Kimbolton Food Festival

The first Kimbolton Food Festival is being held on Saturday, 26th April, at Mandeville Hall.   There will be 25 food stalls ranging from locally reared organic beef to rapeseed oil that is produced just outside Kimbolton. 

This will also be a fund-raising event for Puddleducks, a local state-funded pre-school, to help keep pre-school fees low in order to make pre-school education available to all members of the local community.

Details: Kimbolton Food Festival

Fairtrade fortnight: 25 Feb – 9 March

Just a reminder that 25th February – 9th March is Fairtrade Fortnight.  Bedford has many traders who offer fairtrade products.  Look out for the fairtrade sign to support many of the world’s producers who are still finding it very hard to make a living from their produce. Slow Food’s Foundation for Biodiversity is a supporter of producers worldwide.

Buying produce where you see the fairtrade sign or switching from your normal produce to Fairtrade maybe just a small change but it can make a big difference to those producers who strive to make a daily living from their produce. The attachment below details some great events going on in Bedford during Fairtrade Fortnight supported by The Bedford Borough Council.  And Bedford’s Thursday Gourmet Market has a regular fairtrade stall.

Details: Fairtrade fortnight events

Edible Ornamentals

Joanna Plumb from Edible Ornamentals was featured on the BBC business show Working Lunch (scroll to the ‘Hot Business’ story, halfway down page).

Her business was originally based at her family home at The Villa Nurseries where we had a fantastic event on 1 September. You may have seen her stall at local markets, such as the Christmas Castle Road event organised by buy-local.net.

Bedfordshire Festival of Food

Shuttleworth House is hosting a new event. On 5 & 6 April Bedfordshire Festival of Food aims to display anything and everything connected with food. It is an opportunity for local traders and artisans to promote their businesses. There will also be cooking demonstrations. The event is sponsored by Sainsburys and supported by Tastes of Bedfordshire and Discover Bedfordshire.

SFB will have a stall to promote ’slow food’ and the SFB Project 2008.
Details: Bedfordshire Festival of Food

Luton beer festival

This week (14-16 February) is the annual Luton Beer Festival.  As well as interesting beers, there will also be cider and perry.  And musical entertainment.

Details: 23rd Luton Beer festival

Ark of Taste event: Mersea bound

The boat trip to visit the oyster beds of Colchester was one of SFB’s most popular events of 2007. So, another trip has been arranged but with a bonus tasting and tour of the nearby Mersea Island’s vineyard.

Event details: Oyster Trip 2008

Rajokot’s indian tasting

Find out more about the culture and cuisine of Gujurat and Sam’s story – how he came to open his great restaurant.  This is a Slow Food Bedford event with a difference.  We’ll be taking over the restaurant for the evening of 22 February 2008.

Event details: Rajkot

Castle Road Christmas market

There is going to be a food market on Castle Road on 16 December.   This is the first event of its kind organised in Castle Road, so, please, support this initiative, if you are in the area. 

Details: Castle Road market

London’s first Slow Food Market at Southbank Centre

Between Thursday 20th and Sunday 23rd December, the Southbank Centre will host the first Slow Food Market in London. The market will be held outside the Royal Festival Hall on Southbank Centre Square and will feature more than 25 stalls.

Details: Southbank Market

Beer Festival: Bangers & Beer

The Devonshire Arms is hosting a Christmas beer festival  (20-23 December) , with a traditional selection of ales and ciders.   On the Saturday night (22 December, 6pm) Slow Food Bedford will be serving a small barbecue (bangers in buns) to raise funds for 2008 projects.

Event details: Bangers & Beer

Festival details: Beer Festival