many people think
local food is expensive. It ain't necessarily so! So Flavours and
Herefoodshire are challenging people to come up with a meal for 2
for £5, made entirely from local produce. Flour, herbs, spices and
condiments can be sourced outsides the county. Please list the
prices and suppliers of the main ingredients and estimate a price
if you grew it yourself.
We'd like lots of entries - simple meals are just fine: plenty
of menus for local meals that ordinary people could make with ease.
And if there are some more advanced options for the more talented
that would be lovely too. The £50 prize will be presented by the
Hairy Bikers at the Hereford Food Festival. Please send your
entries to
gem@herefordshire.gov.uk
by 6th October - and spread the word.
August 2008
Hello all, it's 6 months today since we lugged all the content
of our food cupboards down to Leominster Farmers Market and gave
them all away. I have to say I think the weather was drier then
Today Food Links have their Summer Fruit Fair in High town from
10am till 4pm so get over there to convince yourself its summer
through your taste buds at least!
Whatever the weather, this is a time of plenty. Weve grown
virtually no veg for years but we have surprised ourselves: there
is spinach, courgettes, beans and lots of salad in our garden,
basil in the conservatory and the first tomatoes ripe yesterday. We
walked our first section of Herefordshire Trail on Monday -
Richards Castle to Leominster - and passed one food crop after
another: 3 sorts of cereals ready for harvest, all sorts of animals
and fruit ripening everywhere. What a place to live!
In Vancouver the 100 mile diet pioneers encourage everyone to
try their diet for a month in August and I can see why. You might
like to give it a go here too!
At times this Challenge has seemed contrived and at others just
plain awkward - but there has also been an immense satisfaction to
it. It is lovely to sit down at a meal and realise you know where
everything has come from and sometimes the person who has actually
grown it and the place it grew. It breeds a feeling of strong
connection with the place. Being part of a web of productive
activity where our eating is, admittedly in a small way, directly
supporting both people and the landscape I value so much.
Flavours of Herefordshire, working with the Herefoodshire
Challenge, have just launched a competition to produce a local meal
for 2 for 5. A chance to prove that delicious local food need not
be expensive! Theres a £50 prize, presented by the Hairy Bikers at
the October Food Festival. So please get your recipe in and
encourage others to do the same. Rules are at the bottom.
Finally its good to know that Herefoodshire has gone
international - it features in a delightful
Boston Globe article about Herefordshire food (particularly
Wigmore & Aymestrey), which is now running in online papers in
Manila and Tapei!
Happy local eating and drinking! Hope to see you at our Hereford
event on September 6th.
Events coming up:
- Saturday August 9th: Herefordshire Food Links Summer Fruit
Fair High town, Hereford, 10am- 4pm. A celebration of all
things local and fruity, including a fruit trail, fruit juice,
cider, preserves, cakes, patisserie, ice cream etc.
- Saturday September 6th: 'Exploring Herefood': leisurely
guided walk round food related places old & new, including
the Farmers Market in High town Hereford followed by potluck
lunch. Start at 13, Harold Street at 11am. No charge: please
bring Herefordshire food &/or drink to share for
lunch.
- Saturday October 18th: Leominster Apple Fair, Lion Ballroom
off Broad St. Display of over 100 varieties of apples, apple
identification experts on hand and a selection of local foods
including apple juices, cider, honey, jams and cakes with lots
of tastings.
- October 25/26th: Flavours of Herefordshire Food Festival at
Hereford Racecourse. Third splendid year! For more info look at
racecourse
http://www.slowfoodherefordshire.org.uk/food_drink.asp
- Wednesday, September 24th Seed Swap: Volunteer Inn, Harold
St, Hereford 8pm
Flavours of Herefordshire: 5 local meal
challenge
The link between Herefordshire's rural landscape and the food
and drink which is on offer to its residents and visitors is set to
become even stronger this year with the introduction of a new
competition inviting members of the public to devise a recipe for a
main meal, costing under 5 and using only local produce. Entrants
will be invited to submit their recipes throughout the summer,
before being short-listed, and then asked to take part in a "cook
off" at the annual Food Festival in October. The 50 prize will be
presented by the Hairy Bikers. Winning recipes will be included in
a local cookbook. Entrants should list where in the county they
have sourced their ingredients and their cost. For home-grown
ingredients, estimate the equivalent shop price. Herbs spices and
condiments can be sourced from outside the county. All ingredients
should be available at the same time- so dont include both apples
& strawberries!
Send your recipe to
gem@herefordshire.gov.uk
by 6th October.
Under way slowly:
Herefoodshire Trial meets the Herefordshire Trail: the plan is
to walk the whole 154 miles of the Herefordshire Trail between
August and February (the end of the one year challenge) to sample
and hopefully enjoy the local food offer across and around the
county. This is much more fun in company- particularly with some
people who can read maps
Email
herefoodshire@hotmail.co.uk
if youd like to join a days stage of the Herefordshire Trail or
have ideas for good food places to drop in to en route.
-------------------------------------------------
July 2008
Time flying by! And more and more things to eat appearing.
Very proud to have enough strawberries and spinach in the garden to
give someto my mother-in -law.
With the credit crunch biting apparently the value supermarkets'
sales have been surging, making ground against the Big 4. But I
hope that here people will rally round local produce.
Yesterday I was speaking to the Head of Finance at Hereford
Cathedral, where the café has gone over pretty much entirely to
local and Fairtrade food and drink (just bread left to sort - which
is a tough one). He reported the customers loved it and that they
were finding that the food was better quality and often cheaper.
That's 3 advantages before we start talking about how those
purchases support the jobs of our neighbours. And how their
spending then keeps money circulating in the local economy. And the
contribution cows and fruit trees make to the landscape…and small
shops to our towns.
Thinking ahead to the autumn... Does anyone know anyone with a
food drier? I was thinking ahead and wondering how to turn plums
into prunes and apples into apple rings. Any hints welcome! Also
reckon nut butter will be worth a try.
Events coming up
- Thursday July 10th: Herefoodshire evening at Leominster
Community Centre, School Rd (off Broad St car park) run by
Leominster Transition Towns. Starts at 7.30pm. Entry free.
- Saturday19th July: Mortimer Country Food Fare in Brampton
Bryan from10-4pm,free entry: Slow food, Carolyn Chesshire from
Lower Buckton Country house,stalls & Aardvark books
(cookery specialists). National Cherry day!
- Tuesday July 22nd: Herefoodshire meal at Aspen House
Hoarwithy:Aspen House scooped top spot in the Guardians'
eco-B&B section for theCentral region with their aim of
sourcing all their food within 10 miles.Supper will be a
special price of £12.50 for 2 courses + tea/coffee: bring your
own local drinks or buy soft or alcoholic drinks from Aspen
House, Booking essential on 01432 840353 as numbers limited.
Aspen House has a splendid list of local suppliers on their
website:
http://www.aspenhouse.net/realfood.php
- Saturday September 6th: 'Exploring Herefood':leisurely
guided walk round food related places old & new, including
the Farmers Market in High town Hereford followed by potluck
lunch. Start at13, Harold Street at 11am. No charge'
pleasebring Herefordshire food &/or drink to share for
lunch.
- Saturday October 18th: Leominster Apple Fair, Lion Ballroom
off Broad St. Display of over 100 varieties of apples, apple
identification experts on hand + a selection of local foods
including apple juices, cider,honey, jams and cakes with lots
of tastings.
- October 25/26th Flavours of Herefordshire Food Festival at
Hereford. For more info look at racecourse
http://www.slowfoodherefordshire.org.uk/food_drink.asp
-------------------------------------------------
May 2008
Hello all
The Herefoodshire challenge is now into its 4th month.
Recent discovery: good local food offerings at the Spread Eagle
and the Castle Hotel in Hereford!
More recommendations for hot local food spots in Hereford itself
welcome. Keep asking where your food is coming from!
Arriving: spring onions, asparagus, tomatoes & cumbers &
homegrown salad
On the way out: apples, parsnips, leeks
Events coming up
- Saturday June 14th: Fairtrade county meeting at 2pm at the
Forbury,Church Street Leominster. Good value Fairtrade/local
lunch available first - and the Farmers Market is in Corn
Square all morning
- Saturday June 14th: Eardisley CAP host an evening of local
film shorts at the Village Hall, accompanied by local hotdogs
and puddings made by the WI. Tickets are £5:book via Central
Stores on 01544 327231
- Saturday 19th June: Mortimer Country Food Fare in Brampton
Bryan from 10-4pm, free entry: Slow food, Carolyn Chesshire,
stalls &Aardvark books (cookery specialists)
- Sunday June 22nd: Herefoodshire informal monthly meeting
and potluck supper at the Granary, South Street (next door to
the Talbot), Leominster from 7.30pm.Bring a random local
offering - bread will be supplied as Herefordshire flour is
still elusive. Please email to let us know if you can come by
June 19th
- 28/29th June: Shobdon Food & Garden Festival:lots on
including cookery demonstrations & a Herefoodshire slot,
see
http://www.shobdonfestival.co.uk/index.htm
for more info
- Thursday July 10th: Herefoodshire evening at Leominster
Community Centre, School Rd (off Broad St car park) run by
Leominster Transition Towns. Starts at 7.30pm. Entry free.
- Tuesday July 22nd: Herefoodshire meal at Aspen House
Hoarwithy:Aspen House scooped top spot in the Guardians'
eco-B&B section for the Central region with their aim of
sourcing all their food within 10miles. Supper will be a
special price of £12.50 for 2 courses + tea or coffee: bring
your own local drinks or buy soft or alcoholic drinks from
Aspen House, Booking essential on 01432 840353 as numbers
limited. Aspen House have a splendid list of local suppliers on
their website:
http://www.aspenhouse.net/realfood.php
- Saturday September 6th: 'Exploring Herefood': leisurely
guided walk round food related places old & new, including
the Farmers Market in High town Hereford followed by
potlucklunch. Start at 13, Harold Street at 11am, please bring
Herefordshire food &/or drink to share for lunch. No
charge.
Under development:
- August to October : Herefoodshire Trial meets the
Herefordshire Trail:plans to walk the whole 154 miles of the
Herefordshire Trail between August and October to check the
local food offer across and around the county. First section
from Leintwardine to Leominster.Email
herefoodshire@hotmail.co.uk
if you'd like to join a day's stage or have ideas of good food
places to drop in to en route.
- More WI events
- Harvest Suppers with local food
Thanks for all your support- much appreciated!
-------------------------------------------------
April 08
Hello all
Our local / Fairtrade food odyssey continues - month 2 of the
Herefoodshire Challenge is now complete.
Eating in has been delightful - eating out is harder work and
admittedly involves rather more forward thought than is
convenient.
Its lucky I'm fond of cheese & chutney sandwiches with
excellent local salad leaves...
We've said goodbye to parsnips and to most of our first sack of
flour.
And hello to baby carrots, rhubarb - and news that the first
asparagus is up.
We've created a few raised beds at home and have broad beans,
lettuce and radishes waving - and are already running out of
room.
The 5minute Herefoodshire video, skilfully made by Paul Wright,
has been shown and enjoyed atseveral events. We have copies on DVD
you can borrow - just email. We also have more publicity cards if
you'd like some.
We've continued to do well on publicity and now have more than a
page of hits on Yahoo. I've talked to the county WI, Transition
Towns (Hereford), kept the radio up to date, had an excellent
brunch at Bircher and pushed local food at the Borderlines Film
Festival's Rural Perspectives event last Saturday. The day included
2 powerful films, The Lie of the Land by Molly Dinnen, which laid
bare the threats small UK farmers face in a sure footed and
entirely undogmatic way and an appalling German film, Our Daily
Bread, silently documenting the indignities visited on people,
animals and the planet by industrial agriculture. The most positive
response to both films - in my opinion - is to buy lots more local
food from small producers! Which luckily is not difficult in
Herefordshire.
Do join Lucy & make your own pledge on myherefordshire by
pressing contribute: it all adds to the momentum!
Events coming up
- Year of Food & Farming free event this Saturday (April
19th) in High Town, Hereford from 10-4pm, including a Food
Trail, free tastings & Farmers Market
http://www.yearoffoodandfarming.org.uk/
- National Mills Weekend, May 10 -11th, features 2 historic
corn and feed mills at Rowlestone & Staunton on Arrow:
email me for programme or ring Alan Stoyel on 01544 230235
- Mortimer Country Food Fare in Brampton Bryan on Saturday
19th June from 10-4pm, free entry: Slow food, Carolyn
Chesshire, stalls & Aardvark books (cookery
specialists)
- Shobdon Food & Garden Festival 28/29th June: lots on
including cookery demonstrations, see
http://www.shobdonfestival.co.uk/index.htm
for more info
- Food themed walk in Hereford, followed by local
refreshments: date to be confirmed
Looking ahead
- A short project is looking at the feasibility of a mill in
the county so we could access Herefordshire flour
- 16 acres of naked oats have been planted - I may yet get
some local oats!
- A survey of shops in Hereford and Ross offering local food
is underway
- 3 primary schools in the Kingstone area will be making 10
minute films about local food as part of the Year of Food and
Farming, working with Catcher Media. These should be complete
next March.
-------------------------------------------------
March 08
Hello dear all
A whole month in already with the Herefoodshire challenge to eat
entirely local and Fairtrade produce for a year.
We've got through 9 packets of Traidcraft muesli (please
someone, find us some oats...), 5kilos of carrots, 5 kilos of
parsnips, 2 bottles of Traidcraft olive oil, a punnet of hazel nuts
and quite a lot of FT wine...
We've found a much wider range of veg than we were expecting -
potatoes, onions, leeks, cabbage, cauli, salad leaves and
more
And no trouble finding excellent dairy, meat and eggs.
So really it just the oats and few sauces that we're
missing...
Eating locally is even better done convivially so I'm glad to
say we have 2 events coming up.
- Sunday March 30th: Herefordshire brunch at Gatehouse Mill,
Bircher, Nr Leominster, HR6 0AX.
£5 (£2 children) for a Herefoodshire brunch at 11.30., followed
by optional farm walk at 12.30.
Proceeds to the Yarpole Community Building Fund (project to
include the community shop in the church).
Please ring the Morgans on 01568 780761 if you are coming so
they have some idea of numbers.
- Wednesday April 2nd: Herefoodshire Challenge discussion
with Trish at Canal Rd Day Centre, Canal Rd, Hereford,
Hosted by Friends of the Earth & Transition Town Hereford.
Starts at 7.30.
We're developing a 'What can I get for a Fiver?' challenge to
encourage those new to local food shopping to dip their toes in the
water - keep an eye out for it. We hope to launch it at the Leo
Farmers Market
We're also looking for other places/groups who might like to
host a Herefoodshire get together later in the year.
These could either be on a business basis or raising funds for your
own cause. Please get in touch if you're interested.
There are 2 frequent things people say when they hear about the
Challenge:-
One is 'I've been doing this for years and I don't know what all
the fuss is about' and the other is 'I couldn't possibly do it
because I couldn't do without x.'
Message to first group - please talk more about what you do and
how and the positives you find in it! (and please add a few pledges
on the myherefordshire site if you have a mo). For a lot of people
the whole idea is totally unfamiliar
And I'm trying hard to get over to the second group that just
spending a few quid regularly on local food makes a difference.
There's no need to be extreme about it - interesting though that is
....usually...
Thanks for all your support.
Its much appreciated.
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