Tag Archives: Events
07 Jun |
Queen’s Official Birthday Celebrations |
We are living in historic times under the longest rule of any British monarch ever. As the Queen chalks up another year, she has entered the record books alongside other memorable rulers.
The record is held by Sobhuza II of Swaziland who reigned for 82 years for 1899-1982. Louis XIV of France had a good innings of 72 years from 1643-1715.The only living monarch who has ruled longer than the Queen is Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand who has been in charge for 69 years.
On the other end of the scale, if you think back to your history lessons, you should be able to remember the one fact drummed into schoolkids for generations: Lady Jane Grey was the shortest living monarch, reigning for a mere nine days!
Gloucester to Bristol
This month marks the Queen’s official birthday celebrations of her 90th birthday and the Southwest in particular has numerous events planned to celebrate. Gloucester has organised a street party in Kings Square on Saturday 11th June 2016. Lasting from 11am – 4pm, the city is hosting a range of festivities to which all residents of the city are invited. The emphasis is very much on family fun and there will be a range of free activities and entertainment including funfair style games, balloon modelling, face painting, a sand pit, arts and crafts workshops and lots more.
At 3pm on the same day, Gloucester Cathedral is hosting a Garden Party. The afternoon will feature a bespoke canape menu served in the Cloister Garth featuring local, home-grown British produce, as well as strawberries and a glass of champagne.
Cakes are very much on the menu too, with local children from Kingsholm Primary School taking part in ‘The Great Gloucester Cathedral Cake Competition’ to design a cake depicting their favourite part of the Cathedral.
IImjin Barracks in Innsworth is opening its doors to the public on Thursday 9 June 2016 with live music from military bands and a Spitfire fly past.
The historic Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester is open on Sunday 12 June 2016 where visitors can enjoy face painting, pony rides and a farmers’ market, with the event coinciding with the national street party taking place in London. Or pop over to Oxfordshire’s Blenheim Palace, where they will be hosting a special party featuring an array of food stalls.
Bristol Cathedral will mark the Queen’s official birthday with a week of celebrations, beginning on Saturday 11 June. Over 30 Cathedral flower arrangers have designed and created special flower installations, all on the theme of The Queen’s Birthday.
And on Sunday 12 June, the Cathedral will hold a special Choral Eucharist in celebration of the Queen’s birthday, complete with trumpeters, and followed by a slice of cake and the Royal Toast. Children are invited to attend the service in fancy dress, with the theme of Kings and Queens.
However you are celebrating the Queen’s official birthday this weekend, let’s hope for sunshine and for all those outside caterers, make sure your appliances are clean and in full working order. If not, simply call us here at AC Services (Southern).
31 May |
The Summer of Sport 2016 |
It’s only just over a week to wait until the summer of sport kicks off with the Euro 2016 football tournament on 10th June.
The next major global event is in August with the Rio Olympic Games.
As usual, the supermarkets have been the first to alert the expectant British public with point-of-sale displays popping up everywhere, with a glut of useless, but must-have paraphernalia to complement the beer and food deals.
Incidentally, for those collecting the Panini sticker book, it has been calculated that it would cost over £600 to fill an entire book and that’s without duplicates!
Euro 2016
For both England and Wales fans, the 2016 Euro tournament starts in earnest on Saturday 11th June at 5pm, when Wales take on the Slovakian team in Bordeaux followed by England battling it out in Marseille against Russia at 8pm. The crunch match will be 16th June in Lens, when the two home teams face each other. The final matches will take place on the 20th June. Will the outcome affect the voting outcome in the EU referendum a few days later? Only results will tell.
Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy are the men expected to do their duty alongside the more experienced Wayne Rooney, Theo Walcott and Joe Hart. Coach Roy Hodgson says “he is not afraid to give youngsters a chance” which is why he has included 18 year-old Rashford in the squad. Let’s hope he doesn’t have as much cause to regret it as Sven-Goran Eriksson did with Walcott, a decade ago.
Road to Rio
The tournament concludes on 10th July but for die-hard sports fans, the summer of sport continues with an extra treat. The Road to Rio is almost at its destination and 5th August sees the opening ceremony in Brazil for the 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad.
For lovers of statistics, a record number of countries are taking part in a record number of sports. Kosovo and South Sudan are competing for the first time and there are more than 10,500 athletes expected to turn up. Newly-introduced events include rugby sevens and golf, with the events spread across 33 venues in the host city Rio and at five venues in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília and Manaus.
Rio will go down in history as the first South American city to host the Summer Olympics and these are the first Games since 2000 to be held in the Southern Hemisphere.
The success of the infrastructure will only be seen when the athletes and visitors start arriving but a massive urban waterfront renovation project has been ongoing. This includes 430 miles of public networks for water supply, sanitation, drainage, electricity, gas and telecoms; 2.5 miles of tunnels; 43 miles of roads; and three new sanitation treatment plants.
It is hoped that historic civil disturbances, the Zika virus and Rio’s notorious gun crime history will not affect visitors’ enjoyment of the Games.
Join the Elite
All eyes as usual will be on the elite track athletes, with the viewers’ favourites including Mo Farah. Greg Rutherford, Jessica Ennis-Hill and the mighty Usain Bolt. Rowing, swimming and cycling are a good bet for the British contingent, after a mighty medal haul four years ago in London. Eton Dornay became a household name when GB’s rowers won four gold, two silver and three bronze and hopes are high for Rio. Between 2013 and 2017 the sport has received the biggest proportion of UK Sport funding, a whopping £32.6m.
If you are catering for the 2016 Summer of Sport, make sure your Rational ovens are serviced and maintained regularly before the events start. The engineers at AC Services (Southern) are always ready to come out and repair any undue mishaps but pre-emptive measures are highly recommended. An emergency call-out during a crucial England or Welsh penalty shoot-out may not be fully appreciated.
12 Apr |
Events Industry News |
According to a recent report issued by the Government, the UK is a world leader in the events industry.
Whether it is the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012, the Commonwealth Games, or other cultural and entertainment, such as exhibitions, trade fairs and other hospitality, the industry contributes billions to the UK economy.
The Government has announced that the UK’s events industry can play a significant part in helping increase exports by 2020, as part of the 2020 Export Drive.
There is no doubt that events are instrumental in enhancing the economy: the UK met a four year target to raise £11 billion worth of economic benefit from the 2012 Olympic Games in just one year through businesses securing new contracts, sales and foreign investment, generated by the London Games.
2016 Events
2016 offers a wealth of opportunities for catering companies, with the Queen’s Birthday top of the list of national celebrations this year, followed closely by the European Football competition and the Olympics.
The fact that major events are not being held within the UK is of no consequence: any good event planner will take advantage of the appeal of these events and provide a venue for people to gather and watch communally. Major international events mean more money spent in the local economy whilst the event is taking place.
But it is not just the larger events that count. There has been a growth in small and medium-sized public events with fewer people holidaying abroad, leading to an increase in spend on UK leisure such as festivals, more and more of which have popped up over the past few years.
As Melanie Woodward, Founder of Event Planning Blueprint says: “Moving away from off-the-shelf events, planners are looking to create more customised and experiential events for their clients. It’s all about connection and unique experiences in 2016 . . . pop culture continues to be in vogue and millennials that are entering the industry, are bringing fresh, new advancements for connection that go beyond technology and more towards inclusion and purpose driven events. But that also engages and excites event attendees at the push of a button.”
More Events, More Opportunities
People are becoming bolder with the types of events being staged: chefs are running their own pop-up restaurants and supper clubs; craft enthusiasts are holding weekend workshops; and it is now common for business leaders to stage their own conferences or training sessions.
For those in catering, the opportunities are there for the picking but they need to have the backing of reliable and trustworthy equipment. Catering en masse at a music festival, for example, or a corporate event will only be successful as long as the oven is working constantly and consistently.
If you want to plan for your event, then contact us at AC Services (Southern) and see how our company has helped numerous small, medium and large companies improve their output with products from the Rational range and ensured their equipment is well-maintained so their events went profitably.
Published Date: 12th April 2016
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Events, News
Tags: Events
29 Mar |
Run in the Footsteps of Champions |
Surprisingly for Wales, it rained and was windy on Saturday, but that didn’t dampen the spirit of all those who took part in the IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships to run in the footsteps of champions.
The world’s best runners, including top Ethiopians and Kenyans as well as Mo Farah, descended on Cardiff for the event, which proved exciting and tense.
Birmingham was the last British host for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2009. 2016 was the first time the UK has also hosted a public race at the same time as the elite runners reflecting the growth in the numbers now running this distance.
The race was won by last year’s winner Geoffrey Kamworor in a time of 59:10, setting a new course record, even though he suffered a fall at the start, while his team mate and compatriot Bedan Karoki finished second.
Britain’s Mo Farah delighted the crowd by finishing third. Prior to the race, Farah expressed his delight and anticipation of the event. “I’m really excited to be here. It’s part of my journey to Rio. I want to be here and I love the support of the home crowd – it makes a massive difference.”
The medal for Farah came in his first entry in the event, and was the first by a British man since 1993, when Carl Thackery took bronze in Brussels. For the Welsh contingency, Welshman Dewi Griffiths achieved a personal best of 1:04.10 and 27th place as well as finishing in the top three British finishers.
In the women’s race, Kenya stole the accolades with Peres Jepchirchir winning from Cynthia Limo and Mary Wacera in a time of one hour seven minutes and 31 seconds. Great Britain’s Alyson Dixon was the highest-placed home runner in 27th with a time of 1.12:57.
Over 16,000 registered runners took to the streets and enjoyed the warmth of the enduring support of the crowd. Tagged by the organisers as the opportunity to run in the footsteps of champions, the reality for some was simply to beat the conditions as ideas of personal bests got blown away across Cardiff Bay!
Runner’s Village
The events in Cardiff are not just about the runners. Catering is at its foremost, with a number of catering companies geared up to offer healthy meals tailored to the sporting elite. Diet is vital to athletes so spare a thought for those who ensure that the right ingredients and food combinations are available at all times to ensure that nutrition is suitable for the individual athlete’s exact requirements.
Equally for the non-elite runners while the build-up was all careful carbo loading the day before, once the race was run, it was surprising how many hot chocolates and cakes needed to be consumed across the city in cafes and coffee houses by runners and supporters alike.
Here at AC Services (Southern), we know from experience that the Rational range of ovens is one of the only appliances on the market that can cook variably, from grilling to steaming to roasting. In addition, it allows a variety of food to be served at the same time . . . no waiting, no cold food and no delays. Just what any runner, regardless of how fast they are, needs after they have run in the footsteps of champions.
15 Mar |
Hotel and Catering Show 2016 |
8-9 March saw The Hotel and Catering Show 2016 take place at Bournemouth International Centre.
Under new management this year with Hale Events, the Hotel and Catering Show featured a host of innovative products, food and drink product tastings, and the latest news from the industry.
Visitors came from far and wide: food service and hospitality staff, caterers, cafés, guest houses, hotels and restaurants to holiday parks, takeaways and pubs.
There was an excellent representation also from retail outlets including delicatessens, farm shops and supermarkets as well as tourist attractions, independent stores, and schools, colleges and hospitals. There was a plethora of events to keep everyone interested.
The Demo Kitchen was particularly well attended, with leading chefs serving up their favourite signature dishes and local produce on display at the Artisan Producers feature. However, watching the mixologists in action in the unambiguously named Liquid Hall was a treat for all.
The show was billed as a place where “the Southern hospitality community comes together to do business, network and learn” and it did not disappoint.
The Demo kitchen, sponsored by Menu Dorset and Flaming Peaches saw some big names mixed with up-and-coming culinary hopefuls. World of Zing founder Pritesh Mody demonstrated the allure of spices in a masterclass that paired them with game meat, whereas students from Bournemouth and Poole College demonstrated their larder skills and finished dishes.
Matt Davey, a Michelin award-winning chef whose clients include Madonna and Gordon Ramsay showed off his skills with the creation of street food from his 1950’s Citroen H-Van. And for the financially minded, David Marshall of Bournemouth University discussed the profitability potential of catering, with the calculations/numbers behind the menu, product procurement and menu development.
Liquid Hall
The Liquid Hall was impressive, offering the opportunity to discover new and exciting products, techniques, services and trends. Brand demonstrations at the Cocktail Bar in the Liquid Hall included tempting tasters from Freedom Beer, Maverick Drinks, Double Dutch and Cameron’s Tontine Milk Stout! Exhibitors at the Artisan Producers feature hailed from various producers and manufacturers from Dorset and Hampshire, bringing local flavour from some of the finest food and drink produced in the areas.
The Hotel and Catering Show 2016 in Bournemouth is one of the country’s most established hospitality events, displaying a range of features from regional food and beverage produce to catering equipment, technology providers and interiors. At AC Services, we are delighted to support a catering show taking place on the south coast, which proved popular with exhibitors and visitors alike.
Published Date: 15th March 2016
Category: Blog, Catering Business, News
Tags: Catering business, Events, Show report
08 Mar |
Hotelympia 2016 has Risen |
As the UK’s largest foodservice and hospitality event, Hotelympia 2016 has managed to excel once again in its four-day show which took place last week.
The event was a must for anyone involved not only in the food side of the catering industry but those involved in management, design and technology. And there was plenty to see, hear, taste and smell!
The show’s marketing promised to “deliver innovation and networking opportunities for exhibitors and visitors that can’t be found anywhere else on this scale” and from the feedback from both visitors and exhibitors alike, it did not disappoint.
One of the highlights of the four-day event was the International Salon Culinaire chef competition programme, incorporating over 80 classes in four categories of competition to showcase the skills and talent within the industry. The categories were Live Theatre, Skills Theatre, Senior Salon Display and Junior Salon Display. All threw up amazing talent and smorgesbord of innovative culinary ideas.
La Parade des Chefs
Two teams of chefs competed every day to create a three-course lunch for show attendees for up to 100 covers. Glass panels allowed the visitors to see the stars at work and on Monday, there was a special evening service prepared by two teams from the Culinary Ability Awards.
The Live Theatre offered some interesting concepts, such as Grab and Go Dough Ball Challenge, Hospital Chefs Team Event, the Tabasco Street Food Challenge 2016, Duo of Duck Dishes and the Master Chefs of Great Britain Challenge.
The Staff Canteen Live – Skillery involved some of the UK’s best chefs demonstrating their expertise, with the live cookery live streamed in real time direct onto The Staff Canteen YouTube channel.
In addition the seminars tackled topics that were relevant and topical such as the Benefit of Food Waste Recycling from ReFood, which collects plate scrapings, offcuts and spoilt produce from businesses nationwide, and by recycling, turns unwanted waste into renewable energy – enough to power 25,000 homes across the country.
There were also talks on landfill alternatives and anaerobic digestion. The Speciality and Health Pavilion was a huge attraction for anyone wanting more information and advice on recent allergen laws and increased knowledge on free-from foods.
Hotelympia 2016 was been rightfully heralded as “the destination event for chefs, hoteliers, restaurateurs, publicans and catering operators”. There are few exhibitions that offer such a range of issues, from catering equipment, drink products, food products including health, speciality and artisan products, waste solutions and services, hospitality career related products and services, to indoor and outdoor furniture and bathroom and spa products as well as hospitality technology solutions.
Here at AC Services (Southern) we are delighted to see Hotelympia 2016 providing a showcase for the catering industry to be truly proud.
Published Date: 8th March 2016
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Events, News
Tags: Catering business, Events, Show report
05 Jan |
Sporting and Events Calendar 2016 |
We have now entered another year and being an even number, we can look forward to a few major global sporting events. Firstly, congratulations to the first champion of the year, Gary Anderson who won the PDC World Darts Championship at the weekend.
2016 sees the Olympics and Paralympics in Rio beginning on 5 August and concluding on 7 September. Although these Games may not be physically accessible as the last one for the majority of the British public, there are events closer to home such as the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix and the Indoor British Championships in Sheffield, both taking place in February. July sees the London Anniversary Games.
For football fans, Euro 2016 starts in France on 10 June, with England perhaps in the strongest position it has ever been to bring home some semblance of glory. Cricket’s summer series starts 19 May with test matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan and the T20 World Cup taking place in India.
Golf fans, watch out for the start of the Open, 14 July and the Ryder Cup, 30 Sept and over the summer, golf is being included in the Olympics for the first time.
For sailing fanatics, the ISAF World Cup event at Weymouth and Portland in June is expected to attract great attention, and tennis is well represented with Wimbledon in the summer and the Davis Cup, starting 4 March.
Events Calendar 2016
Date(s) Event Location
Jan 14-18 Cricket South Africa v England Johannesburg
Jan 16 Boxing David Haye v Mark de Mori O2 Arena, London
Jan 16-7 Football African Nations Championships Rwanda
Jan 18-3 Tennis Australian Open Melbourne
Feb 7 Gridiron Super Bowl Santa Clara, California
Feb 3-13 Cricket South Africa v England South Africa
Feb 6 Rugby Union Start of Six Nations UK
Feb 12-21 Multi-sports Winter Youth Olympics Lillehammer, Norway
Mar 2-6 Cycling World Track Championships London, UK
Mar 6 Mothers’ Day
Mar 11-Apr 3 Cricket ICC World Twenty20 India
Mar 15-18 Horse Racing Cheltenham Festival Cheltenham
Mar 25-28 Easter Weekend
Mar 27 Running IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Cardiff
Apr 7-10 Golf Masters Augusta, USA
Apr 9 Horse Racing Grand National Aintree, Liverpool
Apr 24 Marathon London Marathon London
May 2 Early May Bank Holiday
May 7 Horse Racing Kentucky Derby Louisville, Kentucky, US
May 8-12 Multi-sports Invictus Games Orlando, Florida, USA
May 18 Football Europa League Final Switzerland
May 21 Football FA Cup final Wembley Stadium, London
May 22-Jun 5 Tennis French Open Paris, France
May 28 Football Champions League Final Milan
May 30 Spring Bank Holiday
Jun 3-26 Football Copa América Centenario United States
Jun 10-Jul 10 Football Euro 2016 France
Jun 16-19 Golf US Open Pennsylvania
Jun 27-Jul 10 Tennis Wimbledon London, England
July 2-24 Cycling Tour de France France
July 14-17 Golf British Open Ayrshire, Scotland
July 28–31 Golf US PGA Baltusrol New Jersey
Aug 5-21 Multi-sports Summer Olympics Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Aug 21-28 Rowing World Rowing Championships Rotterdam
Aug 29 – Sep 11 Tennis US Open New York, USA
Aug 29 Summer Bank Holiday
Sep 7-18 Multi-sports Paralympic Games Rio, Brazil
Sep 30-Oct 2 Golf Ryder Cup Minnesota
Oct 1 AFL Grand Final Melbourne, Australia
Oct 9-16 Cycling UCI Road World Championships Doha, Qatar
So from the events calender 2016, it is going to be a busy year for sport and with them opportunities for the catering trade to lay on themed events on top of the all the local celebrations across the South West of England and South Wales.
Published Date: 5th January 2016
Category: Blog, Catering Business, Events, News
Tags: Events
01 Dec |
Ready for Christmas? |
It’s begun. The countdown to Christmas starts today with the first window of advent calendars around the country opened and consumed.
Or perhaps you are one of the lucky ones who have an advent calendar filled with expensive cosmetics from some of the more affluent stores, which is the current trend amongst the girls.
So it’s time to start thinking about food. It’s not just about buying an uber-sized turkey or getting the nut roast out of the freezer, there is so much more to prepare and cook for the week long traditional eating fest. Think of the vegetables: brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, carrots, cabbage and not forgetting those all-important roast potatoes. Then there’s the stuffing, sausages and pigs in blankets.
The bird or its equivalent for vegetarians, vegans and pescetarians takes pride of place then you have to think of the pudding. Traditional Christmas pudding with brandy sauce and dollops of custard, or trifle, profiteroles or anything else that makes you so uncomfortable that breathing becomes a chore.
It’s All in the Timing
Whatever amount of food you have, the planning and timing of the cooking process is vital. There isn’t a household in the country that hasn’t faced the nightmare of cold, overcooked or undercooked food at Christmas at some point. And that’s where a good oven comes into its own. For commercial caterers, pubs, restaurants and hotels, it is essential that the kitchen has a reputable and reliable oven, such as the range from Rational Ovens.
Here at AC Services (Southern) we recommend the Rational range for its reliability, reputation, performance and maintenance support network. Over the years and in thousands of locations, Rational ovens have proved their resilience and reliability, as well as their cost efficiency.
Rational ovens are one of the best professional kitchen cooking appliances on the market today. Rational ovens can be pre-programmed to perform almost any combination of cooking methods, including roasting, grilling, frying and broiling. What could be better for a Christmas banquet?
The manufacturer has a long-term relationship with AC Services as an approved partner, with numerous maintenance and service packages available to suit any budget across South West England and South Wales.
In addition, we supply all the assistance you need to service and maintain your oven, from Rational Grill Cleaner, Rational Rinse Aid, Rational Oven Cleaning Tablets for the SCC (SelfCooking Center®) range and for those with Care Control, Rational Care Control Tablets and accessories.
So enjoy the countdown to the big day and if you have a Rational oven, make sure it is in working order and has been recently serviced. If it’s not been serviced recently, then call us now and we can talk you through the options available on 01454 322 222 to make sure the Christmas season goes ahead without drama.
Published Date: 1st December 2015
Category: Blog, Catering Business, News, Ovens, Rational, White Efficiency
Tags: Events, Ovens, Rational Ovens, SelfCookingCenter®, whitefficiency®
10 Nov |
World War One Remembered |
This week sees Remembrance Services and parades throughout the country as we remember the fallen in the wars. In particular, World War One is receiving special attention as these next three years mark the centenary of the event, from 1914 to 1918.
World War One was a horrific war that spread as far as China involving servicemen from Asia, North America, the Caribbean, Australasia and Africa. Although events are occurring around the South West to commemorate the war, there are some facts that may still come as a surprise.
Did you know that 12M letters were delivered to the front every week and it only took two days for a letter from Britain to reach the front in France? By the end of the war, 2B letters and 114M parcels were delivered.
And World War One was responsible for the birth of plastic surgery. Shrapnel caused so many horrendous injuries that surgeon Harold Gillies pioneered early techniques of facial reconstruction. Also blood banks were developed during WW1 when the British Army began the routine use of blood transfusion in treating wounded soldiers.
Current South West World War One Events
Around the country, events are taking place, including the CBA South West Home Front Legacy Day School in Taunton taking place on 14th November. Located at the Museum of Somerset, Taunton Castle, the event records First World War sites in the UK. The CBA is inviting people to this day school to find out how to use the recording toolkit and online app to get actively involved with the Home Front Legacy 1914–18 project. The day will involve course delivery, presentations, multimedia and practical demonstrations.
Knightshayes Court in Tiverton Devon is hosting an exhibition entitled Knightshayes at War: The untold story 1915-1918, which closes on 15 November. The exhibition shows the story of the estate during the First World War, when the house was given over as a VAD hospital from 1915-1918.
Stroud in the First World War: Technology and Innovation is taking place up to 29 November in the Museum in the Park Stroud , Gloucestershire, where the story of how World War One drove technology and innovation in the Stroud District is told.
Cirencester is playing host to the Women’s Farm and Garden Association’s Women’s National Land Service Corps – Centenary project. The organisation was founded in 1899 and at the outbreak of the First World War, an off-shoot was formed, The Women’s National Land Service Corps. Over 20,000 women registered in the early years of the war, and it was later developed into the first Women’s Land Army.
Finally, if it’s your thing, get down to the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset where the exhibition, Warhorse to Horsepower is on until May 2019. This exhibition will “form the cornerstone of The Tank Museum’s commemorations of the conflict that changed the world.” The exhibition is showing the original vehicles and model horses.
06 Oct |
Forest Showcase Food and Drink Festival |
The Speech House Hotel, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, was the venue for the 15th Forest Showcase Food and Drink Festival.
This annual event is a celebration of food, music and art embracing over 100 local and artisan producers, accompanied by a host of other activities.
On the food side it brings together traditional and new producers of cheese, cider, wine, honey, bread, ice cream and pork products as well as the more exotic floral jellies and biltong.
Cookery lessons, hot and cold food, real ale and wine, children’s activities and live music filled the air after the event was opened by TV presenter, Greg Wallace.
Nutty Menu
One of the main areas of interest at the Forest Showcase was the chef demo area featuring great local chefs. Breakfast began with Lawrence Jeffries from Gloucestershire College curing salmon ready for cooking and hot smoking salmon, using a Kamodo Joe Japanese charcoal oven with Forest of Dean charcoal.
And for nut fanatics, Harts Barn Cookery School explored the indigenous Forest of Dean nuts, from cobnuts, to walnuts and chestnuts and used them for recipes that included delicious cobnut flatbreads, forest mushroom tart with walnut pastry and apricot/chestnut/aduki bean balls with a blackberry dressing.
Resilient Future
There was also great excitement at the new feature from the Resilience Centre, the Resilient Futures Marquee. Visitors experienced speaker sessions, demonstrations, discussions and short films that highlighted how people are gearing up en masse to take action now and for the future, while still respecting the environment.
The talks included community renewable energy and woodlands resilience, with a wealth of local knowledge involved in the resilience movements, including the Forest of Dean Beekeepers, Hands Off Our Forest, Frack Off Our Forest, plus others. You can sense the common theme!
The Forest of Dean itself was heavily represented, with local organisations participating in the day’s events. From A Wild Life With Animals, which involved a two-hour expedition deep into the woods to the Forest of Dean Entrepreneurs group helping new and start-up businesses. But there was also a multicultural presence as well in the food area, with Persian, Indian and Mexican aromas enticing the crowds.
The windmill, a home-made mobile wind power generator, created by Robin Larkham, created huge interest. Connected to an apple scratter, (used in cider-making) it proves that you sometimes just need a modicum of imagination and a whole lot of belief to be an inventor!
The event was well attended and visitors were clearly satisfied with their day out in Gloucestershire’s Forest Showcase. And for those who may have previously had trouble interpreting Forest of Dean menus, such as, “Stinking Bishop & Pear Tart with Pinnacle Ale, Pulled Venison with a dark Over the Hill followed by Jolly Jester Beer Ice cream” it suddenly made a lot more sense after the show!
Much like AC Services understands the technologies behind Rational ovens and keeps them working for caterers and food producers alike.
Published Date: 6th October 2015
Category: Catering Business, Events
Tags: Events, Food producers