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British Food Fortnight starts today (September 18) and will run through to Sunday October 1. The 20th annual celebration of the diverse and delicious food produce here in Great Britain is set to be the biggest yet, with communities and organisations across the country taking part.
New Covent Garden Market is an official partner of British Food Fortnight, which is organised by Love British Food. We’ll be marking the fortnight in the market and also making as much noise as possible about the fantastic seasonal fresh produce that our traders have available right now. Look out for coverage in the national press and follow our twitter (@marketfood), Instagram (marketfood) and facebook (New Covent Garden Market) feeds to find out more.
If you’re reading this and you’re not a customer of the market or you live in another part of the country, there are literally hundreds of activities taking place across the land, in all types of establishments. Here are just a few examples:
- There will be fun activities, foodie lessons and special menus in hundreds of schools, to teach youngsters about the food grown on their doorstep. School catering managers are creating British Food Fortnight menus and the Local Authority Catering Association is supporting that effort at a national level.
- Pubs, restaurants and major foodservice outlets will be promoting British Food Fortnight on their menus – check out your local venues. Other catering venues, in places as diverse as the Houses of Parliament, British Army canteens, universities, hospitals, HM Prisons and farm shop cafes are also taking part (traders at NCGM supply every one of those sectors).
- They also supply several NHS Trusts and some of them are organising British Food Fortnight menus too. The chair of the Hospital Food Review, Phil Shelley, is encouraging NHS catering managers to celebrate British food in staff and visitor areas, as well as on patient menus.
- The University Caterers Organisation has also encouraged its members to create special menus using British ingredients and to highlight British food on student menus and to educate more young people about healthy British food.
- There will be a series of British Food Fortnight promotions, meet the producer events and tastings in shops and markets around the country.
- Hundreds of care homes are taking part and British Food Fortnight is a perennial favourite of elderly residents. Special menus and activities are planned and the National Association of Care Catering is encouraging operators to embrace the celebration.
- Communities in villages, market towns and large cities are coming together to celebrate their own local foods during the fortnight and to mark the traditional harvest festival period.
- Festivals including Thame Food Festival in Oxfordshire, Ginger and Spice Festival in Shropshire and Abergavenny Food Festival in Wales will be joyfully promoting local and national food.
Love British Food will be communicating throughout British Food Fortnight through its social channels – follow @lovebritishfood on twitter and facebook and lovebritish.food on Instagram for up-to-date announcements.
If you’re a retailer or a caterer and you want to join in, visit NCGM or contact a supplier through the trader directory on this website.
Most importantly, eat as much nutritious, seasonal and sustainable British fresh produce as you can.
And have fun!
