Blog
 |
Keep in touch with the Food Alliance Blog - sign up here Follow on Instagram here, Facebook here Here's where you can see what's happening for good local food in Herefordshire. From local food events, through farming to food waste - we use the Sustainable Food Places topics so you can see the things you're interested in at a glance. Click on each one for more information or scroll down the most recent. Contact us to tell us what's going on in your part of the County and sign the food charter to add your voice! |
Thanks to Ledbury Food Group for spreading the word...
"Congratulations to local producers whose efforts have been rewarded in this year’s Great Taste Awards.
Local to Ledbury” producers include:
- Willys from Little Marcle for their apple cider vinegars and Kimchi – 5 Awards
- Myrtle’s Kitchen for her Philpott’s Chilli Jam and BrineSalt, Lemon, Myrtle and Thyme Seasoning
- Just Rachel Deserts from the Hop Pocket for their Vegan Passion Fruit Ice Cream and Raspberry Sorbet
From the wider area of Herefordshire:
- Twigs and Dough for their special pasta
- White Heron for their British Cassis
- Oakchurch Farm Shop (A438 west of Hereford) – 7 awards including for steaks, pies and sorbet
- Gun Dog Gin for their fruit liquors – 2 awards
- Pip’s Cider for their ciders – 4 awards
- Hedonist Bakery for their bakery products – 3 awards
- Two Farmers for Woodland Mushroom and Wild Garlic Potato Crisps
- Broadfield Court Farm for their Whole Moo World milk – now available at vending machines in the county
- Woofys Brewery – 2 awards for ale and porter
- Black Mountain Roast for their Expresso Blend Coffee
- Wild by Nature for their Grass Fed Beef Snacking Salami
- Herefordshire Sauce for their Herefordsfire Sauce (stocked at the Nest)
And from just over the border in Worcestershire, McNeil’s Smokehouse have won a number of awards for their smoked fish products.
Go to https://greattasteawards.co.uk/results/ for more details and in many cases to links to stockists including local shops and farm shop outlets."
It's out of area but remote working and part time - hope it's useful
"Bristol Good Food 2030 Partnership Coordinator (job share)
Bristol Food Network (BFN) supports, informs and connects stakeholders across Bristol who have an interest in making our food system more sustainable, just and resilient. We are a Community Interest Company (CIC) and have been engaging and working with food systems stakeholders in the city for over a decade.
We have coordinated significant projects and campaigns including our current focus - Bristol Good Food 2030 - , Bristol’s Silver and Gold Sustainable Food Places Awards; the Bristol Independents campaign to support the local food economy and the annual Get Growing Trail which opens up community growing spaces across the city to the public.
Role Purpose
- To co-ordinate and support the Bristol Good Food 2030 Partnership of key actors who can deliver change in line with the 2024 Action Plans and 2030 Framework for Action.
- To develop and deliver projects owned by Bristol Food Network with the 2024 Action Plans and as agreed with BFN’s General Manager
Sometime today - or tomorrow, or this week (but soon!) take two minutes out of your day, have a cup of tea, sit back and take a look at this video.
It's hard to explain what an interconnected web of things looks like, why it's so important and why we shuold spend time connecting in this way.
But this video really helps.
It's why our picking and cooking days this Autumn are being run with at least 6 different partners and we're keeping them all informed about what each other is doing
It's why those picking days will lead into the Autumn feasts, which in turn will connect with over 30 producers.
It's why we are going for a Bronze Award to show that we are indeed a Sustainable Food Place here in Herefordshire.
We need connection and a voice now more than ever, for both our local and our global health. Please share this post and encourage people to stay connected with the Alliance.
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner events this Autumn. 100% Herefordshire, 100% River Friendly. Come for great food and to find out more about your county's produce!
Breakfast Was EPIC! More on the producers and the gorgeous food here!
Lunch at Open Arms in Kington was a blast! 
More on producers, films from the barn to watch again, punkin gnocci recipe here
The final feast at The Bookshop Restaurant, Hereford - the 14th November is now FULLY BOOKED
On Bank Holiday Monday HFA showcased some of the amazing people and organisations who are part of the Alliance in and around Herefordshire at the Indie Food Festival in Hereford. We took over the main stage in the afternoon for 10 minutes every hour to chat to some of the inspiring people who we are proud to work with.
Things kicked off with Emma Murray-Luo from the West Midlands Grain Network and the Land Workers' Alliance. Emma spoke passionately about the great work the network is doing to bring together farmers, millers and bakers that share a passion for transforming the region's grain system and advocate for local and heritage grains to preserve traditional farming practices and promote sustainable agriculture
Next up was Kitty Stainsby from Wye Organic who farms near Ross on Wye. Kitty runs a herd a Hereford cattle and a flock of easy care sheep and sells her Pasture for Life certified and Organic meat through a successful meat box. She explained all that she is doing to build soil, making sure that the cows eat a diverse mix of plants to ensure their health and advocating the nutritional and environmental benefits of eating less but better meat.
One month to go til the jewel month in the crown of Herefordshire. Archery - a Honey Show - Ukeleles - a BANQUET - Performing Arts - The month of the Apple will have plenty to bring it alive!
Hereford's AppleFest and its fringe festival will have events big and small, a history walk, trails, a banquet and much more. If you have an event in Herefordshire - they will host on their site. Get in touch.
Harvesttime with the Big Apple is also equally laden with low hanging and high fruity loveliness! over 30 events.
The Food Alliance picking and processing project has events too that we will feature everywhere we can, on the above sites and beyond! We'll be venturing into orchards that need picking and making the produce is used well for those that need it. Please join us!
**Updated times and info**
Please share these inclusive picking and cooking opportunities with everyone you know in Ledbury, Hereford and Llangarron (and beyond!) and help reduce food waste - and get people fed - in Herefordshire this Autumn.
Our picking and community cooking days will make sure surplus and unpicked food does not go to waste.
"Baker wanted.
We are looking for a team player to join us.
No early mornings
Afternoon and evening work
Learning to make and bake great Real Bread with the BIA Baker of the Year.
Free cruffins.
#bakeryjobs #bakerylife #realbread #hereford #worcester #malver
n #ledbury #bromyard #artisanbread #sourdough #sourdoughbaking"
Do you know your Local Plan from your Supplementary Planning Documents?
Can you match a policy document with what's good for Herefordshire food?
The Food Alliance has broad aims and members, and is a growing voice. We'd like to be able to respond more - maybe as a group or even just informed individuals - to the consultations on planning and other county-wide policy that affect how we produce and manage our food here in Herefordshire.
Help the whole county get recognised for its work to make great food happen here in Herefordshire.
This Herefordshire Food Alliance formed in January 2021, coming out of the Food Poverty Alliance and the Food and Tourism Partnership.
Soon after that we were able to become members of the Sustainable Food Places network - linking us to everything else going on nationwide to build great local food econoomies, supporting us with funding and meaning we can get more done locally.
The whole county has been really busy since - you can see from the blog! you can see from the blog!
Sustainable Ledbury present: Life on an Organic Dairy Farm with Alliance member Claire Howlett.
Please share this blog post and the post from our Instagram and encourage as many local people as possible to come!
Monday 21st August
6.30 p.m. in the Burgage Hall,
Church Lane, Ledbury
Plunkett’s Rural Community Business Awards returns for another year to recognise and celebrate the incredible achievements of community businesses and the dedicated individuals involved in them
Plunkett’s annual Rural Community Business Awards is back for another year to celebrate inspirational and outstanding examples of community-owned businesses and the dedicated people involved in them, who have gone above and beyond for their communities over the last year. As community businesses across the UK continue to step up to support their communities as we face a cost of living crisis, the Rural Community Business Awards are an opportunity to give recognition and thanks for their incredible efforts.
Find out here how you can nominate your community business or an individual involved in the business, in this year’s Rural Community Business Awards.
August Bank Holiday Weekend... Indie Food Fest in Hereford!
The Food Alliance will be popping up onstage with mini showcases of all the kids of work we all do in amongst great food and a variety of music.
Do you want to be part of the Food Alliance showcase? SHouting abou thte great, connected, nature-friendly and people-friendly stuff that's already happening and encouraging more to be part of it?
PLUS - do you know anyone passionate about good local sustainable food, AND great at bringing people out of themselves in front of a crowd? If so we have a JOB for you!
Please get in touch!
The FIRST EVER Marches Real Food & Farming Conference is on 15th and 16th September
"Together, we can create a regenerative and resilient food future here in the Marches"
Herefordshire Highlights:
- Herefordshire Farmers Ben Taylor Davies, Billy Lewis, Ben Andrews, Jo Hilditch plus more will be there,
- Pat and Lou of Growing Local will be part of the collective growing session chaired by Food Alliance coordinator Rebecca (FRIDAY 15th September 6.15pm)
Come and join our Growing Local educational team and help deliver our outdoor garden-based workshops and events. We are looking for inspiring and energetic people with a passion for growing and working with children, young people, families and adults.
Our exciting Growing Local Gardens project in South Wye is part of the Southside Project, one of fifteen trailblazing #StrongerHereford projects tranforming our city. From the Autumn of 2023 we will begin development our new Growing Local Gardens site creating a children educational garden, market gardens, orchards and picnic areas. We will initially need sessional staff to assist in youth and adult guided volunteer sessions to help develop the site, and from April 2024 to assist in our garden educational workshop programme for visitors of all ages.
My Food Community is a free programme open to anyone who is making good food happen in their community. It would be great to take advantage of this in Herefordshire...
"The My Food Community programme is an accelerated food leadership course that brings together masterclasses, learning and inspiration sessions to help you channel food solutions in your community. The course is designed as a personal development programme to support participants to build knowledge, connect with others who champion good food and develop leadership skills.
Hereford City Council will be hosting a day event and a banquet as their 'AppleFest' this year - and are also ready and waiting to sharew any apple events in Herefordshire on their AppleFest website.
Please get in touch with them and register any appley events, and we'll pin it to our blog too!
https://herefordcitycouncil.gov.uk/hereford-applefest/
We've come across this case study - A farm in East Ayrshire and East Ayrshire Council in a partnership to get local, organic packaging-free milk through vending machines to schools.
Do you know of anything similar here in Herefordshire? Any ideas or contacts for how to make this happen in our county? Vending machines are growing here so maybe it's time to talk to the schools and caterers...?
An invitation from Perry Walker:
Intensive Poultry Units (IPUs) in Herefordshire, discussion at De Koffie Pot, Hereford, Wednesday July 26th, 7.30 to 9.30pm
An incredibly controversial topic, with strong views for and against. Can we find a way forward that works for everyone? Come along and find out.
Contact Perry Walker
You can book here on this link
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/win-win-workout-on-intensive-poultry-units-tickets-681505500297
An early heads-up that Eaton Barn have a volunteer day on September 10th. Featuring an opportunity to get involved with the garden blitz and a celebration of all the growing and baking that's happened in their recent project.
They've also put a call out for volunteers:
"We need volunteer helpers on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Could you help our participants to take part in lots of different activities at Eaton Barn? An interest in gardening and/or outdoorsy skills is helpful, but it's your amazing people skills and ability to have fun and communicate well with our participants that is most important. Travel expenses are provided, plus the opportunity to be part of an amazing team and enjoy regular cakes! Message us, or contact our Volunteer Co-Ordinator
Thank you"
