Slow Food London

28th CAMRA Pig's Ear east London beer & cider festival Tuesday 6 - Saturday 10 December 2011

The Festival will offer over 200 real ales, 100 quality foreign beers, craft ciders – plus pub games and food stalls.

Built in 1871 the Round Chapel is in Powerscroft Road and next to the main Lower Clapton Road.   It once attracted thousands to church services and now is attracting devotees of the Barley and the Hop. 

Entry  
CAMRA Members £2 Non-Members £4

Venue
Round Chapel
Powerscroft Road
Hackney
E5 0PU
Times:
Tues-Thurs 12:00 - 22:30
Fri-Sat 12:00 - 23:00

Directions
Rail: Hackney Central - London Overground
Hackney Downs - From Liverpool Street
Buses: 38, 48, 55, 106, 253, 254, 425, 488

Sunday Roast at Surrey Docks urban farm 23 October 12:00

Join us for Sunday roast down on the farm ..
They don't take reservations, and on a nice day they can get a queue in the early afternoon, so they suggested arriving around noon when they start serving the roasts. I'll (Dennis) be there from noon until about 3pm.

Along the bank of the Thames, amongst the warehouses of Rotherhithe, the sounds of waves lapping, shorebirds, and...sheep?

Stumbling across Surrey Docks Farm is a real surprise. While small, this urban farm has an amazing range of farm gardens and livestock. And, what's more surprising, is the Frizzante Cafe set in a rustic, well, shack, this cafe turns out really first rate food. As they say on their website, "All our food is freshly cooked on the premises using seasonal ingredients often sourced from local farms in Kent."

On Sundays, they add a roast to their menu which also includes a great farm breakfast (carnivore or veggie friendly) and specials including things like:

As for the choice in roasts, well, they will have one to choose from and as they said when I asked, "um, lately it's usually been pork or chicken".

For more info on the Farm or Frizzante, see:

http://www.frizzanteltd.co.uk/index.html

http://surreydocksfarm.org.uk/

To get to Surrey Docks, you can take the C10 bus from Canada Water station (towards Victoria). Or, for a very scenic approach, it's about a 20 minute walk along the Thames Path/Rotherhithe Street from Rotherhithe Station.

So, for a chance to wander around a bit of nature, and have some good food with good company, why not join us down on the farm.

Surrey Docks Farm
South Wharf, Rotherhithe Street, SE16 5ET
London

Event photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fairlybuoyant/4049995345/

Visit Sedlescombe organic winery Sunday 13 November 10:00

** Meet England’s acclaimed wine making pioneers
** Taste award-winning organic wines
** Be inspired by an acknowledged wine expert
** Eat an appetising Ploughman’s of locally-produced cheese and bread
** Enjoy the awesome countryside of the Sussex High Weald

Slow Food London is sponsoring a trip on Sunday November 13 to one of England’s most famous  vineyards and wineries, Sedlescombe Organic.   Since 1979 Ron and Ima Cook have proudly committed themselves to producing organic wines – many award-winning and all recognised by the Soil Association.  In 2010 it was a pioneer again when it produced England’s first-ever certified biodynamic wine, Seddlescombe First Reserve.  It nestles within the heart of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, vines growing beside majestic Bodiam Castle, a moated mediaeval masterpiece.  

The trip has been organised by renowned wine educator and writer, Gilbert Winfield, who organised the greatly  appreciated recent Slow Food London Sustainable Wine Series of tastings. 

The schedule is

10.00  Coach leaves from outside the Apollo Victoria Theatre, 17 Wilton Road, Westminster, London SW1V 1LG. If need to contact on the morning ring Bill Green 07796 818835.
12.00  Arrival and brief introduction from Gilbert
12.15  Conducted tour of the vineyard and winery
13.30  Ploughman’s lunch of local Sussex cheese and bread in the winery barn
14.15  Tutored tasting of 8 exciting wines and fruit wines
15.45  Depart by Coach

The whole visit is being offered at the exceptional advantageous price of £33  members and £35 non-members. Numbers are limited and pre booking required so book now!

How to book

1. with email and an online bank transfer

• Send an email giving all relevant details of your booking to [email protected]

• Transfer the money via online or phone banking to Slow Food London Convivium, The Cooperative Bank, Sort Code: 08-92-99 A/c No: 65139411

2. to book by cheque

The cocoa time bomb – is time running out for chocolate? Thursday 13 October 18:30

It’s Chocolate Week 10 – 16 October, a week of celebrations and tasting lots of good quality chocolate. One of the aims  is to encourage consumers to pay a fairer price for their chocolate. Slow Food London and Chocolate Week are co-hosting a panel discussion.

Join us for a  presentation of chocolate made from known sources and a discussion about the issues of traceability and fairness in cocoa farming, with chocolate from Divine, Grenada Chocolate, Pacari and others. 
 
The journey from cocoa farm to your chocolate bar is a long one. In most cases, we have no way of knowing exactly where the cocoa came from, whether the farmers got a fair price or what the ecological or social impacts were. Labelling schemes like Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance provide assurance about some of these issues, but not the whole story.
 
We can only truly know that our chocolate is made from fair, sustainable and quality sources if we can trace back the origin of the cocoa. In this tasting and panel discussion, we look at some direct cocoa projects, discuss whether this model can work for the wider chocolate industry and explore some of the threats and challenges facing the cocoa and chocolate worlds.
 
Panel members:

Martin Christy - Seventypercent, chair
Mott Green - Grenada Chocolate Company
Maricel Presilla - Independent, author 'new Taste of Chocolate'
Sophi Tranchell - Divine
Frank Homann - Xoco Gourmet (Honduras cacao grower)
Santiago Peralta - Pacari chocolate, Ecuador

Venue: LG Floor, Waterstone’s, 203-206 Piccadilly, W1J 9HD
Date: Thursday 13 October
Time: 18:30 - 20:00

This event is free but booking is essential. Email [email protected] to book your place