Raise a Glass for the Wye Valley Brewery

posted by Geoff Andrews at Sunday, November 28, 2010

At the BBC's Food and Farming Awards last week, the Wye Valley Brewery, a family-owned brewery in Herefordshire, won the best drinks award. This was good news for all those who appreciate great beer and support sustainable local breweries. Made from local Herefordshire hops, using traditional production methods, their beer has been commended for its subtle flavours. My own favourite is Butty Bach. The Wye Valley Brewery embodies a strong sense of place and local identity, evident to anyone who has been in any of its four pubs: above all, The Barrels, in Hereford, the original site of the brewery.

The Clink

posted by Geoff Andrews at Sunday, November 14, 2010

Last week, along with Dan Saladino of the Food Programme, and chefs Mark Hix and Fergus Henderson, I visited The Clink, the acclaimed restaurant located in HMP High Down in Surrey. It is a very important initiative; the food is very good,and it is becoming an increasingly popular lunchtime venue, with tables fully booked until Christmas. It owes a lot to the inspiration of Alberto Crisci who, as well as bringing his own expertise to the kitchen, has harnessed the enthusiasm of a lot of people. We know that prisoners who take education classes are significantly less likely to re-offend, while initiatives like this provide important skills and training. Above all, for the inmates who cook the food and serve at the table, it raises their self-esteem. Let's hope similar projects can take off in other prisons.

Terra Madre - Diversity - Reciprocity - Fraternity

posted by Geoff Andrews at Friday, November 05, 2010

Terra Madre, Slow Food's biennial gathering of food producers, chefs, farmers,food activists and academics, had a particular theme for its 2010 edition, held at the end of October in Turin. This was the focus on indigenous communities. It was not merely a celebration of diversity, though in an increasingly homogeneous, market driven world of industrialised food, that in itself is important. Rather, through the stories of the Sami people, Scottish crofters, native Americans, maori communities from New Zealand and others, we heard about claims of recognition,the right to land, and the long battles for social justice.These communities, telling their stories in their own voices, argued the need to take power over local resources and to be able to shape their own economic futures; something denied to them under the new threats of unrestrained globalisation. These are also battles for food sovereignty, food security and to preserve biodiversity; these communities' ways of living and working are driven by traditional and sustainable methods of producing food. Rather, than seeing them as redundant, we should see them as resilient, reinforced by long-held artisan skill and knowledge. The purpose of Terra Madre seemed to be primarily one of solidarity. Carlo Petrini, in his opening speech to Terra Madre, talked of the importance of diversity, reciprocity and fraternity - the basis of 'virtuous globalisation'.

This week's Food Programme on Radio 4 followed some of these communities at Terra Madre, heard their stories and their exchange of experiences.