Slow Food UK Slow Food is all about helping people think differently projects and events to reconnect people with where about food. It is an ethos, a way of life that encourages their food comes from, how and where it is produced us to maximise the enjoyment we take in eating and and the implications of the choices people make on sharing food, and promotes the consumption of the environment, biodiversity and health. sustainably sourced and locally produced food. By becoming members, individuals, students and Slow Food is a global, grassroots movement that families help support the Slow Food movement both links the pleasure of food with a commitment to in the UK and globally. community and the environment. A not-for-profit, member-supported association, Slow Food was created Slow Food UK also works with a number of in 1989 in Italy by Carlo Petrini to counter the rise of committed partners that support its’ educational fast food and fast life. To date, it counts over 100.000 and outreach programmes. Partners to date include: members in 150 countries around the world. A Team Foundation, Booths, Esmee Fairbairn, Formby Asparagus Fiat, Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation, Grana Padano, Its philosophy is best summed up in three words: Highland Park, Lavazza, Miele, Neal’s Yard Remedies, Good, clean and fair. Slow Food believes that the food Roddick Foundation, Sheepdrove Organic Farm. we eat should be fresh, taste good and be healthy; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not Slow Food UK actively participates in the Salone del harm the environment, animal welfare or people’s Gusto/Terra Madre events, taking place in Turin every health, and that small scale producers should receive two years. While Salone del Gusto brings small-scale fair compensation for their work. food producers from all over the world to showcase their products to the trade and the public; Terra Madre Slow Food was launched in the UK in 2009 to spread brings together those players in the food chain who the “Good, clean and fair” message and to raise together support sustainable agriculture, fishing, awareness about the sustainability and social justice and breeding with the goal of preserving taste and issues surrounding the food we eat. biodiversity Pershore Plum Working with around 50 local volunteer-led member Chair of Slow Food UK is Craig Sams, and CEO is groups across the country, a network of chefs and Catherine Gazzoli. artisan producers, Slow Food UK delivers educational 1 Food and Taste Education By reawakening the senses and understanding where Slow Food UK runs a number of educational food comes from, how it was produced and by whom, projects aiming to spread the Slow Food message people can learn to appreciate the cultural and social as widely as possible: importance of food. Slow Food UK education projects differ from most food education as they take into Slow Food Kids is a fun interactive experience for consideration all the different dimensions of food, children (4-11 yrs old) to experience all five senses such as culture and conviviality. and to explore and enjoy food. Family could not be more important to the Slow Food The Slow Food Kids’ Taste Adventure encourages movement, and as such, the majority of the education children to think about food as they journey through programmes are centred on this. five interactive zones, based on the five senses: taste, sight, touch, smell and hearing. Kids collect stamps Slow Food UK works to make food integral to the on their Slow Food Kids’ Taste Adventure passports family and to childhood, encouraging people to choose as they explore their senses and make new food nutritious food, from sustainable, local sources, and discoveries. which tastes great. It offers dedicated programmes across the country for new parents, children and Slow Food Kids is run by volunteers throughout students aiming to increase their awareness of what the UK, at food festivals, community events and food can offer, and is determined to educate the next school activities. generation on the delight to be found in a simple home cooked meal. In 2011, Slow Food Kids did nearly 40 Slow Food Slow Food Kids Kids’ Taste Adventures that ran across the UK, enjoyed by more than 13,000 children, from London to Edinburgh, from Belfast to Ipswich, including at some high profile events such as Jamie Oliver’s Big Feastival, the Royal Highland Show, Alex James presents Harvest and the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland. In 2012, Slow Food Kids has already reached 8,000 children across the UK and there are more programmes in the calendar for the rest of the year. 2 Slow Food on Campus is an inspiring and At present Slow Food UK is in talks with potential empowering student-led initiative which encourages partners to launch Slow Food Baby, an educational university and higher education students with an programme designed for parents and babies aged 9 appetite for influencing their local food systems both months to around 2 years. It aims at helping parents at their institution and within their local community - understand the role of taste in introducing first foods from food growing and production to how the food is to their babies. With increases in diet-related diseases, served. such as childhood diabetes and obesity, Slow Food UK is keen to help parents and carers gain the skills and Activities include raising awareness of the Slow confidence to make healthy decisions about what to Food ethos through events such as film screenings, feed children and make mealtimes fun. talks and debates; or practical pursuits like growing edible campus gardens or hosting farmer’s markets. Slow Food Baby has been designed as an interactive, Students are encouraged to connect with their multicultural workshop entitled Happy Eating: A community, from participating in community gardens Slow Food Family Approach to First Solid Foods and to meeting local producers, with support provided by Mealtimes. Trained facilitators deliver this workshop our network of local Slow Food groups. across the UK, in their local communities to small groups of parents and carers. The 90-minute Slow Food on Campus has expanded to 20 fully workshop helps families and carers to understand formed groups at Universities and Further Education how their own behaviour can encourage good food colleges across the UK, with 12 more in the pipeline. and mealtime experiences. Slow Food on Campus is supported by Grana Padano Slow Food Baby was piloted in 2011, with an initial and was given a seed funding from the University training for 12 facilitators delivering Slow Food Baby of Winchester and The Higher Education Funding workshops across the UK. Council for England. The SF UK team works on the project in partnership Slow Food on Campus Slow Food Kids and Slow Food on Campus are both with NCT, the UK’s leading charity for parents. supported by Grana Padano. 3 Slow Food UK Forgotten Foods The Forgotten Food’s aim is to catalogue, describe and draw public attention to exceptional food and ‘forgotten flavours’ from around the world which are in danger of disappearing due to current food production and distribution systems. Slow Food is committed to protecting traditional and sustainable quality foods, defending the biodiversity of cultivated and wild varieties as well as cultivation and processing methods. Through maintaining the diversity of regional food and agricultural traditions, the wisdom of local communities can be maintained to protect the ecosystems that surround them and offer sustainable prospects for the future. The Forgotten Foods has a British national commission that reviews nominations, consisting of exemplary individuals in the food world, who strongly embody the Slow Food ethos. Four British food talents are also involved in making sure the principles of the Ark are respected: Richard Corrigan of the much respected Bentley’s and Corrigan’s Mayfair restaurants; Neal’s Yard Dairy founder Randolph Hodgson; food & drink journalists Matthew Fort and Charles Campion. Slow Food UK launched the Forgotten Foods in the UK to spread the “Forgotten Foods” message to a wider audience and make artisan produce more widely assessable. Slow Food UK has joined forces with Booths Supermarkets to preserve and return forgotten specialities to their rightful place: on the shelves. Einkorn, an ancient wheat 4 Forgotten Foods There are currently 53 products in the UK Forgotten Foods spread across the South West, Jersey, Wales, East Anglia, the Midlands, and Scotland: Artisan Caerphilly Cheese Jersey Black Butter Saltcote Pippin Artisan Cheshire Cheese Jersey Ormer Shetland Black Potato Artisan Dorset Blue Vinny Cheese Kea Plum Shetland Cabbage Artisan Double Curd Lancashire Cheese Kentish Cobnuts Shetland Kye Artisan Red Leicester Cheese Large Black Pig Shropshire Prune Damson Artisan Single and Double Gloucester Cheese Lincoln Longwool Sheep Somerset Cider Brandy Artisan Somerset Cheddar Lyth Valley Damsons South Down Sheep Beremeal Manx Loaghtan Lamb Tamworth Pig Berkshire Pig Middle White Pig Three Counties Perry British Red Grouse Morecambe Bay Shrimps Traditionally Grown Hampshire Colchester Native Oysters Native Shetland Lamb Watercress Devon Red Ruby Beef North Ronaldsay Sheep Traditionally grown Jersey Royal Dittisham Ploughman Plum Old Gloucester Cattle Potatoes Einkorn Grain & Flour Oxford Sandy & Black Pig Traditionally made farmhouse ‘stilton’ Fal Oysters Peasemeal Welsh Pig Formby Asparagus Pershore Plums Windermere Char Gloucester Old Spot Pig Portland Lamb Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb Grimsby Smoked Haddock Reestit Mutton Herdwick Sheep Romney Salt Marsh Lamb 5 Samples of Forgotten Foods Formby Asparagus Three Counties Cider and Perry Middle White Pig Jersey Royal Potatoes Portland Lamb Einkorn, an ancient wheat Gloucester Old Spot Pig Artisan Single & Double Pershore Plum Morecombe Bay Potted Shrimp Gloucester Cheese 6 Slow Food UK Chef’s Alliance Slow Food UK has developed the Chef Alliance in September 2011 to engage British chefs in actively supporting the aims of Slow Food UK by championing small-scale producers, and good quality local and sustainably produced food.