What's New

22 May Learning for Life's Fundraising Dinner

A gourmet feast with drinks and entertainment at the accalimed Cafe Spice Namaste.  Read more ....

21 May Ransome’s Dock Restaurant

Join Master Chef Martin Lam for his Spring Winemaker Dinner.

Australia's Tahbilk winery certainly justifies the title 'iconic': Founded in 1860, owned by the Purbrick family since 1875, Tahbilk is the oldest winery in Victoria. The sub-region – Nagambie Lakes- within the Goulburn Valley, also home to the Mitchelton winery, is 130 km due north of Melbourne. The Purbricks have made wine here for most of this time, including the celebrated Marsannes as well as great Shiraz & Cabernets. We are fortunate to have Hayley Purbrick as our host for the evening, where we will be looking at a range of Tahbilk wines including their famous ESP Cabernet.

For more information visit www.ransomesdock.co.uk

1 May Noma makes it a hat-trick with third consecutive year as the World’s Best Restaurant

The British contingent on the list also has plenty to celebrate with Dinner by Heston Blumenthal shooting straight in at no.9 to take the Highest New Entry award, sponsored by Les Concierges.  The Fat Duck remains in the running at no. 13, giving Heston two restaurants on the list for the first time whilst Brett Graham’s Notting Hill establishment, The Ledbury, which was last year’s Highest New Entry, rose a staggering 20 places to no. 14, taking the Highest Climber award, sponsored by Cacao Barry.

30 April  Red Tractor introduce Team RT

The Olympic Games is fast approaching, and to celebrate being an integral part of LOCOG’s Food Vision for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Red Tractor is launching Team Red Tractor (‘Team RT’). Team RT covers Red Tractor farmers, processors and packers, wholesalers and contract caterers that will feed the Olympic athletes, coaches, officials and millions of visitors to the event.

Team RT’s 7 champion farmers’ will be on a 5-day UK tour aimed at school children. The tour will educate local school children on how food is produced and how it makes its way to the 31 Olympic venues providing 14 million meals at the event under the Red Tractor scheme.   The farmers cover different sectors including; Dairy, Beef and Lamb, Poultry, Fresh Produce, Crops and Pigs.

Throughout the 31 competition venues, Red Tractor food will be served to around 23,900 athletes and team officials, 20,600 broadcasters and press and over 9 million visitors.

Red Tractor will be launching a Team RT microsite TeamRT.org.uk, and throughout the week will be uploading fun and interesting facts, educational resources for schools and daily activity posts and vox-pops via their social media platforms; Facebook ‘Red Tractor’ and Twitter ‘@RedTractorFood’.  Team RT is also showcasing industry experts to advise on various aspects of farming standards and food.

25 April Six Celebrity Chefs Swine And Dine At The Victoria

Paul Merrett, Paul Foster, Mark Poynton, William Curley (Fellow of The Master Chefs of Great Britain), Ross Pike and Madalene Bonvini Get Together To Celebrate The Pig. Read more ....

20 April Cafe Spice Namaste and Moving Venues

Café Spice Namaste, Cyrus and PervinTodiwala's celebrated pan-Indian restaurant in East London, has entered into a dynamic new partnership with award-winning events company Moving Venue.

The collaboration will offer private and corporate customers and all discriminating events planners the exemplary Indian cuisine for which Master Chef Cyrus Todiwala is renowned, combined with the excellent logistical expertise of Moving Venue, already the chosen supplier of over 50 prestigious and unique venues throughout the UK.

A reception at Café Spice Namaste on Wednesday, 19th April 2012, provided the platform to formally announce the partnership, with food including a range of tasting dishes served from a chaat station, assorted bowl food and dessert items.

Since the beginning of 2012, Café Spice Namaste and Moving Venue have jointly undertaken a number of successful events, most notably the first lunch of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh's Diamond Jubilee Tour in London last month.

Already on the menu is Cyrus Todiwala's dish served to Her Majesty at the Diamond Jubilee celebration, the 'Country Captain' - an Indian version of Shepherd's Pie.

For more information, contact Gina McAdam on 078796 48930 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Pervin Todiwala on 020 7488 9242 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Café Spice Namaste website - www.cafespice.co.uk

CAN YOU HELP?

20 April Pheonix Inspire

Many of you will know Mick Cooper and the inspired work he is carrying out in Bulgaria.

 He has contacted me to ask if any of our members can offer a work placement to one of the young people he is training at Children's Home in Novo Selo.

 Elvis is making great progress particularly when it comes to pastry and breads.  And Mick would like to give him the chance to develop his skills whilst on a placement in a hotel or restaurant for two months this summer.
As Elvis only speaks a little English he would need to be, if possible, in an establishment with at least one other Bulgarian working there.  As he is Bulgarian he does not need a visa and is due to return to school in September.

If you can help please email Mick on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Seafood Dine’n’Dem is more than about enjoying a 4 course meal. It includes 4 cookery demonstrations before each course is served and the opportunity to chat with a Master Chef of Great Britain.
There has been a lot of talk lately about sustainable fish and how to preserve endangered stocks such as cod, tuna and salmon. Championed by River Cottage founder Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, it has reached over 787,918 supporters so far!
Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey and Heston Blumenthal have all got behind it and put the UK at the forefront of the international battle for changing the practice of discards.
Small steps can make a big difference: changing our eating habits can persuade fishermen to keep stocks of other fish that otherwise would be thrown dead back in the sea.
We've designed a unique menu to prove that alternatives to popular fish can be tastier and more versatile. It is our way to support the campaign and spread the word.
For more information visit www.brianmellor.co.uk/about-harthill.html

4 April African Volcano Peri Peri, Inspired By Africa, Produced In Great Britain
Award-winning Master Chef of Great Britain, Grant Hawthorne, has launched his own-label African Volcano Peri Peri sauces and marinades here in the United Kingdom.
At present there are two lines: the Peri Peri marinade and the Peri Peri sauce. Cape Town-born and south Buckinghamshire resident Mr Hawthorne will be donating 30 pence from every bottle sold to the initiatives of Habitat for Humanity South Africa, to assist in their work, predominantly with the Youth Build.

Grant Hawthorne commented: 'I have wanted to bring the flavours and heat of Africa to these shores for many years. It is a recipe I learned from a Mozambique lady which I have modified and refined over the past 15 years.'

He comments further: 'As an expatriate of Cape Town, South Africa, I would love to be able to give something back to the people and land of my birth. Habitat for Humanity South Africa do remarkable work for those less fortunate and hopefully the sales of my products will go some way to addressing their needs.'

He continued: 'I have started with two premium lines: the marinade and the sauce. They're both medium in strength and the feedback I have received on samples sent out for survey have been phenomenal. For me, it is all about the flavour. Then the heat'

Grant Hawthorne has recently been working on further product lines to complement those he currently produces. These will be produced later in the year.

He comments further: 'The operation is small at present. However I hope to grow this over a period of time and will be setting up a stall at the Maltby Street food market in the next fortnight.'

For more information visit www.africanvolcano.com

For information about Habitat for Humanity South Africa, please contact: Sue Johnson This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

For information about Habitat for Humanity Great Britain, please contact: Maurice O'Connor mo' This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

3 April CPA’s 2012: Entries sought from restaurants.

Building on last year’s resounding success on the Community Partnership Awards, FDF is once again encouraging restaurants from across the country to submit entries this year.

The Community Partnership Awards celebrate the food and drink industry’s longstanding commitment to the community and natural environment by providing a showcase for the sector's widespread activities in corporate social responsibility.

Last year Elior UK restaurants were highly commended in the Environment Consumer category for devising the Pig Project – the Project involved using free range pigs from St Fagan’s farm as a key ingredient in many of its dishes. The judging panel found Elior’s Pig Project to be a good example of a small-scale sustainable food supply project.

The CPA’s are free to enter and are open to businesses up and down the food chain from farming right through to the Restaurants.

FDF Director of Communications, Terry Jones said: “The CPA’s are an important opportunity for us to recognise the positive impact businesses across the UK are making to their local communities and to the economy at large. We’re once again inviting restaurants from across the country to submit their entries not just so we can celebrate their efforts to support their local community, but to also rejoice in a sector we can be truly proud of”.

The closing date for entries is Friday 4 May.

For more information, please contact Nicki Hunt, Rebecca Wilhelm, Anna Taylor or Avni Raval on 020 7420 7132/31/40/18 

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry – the UK's largest manufacturing sector. For more information about FDF and the industry we represent visit: www.fdf.org.uk.

3 April Food Standards Agency launches the ‘Food Safety Squad’

Part of an FSA campaign to ensure all food sold, cooked and eaten during London 2012 is safe

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is leading work with a squad of environmental health officers to increase the focus on food safety in the run up to and during London 2012.   Extra hygiene inspections of food outlets aim to ensure that all food sold, cooked and eaten during the Games is safe.

The Food Safety Squad, comprising 10 members, is representing the many hundreds of environmental health officers across the UK also carrying out additional hygiene and safety inspections on food businesses in preparation for the Games.  Working in towns and cities hosting Olympic or Paralympic events, or Live sites (venues with big screens where events will be shown live), the Squad will be giving the inside track and showcasing the vital work they are doing to keep visitors to the Games safe and healthy. It is part of the FSA’s Play It Safe campaign, aiming to raise awareness of food safety among businesses and visitors before and during London 2012.

The focus of the campaign is on areas that are likely to experience a big influx of visitors, and on the expected increased number of outlets selling food during the Games period.  Food businesses that do not make the grade on inspections will be given one to one training to ensure they are aware of, and follow, food hygiene regulations. Tough enforcement action will follow where public health is put at risk.

Sarah Appleby, head of enforcement and local authority delivery at the Food Standards Agency commented:

“London 2012 is about celebrating everything that the UK has to offer and food is an important part of this. We have so much fantastic food to showcase to Games visitors, and we want food business owners to ensure that everything they sell is the best it can be. It will be an exceptionally busy time for a lot of these businesses, and the FSA is providing extra support and advice to make sure they are well prepared to meet the challenge.”

The Food Safety Squad and Play It Safe awareness campaign is operating alongside a variety of FSA measures to minimise the risk of food safety incidents occurring during London 2012. These include a food safety coaching programme for small businesses in Olympic areas that are in need of improvement; funding and training initiatives for local authorities in Olympic areas; and providing extra equipment for sampling and checks on cleaning for enforcement officers working on the ground in Olympic areas. The FSA is also working closely with LOCOG’s contract caterers within Olympic venues, and helping with sampling and checks on the food supply chain.

Ben Milligan, an environmental health officer from LB Tower Hamlets, said:

"From my regular conversations with food businesses around East London I know the Games are seen as a real opportunity in terms of business and profits. At the same time, having to serve more people than normal can create situations that don’t arise under normal circumstances, such as the need to produce and store lots of food in advance. I’m pleased to be part of the Food Safety Squad and am looking forward to working with my colleagues to provide the support these businesses need during the Olympic Games.”

Further information for food businesses and the general public will be available during the coming months on www.food.gov.uk/olympics and through a dedicated Twitter feed which will be launched in the coming weeks, @playitsafefood.

For further information please contact:

Beverley Cook

Food Standards Agency press office

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

020 7276 8888

Read more at archive 2 ...