A booming catering service, based in Bridport, Dorset, is backing a new campaign by celebrity chefs, the Hairy Bikers to rescue one of the country’s great culinary treasures – Meals on Wheels.
Food and Drink
Banquetting Stuffe
Three girls with a shared love of food, facts and fun are getting together to serve dates on a plate to raise funds for Bridport Museum. The History Girls: Emily Hicks, Bridport Museum Curator, Caroline Richards, National Trust Services Manager, Maya Pieris, Four Seasons Preserves will be cooking recipes from the collection of Sir Kenelm Digby, Knight, 1669 with contributions from John Evelyn and Hannah Wooley.
Vote for Dorset
Vote for your top food spot in Britain; voting is between the various English counties, Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland and Dorset is … Read more…
Cookery Workshops
Cookery workshops for people aged 50+ The workshops cost £7.50 each and start at 1.30pm. they are held at the Bridport Centre for Local Food, Unit 17, St Michael’s Trading Estate.
Cookery Competitions
GET COOKING FOR THE MELPLASH SHOW – A chance for all those that love cooking to get some local recognition!
For the aspiring chef there are two cookery competitions at this year’s Melplash Show that should not be missed. The Best Fish Pie, sponsored by the Riverside Restaurant in West Bay, and The Best Curry sponsored by Taj Mahal Restaurant in Bridport with Sea Spring Seeds, West Bexington . Not only will you get recognised for your cooking skills but there are some very generous prizes on offer which include dining in the restaurant … and even perhaps getting your recipe on the menu! The cost to enter each competition is £1 and the closing date is Friday 19th August.
Largest Ploughman’s
A Bridport bakery has taken part in a record attempt to create the Worlds Largest Ploughman’s.
The unique piece of food art, unveiled at the weekend’s Foodies Festival, included over 1 tonne of Seriously Strong cheddar and over 200 loaves of large white and granary bread from Leakers Bakery.
Chilli Festival
The Dorset Naga, born out of the county from which it takes its name, is one of the world’s hottest chillis, so where could be better to celebrate all things chilli than Dorset itself? This summer will see a fiesta of chilli oriented food, plants, condiments and lots more heating up Wimborne, in the park of the stunning National Trust property at Kingston Lacy on 13th and 14th August 2011
Worlds Largest Ploughmans
Leakers Bakery in Bridport is taking part in a record attempt to create the Worlds Largest Ploughmans on Friday 29th July.
Successful TV chef and food writer Paul Merrett is set to unveil the unique piece of food art that will include over 1 tonne of Seriously Strong cheddar and over 200 loaves of large white and granary bread from Leakers Bakery. This edible supersize food art structure, which will also be a Guinness World Record attempt, will be on display for one day only before it is dismantled and shared amongst spectators to enjoy for their lunch.
Cookery Workshops
Cookery workshops for the over 50’s Held at the Bridport Centre for Local Food, St Michael’s Trading Estate, start at 11.00am and cost £7.50/person.
Tally Ho! is Champion
TALLY Ho! is the toast of Palmers Brewery after winning the title of champion beer in a Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) contest.
The beer won gold in the old ale and strong mild category of the Champion Beer of Britain for London and the South East competition 2010/11. This means that Tally Ho! has reached the finals for the Winter Champion Beer of Britain. If it wins its class there, it will be up for supreme Champion beer of Britain, held in London, the following August 2012.
Dorset Seafood Festival
The Dorset Seafood Festival 2011 (9th & 10th July) is set to become the largest seafood festival in the UK with the support of a raft of high profile sponsors, a brigade of celebrity chefs and a dramatic increase in stallholders. Champagne Pommery will once again take the position of title sponsor with Condor Ferries as a leading sponsor. Other high profile sponsors include Ringwood Brewery, LloydsTSB, Wines of Chile, Weird Fish, Coast Seafood, Event Insurance Services, Fish Face, Seafish South West and Commercial Recycling. Confirmed media partners are the Dorset Echo, Dorset Magazine and Resort Magazine. South West Trains will also be providing discounted travel for small groups travelling to the event. The Dorset Seafood Festival is one of the highlights in Dorset’s social calendar, attracting 50,000 visitors in 2010 and is set in Weymouth’s beautiful, historical old working harbour.
The Eat is On
Mark Hix Among Festival Food Experts. Bridport is set once again to become a food lovers’ haven for a full week when the annual Food Festival launches on the 12th June. Food lovers from the local the area and beyond will visit the town to take part in a tempting range of delicious events for people of all ages. Organiser Amanda Streatfeild said: ““I’m delighted by the involvement and enthusiasm shown by the local community for the Festival, and this year there’s certainly plenty of great events to enjoy.”
Cookery Workshops
Cookery Workshops at Local Food Links where you can make friends whilst you learn new recipes and then take home samples of what you have made.
Sessions cost £7.50 and run from 2.00 – 3.30 pm on the dates below:
Everything Stops for Tea
Tickets are now available for Everything Stops For Tea – a fascinating insight into the history of that most British of occasions the Afternoon Tea. Though dismissed by some as archaic, the afternoon tea is still enjoyed widely today and in this fascinating talk Food Historian Maya Pieris will explore its popularity.
The Big Picnic
Transition Town Bridport in association with SW Dorset LETS will be holding a Big Picnic at the Bridport Community Orchard on Sunday 19th June between 12.00 and 3.00 pm. The event is free, and all comers are invited to bring their own picnic based as far as possible on locally sourced food.
Love Dining
There is a new dining experience in the area. Love Dining is an ‘occasional restaurant’ in the romantic surroundings of Symondsbury Manor. It will combine elegance and pleasure with an ethical approach: every menu will focus on seasonal ingredients sourced from local suppliers, prepared to bring out the qualities of our great Dorset food, served in a seventeenth century panelled room over the course of a leisurely evening. Love Dining’s inaugural meal will be Thursday May 26.
Celebration of Herbs
A celebration of herbs weekend is being put on by the Peasant Evolution Producers Co-operative on May 14th and 15th at Fivepenny Farm, Wootton Fitzpaine, Dorset
Herb walks to be held each morning from 11- 1 in the Dorset countryside looking at herbs which can be collected for medicinal and culinary use
Café @ Ann Day
Vintage Tea Ware & Jewellery Digital art Art Deco Tea ware Café takeaway 3 Hogshill Street Beaminster Dorset DT83AE Tel 01308861137
Escape to the Country
The BBC TV Programme Escape to the Country came to the Melplash Show last year and filmed in the Horticultural Tent, spending time … Read more…
Bridport Food Festival
The eighth Bridport Food Festival takes place this year from the 12-18 June when the town will host a full week of food themed treats including food film screenings at the town’s lively Electric Palace Cinema, a Festival Picnic with live music in Bridport’s much-loved community Orchard and the Food & Drink Lovers Question Time at the Bull Hotel with and expert panel including chef Mark Hix. The opportunity to visit local farms, sample special menus and learn about local food history at the Bridport Museum will also be on offer.
Cooking with Swagger
THE man hailed by food critics as one of the UK’s most talented seafood chefs has joined a picturesque West Dorset pub to head up a garden-inspired menu.
George Marsh, 31, who picked up a clutch of dining accolades during his six-year tenure at the Riverside Restaurant in West Bay, is now Head Chef at the New Inn, in Stoke Abbott. The 18th century thatched pub nestles in the heart of the picturesque village next to up-and-coming foodie haven, Beaminster.
Tally Ho is the Top of the Hops
Real ale aficionados have voted Palmers’ Tally Ho! as their favourite ale at a prestigious beer festival.
Members of the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) Woking branch picked Tally Ho! as Beer of the Festival, in the Old Ale/Strong Mild category. This strong, nutty, full strength dark beer (5.5% ABV) has built a cult following since it was first brewed for bottles in 1949. The oaky and roasted flavour, with its deep and distinctive taste, makes a characterful cask-conditioned beer.
New Food Group
A new food group had its inaugural meeting in Beach and Barnicott last Friday to promote local food. The group, set up by Transition Town Bridport, aims to encourage people to spend less on imported foods in supermarkets, and more on produce from within a few miles of Bridport. With Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Mat Follas providing national publicity for local self-sufficiency and ethical food production, there is clearly an increased awareness of where our food comes from and the need to cut down on air miles. With such a range of fantastic high quality and organic food grown nearby, it was felt that there was no excuse for not buying local whenever possible.
Cider Revival
The great Dorset cider revival continues with 20 “lost” varieties of apple found again by Powerstock Cider Festival organiser Nick Poole and renowned cider expert Liz Copas, author of A Somerset Pomona.
Here Nick and Liz talk about some of their most exciting discoveries and touch on some persisting mysteries.
Meet and Eat
Cookery workshops for the over 50’s at Bridport Centre for Local Food – Providing local food for local people. For further information email suzie.king@localfoodlinks.org.uk or telephone 01308 428924
Cuban Dinner Dance
Cuban Dinner Dance with bar and live 2 piece Cuban band on Saturday November 20th 2010 at Evershot Village Hall. Doors open 7.30pm
Apple Day
Apple Day! Bridport Community Orchard Group, is holding their next Apple Day on Saturday 23 October from 11am to 3pm. Come along … Read more…
Best in Dorset
2010 has certainly been a year of celebration for The Riverside Restaurant in West Bay. At the beginning of the year the Watson family celebrated 50 years at the Riverside, and now in September the Riverside team is celebrating being voted the best restaurant in Dorset at this year’s Taste of Dorset Awards.
Generations
Generations is a family friendly restaurant in East Street in Bridport. We offer healthy food at affordable prices for the whole family. … Read more…
Japanese Food
We cater quality Japanese food for a small party at unique venue in Chideock. The minimum number is four and typical price is £30 per head.