British Food Fortnight

British Food Fortnight will be running this year from the 18th of September to the 3rd of October, for the 9th year in a row. British Food Fortnight is not quite like other food festivals - it’s not just about celebrating a particular region or area. It’s about uniting the whole of Britain and spreading the word from the Land’s End to the Outer Hebredies about what we’ve all got to to offer.

This year, for the fisrt time, British Food Fortnight have got their own poster boy in the form of North Yorkshire farmer, James Potter. Potter is described as having “a face full of charm, integrity and which exudes the outdoor life - a wonderful combination made even better by a huge smile”. This is what the fortnight is all about, celebrating real people in Britian at all levels of the food industry. It’s about celebrating things that aren’t celebrated, and educating us all about what goes on in our own country.

British Food Fortnight is also getting involved with schools. There will be a national food competition being help for secondary school pupils, who will be asked to design a meal inspired by food traditions from the area where their school is. The winning budding chefs will be asked to London to cook their meal for HRH the Duchess of Cornwall and The Hairy Bikers!

Other British Food Fortnight festivites include:

• The Hairy Bikers will be leading a troop of chefs, going around the country and visiting schools
• The National Trust will be hosting “Food Glorious Food” events, celebrating growing your own food, with “Plot to Plate” demonstrations
• More British food will be promoted in shops
• There will be events to show people how to eat well on a budget.

If you want to know what’s happening near you during British Food Fortnight, or if you want to get involved yourself, check out the British Food Fortnight website for more information.

Written by: Emily Boyd