Kokova Magazine

Running from 17th September to 2nd October and now in its tenth year, British Food Fortnight is the biggest national celebration of the diverse and delicious range of food that Britain produces.

Hundreds of shops, pubs and restaurants take part every year with special menus and promotions as do councils, markets, hospitals, tourism attractions, hotels and many more.

The event is also an established date on the school calendar with hundreds of schools using it as an opportunity to teach children about food.

What's New This Year?

The event's 10th Anniversary: this year celebrates 10 years of achievements: since the event started thousands of activities have taken place around the country.

More than 70 organisations now take part; over a thousand independent shops, many of the major supermarkets, nine of the largest food service organisations and eight major pub groups have run promotions; retailers report sales increases of 34% as a result; school meals are up 20 - 50% in participating schools.

The largest volunteer movement educating people about food has been founded; St Paul's Cathedral, St Pancras, Harrods, Wembley Stadium, Downing Street and The Archers are just a few of the famous establishments that have taken part; and media coverage about the event is seen or heard over 300 million times every year.

Vote for Britain's favourite food spot! To commemorate 10 years of British Food Fortnight the public is invited to vote for their top food spot in Britain.

Voting opens online in June and the winner will be announced at the start of this year's British Food Fortnight. Voting will be between the various English counties, Scotland, Wales and N.Ireland.

Will it be Cornwall with its wealth of small producers, London with its world class restaurants and famous food halls, Yorkshire, home of the Sunday roast and the famous rhubarb triangle or one of the many other wonderful food destinations in the UK?

Come on Britain, get voting!

Fun for all the family: look out for food festivals in more than half the English counties.

Events include O-a-budget cooking lessons in Sure Start Children's Centres; healthy eating activities in universities; a network of 9,000 volunteers, led by the BBC's Hairy Bikers, ready to help schools teach children how to cook; foraging walks, food trails and fungi forays; a harvest swap shop in St. Paul's Cathedral; food celebrations at St Pancras International train station.

Also look out for fruit and vegetable shows; wild night feasts; Union Jack coloured meal promotions; special meals in care homes for the elderly; plot to plate cooking demonstrations; meet the farmer events, school trips to farms and British menus for animals in the zoo!

Design a meal for an Olympic athlete: as a prelude to the event's Olympic activities next year, all schools in the UK are being invited to design the perfect meal to help athletes go for gold in 2012.

The winning school will receive a visit from a top Olympic athlete hoping to compete at London 2012.

They will give a talk to your pupils about their fitness and nutritional regime and what life is really like in an Olympic athletes village!

The competition is running during this year's British Food Fortnight and the winners will be announced at the beginning of 2012.

On the menu and shop-shelf this year: look forward tospecialmenus, tastings, meet-the-producer events and offers on British food galore.

Eight of the largest food service organisations, led by ARAMARK, six major pub groups, QHotels, all the chef associations and many others are putting British food on the menu during the event.

The public sector is supporting the event en masse with major hospitals, school catering services and even the Cabinet Office taking part.

On the high street, hundreds of shops will be flying the Union Jack for British food; and politicians will be reminded to put their funding where their mouths are with British Food Fortnight promotions at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.

Count down to the Olympics: this year's event signifies the countdown to 2012 when the dates of British Food Fortnight will change, for one year only, to run at the same time as the London Olympics (27 July to 12 August).

The aim is to stage the biggest showcase of British food the world has ever seen.

The organisers are using this year's event to rally every shop, pub and restaurant in the country to start planning Love British Food promotions now, so they are ready when the world arrives in Britain next year.

Plans are afoot for Family Feasts, a very special 2012 school competition and Olympic foodie celebrations in some of the most deprived areas of Britain - all part of the London 2012 Festival.

Why Is The Event So Particularly Exciting This Year?

Commenting on the event's 10th Anniversary, organiser Alexia Robinson says:

British Food Fortnight started when the countryside was in the grip of Foot and Mouth. The aim was to reinvigorate Harvest Festival - the idea of everyone coming together to celebrate the produce of our land; and to make us more like the French and the Italians whose love of their regional foods is ingrained in their national consciousness. 10 years on it is the biggest, and only, food umbrella uniting everyone in the country.

This year's event takes place against the backdrop of a sluggish economy. There is a real danger that British food will drop off menus to be replaced by cheaper imports offering higher margins and price promotions will make British food less competitive on shop shelves. Pennies are tight but as we enjoy this very patriotic era with the Royal Wedding, Diamond Jubilee and Olympics, we call on everyone to fly the Union Jack for Britain on your plates as well as on your bunting!

What resources Are Available For People To Take Part?

The even's website is a one-stop-shop for consumers, retailers, caterers and schools wanting to enjoy British food.

The site includes a 'Supermarket Watch' monitoring what British food is being sold in the big stores, search facilities to find pubs and restaurants serving British food and your nearest farm shop or market, a Teacher Zone and advice on planning promotions for the Olympics.

Plus Love British Food posters, stickers and all the resources people need to take part in British Food Fortnight.

British Food Fortnight is sponsored by ARAMARK and is supported by a large family of over 70 organisations led by 3663, Brakes, Mitchells & Butlers, QHotels, Quality British Turkey and Sodexo.

To find out how you can take part, order resources and sign up for monthly updates on the latest British food news, see www.lovebritishfood.co.uk