ACS

Highlights include:

• IS IT BRITISH? YES MINISTER!… more British food is going to be consumed through the catering sector over the next two weeks than ever before with eight of the largest food service organizations and six of the biggest pub groups all putting British food on the menu. And for the first time, the NHS, schools and many major Government departments are taking part including the Cabinet Office, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, the Department for Transport, the Department for Work & Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs, the Treasury, many NHS Trusts and school catering services.

• EAT YOUR WAY AROUND BRITAIN… more opportunities than ever for people to enjoy British food with food festivals in Horsham, Alnwick, Manchester, the East Midlands, South Somerset, York, Abergavenny, Liverpool and London’s Southbank Centre; grow-your-own competitions and a quest to find the quintessential British Banger; exhibitions on ‘The Story of Our Daily Bread’ and ‘From Rabbits to Rams, Longhorns to Leicester Longwools’; a giant picnic at Whipsnade and Apple Days at National Trust properties; and a Quorn Bacon Roll Day in Leicestershire and many more activities across the country.

• ROYAL REWARD FOR WINNING SCHOOL… hundreds of schools are inviting chefs into the classroom to give cooking lessons as they take up British Food Fortnight’s ‘Cook for Life’ Challenge, sponsored by Kenwood, to include food and cookery within their curriculum teaching during the Fortnight. 66 schools will be kitted out with class sets of Kenwood cooking equipment and the overall winner will be invited to put their new cooking skills into practice by preparing a sumptuous tea for HRH The Duchess of Cornwall with the help of one of London’s top chefs!

• LARGEST VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT EDUCATING CHILDREN ABOUT FOOD… organisations representing 9,000 chefs are on the starting blocks to go into schools during the event to teach children how to cook in what is now the largest volunteer movement educating children about food. This year they are joined by retailers who have been asked to donate food to schools for cooking lessons and to host school visits to teach children how to shop beyond the sweetie shelves.

• BUYING BRITISH DURING THE CREDIT CRUNCH… shop shelves will be bursting with British produce as retailers compete for the 34% sales increases the that the event generates. A mass of British food promotions are planned in Budgens, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Fenwicks, over 1,000 independents, farm shops and many major supermarkets. For top tips on eating British during the credit crunch see the website.

Alexia Robinson, organiser of British Food Fortnight, said: “Last year the nation’s affection for its national food promotion was summed up by a leading magazine that exclaimed ‘Long Live British Food Fortnight!’. The event’s fan base multiplies every year with more shops, pubs and restaurants running promotions and more schools using the celebrations as an opportunity to teach children about the delights of Britain’s produce. The whole country has rallied behind our sporting champions in the Olympics - what better way to salute our success than with a two week feast of our national fare? Let’s give a gold medal to British food during British Food Fortnight!”

For further information and details of specific events taking place across the
country visit www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk