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The_heat_is_on_for_Restaurant_of_the_Year
Waitrose_Backs_Pork_Labelling_Report
The heat is on for Restaurant of the Year
The search for The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year 2010* kicked off today.
Food lovers across the UK can put forward their favourite restaurants, pubs and cafés for this prestigious award. Diners can nominate online at www.which.co.uk/gfgaward or by sending in a postcard, available for restaurants to download and give to customers. Everyone who nominates a restaurant will be entered into a free prize draw for a meal for two**.
The judges are looking for independently-owned eateries that deliver excellent regional dishes and use local producers where possible. In line with this year’s Which? Awards theme of ‘Who cares, wins’, they’re also looking for restaurants where the customer service is top class.
Elizabeth Carter, Editor, The Good Food Guide, says:
“There are hundreds of culinary gems right across the UK, and this is your chance to shout about the best of the best.
“We want to hear from you if your local restaurant goes the extra mile to make you feel special while serving up delicious food every time you visit. Log on to www.which.co.uk/gfgaward before 21 April to have your say.”
Last year, more than 23,000 members of the public nominated their favourite restaurants. The competition was tough, but Ronnies in Thornbury claimed the overall prize.
Ronnies’ owner, Ron Faulkner, says:
“Winning The Good Food Guide Readers' Restaurant of the Year award changed everything for us. Not only did it give us a pat on the back for all the hard work we had put in, it also brought customers from far and wide to see us. It actually boosted business by 35 per cent on the previous year, despite the recession.”
Diners have until 21 April to nominate their favourite restaurant, pub or café. Ten regional winners*** will be announced in early May. They will then go head to head to be crowned the overall winner of The Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year Award at the Which? Awards on 19 May.
Tuesday 2nd March 2010
Phil Vickery announced as Coeliac UK Food Ambassador and judge of the Gluten-Free Chef of the Year Competition
Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease, announces today, 2nd March 2010 at Hotelympia that celebrity chef Phil Vickery is their new Food Ambassador and that he will be judging this year’s Gluten-Free Chef of the Year competition.
The competition is launched in association with the Institute of Hospitality and the Craft Guild of Chefs for chefs throughout the UK to design a three course gluten-free meal with a cook-off for the three finalists in each group which will take place at KNORR’S Kitchen Culinary Business Development Centre in Leatherhead in November 2010.
Phil Vickery has worked with Coeliac UK for the past few years to help raise awareness of the condition and for the need for more catering establishments to offer gluten-free menu options. Last year in association with the Charity he published a best selling cookbook, Seriously Good Gluten-Free Cooking which has sold over 70,000 copies worldwide.
“I am very honoured to accept the role as Coeliac UK’s Food Ambassador and to continue to support the work of the Charity. I’m passionate about improving knowledge in the food industry and the necessity for more gluten-free cooking as more and more people are diagnosed. Since embarking on the cookbook I have learnt so much and it is essential that chefs understand the importance of having gluten-free recipes. I am therefore delighted to be judging this year’s competition and urge chefs of all experience to enter.”
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten. Damage to the gut lining occurs when gluten is eaten; there is no cure or medication for the condition and the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life. Without a gluten-free diet, the disease can lead to other conditions, such as malnutrition, osteoporosis, bowel cancer and also can cause infertility problems. At least 1 in 100 people in the UK has coeliac disease; representing a potential £100 million market amongst those diagnosed with the condition and the friends and family they eat out with.
The recipe competition comprises two categories; ‘Gluten-free Chef of the Year’ and the ‘Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year’. The Charity is calling on all chefs, from those who are well established to trainees, to design recipes for an innovative three course gluten-free meal.
Prizes
Gluten-free Chef of the Year
A stage at an award winning restaurant, to be announced.
Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year
A stage at an award winning restaurant, to be announced.
Additional prizes for winners and runners up are kindly supplied by Sodexo and 3663.
Entries
Written submissions will be judged on:
§ Innovation – for example, use of different grains to replace gluten containing cereals
§ Taste and texture – for example, can you tell it is gluten-free?
§ Balance of flavours across the three course meal
§ Seasonality – is the entry a spring/summer/autumn/winter menu.
Deadline for the written entries: Friday 15 October. Three entrants will be shortlisted for each category, and will be notified by Friday 29 October for attendance of the live cook off.
For more information go to: www.coeliac.org.uk/ glutenfree
23 Feb 2010
Waitrose Backs Pork Labelling Report
As industry leaders in the clear labelling of pork products, Waitrose today welcomed the launch of the Pig Meat Supply Chain Task Force voluntary Code of Practice. The Code aims to bring clarity to the country of origin labelling on processed pork products which have been processed in the UK from pigs raised in a different country.
Last year Waitrose came top in the British Pork Executive (BPEX) Labelling Report[1] which reviewed the labelling of Country of Origin pork and pork products. The Report described Waitrose’s labelling as: “An exemplary situation with all the Waitrose own label products purchased conforming to best practice guidelines with specific Country of Origin information on all packs.”
In a survey conducted in the same year by Waitrose, 85% of consumers surveyed said they wanted clear labels on pork to provide information on the conditions pigs were reared in and identify the country of origin. At present a loop hole in the law means retailers are legally entitled to label foreign meat as British if it has been processed here.
Comments Heather Jenkins, Director of Agricultural Strategy at Waitrose: “British should mean British when it comes to pork labelling. For Waitrose this means that pigs are bred, finished and slaughtered in Britain, with all processes adhering to high welfare standards. Clear labelling is something our customers want and demand and we are proud to be able to achieve it. We are pleased to back the Voluntary Code as it will help shoppers make an informed decision when buying pork.”
Waitrose has a long-term commitment to buying all its fresh pork from British farmers and was the first retailer to switch to sourcing 100% of its bacon from UK pork farmers in November 2008. The step is in stark contrast to much of the industry which still sources large quantities of pork and bacon from overseas. Britain currently imports two thirds of its pork and nearly 60% of its bacon from systems which would not necessarily be legal in the UK[4]. In many parts of Europe pigs are still kept in stalls during pregnancy and farrowing crates are extensively used to restrain sows for periods of up to four weeks while suckling their piglets.
By contrast, Waitrose has entirely eliminated farrowing crates in its British pork production systems and sows spend their entire lives in free range systems with piglets born in straw filled arcs.
Waitrose has led the way in championing the provenance and traceability of British meat. It was the first retailer to introduce 100% UK pork in its ready meals and 100% British bacon and goes above and beyond industry labelling and traceability requirements. The whole Waitrose pork assortment is British, including sandwich fillings, pies, sausages, cooked, frozen and fresh meats.
Waitrose also welcome the establishment of agreed definitions for terms relating to pig production: “The suggested definitions for each of the pork production systems are in line with our own labelling; we can only see benefits for UK consumers if all retailers agree to use the same descriptions for the way their pigs were reared”.