Food revolution in Herefordshire
Rural Herefordshire is at the heart of a new food revolution aimed at transforming the county into one of the gourmet capitals of the world.
Herefordshire Council has launched a £150,000 campaign to join the planet’s gastronomical elite and claim entry into the prestigious Slow Food movement.
Founded in Italy in 1986, Slow Food boasts membership from some of the most famed regions in France, Italy and America. It was established as a reaction against fast food globalisation and the promotion of good local produce.
As part of Herefordshire’s bid a new annual food festival will be launched this year to showcase the rich diversity of local produce.
A ‘Producers’ Trail’ linking together the county’s finest bakers, butchers and independent retailers will also be launched.
The bid will be co-ordinated by a new full-time officer tasked with a two-year programme to secure entry into the Slow Food movement.
Jane Lewis, Cultural Services Manager, said: “These are exciting times for Herefordshire.
“The benefits of securing Slow Food status would be huge. It would well and truly put us on the world map - attracting more visitors and creating extra interest in the area.
“We’ve seen what Slow Food status has done for neighbouring Ludlow and we would like to follow in their footsteps.
“Herefordshire has had a long-standing association with agriculture, good local produce and cuisine. This initiative would build on that already well-established tradition.”
The county’s profile has already been raised through the Flavours of Herefordshire campaign, launched seven years ago.
As part of the Flavours of Herefordshire, colourful directories showcasing producers have been published annually.
Copies of the latest edition are now available for free by contacting (01432) 260621.
“The prospect of staging our own food festival will have wide appeal. Plans are already at an advanced stage. The venue is likely to be Ross-on-Wye and we need to confirm dates,” added Jane Lewis.
“The Flavours of Herefordshire has been praised as one of the best examples of how to preserve and develop distinctive, local flavour, and much of the ground work necessary for entry into the Slow Food movement has already been achieved through its success.”
Founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986, Slow Food is an international association that promotes food and wine culture, but also defends food and agricultural biodiversity worldwide.
It opposes the standardisation of taste, defends the need for consumer information, protects cultural identities tied to food and gastronomic traditions, safeguards foods and cultivation and processing techniques inherited from tradition and defend domestic and wild animal and vegetable species.
For more details on Herefordshire visit www.visitherefordshire.co.uk or for details on the Slow Food movement www.slowfood.com
