FOOD NEWS July 2007
CALEDONIAN GRILLS
Even if the last ten years of food scares haven’t persuaded you to buy organic and free range, the difference in taste should put you on the road to conversion. For barbie fodder that’s a cut above the rest, try Caledonian Connoisseur, a Scottish-based company that sources fresh, seasonal food from over 100 independent producers. You can check out the provenance of your farmhouse bangers, steaks, burgers and ribs, and get any cut you like from the full butchery service. It’s also perfect for picnics – you can order Rannoch Smokery’s whole smoked chicken (£9.54), “wee venison pies” from Fife (four for £8.98), hams from pigs reared by Rick Stein’s personal ‘food heroes’
Andrew and John Ramsay in Lanarkshire (small ham for £8.08), and cheeses from small local producers, like the wonderfully sharp, pungent Isle of Mull cheddar (400g for £4.13). +44 (0)1573 227 310, www.caleyco.com
EAT YOUR WAY AROUND YORKSHIRE
A new website, Gourmet Yorkshire, has devised a series of food trails around the county. Wending their way around hill and through dale, the maps take you on a road of foodie discovery from boutique breweries to kipper smokeries, and chocolate makers to buffalo farms. From the farthest reaches of the Yorkshire Dales to the North York Moors and the picturesque coast of Whitby, there are wonderful regional foods to be found, along with distinctive village pubs, award-winning restaurants and famous tea rooms. Think you’re a local? You may uncover one or two treasures you didn’t know existed. www.gourmetyorkshire.co.uk
THY CUP OVERFLOWETH
Beer may be the traditional rugger match refreshment, but wine could be edging onto the pitch. The Wine Society has brought out a case with wines from great rugby-playing, wine-making nations: England, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. The Society’s World Cup Case includes a fruity, rounded 2003 Côtes du Rhône; a fresh, spicy Pinot Grigio from the Lorenzons’ vineyards in Friuli, north of Venice; and even a crisp, dry white 2005 Midsummer Hill from Gloucestershire for English patriots.
The Society’s World Cup Case, £69. There is a one-off £40 fee to join the Society. www.thewinesociety.com
THE ECO DIET
Gwyneth and Chris, take note: researchers have come up with an eco-friendly diet. Devised by folks at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff, it aims to reduce our ecological footprint and takes into account cost, nutrition, preparation, food miles, energy consumption, processing and packaging. The scientists claim the Eco Diet, which comes to just under £28 for a couple per week, could reduce the average Brit’s domestic footprint by 40% and the total food and drink footprint by 26.1%. Sadly chocolate, wine, spirits and cheese are all banished on account of the processing they go through. But while vino and vodka are no go, beer gets a thumbs up. Nonetheless, the daily menus prove surprisingly appetising with toast and jam for breakfast with tea or coffee, potato frittata with rice and bean salad for lunch, and pork cassoulet with mustard, honey and cinnamon served with green salad for dinner. Room for dessert? How about sweet pancakes with jam, honey, tahini and chocolate sauce. Yum. After Atkins and the Palm
Beach Diet, could this be the next fad to hit Tinseltown? Unlikely – we presume bathtubs full of Evian are out. Sophie von Oswald
3 FOODIE FESTS
The North is the place to be for food festivals in the coming months, says Julie Alpine
1 LEEDS FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL, 8-12 AUGUST
Put off the diet for another few days – according to the Which? Good Food Guide 2007, Leeds is the fifth best UK city for eating out. This five-day culinary celebration will showcase all aspects of the city’s vibrant food culture, with cooking demonstrations by Saturday Kitchen host James Martin (pictured), Ready Steady Cook regular Brian Turner and Michelin-starred Raymond Blanc. www.leedsfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk
2 FOODIES AT THE FESTIVAL, EDINBURGH, 18 & 19 AUGUST
The Edinburgh Festival’s first ever dedicated food event launches at the Roxburghe and George hotels. The city’s three Michelin-starred restaurants – The Kitchin, Number One at the Balmoral hotel and Restaurant Martin Wishart (pictured) – will all be represented. There’s also a whisky connoisseur lounge for those who enjoy a wee dram or three. www.foodiesfestival.com
3 YORK FESTIVAL OF FOOD AND DRINK, 21-30 SEPTEMBER
Highlights of this free, ten-day event include wine tastings, music at the new Twilight Market and Beer Marquee, Yorkshire tasting menus at some of the city’s finest restaurants and a Ghurka Curry Night. Here the Queen’s 2nd Ghurkha Signal regiment will be setting up a field kitchen in the medieval Guildhall to serve authentic Nepalese Ghurkha curries. www.yorkfoodfestival.com
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