Image by James Day

A special event was recently hosted by Michelin Chef  Andreas Antona celebrating the World’s finest beef, and raising awareness for grading British Beef.

Andreas is passionate about beef, and in particular considers Scottish the finest in the World. However he stresses, ”Beef is not all of equal quality and that makes it especially important for diners and chefs alike, to be able to identify the very best that is available.”

“British beef should be graded” the Midland’s leading entrepreneurial chef Andreas Antona told specially invited guests at Beef, his Kenilworth Steak House restaurant. “After all” he explained, “restaurants are graded by Michelin and the AA with stars and rosettes, so it only makes sense to do the same to the produce they serve.”

Guests were treated to a tour of the Master Butchers Aubrey Allen in Coventry, including their extensive ageing rooms, and a presentation on their unrivalled support from farmer to fork ensuring quality is paramount throughout the process.

Simon Smith of Aubrey Allen commented, “We are very proud of our relationships between some of the worlds’ finest Beef producers and the team at Beef who like us put animal welfare, consistency and quality first, our philosophy hasn’t changed since the company formed in 1933. Andreas has visited the wonderful producers up in the North East of Scotland with us to see first hand the natural environment that helps to produce the ‘champagne’ of beef for his customers to enjoy at Beef.”

At the lunch, hosted by Andreas, guests were able to sample and compare beef cuts from around the world, at the award-winning in Kenilworth restaurant, including USDA (US) Wagyu (Japan/Australia) and Scottish.

Andreas commented, “Everyone has a favourite cut, breed and method of cooking, but I like finest Scotch beef, aged for over 21 days, and cooked simply on our custom char-grill. There is a lot of misleading information in the public domain, and through events like this we aim to share our passion, knowledge and understanding with others, so we can support outstanding quality.

James Day of Midlands based Lifestyle Dining Club Gourmet-life.co.uk who helped organise the event added “to bring together such good quality ingredients, and experienced chefs who respect such ingredients, and who cook them to perfection is something that is worth celebrating. Andreas’ passion for quality beef is evident, and to share this with others was a real opportunity and a great success”

Louise and I were lucky enough to be invited to this event. It was so amazing and we learnt so much. We hope they do another one of these events soon!

By Jo of Jo’s Kitchen

on behalf of MFB

Michelin-starred chef, Glynn Purnell will host an exclusive evening with blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia on Monday March 5 at Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Edgbaston Stadium.

Cure Leukaemia continues its long standing partnership with Edgbaston to showcase an evening of culinary talent at the brand new Jaguar Suite. Glynn will be directing a live cooking event with assistance from Edgbaston head chef, Dave Hill along with Warwickshire’s Director of Cricket Ashley Giles (also a Cure Leukaemia Patron), Captain Jim Troughton and BBC WM Radio DJ Phil Upton.

Guests will be given the opportunity to be involved in Q&A sessions in between each course and all attendees will receive an executive gift once the kitchen challenge has ended.

The evening is the first official event Glynn has helped organised since Cure Leukaemia announced him as a Patron for the Midlands based charity.

Glynn comments on becoming a patron: “It’s an honour to be a part of Cure Leukaemia and what better way to kick off my involvement than hosting an event at Edgbaston. Everyone has been so welcoming and it is fantastic to be able to combine my passion for food with hosting an event of this nature to raise awareness of the life changing research and treatment.

“I’m looking forward to helping promote the ground-breaking work at Cure Leukaemia. The pioneering research and life-saving treatments that the nurses carry out day-to-day is astounding, and so important because we’re still searching for cures to this illness.”

Glynn was made famous by his appearance on BBC’s Great British Menu where he championed local produce and created exciting and innovative dishes. Glynn owns and runs a string of successful fine dining restaurants in Birmingham city centre, Purnell’s, his Michelin starred restaurant which opened in 2007 and more recently, The Asquith and Ginger’s Bar.

Jackie Kelly, General Manager at Cure Leukaemia said: “We’re thrilled to have fellow Birmingham-based Glynn as a Patron of the charity. This event would not have taken place without Glynn’s support, the evening will be one to remember for all, a VIP event for all good food buffs  and cricket fans alike.”

Cure Leukaemia is a long-standing partner of Edgbaston and last year the venue donated more than £75,000 and renamed its iconic Eric Hollies in honour of the charity at last year’s npower Test Match between England and India.

For more information and to book tickets for this exclusive event, please Contact Ruth Bishop on 0121 371 4367 or email info@cureleukaemia.co.uk.

By Jo of Jo’s Kitchen

On behalf of MFB

The Street Food Revolution

Over in America, where everything is bigger, the craze for fast food is something of a national pastime. It’s no surprise then that street food there has taken off in a big way, with huge vans serving weird and wonderful concoctions on the street and a TV show to make sure everyone was aware of it.

Over here the revolution is gradually picking up pace as people move away from the tired-looking burger and begin to explore new alfresco pleasures. In 2010 the first competition to find the best British street food was held, and in 2011 the prize was a pitch at the Olympics, a sure fire sign that the country is taking notice of the humble “mobiler” and beginning to change habits of a lifetime.

I say habits, because as a nation we can be a tad reluctant to embrace change. As someone firmly ensconced in the catering side of the divide I constantly come up against willing volunteers who would love to try something new if offered for free, but would run a mile before parting with hard earned cash, because they “might not like it”.

These fine folk have a very valid point, of course. There is an excellent case for going to a restaurant you know and like rather than risking “that new place”, because the resulting dining experience might be mind-bogglingly bad and ferociously expensive. Incidentally, that’s where the blogging community comes in handy, offering impartial advice without the amusing and wonderfully reactionary bile of Trip Advisor.

However with street food the internet cannot (yet) provide the same wealth of information, so we will occasionally be faced with a whole new van of food, and no up-to-date information on whether we will like it. Here is where I think we need to take a chance. Street food, by nature, is cheap and cheerful. This applies to the van serving the wholesale burger and those selling the artisan, hand cooked falafel or the gourmet noodle box alike.

So I would like to leave you with a simple request, on behalf of all my fellow mobilers out there: if you find yourself tempted by the same old things, take a chance with you lunch, and try something different. Even if it doesn’t work out you have not broken the bank, and if you pass your feedback to the food van they will probably even be grateful to hear it, I know I would be.

I may well be preaching to the crowd here, but I think independent food is worth fighting for, and there is no better time to start than where you’re feeling a touch on the peckish side and fancy a “something or other” on the go.

By Jo of Jo’s Kitchen

On behalf of MFB

It was a great thrill to receive tickets to attend 2011′s BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards. It’s, to my mind, of great importance that the BBC champion independent and artisanal food producers from farm to fork, so to speak, and I took great interest in finding out more about the nominees, spanning from cheese makers, to a micro brewery in Bristol. For a full list of nominees, take a look at the Food and Farming Awards website here.

The awards were recorded in Birmingham at the NEC, at the same time as the BBC Good Food Show, so it was an excellent opportunity to take a good look around the show at the same time. I always love to catch up with friends and see what new food producers are up to at these shows.

My guest for the day was Vanessa Kimbell. Running late from delayed trains into Birmingham, we practically sprinted through the NEC to make it to our seats in time, hurriedly catching up on our news as Sheila Dillon, the wonderful presenter of the Food Programme on Radio 4 took to the stage.

Throughout the presentation, which was also being recorded to be broadcast on Radio 4 (it was repeated on Christmas Day morning) at the same time, we were shown some delightful videos of the shortlisted food producers and what made them so special.

Each award was presented by a well known figure; with those presenting including Rick Stein, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Richard Corrigan and Adam Henson from Countryfile.

All of the awards were tremendously well-deserved and indeed so were those of the runners up. There are many genuinely exciting and innovative food producers, farmers, cooperative owners and artisans all over the British Isles, and it’s great to celebrate the valuable work they do.

I chatted to Richard Corrigan after the awards, who was just bubbling with excitement about the quality, skill and expertise which goes into the production of so many wonderful foods. We talked about just how far this has come on in recent years, and how the quality of so many foods being produced in the UK easily rival any being made abroad nowadays. Particularly so on the cheese front. You can here Richard talk about the Loch Arthur Creamery cheese makers on BBC iplayer, which won the Best Food Producer website.

Adam Henson and I discussed the changes in farming which have taken place in recent years, including the focus on sustainability and the positive impact this can have on farmers.

I was also lucky enough to chat with Adrian Dolby, runner up in the Farmer of the Year Award, and his delightful wife. The work they do on the Barrington Park Estate is tremendously valuable.

I was so thrilled to have the chance to chat to some of the winners and runners up after the awards ceremony. The lovely ladies at Alder Tree Fruit Ices told me about their lovely products (which were absolutely delicious, my blackcurrant fruit ice disappeared in no time). They are predominantly a fruit farm, who use home grown seasonal fruits in all their ices. They, I think, are destined for great things.

I tried some sensational bread from Golspie Mill (runner up in the Best Food Producer category) whilst chatting to the lovely Wayne Wright, a passionate chef at Harper Adams Community College. An inspirational chef, with a great philosophy and winner of the Best Public Caterer Award.

Next time we go on holiday to the Lake District, we will be stopping off in Bolton, that’s for certain. Their sensational market won the Best Food Market Award. All I can say is that I wish there were more food markets like this. A great community market, where people can actually go to do their weekly shop! I’m all for farmers markets and there are so many excellent ones around, but the issue I have is with the cost of some of the products on sale. It’s just not realistic for very many people to buy a significant proportion of their weekly shop there. Bolton Market is different, selling great value, local produce and is, as a result, really well supported by the local community. Below are Malcom Veigas from Bolton Council, who accepted the award.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was the deserving winner of the BBC Food Champion of the Year Award, for the Hugh’s Fish Fight campaign, working tirelessly to change the rules and regulations surrounding fishing quotas and fishing wastage. We were shown a clip from the television campaign which Hugh fronted to highlight the issue, and I was truly horrified by the practices which are in place, which have to be followed defying common sense or logic.

Finally, I chatted to Valentine Warner, a great champion of British produce, who was really excited about the awards and what they mean, and is very keen to support the work of BBC Radio 4 in running the awards.

Please do take a look at the nominees and winners and remember…support local when you can!

Thanks to Charlotte for her insight into what was a great day. You can see more of what Charlotte’s up to on her blog Charlotte’s Kitchen Diary. 

WISHING YOU MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

We will be back in the New Year – see you in 2012.

A couple of months ago, Edwina Curry, a former Conservative minister, stated that she did not believe that people in this country go hungry. Do you agree with her comments?

As food bloggers we are, as a breed, usually well-fed. We cook good food, eat in nice restaurants and even get sent food for free to review a lot of the time. It is easy to forget that there are people in this country who do not have the luxury of being able to afford both heating and food. Food poverty is an issue in the Midlands, as well as a wider issue throughout the UK. This BBC article from earlier this year explains how a ‘Food Bank’ in Stourbridge saw a 45% rise in demand since 2010.

That’s why I want to tell you about Food Banks. Food banks have been set up throughout the UKby the Trussell Trust, a charity working to fight poverty. They have now launched over 100 food banks in theUK, which they report fed over 60,000 people who were experiencing food poverty last year.

You can help your local food bank by donating money, food or time. This map will allow you to find your nearest food bank along with their contact details and web address, so you can find out where and how you can help, should you wish to. There are already a number of food banks in theMidlands area, with more under development.

My nearest food bank is in Coventry , and we have been collecting tins of food for the cause at work. Supermarkets have also been getting in on the action, with non-perishable food donations being collected at most of the major supermarkets in the area. Here is an explanation of how the food bank works.

It being the season of good-will and all, I thought it would be worth highlighting this very worthy cause. I hope you will consider helping in whatever way you can.

Thanks to Charlene for this great article. 

An event for food bloggers right on my doorstop, a chance to learn to some information and get tips to improve my blog, and an opportunity to meet some of my fellow bloggers with whom I have tweeted with for a long time … well I couldn’t resist.

I booked the ticket for Bite ‘n’ Write so long ago, that by the time November 19th arrived I was too excited for words, if a little nervous at leaving Baby G with Daddy for the longest time yet …. 14 hours!!

So bright and breezy I jumped on a train to Birmingham and once in the lobby of New Street searched out a few of my fellow attendee’s. How to spot a blogger in a busy public place is perhaps a discussion for another day but I wouldn’t recommend walking up to a stranger and asking them if they are a blogger …. you will most certainly get a strange look!

Once the troops had gathered, including the my fellow MFB members Jules of Butcher, Baker, Julia of Wannabefoodie and Kath the Ordinary Cook, together with the very lovely Choclette of Chocolate Log Blog and Charlotte of Go Free foods, we set off for the venue. The event was held in the Old Library room at the Custard Factory.

I won’t go into detail regarding all the workshops that were held during the day as many other blogs have put it far better than I could including Louise at the Vegetarian Experience. I haven’t any decent photo’s to share with you either as was too busy taking in all the information, but here’s my highlights:

* The photography workshop by Craig Fraser of Frasershot was the best start to the day. An interesting look into how professional food photography is carried out and some simple tips to create stunning pictures at home. Who knew silver card and a tampon could be such useful tools?

* Judith Lewis of Mostly about Chocolate and SEO specialist gave an insight into optimising your blog which I found interesting but which was a tad too technical or not of interest for some of my fellow attendee’s.

* The tasting by Artisan du Chocolat was a particular high, a chocolate high that is! We got to learn all about chocolate and taste a wide range of their products. I particularly liked the mint one and the Masala Chai. I loved the look of the O’s too.

* Jeanne of Cook Sister gave a really interesting talk about writing and how to make your blog attractive to readers with tips on the design and content of the blog.

So those were my highlights, but for a fair review I must mention my disappointment with some aspects of the day. The main issue for me was the the lack of time and setting to mingle with the other food bloggers. Whilst I got to know the people on my table it was difficult to find time to meet everyone else. Also the venue was not the greatest with a serious heating problem leaving me drinking cups of coffee just to stop from turning blue, and the meaty non-indian lunch was a bit of a let-down.

I applaud Annie Ko for having the intrepidity to get up and organise something like this event, especially after such a short time blogging, and considering it was her first event it was good. However, there are many things to be improved upon and I would hope that these are put into place to make sure this can become an annual event.

I finished off the day with a get together with some of my tweeties for some delicious food and wine at Jamie’s Italian.

By Louise of Comida y Vida on behalf of MFB.

CellarVie Wines was set up in May 2010 by an experienced father and son team to offer a Wine Service with a difference, with their unique loyalty points system. Customers earn points for not only purchases but when registering on the site and using features such as the My Palette wine advisor. You also get points for reviewing wines and each time a friend you’ve recommended buys a bottle from us. And what do points mean? Free wine.

The other great service they offer is a food-wine matching. Tag a tweet to @CellarVieWines with hashtag #winewithfood and they will suggest the perfect drinking partner to go alongside whatever you are cooking.

So if you haven’t yet bought your wine for this year’s festivties then check out CellarVie Wines and the special discount code to our readers for an extra 30% off.

midsnov2011

Allow 30% off anything not on promotion.

• Can be used against products whose only promotion is loyalty point-based i.e. “double loyalty points earned on this promotion”
• Can be used once by each registered customer
• Expiry date 31^st December

Thanks to CellarVie Wines for this promotion for our readers and we’re off to stock up our wine rack!

By Louise of Comida y Vida on behalf of MFB

“They taste great, but I bet they are not true authentic Neapolitan pizzas?” -  A comment made during a recent review of the new Italian Restaurant Rossopomodoro, in Selfridges, Birmingham.  Two weeks later, my bags were packed and I was off for a visit to Naples, the ‘birth place of pizza’ to see for myself!

A hair-raising trip through the busy streets of Naples to the rustic head office for a welcome briefing, and even more welcomed Neapolitan coffee – seeing as I had not slept at this point for 24 hours! The senses awaking coffee was  accompanied by Pastiera – Traditional Neapolitan cake with wheat, ricotta cheese and orange flower water.

The briefing was then followed by a whistle stop tour of their suppliers … jumping in their company 4×4, and off to the mountains we went, a climbing up the side of the dormant (we hoped) and imposing Mt Vesuvius volcano, up to where they had just harvested the last olives. “The best olives are picked by hand, and traditionally pressed within a few hours,” the farmer explained (translated from Italian!) “we have been harvesting in this area for generations, and this year has been one of our best for a long time.”  The hillside was densely packed with large, twisted olive trees, some up to 300 years old, covered in nets to catch the falling dark olives.

Nutty in flavour, and golden in colour, this was the ‘daddy’ of all oils the D.O.P. (Denomination of Origin Protection – monitored for picking to packing) with strict controls on horticulture and purity of process, which was evident in the flavour. We tasted variants, mixed with the local herbs, including rosemary, wild garlic, and even the lemon oil, which raised the flavour not to mention the potentials for usage to another level – of course Rosspomodoro only use the pure DOP for their salads, and buffalo mozzarella drizzle, and the extra virgin for their pizzas, topping with the aged black olives, sweet and firm in texture.

But there is more to pizza than great olive oil. Of course there is the base, and the toppings – not the now customary, ham, pineapple, peppers, and even eggs, and chicken Tikka as I have seen in the UK – but true authentic Neapolitan pizzas contain four simple ingredients: “00” flour for the base, tomato puree, mozzarella (Buffalo of course) and olives. So, Rossopomorodo olives – yep, wild flavoursome and hand-picked –  “Tick”, but what about the rest of the ingredients?

We headed back down off the side of Vesuvius and into the narrow cobbled ancient streets of Naples and found a small group of ladies or ‘Nonnas’ (grandmothers) who were tucked away at the rear of what I can only describe as a ‘volcanic cave’, which had been painstakingly carved out and had become the rear of the tomato packing plant with large Kilner jars stacked up to the roof on well used pallets containing rich red tomatoes, and fresh fruits, jams and preserves. The local San Marzano tomatoes, a variety of plum tomatoes, are considered by many chefs to be the best sauce tomatoes in the world – reputed to be a gift from ancient Peru – and grow on the sides of Vesuvius, to create a unique rich intense flavour and firmness of skin, and they certainly had both qualities.

The next day it was off to the lowlands of the region, about an hour from the City, just in time to see the last batch of the day’s Mozzarella “di Bufala Campana” from the DOP Compagna region being produced. Fresh straight from the Northern Hills, where the milk is tested on arrival for purity and authenticity of origin coming only from water buffalo on a farm in Paestum, Campania.

The factory consisted of stainless steel vats and white tiled floors, as ordained by the DOP institute (Mediterranean Institute of Certification) but the cheese makers had fought for one tradition of retaining their wood mixing vats to ‘retain tradition and remind our workers of the origin of their works” which I must say looked out of place, but certainly added to the contrast of the need for modernity but maintaining the origin of tradition.

Trying it at this stage was a complete taste sensation – a firm rich outer texture, and then on biting it revealed its inner intensity, creamy, warm, airy, and lush – still being able to taste the fresh grass the Buffalo were grazing only a few hours ago, like a savoury marshmallow that one could savour all day; the unique quality of Buffalo Mozzarella. The owner has been producing this mozzarella for many generations and is considered a master in his field – supplying only the finest outlets in Italy, and selected European destinations – including Rossopomodoro in Birmingham (even in their ice cream)! So, Buffalo Mozzerall….”Tick”

So, the perfect tour to make the perfect pizza. Do the ones at Rossopomodoro in the UK taste like “true authentic Neapolitan pizzas” do in Naples?  Well, returning to Birmingham, I went straight to Selfridges and ordered a margarita (the first ever pizza created for Princess Margarita, in, er Naples) and they come pretty damn close – fired in their authentic oven, at over 480 degrees, taking just 90 seconds, from heat to plate, they are a delight to eat

Rossopomodoro restaurant and products are available in Selfridges.

So thanks to James for giving us the low down on Rossopomodoro and the provenance of it’s ingredients and next time you get a trip like that ….. can we come?! 

One of theMidland’s finest Michelin star chefs, Glynn Purnell has fulfilled one of his many ambitions by opening his second business venture inBirmingham.

Ginger’s Bar and The Asquith Restaurant, which is located at 11 Newhall Street has been welcoming guests since opening in October.

After The Asquith closed its doors at the beginning of 2011, Glynn promised to re-open his second restaurant with the original team, setting his sights on a project that would open as a joint venture.

The massive 6,500ft site on Newhall Street, formerly occupied by Must dim sum bar and restaurant has been given a £150,000 refurbishment. The theme adapted from the Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire era, injects a touch of elegance and flamboyance into Birmingham’s bar and restaurant scene.

Glynn Purnell: “The concept of Ginger’s Bar complements The Asquith Restaurant perfectly. After identifying a gap in the marketplace, I explored opportunities within Colmore Business District and stumbled across this site. It was most definitely a momentous moment to finally see both ventures working alongside each other.

“The Asquith menu remains classically French, using the best produce and seasonal ingredients. The beauty of The Asquith is that if you choose to dine with us, you are not restricted to a set menu. Guests will be able to order a main course, or simply enjoy a dessert in the bar area if they wish.”

The original team at The Asquith Restaurant remains. Head chef Jason Eaves has worked closely with Glynn Purnell to create the classically French inspired menu for the 35 to 40 – cover restaurant, using the very best ingredients and locally sourced produce. Julie Tonsgaard continues as restaurant manager at The Asquith Restaurant.

Jason has trained alongside some of the UK’s best Michelin star chef’s, at restaurants which include Simpson’s, Midsummer House and L’Autare Pied. Working with Glynn for many years has given him the confidence and knowledge to progress to head chef at The Asquith, where he works tirelessly to create a gastronomic menu for diners. Speciality dishes include the Ballotine of Quail Egg and Ox Cheek Rossini, which are firm favourites since the restaurant opened.

Ginger’s Bar and The Asquith Restaurant is a welcome addition to Birmingham’s thriving business district and bar culture. Award winning bar manager and mixologist Chris Hoy is at the helm, with the vision to create an atmospheric buzz throughout the venue.

Chris, originally from Sutton Coldfield has travelled extensively to perfect his art and boasts an impressive portfolio of accolades, which includes Chase Vodka’s National Bartender of the Year 2011.

Chris Hoy, general manager: “Ginger’s Bar adopts the modern day “Design for Drinking” theory and is influenced by the golden age of the classic American cocktail bar.

“We want people to enjoy the experience, offering a taste of Manhattan in Birmingham’s Square Mile.  Customers can relax in the heavily influenced 1930’s surroundings, while sipping on re-mastered timeless classic cocktails or more outlandish drinks, to include vodka based autumnal tipples or a lamb and mint flavoured Sunday roast in a glass.”

He adds: “As well as classic cocktails, we offer ‘forward thinking’ creations such as the ‘Smoked Bacon & Maple Old Fashioned’ pioneered byNew Yorkbartender Eben Freeman. We also champion innovative techniques such as ‘grilling’ for the ‘Scorched Lemon & Vanilla Margarita’ which I highly recommend.”

Ginger’s Bar offers an extensive spirits list, a variety of local ciders, bohemian lagers and award winning cask ales. A fine wine list has been meticulously selected by Julie Tonsgaard, restaurant manager at The Asquith and Jean-Benoit Burloux, maître de at Purnells.

Glynn Purnell adds: “It is fantastic to have Chris involved to head up Ginger’s Bar, his experience and enthusiasm is mind blowing.  My faith in the original team at The Asquith has never been in doubt, so it is a pleasure to welcome back both Jason and Julie to create such an explosive formula, whilst working in partnership with Chris and his new bar team.”

If you go and try it we would love to read your review, or even better, write a review for this blog.