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This blog will be about what I hear and what I do in the food and wine world. You'll find local foodie updates and some more personal stories of my culinary adventures. A little self indulgent at times? Perhaps. But I want to share my passion for the region and its food and for local and regional small producers, good restaurants and shops wherever I travel to.

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food festivals, food tourism, farm shops

Posted by Anne Benson on October 22, 2008 11:48 PM

The year just seems to be galloping away.

Food Festival season is nearly behind us. After going to the incredibly successful launch event for the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival in Sefton Park, I headed down to Abergavenny.

First for a conference on Food Tourism where there representatives from all the UK, Jersey and even Tasmania.

It is a difficult one to pin down but the feeling was there that there are foodies who will travel to eat (and I am sure Northcote in Lancashire will be experiencing that now that Harden's has just named it the best in Britain). But otherwise food is an integral part of your tourism experience.

Have a bad experience and you can put you off coming back or recommending it to anyone else. Have good experiences and that makes the whole trip more enjoyable. People are also asking more and more for local delicacies when they go away. (www.abergavennyfoodfestival.co.uk)

Then I stayed to spend a day at the Abergavenny Food Festival (which is the one that inspired me to think we could do it in Wirral). It was strange to be at a festival where I didn't know everyone but I bumped into a few other food writers and friends and we were soon sitting in the sun munching on antipasti and feeling like we could be in the Mediterranean. I then had to come back so I could go along to the Hope Street Feast.

Work is still hectic and I am working to help promote a new Farm Shop set up north west entrepreneur Martin Ainscough, near Parbold in Lancashire.

(www.ainscoughs.co.uk)

But I am looking forward to getting my first break for two years and I am off for a long weekend in Lyons, with other food lovers, to experience as much as we can in a short time including lunch at Bocusse and a trip to a vineyard.

liverpool food and drink festival; quinces

Posted by Anne Benson on September 7, 2008 10:42 PM

Following the fantastic success of the Wirral Food and Drink Festival, we move onto the next one. This is food festival season, perhaps mainly because this is the season of the traditional harvest festival.
So in a week or so I am off to Abergavenny to a food tourism conference which I hope will give me some ideas on how to shout more about our food offering
We are acknowledged as one of the best areas in the country for our produce but still suffer from some of those annoying stereotypes about the region. (If I have to hear one more car tyre joke I might kill someone).
What I am looking forward to next weekend is the launch event of the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival. This is going to be a fantastic chance to try some of the best food available from some of the top restaurants in the city region. www.liverpoolfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk
This weekend I had a fascinating visit to Norton Priory to see the national collection of Quince and Medlar trees for an article I am writing.
They are holding open events in October for apple days and quince days and it is an amazing place to visit at the back of an industrial park in Runcorn. Beautiful gardens and really interesting displays.


wirral food and drink festival; liverpool food and drink festival

Posted by Anne Benson on August 26, 2008 5:16 PM

My feet are aching and I am absolutely exhausted but it has all been worth it yet again as we have had another incredibly successful Wirral Food and Drink Festival.
The figures show around 26,000 people coming through the gates which is tremendous.
We had a downpour Friday night which was predicted but volunteers spent Saturday and early Sunday morning running round getting straw down as much as possible
After that except for a little shower we were truly blessed again with the sun shining down.
There was a great atmosphere and a lot of eating, drinking and shopping done. The beer tent was sold out by the end.
Our new producers' demonstration area, sponsored by Wirral Farmers' Market, worked well and thanks to Kim Hughes from Citytalk for compering on the Sunday.
As usual the chef's demo area was very popular and the demo by Elena from Transylvania went down a storm.
I have put some pictures up on our Facebook account (Wirral Food and Drink Festival) and we will be getting more. If you have any pictures it would be great if you would like to add any of your pictures from the festival to it.
It is a big thank you to everyone who helped to make it possible and the list is endless, the volunteers who do this for nothing year after year can never have enough praise.
We have also gone international with a mention in the Siubu Standard in Romania, thanks to our visiting Transylvanian chef Elena!
There a minority who are annoying those who complain or try to get out of paying a small £5 parking fee which goes to support the sustainability of the festival and keeping it free entry and to the Wirral Lions charity, which do so much for the community. And those that think dumping their litter for the volunteers to clear up is acceptable. Especially the person who thought bringing a McDonald's drink onto the site was in anyway acceptable!
But they are only a minority and I could go on for hours about the event as it is a wonderful two days full of my favourite things. The calves were adorable, the children's area had a load of great activities. The wine and cheese bar went down well and the hog roast was amazing.
Again a big thanks to all the volunteers including my friends from Birmingham who came all the way to help out and to the RABI, http://www.rabi.org.uk/, which helped with equipment and support.
Now we can look forward to the next event the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival in September! www.liverpoolfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk


garrett's restaurant, people's choice cheese awards

Posted by Anne Benson on August 13, 2008 10:36 PM

Went to the opening of the new Garrett's Restaurant in Bebington on Monday. Yes, Garrett's already existed but their expansion into next door is in a different world. From a tiny kitchen and a 30-seater restaurant there is now a wine bar, stylish restaurant, baby grand piano and a kitchen on view for customers. It is open more often now and you can pop in for a quick bite, Sunday lunch or just chill out with friends.
Paul Askew of The London Carriage Works and Marc Wilkinson, from Fraiche, were among those at the opening.
Tomorrow I am at the People's Choice Cheese Awards, at Thornton Hall Hotel. This is one of the events in the run up to the Wirral Food and Drink Festival, which I can't believe is only about a week and a half away. There are still some tickets available and for only £7.50 there are 19 cheeses to taste and judge for your favourite as well as excellent wines from Tanners Wine Merchants to sample.
There will also be chef's demonstrations and talks on cheese and wine pairing. Visit www.wirralfoodfestival.co.uk for more information.

wirral farmers market; wirral food and drink festival

Posted by Anne Benson on July 17, 2008 10:41 PM

It has been a hectic time yet again, but as we head into what passes for summer nowadays the foodie events just start stacking up.
At Wirral Farmers' Market we celebrated our eighth birthday; I can't believe we have made it to eight years. It only seems like yesterday that the first market was held with just 12 producers and now we have 35 with more outside in the summer and have won two national awards.
It really is a testament to the people behind the market, all the volunteers who make sure that every month we have a fantastic event.
I have done some video filming of the market but haven't quite worked out how to upload it yet, so bear with me.
We did have a special cake created by Mary Walton of Mary's Cakes, which involved mascarpone, raspberries and a good dash of Amaretto.
Plans for Wirral Food and Drink Festival are galloping along. The 'Wacky Rhubarb Race' takes place on Sunday, July 27, at the Port Sunlight Village Festival, as part of the food festival.
Some places are still available for this event which will also raise money for Claire House Hospice. Dress up a wheelbarrow and take up the challenge to race around the specially built course clutching your sticks of rhubarb to win the prize. Visit www.wirralfoodfestival.co.uk for more details and entry forms.


Food Northwest Awards

Posted by Anne Benson on June 29, 2008 9:56 PM

Fraiche

Continue reading "Food Northwest Awards" »

FoodNorthWest awards

Posted by Anne Benson on June 19, 2008 9:43 AM

Wirral Food and Drink Festival

Continue reading "FoodNorthWest awards" »

New Dish for Liverpool

Posted by Anne Benson on May 18, 2008 9:28 PM

the final cook off!

Continue reading "New Dish for Liverpool" »

Strawberries in May!

Posted by Anne Benson on May 13, 2008 9:47 PM

Hang on Gordon just went out saying chefs using non-seasoanl food should be fined and there he is cooking up a desser t with strawberries in May!!!!!!

F word; New Dish

Posted by Anne Benson on May 13, 2008 9:44 PM

New dish for Liverpool - the battle is on

The F Word - what is that all about

Burgers on CityTalk

Continue reading "F word; New Dish" »