Wedding breakfast inspiration

Are you spending the weekend planning for your ethical wedding this time next year?

Here's a little seasonal foodie inspiration for your eco friendly wedding menu:

'Tis the season for asparagus, globe artichokes, broad beans, spinach, beetroot, radishes, broccoli, peas, horseradish, runner beans, fennel, Cornish earlies, spring onions, lettuce, stawberries and cream, gooseberries, cherries, rhubarb, elderflowers, spring lamb, wood pigeon, line-caught sea bass, lobster, halibut, john dory, herring, plaice, lemon sole, crab, line-caught mackerel, pollack and sardines.

If you're not sure how to find someone to source and dish up a delicious seasonal feast then look no further than our directory of Caterers, Food and Drink.

Tuck in and enjoy a feast of locally grown seasonal British food!

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink , Inspiration

Real Food Festival

If you're in London this weekend and you love food, then the Real Food Festival at Earls Court is the place to be.

Raymond Blanc, Chef-Patron of Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons says, "In choosing our food we make a statement as to which consumer were are, whether we are responsible or not, ethical or not. We are now engaged in a process of reconnecting our food with our culture - and ethics will now drive our choice. Whether we are parent, employer, farmer, chef, industrialist etc each of us individually and collectively will have the responsibility to make better choices to create a better food chain. The Real Food Festival will definitely take us one step closer to discovering new and innovative propositions to our produce conundrums."

They promise incredible wines and drinks from small, unique producers, restaurants serving carefully sourced dishes and a comprehensive programme of entertaining and educational workshops where visitors will discover some of the best food and drink in the world…

And not only can you meet the people that reared the pigs, planted the carrots, milked the cows and crushed the grapes, you can taste their produce, learn about it, then buy it to take home.

So if you're wondering what seasonal food to serve your guests on your ethical wedding day, this is the place to start looking.

The Real Food Festival - 24th to 27th April, Earl's Court 1, London
See website for times.

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink , News

Seven green ways to personalise your wedding day - Day 5

CREATE
Your own cocktail as a post-ceremony drink. With the tastiest fruits being grown here in the UK, there's no excuse not to find one that suits your eco friendly wedding day. Combined with fruit juices from the countryside you should be able to design a sublime cocktail of your own. Seek out locally produced drinks like ginger beer, elderflower bubbly, pressed organic apple juice, raspberry lemonade and pear juices.

And just to get you going here are a couple of delicious cocktail recipes from Luscombes Organic Drinks who make the best drinks in Devon using only the freshest ingredients and leaving out all the nasties:

Elderflower Spritzer
Pop some ice and 75ml of white wine in a glass and top up with Luscombe Wild Elderflower Bubbly. Deliciously divine!

Countryside
In a glass, muddle together 12 sprigs of mint, 2 lime wedges and 12.5ml Sirop de Gomme. Top with crushed ice and pour over 50ml of Hendricks Gin. Top it all up with Luscombe Apple & Elderflower juice and stir. Cool and crisp.

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink , Inspiration

Is chicken on the menu?

The first episode of Hugh Fernleigh-Whittingstall's programme Chicken Run, which supports the River Cottage campaign to outlaw battery farmed chicken in the UK, airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4. Take time out to learn a bit more about this subject, which will be dear to your heart if you plan to throw a green and ethical wedding. Then click on the banner to put your name behind the campaign to get chickens out of the batteries and run free.

We have.

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink , News

Celebrate on Apple Day

What a brilliant idea for a wedding theme!

Throughout October, wherever apples are grown and loved round the world, communities celebrate their own apple day. In England its 21st October, and throwing a green wedding on, or around Apple Day will go a long way to demonstrating to your guests and the world that you are in tune with the countryside and the seasons.

Celebrate the wonderful variety of our apples which vary from region to region, even village to village in some cases. Have your wedding feast in the midst of an orchard, use apples in your floral decorations, drink apple juice, cider, cider brandy or have a warm apple punch to welcome your guests to the reception.

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink , Seasonal Celebrations

Organic Fortnight - Food

Yesterday we went to the Organic Food Festival in Bristol. What a great day! We took the train to Bristol and then a boat from Temple Meads Station ferried us right to the heart of the Festival at the Harbourside - such a civilised way to travel and so stress free.

There was much to see and do. We tasted our way round the whole site, sampled heaps of pampering products, listened to some great music and enjoyed a fashion show of organic clothing.

The Soil Association, which hosted the Organic Food Festival says that "Choosing organic is one simple way to help curb climate change, because organic farming typically uses 30% less energy than non-organic agriculture. Rather than using climate-change boosting artificial fertilisers, organic farmers build fertility naturally using plants like clover.

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink

There's still time to vote for your local food hero

UKTVfood says "There's been a resurgence of interest in local food traditions and commitment to quality - and with good reason. While modern farming methods, microwave meals, and food miles continue to cast a shadow, there's a growing band of dedicated people who care enough to make a difference on what we buy and how we eat. We're looking to support small-scale businesses that exhibit pride and passion for their craft. These are the unsung food heroes that don't compromise on quality in favour of making a fast buck on mass production lines."

So get voting! Tomorrow's the deadline and if you care about all those wonderful people who make delicious food, give them your support now.

Image: West Yeo Moor Farm Shop near South Molton, Devon

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink

What's in season?

If you're planning a green wedding at this time of the year you or your florist won't find it hard to source locally grown seasonal flowers that haven't been flown from the other side of the world. At Churchtown Farm on the Isles of Scilly they grow wonderfully scented pinks throughout the summer and autumn. Arrange them with other summer flowers like daisies, veronica, grasses, cornflowers, nigella seed pods and cosmos for a relaxed laid back affair like a picnic or country vintage theme like this one by Idyllic Days.

You'll be spoilt for choice with an abundance of local seasonal food. Courgettes, beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, wonderful cheeses and salad leaves, soft fruits like raspberries and strawberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants. Fish, especially local lobster, is at its best if the weather's good, but our small boats in Devon have had a hard time of it trying to get out this month because the weather's been too rough, so fish is in short supply at the moment. Get your caterer to source only the very best local and organic food.

Posted in Green Wedding Caterers, Food & Drink , Flowers