SFB members, Brian & Olivia, organised a Traditional Christmas Fayre at The ENT Shed on Castle Road on Saturday 13th December in aid of Marie Curie and the Primrose Appeal. Thank you to everyone who supported the event.
SFB convivium leader takes the SFB Orchard Project national
Published in November 14th, 2008
What started as a local, Bedford-based project to help our school children engage with their immediate environment and learn about a local heritage orchard is about to go national when Sue Miller 
(SFB convivium leader and UK Director) launches the project at The BBC Good Food Show in London 14th November.
On a national level, the project aims to create awareness of the UK’s heritage and community orchards and their fruit. Slow Food UK plans to bring communities togther by creating a series of maps plotting where you can find your nearest convivium, orchard and school to ensure that the knowledge of our heritage fruit is passed on to the next generation.
By recording where heritage trees exist it’s possible to identify where there is a need to re-establish forgotten varieties that are native to a particular region. So the first stage of the project is an invitation to visit the Slow Food UK website to record what you already know about your area. Once this information is gathered, Slow Food UK will work to protect existing heritage orchards and trees to ensure sustainability. They will work towards reintroducing local varieties to an area through a community orchard, school or garden which could result in the creation of new orchards to plant native varieties that may have been lost to a particular area.
Sue Miller says, “It is important to create awareness through education. Engaging the community, and especially children, is the key to bringing the importance of our food heritage to our homes. Through working with schools and young people we can reach families and connect them with our convivia and their local food heritage. Jamie Oliver has proved through his Ministry of Food initiative that there is a need to “pass it on” within the community and this has never been more poignant in the protection of our food heritage. ”
Bedford schools ‘create your own sausage’ competition
Published in November 14th, 2008
During Sausage Week, pupils from Redborne Upper School in Ampthill enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of Franklins farm in Thorncote Green near Sandy. The three finalists of Franklins’ School Sausage Week competition had a chance to try their hands at making a batch of sausages before their own recipes were cooked up and judged and a final winner awarded the terrific prize of a weekend cooking experience at Moggerhanger Park under head chef Jim Fitzgerald and a meal for two at the restaurant.
Jessica Malcolm’s recipe of pork sausages with red pepper, fresh basil and ground back pepper was selected by the judges. Says Jessica, “I can’t believe they picked my sausages, we had a chance to taste all of the recipes and I thought they were all delicious. I’m really looking forward to spending some time in the kitchen at Moggerhanger Park. I think it’ll be hard work but I can’t wait to have a go.”
- Competition winners photographed by Binky Nixon Photography.
Says John Franklin, owner of Franklins’ Farm, “I was exceedingly pleased with the whole competition. The three final recipes were outstanding, it was clear the contestants had really thought about what flavours would work well together and it was a very tough decision but Jessica’s recipe just tasted that bit more special.”