That's Entertainment News: Recession? Let's fix it with a laugh!

That's Entertainment News: Recession? Let's fix it with a laugh!: Michael McIntyre tops the poll as the UK’s most popular lunch guest. As news headlines continue to be dominated by doom and gloom recessio...

Red Tractor to pull gold for the Olympics

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.

Next week, commencing 30th April, Red Tractor is introducing Team RT’s 7 champion farmers in 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. Across the London 2012 Games LOCOG estimate that the athletes and visitors will eat;

• 25,000 loaves of bread, 31 tonnes of poultry items
• More than 100 tonnes of meat
• 75,000 litres of milk, 21 tonnes of cheese
• More than 330 tonnes of fruit and vegetables, and 232 tonnes of potatoes
Richard Cattell, Head of Marketing and Communications at Red Tractor Assurance, the UK’s leading quality food assurance mark, said: “We are extremely proud to be part of the largest peace-time catering operation in the world. We want to increase national awareness of Red Tractor farmers and establish a food legacy which helps to educate children so that they understand where their food comes from.”

Lee Woodger, Head of Food Chain Unit at the NFU said: “The eyes of the world are on our athletes and our farmers. This is an important milestone for Red Tractor and the perfect time to showcase the hard work that UK farmers, growers, food service operators and retailers put into delivering quality food under the Red Tractor scheme all year round. We hope businesses and consumers will support and purchase Red Tractor food as we embrace sustainable catering standards for the future.”

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. (Please see notes to editors for expert details).

For the public attending one of the many events or watching it from the comfort of their home, it’s good to know the Olympic organisers have committed to sourcing quality food with strict standards of production from farm to venue under the Red Tractor Scheme. This means that athletes and visitors alike will be consuming good food that guarantees food safety, quality and traceability.

11bn worth of food is produced under the Red Tractor scheme every year and is available in supermarkets, restaurants, cafes as well as schools, hospitals and defence sites across the UK.
For more information please visit www.redtractor.org.uk.

Ethical Food Firm Redwood Sponsors Europe's Biggest Veggie Event

Award-winning ethical food firm The Redwood Wholefood Company is sponsoring VegfestUK Bristol, Europe’s biggest veggie event. This outdoor eco-friendly festival with admission FREE to the public takes place from 25th-27th May and is expected to attract crowds of up to 15,000 people.

Redwood, the main sponsor of the festival, will be giving away thousands of free tasters of its veggie and vegan foods throughout the event, as well as selling its range at discounted prices. There will also be a Redwood pop-up takeaway, with delicious gourmet meat-free hotdogs, burgers, Cornish-style pasties, sausage rolls and much more on sale.

New lines making an appearance in the South-West for the first time include Redwood’s fabulous new gourmet fish-free ‘fish’ cakes and ‘fish’ steaks, delicious new vegan pizzas, tasty parmesan-style dairy-free ‘cheese’, delectable strawberry ‘Wot No Dairy’ desserts and mini ‘pork’ style sausages.

As well as cookery demos and ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ style competitions with local chefs, VegfestUK Bristol will also feature The Great Veggie Sausage and Burger competitions and kids cookery classes.

There will be a comedy hour each day, crazy golf and an acoustic stage with headline acts from Finley Quaye, Neville Staple of The Specials and Johnny Clarke.

“This is a perfect opportunity for everyone to come along, have a great day out and find out how delicious veggie and vegan food can be,” said Lee Rockingham of Redwood.

All Redwood foods are made from natural plant-based ingredients so free from animal products and derivatives as well as cholesterol, artificial colours/preservatives, lactose, hydrogenated fats and GMOs.

This makes them suitable not just for vegetarians and vegans, but also for people suffering from lactose or casein intolerance and anyone looking for a healthier and more ethical lifestyle. Redwood products are also kosher certified and the company itself is halal process certified.

According to The Ethical Company Organisation and The Good Shopping Guide, Redwood is the UK’s most ethical vegetarian foods firm. Find out more at www.redwoodfoods.co.uk. For details of VegFestUK Bristol, which takes place at the Amphitheatre and Waterfront Square, Harbourside, Bristol, visit www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk

Get Creative In The Kitchen With Gluten-Free Grains

Being gluten intolerant need not mean limiting your culinary creativity. Join Leiths this June for an inspiring one-day workshop designed to enhance your kitchen confidence and skills when cooking without wheat.

Adriana Rabinovich, Leiths Diploma graduate and author of 'The Gluten-free Cookbook for Kids', will be leading this informative and hands-on one day class. Drawing on her wealth of knowledge and experience in baking, Adriana has devised a selection of recipes, which make the most of a range of wheat-free flours offering diverse textures and tastes. Adriana will show that sticking to a gluten-free diet can in fact uncover a fulfilling feast of wholesome and tasty possibilities.

Focusing on the wealth of different gluten-free flours and grains available, this workshop will explore how to use these ingredients to maximum effect in your cooking.  With an emphasis on baking, the course will cover the different properties of non-wheat flours like teff, chickpea and sorghum, using them in creative ways to develop healthy and tasty gluten-free goodies, from a moist American corn bread to delicate little amaretti biscuits. This course is ideal for those seeking inspiring ways to enjoy a healthier gluten-free diet.

Sample recipes include: Teff Bread, American Style Corn Bread, Potato Gnocchi, Buckwheat Cheese Straws, Cecina (a savoury chickpea cake), Amaretti Biscuits and a Hazelnut Cake.

Creative Gluten Free Cooking Thursday 14th June 2012 10.00-4.00 Price: £165

FACTFILE:
Leiths School of Food and Wine is a genuinely first-class training school for chefs, attracting students of all ages from all over the world. With its dedicated teaching and friendly atmosphere, Leiths' guiding principle is to impart enthusiasm for the trade and instil a lasting love of good food and wine. This is not restricted to career cooks - many enthusiastic amateurs attend the varied programme of courses and diverse range of special events, from food and wine matching evenings to chocolate workshops and carving demonstrations.

For those with professional ambitions, the Leiths Diploma in Food and Wine is highly respected in the culinary world and can be achieved in three terms, starting in September of each year, or in two terms, starting in January.  Students learn menu planning, budgeting and wine appreciation and attend daily demonstrations and practical classes, as well as lectures by leading gastronomic celebrities, famous retailers and head chefs from leading hotels and restaurants.

Throughout the year, visits are organised and students get the chance to undertake work experience in leading London restaurants.  For those keen to learn the basic skills needed to become a confident, capable, efficient cook in just four weeks, the Leiths Essential Certificate takes place late summer every year, making it especially suitable as a summer course for amateur cooks at the start of a gap year.

Leiths excels on both the theoretical and the practical sides of cookery, benefiting from over 35 years' experience, whilst remaining fully abreast of contemporary techniques, styles and methods.  Leiths is run by Managing Director Camilla Schneideman and is owned by Sir Christopher Bland.

For further information please visit www.leiths.com

Get Barbecue Season Off To A Sizzling Start With Primula's NEW Limited Edition Burger Cheese

Primula, the uniquely squeezy cheese, is firing up for barbecue season and national barbecue week (28 May - 3 June 2012) with the launch of an exciting new burger cheese variety to add a touch of spice to their popular product range.

The new limited edition Primula Burger Cheese is destined to be this summer's taste sensation, with its refreshing combination of hot and tangy flavours.  It kicks up the heat with a hint of red peppers, chillies and dill to help add some zing to well-loved barbecue favourites this summer.

Primula Burger Cheese can be used instead of conventional cheese slices and easily squeezed onto burgers, sausages and steaks or used as a potato topping or for a spicy cheesy sauce, making it a versatile zesty addition to any summer barbecue or picnic treat.

Primula Burger Cheese is targeted at younger audiences, with a focus on summer dining, but will also appeal to Primula's existing loyal fans looking to spice up their favourite seasonal recipes.

Craig Brooks, Marketing Director for Primula said: "We're really excited about the launch of our new limited edition Burger Cheese in time for barbecue season, as well as for some of this summer's biggest celebrations, including the Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics in London.

"Primula Burger Cheese will help the nation celebrate the 'Best of British' by adding a spicy and versatile twist to any summer dining occasion. We're confident that it will offer a completely new taste sensation to existing Primula fans, as well as to those who simply love barbecues and burgers."

As with all the Primula range, the new Primula Burger Cheese contains more real cheese than any other leading brand and contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

The new Primula Burger Cheese must be kept refrigerated and stays fresh for up to 14 days after opening.  It's gluten free, suitable for vegetarians and is high in protein. A 25g squeeze of Primula Burger Cheese contains 12.5% of the recommended daily allowance of calcium, essential for healthy bones and teeth. Primula Burger Cheese is pasteurised, so is also suitable for mums to be.

Primula Burger Cheese tubes (100g) will be stocked in Sainsbury's and Morrisons stores nationwide from May, priced around £1.

               

For more information on Primula including a huge range of recipe and snack ideas please visit www.primula.co.uk or www.facebook.com/PrimulaCheese

Report: Carbonostics Democratising Product Lifecycle Assessment for Food Sector

Carbonostics is contributing to the growth of the product LCA market in Europe, which independent analyst firm reports will hit $103.3 million by 2015.

Carbonostics, the online product lifecycle assessment (pLCA) application for the food sector, participated in the latest report from independent analyst firm Verdantix, European Product LCA Market Forecast 2011-2015, published in March 2012.

The latest research from Verdantix reviews the barriers and drivers influencing the penetration of pLCA per industry to size, and forecast that the European market is set to reach $40.5 million in 2012 and more than double over the next three years hitting $103.3 million by 2015. The report takes into consideration software, implementation and support budgets while detailing spend in European countries including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. This research follows on from a previous report Smart Innovators: Product LCA Software that reviewed usage scenarios and solutions available on the market, which also included Carbonostics.

The research found that over the past three years, the choice of LCA tools on the market has increased with new entrants popularizing LCA. Furthermore, the report states that simplified interfaces designed for specific product categories or industries, such as food and beverage industry focused software Carbonostics, are supporting the uptake of LCA in new industries and for new usage scenarios by making LCA accessible to non-experts.

Carbonostics (cost + carbon + nutrition) was launched over three years ago and continues to be a pioneering force in food product sustainability with its triple-bottom-line approach. It delivers product lifecycle assessment, hot-spot screening and product portfolio analysis via an online tool that includes a built-in, comprehensive database with over 2500 emission factors relevant to the food industry.

“Carbonostics is driving the growth of product LCA applications and software in Europe and beyond by delivering a new approach to product sustainability and lifecycle assessment. Carbonostics is the fruit of our vision to build the bridge between science and practical world business needs in order to make LCA accessible to all companies in the food sector, whether big or small. Our goal is to equip all companies with accurate, intelligent, and actionable information with which to make strategic sustainability decisions,” Bluehorse president Sara Pax explains.

“We are proud that our commitment to bringing LCA to the business world is being recognised by the food industry as well as in this report,” she adds.

The Carbonostics tool is used by large and small food manufacturers and foodservice suppliers in order to reduce carbon, cost and waste, identify supply chain efficiencies, improve supplier relationships and support new product design and R&D.

Verdantix industry analyst Emily Beauchamp says, “In this report, we clearly see that the market for pLCA software provides an indication of the uptake of life cycle thinking in product development and supply chain management. This market evolution will lead new firms to adopt pLCA and encourage existing users to expand their use of this type of metric across their teams.”

To enquire about the European Product LCA Market Forecast 2011-2015 research from Verdantix, please visit www.verdantix.com.

To learn more about how Carbonostics is transforming businesses and products in the food sector, visit Carbonostics or reach us at contact@carbonostics.com or by calling +33/01.47.38.22.64 for France or at +1/312-565-9967 for the US.

Afternoon Tea. Are we being ripped off?

Afternoon tea in establishments including The Ritz and London’s Lanesborough have been slated recently by Which?, who have declared they are among Britain’s most expensive for consumers. 

Even the famous Betty’s Tea Rooms in Yorkshire charge in excess of £30.00 which seems a lot to many of us. So, do these higher end establishments serve a better afternoon tea than the typical town or country tea room?

Joe Ellis, the somewhat controversial reviewer of the Joe Ellis Tea Room Guide website thinks not. His passion is not for the ‘cuppa’ tea itself, but for the tea room: the ambience, the staff friendliness, and the attention to detail of both what is served and the environment. He is also sceptical of the need for Tea Guild endorsement.

There is no doubt that the high end establishments pay attention to detail; but sadly this may well be what we pay the high price for.

Ellis advocates supporting the more traditional tea rooms; painted pretty colours, with lace tablecloths and pretty china; and staff who get to know their customers.

Ellis says ‘ a posh hotel does not automatically make for a better afternoon tea experience; in fact you will be more sure of a hearty welcome and value for money at some of the beautiful little tea rooms around England, that I have visited’

Ellis goes on ‘I realise that many of these high end places have the Tea Guild accreditation, but they have to pay for this so-called privilege each year and this surely bumps up their costs before they start. I have been to many tea rooms including Miss Mollett’s High Class Tea Room in Appledore, the Mad Hatter Tea Room in Margate and Harriet’s of Peterborough where the experience you will receive will allow you a delicious afternoon tea in a friendly and cosy atmosphere.’

Statistics show that 15 traditional English tea rooms are closing down every week, and really need our support to keep going.

An afternoon tea should not need to cost the earth and all the time we keep on paying these extortionate costs, establishments will continue to charge us.

Ellis continues, I have been to Tea Guild establishments and to non Tea Guild establishments, and I can honestly say in many cases, the latter have provided a better experience overall: they may not have the choice in teas, but as the Tea Guild pointed out recently, it is about the handmade pastries as much as the tea itself’.

‘I really don’t think the Tea Guild are living in the real world these days; financial struggles of late determine where we spend our money, and we should be encouraged to support local businesses and enjoy a cost effective and enjoyable experience’.

Joe Ellis’ website is very popular and he receives good feedback on the tea rooms he visits daily. He is also editor of the Time for Tea magazine which can be subscribed to via the site at www.tea-room-guide.org.uk

(EDITOR: My wife and I had afternoon tea at one one London's most exclusive hotel tearooms. My wife's job involves inspecting hygiene standards at a large hospital. Her verdict on the tearoom? "Filthy, dirty and a food safety disaster waiting to happen." Needless to say, we will not be taking tea there again, any time soon.

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Graphics and Print - Proud Sponsors of the Heart of England fine foods Awards

For a number of years Graphics and Print, the award winning Telford based commercial printers have not only provided design and print for Heart of England fine foods but have also sponsored their annual awards evening. The 2012 Diamond Awards take place on Saturday 12 May at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, NEC and Graphics and Print are once again proud sponsors at this event.

Managing Director, Martin Kells, explains why the Telford-based printers are proud to be a part of these awards: “Graphics and Print started in Telford in 1980 as a small family-run business, and we know how important it is to have local support in order to succeed. Despite our rapid growth, we have managed to maintain a ‘family’ atmosphere during our growth journey, creating our own internal company community.

"This sense of valuing our people is expressed through our interaction with the wider society. We believe passionately at Graphics and Print in giving something back to our community. We have a strong commitment to the communities in which we operate, and we are one of the few print companies to make a commitment that every one of our employees will spend a minimum of two days per year, during work time, supporting the local community.

"This often involves helping disadvantaged people in having a better life. We are proud of the work that the Heart of England fine foods (HEFF) does as they look to support small to medium sized food businesses and whilst we aren’t a food business, we support this industry and understand the challenges which small and medium sized businesses face, being a small to medium sized business ourselves. We are therefore only too pleased to support HEFF as they support the same community that we do - Birmingham & the Black Country, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.”

Graphics and Print are dedicated towards establishing relationships with organisations in the local area to help strengthen the community infrastructure. They aim to use local suppliers where possible to help support neighbouring businesses, and encourage employees to actively get involved with charitable events across the region. Graphics and Print regularly offer work experience opportunities to nearby schools and colleges as well as the mentoring of university students who wish to pursue a career in print. They support staff participation in local or community-based charitable events through a staff-managed charitable fund. This can consist of paying for entry fees, matching sponsorship raised or indeed simply a donation.

Flavour Taster - May Bank Holiday Food Festival

The full programme of events for the inaugural Flavour Taster food festival has been confirmed. Taking place over May Bank Holiday weekend, from 4th – 7th May, at venues across Dumfries & Galloway in south west Scotland, Flavour Taster encourages people to discover the region’s artisan food and drink produce this spring.

Flavour Taster has been developed by Savour the Flavours to give visitors to Dumfries & Galloway a bite sized taste of popular autumn food festival Flavour Fortnight (25 Aug – 9 Sep 2012). Dumfries & Galloway is increasingly becoming known as an artisan food destination and the 39 events taking place during Flavour Taster will give visitors the opportunity to connect with local produce and the people who create it in a variety of ways.

Liz Ramsay, Project Manager of Savour the Flavours, said: “We're encouraging people to take a bite out of Dumfries & Galloway this May. Flavour Taster will help introduce foodies to Dumfries & Galloway and encourage visitors who are already here to discover the flavours of our region, and we hope it will encourage more visitors to return for longer breaks in the autumn to enjoy Flavour Fortnight. I’m thrilled that our local food businesses are supporting this new festival by hosting such a delicious range of quality experiences, each of which has local produce at its heart.”

Programme highlights include Lambing Live in Portpatrick where there’s a good chance of seeing a ewe giving birth as well as finding out about pedigree lamb and beef; a Spring Forage with Gourmet Wild Food Tasting menu with an experienced forager and wild food chef; a Harbour Festival in Annan; an introduction to fish with talks, demonstrations and cookery class at world renowned Penninghame House; a local food themed tapas at National Trust for Scotland’s Threave Gardens; workshops on confectionary making and artisan bread baking; Masterchef Masterclass a full day of training in a professional kitchen; an immersive farm tour and butchery day and a myriad of sampling and tasting opportunities, chef demonstrations, farmers' markets and special menus across south west Scotland.

Savour the Flavours is funded by LEADER and Dumfries & Galloway Council, and Dumfries & Galloway Council have provided extra funding for Flavour Taster through the South of Scotland Business Competitive Project, a new European funded project that supports local businesses and promotes economic growth.

For more information visit www.flavourfortnight.co.uk .