Food fair for Bridgnorth
Picking up on a county-wide trend, in August it’s Bridgnorth’s turn to host an annual food fair, which will take place on Sunday 25 August on the High Street. With over 30 traders offering food and drink including Thai, Asian, Spanish and Caribbean street food plus a wealth of local producers selling their food and drink, there will be something to whet everyone’s appetite.
Cosford food festival
The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will hold its first ever food festival over the last weekend in July. Featuring a bustling market of around 70 independent food and drink retailers, including local and award-winning brands, fresh and handmade products, the festival will also offer live talks and cooking demonstrations, including Shropshire-based Fiona Asson (‘FionaOnFish’), founder of the successful company Fish In A Box. Fiona will be running live demonstrations for visitors on both days, offering tips and advice on how to serve up the perfect fish dish. Award-winning chocolatier Julia Wenlock will be talking all things chocolate on Sunday 28. Tickets can be booked in advance via rafmuseum.org or call 01902 376200. Visitors to the food festival will also have access to the RAF Museum.
Awarding winning chef
Much Wenlock’s Raven Hotel and Restaurant is delighted to welcome Jason Hodnett as their new head chef. Previously of Albrighton Hall Hotel and the Saracens at Hadnall, award-winning Jason comes with a reputation for creating innovative, delicious food. Jason will be maintaining the existing high standards for fine dining and bar food, but diners can also look forward to a wealth of new flavours coming from The Raven’s kitchen!
Foodie delights at demo kitchen
The Heart of England Fine Foods (HEFF) kitchen at Shrewsbury’s Battlefield will play host to a number of demonstrations over the summer, starting with ‘Gluten free cooking’ on Friday 12 July with Sue Hinks. Then on Sunday 14 July shellfish fans can learn all the techniques to prepare dressed lobster, prawns, langoustine and squid on the ‘Summer shellfish’ course. For barbecuers there will be a demonstration of new ways to liven up barbecue cooking by HEFF Chef Danny Silcock on Friday 26 July – and children aren’t forgotten: on Wednesday 31 July, kids can attend a ‘Chocolate picture making’ session, where they will make a slab of chocolate into a picture – which they can take home and eat! Please call 01743 452818 to book.
Wood’s Brewery flies the flag for Shropshire
Wood’s Brewery of Craven Arms beat off strong competition at the HEFF Diamond Awards to take home the award for Best Alcoholic Drink in the Heart of England. The award was announced at the sixth annual awards dinner since HEFF was founded 15 years ago, and the very best food and drink producers from Shropshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, Birmingham and the Black Country were represented. Wood’s won the award for its Christmas Cracker, a seasonal strong dark ruby ale. Edward Wood said, “I’m delighted to win. This is tribute to all the team at Wood’s, especially our head brewer Paul Benson.” Other winners from the What’s What! local area included Sally and Jeremy Levell of Forest Pig Charcuterie in the Wyre Forest for the prepared meats award and Louis Barnett, of Chocolit, Bridgnorth in the bakery and confectionery category. The evening was hosted by BBC Midlands Today’s Joanne Malin.
Ever So British – bringing you fine food from across the region
Monday 1 July sees the launch of Ever So British, a new endeavour which brings together the very best fine food from top-quality producers from Shropshire and the region.
Ever So British offers an online cornucopia of delicious, hand-produced food – cheeses and chutneys; jams, cooking oils and dressings; hand-made pork pies and gourmet sausage rolls; locally-sourced smoked wild salmon and potted crab; luxury chocolate; pickled samphire; blended juices – and much, much more.
The new website is the brainchild of Neenton food enthusiast Kevin Edwards, who wanted to create an online marketplace to showcase local artisan producers whose hard work, honest endeavour and commitment to the highest standards combine to create flavours to captivate and excite every palate.
Visit My Deli Box at www.eversobritish.co.uk – delivery is FREE*!
Food Centre event celebrates British pigs
On Saturday July 202013, the second annual Festival of the Gloucester Old Spot Pig will take place at Ludlow Food Centre, celebrating the unique character of this cherished British breed. There will be workshops, cooking demos, competitions, and plenty of fun for children – and, of course, a hog roast to top all others. The evening will see a lavish post-event dinner, with a Gloucester Old Spot-themed three course meal cooked by head chef Damien McNamara.
There are also places available for a breakfast workshop, where visitors can enjoy a full breakfast and taste different varieties of coffee roasted on the premises, as well as Gloucester Old Spot bacon, sausage, black pudding and white pudding.
The nationally acclaimed Centre has spent nearly a decade breeding pedigree Gloucester Old Spot. The Centre’s butchery is one of the largest in the region and is managed by the multi-award winning John Brereton along with a team of apprentices and Britain’s Best Young Butcher 2012, Andrew Brassington.
John and his team cure and smoke their own hams and bacon, make at least a dozen different sausages each week. The pork’s distinctive flavour has seen the Centre taking the 2011 Best Sausage in the West Midlands prize as part of British Sausage Week, plus an award for their Beetroot Bacon at 2013’s Bacon Connoisseurs Week.
Tom Hunt, Ludlow Food Centre’s marketing manager, says, “We want to showcase the quality of British pork and, in our opinion, Gloucester Old Spot is the best… but most of all we want to create a great festival atmosphere.”
The Festival of The Gloucester Old Spot takes place July 20th. For tickets to the Breakfast Workshop or the Old Spot Dinner call 01584 856 000 or visit www.ludlowfoodcentre.co.uk
