insideKENT Magazine Issue 30 - September 2014 | Page 57

FOOD+DRINK

#supportlocal
DURING BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT
20th September – 5th October

There’s no doubt that Brits are some of the most patriotic people in the world, and part of that
includes being proud of the wonderful food we produce right here on our home soil.
If you love British food, show your support from
20th September – 5th October during British
Food Fortnight. Here is a list of things (one for
each day of the fortnight) you can do to buy and
eat more healthily, more variedly and to discover
the diverse and delicious range of food that Britain
has to offer:
1. When you are shopping make a special
effort to seek out British food. Pause when
you select your food from the supermarket aisle.
Look at the label. Does it tell you where the food
has come from? Does it provide a description of
who produced it? And if it is imported is there a
British equivalent in-season? Visit
www.wanttobuybritish.co.uk to help you find
British food and drink near you.
2. Shop in local butchers, greengrocers, farm
shops and markets that source locally and
will be able to tell you a little about the person
who produced the food you are purchasing.
Remember, shopping for food warrants the same
amount of time as choosing that perfect DVD for
a night-in or the latest computer game.
3. Seek out food in season – look for, for
example, the English plum, marrow and
squashes, which are in-season during British
Food Fortnight.
4. When next in the pub, team up a local beer
with a local speciality for an authentic
experience that reflects the character of the
area where you live. Ask the pub staff to point
you to local food on their menu. Enterprise Inns,
Everards, Marston’s Pub Company, Mitchells &
Butlers, Orchid Pub Group, Punch Taverns and
Youngs all support the Fortnight so there will be
an abundance of good pub grub.

5. Think beyond the chicken nugget when
planning a family meal out. If there is not a
good children’s menu ask for children-sized
portions of the main menu.

Fortnight; visit a National Trust property – many
are organising food events; stay at a bed &
breakfast that uses locally sourced ingredients;
or shop in your local farmers’ market.

6. Explore food from different regions of
Britain as a fun way of experiencing our culture
and heritage. Though there is still much bland,
mass-produced food that belies little of the region
it has come from, organisations like the National
Trust and the Youth Hostel Association make a
special point of serving quality regionally distinct
produce from local producers.

11. Pick your own. What is better or healthier
than being able to enjoy fresh fruit selected and
picked by yourself? Search online for Kent fruit
farms near you or rummage in the hedgerows
for blackberries.

7. Ask the caterers who provide the food for
your staff, canteen or school restaurant if
they will consider serving distinctly British
produce. This could take the form of a special
seasonal section on the menu. Don’t take no for
an answer. More and more caterers are finding
that if they form long-term relationships with
suppliers and perhaps encourage small producers
to form co-operatives it is possible to serve quality
food in a mass catering environment.
8. Encourage teachers in your children’s
school to run food-related activities during
the Fortnight. All schools have been invited to
take part in the event and all have been provided
with the definitive guide to teaching children
about food within the national curriculum.
9. Cook a British meal for friends. Nothing
beats the old favourites like cottage pie or apple
crumble. Consider inviting friends round for a
British Food Fortnight feast. For recipe ideas,
visit www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/recipes
10. Planning a family outing? Visit the What’s
Happening pages on the Love British Food
website (www.lovebritishfood.co.uk) to find
out what’s going on during British Food

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12. Grow your own. Eating food you have grown
yourself – even if it is just a lettuce – is immensely
satisfying. Potatoes, herbs and carrots are easy
to grow and you do not need much space to do
so.
13. Celebrate the Harvest. British Food Fortnight
takes place at the time of Harvest Festival. You
do not need to be a regular churchgoer, or have
a particular faith, to take part in the celebration.
Contact your local church to find out what they
are organising.
14. Lastly, don’t forget the carrot! Britain has
wonderful speciality cheeses and meats and
delicious condiments but enormous pleasure
can also be gained by simply enjoying fresh, inseason vegetables.