city food Issue 26 | Spring 2013
Big Dig Week pull out programme
Spring seedling swap
Brighton Fish Festival
Four new city orchards Cooking with less salt w w w . b hnear f o o dyou .org.uk See inside for more news, issues and events
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Seasonal menu Food Partnership news and reviews p4-8 How food waste adds up p9 Make your own spice blends p10-11
Kale & Feta chicken recipe p12 Big Dig Week pull out programme p13- 16 Brighton & Hove Sustainable Fish Campaign p17-19 Harvest news p20-23
Meet the Cookability graduates p24 & 25 Community Nutrition p26 & 27 2 city food news
Food Partnership News
Meet the Food Partnership Director Vic Borrill became the Food Partnership Director in 2008. A big part of Vic’s role is developing positive relationships with others in the city. This ranges from learning from the city’s fantastic food projects to getting policy makers to ‘think food’. Vic describes it as a dream job; she’s passionate about using food as a way to inspire and engage people around health and sustainability Here’s a (typical) week:
Monday Met with the Institute of Welsh Affairs. We get lots of enquiries from other places in the UK who want to replicate or learn from our model. Met about the Sustainable Fish Campaign and discussed how to engage large caterers with this work. If the school meals service can get MSC certification for all of the fish served I’m sure that other public institutions can!
Tuesday Attended board meeting. Our Board meet quarterly to discuss finances, staffing, strategy and projects.
We’d lobbied for healthy weight and good nutrition to be included as a priority and this meeting really helped to flesh out ideas. The meeting echoed what we’d been hearing elsewhere – food and fuel price increases are really hitting residents. I undertook a similar exercise looking at the draft One Planet Living Sustainability Action Plan. These two pieces of work have different leads (health and sustainability) but many of the messages around diets are the same… will continue to lobby for joint working in these areas.
Thursday Met an EU funding advisor about ‘Orchards without Borders’, a potential new project between Brighton & Hove and Normandy, France.
Friday Participated in the Allotment Strategy Working group. It’s great to see the Council’s commitment to working with the Allotment Federation as equal partners on the production of this strategy.
Sunday Wednesday Helped run a Community and Voluntary Sector Forum event to draft the sectors response to the Health and Wellbeing strategy.
Not a normal working day, but Seedy Sunday is a seasonal highlight. Worked on the Food Partnership stall, stock up on potatoes for the allotment and jam from the Care Coops farm. w w w. b h fo o d . o rg . u k 3
Half of the world’s food gets wasted Love Your Loaf The Food Partnership teamed up with Sainsbury’s West Hove to inspire over 200 people on 8th and 9th February to make the most of their bread, the top wasted food in the UK. Chef Olly created tantalising dishes such as stovetop bread pudding using bread donated by the store bakery, saving more loaves from the bin.
A report published by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers revealed that 30-50% of the global supply of food is wasted. The report found that in developing countries food waste is due to inadequate storage and transportation, while in developed nations our retail and consumer behaviours are responsible. In light of the world’s population growing to 9 billion by 2050, food waste is now firmly in the context of global food security, and there is growing urgency to address it. Find out what you can do www.bhfood.org.uk/lovefood-hate-waste
Take part in the My(co) Garden Lab experiment Espresso Mushroom Company turns waste coffee grounds into delicious oyster mushrooms, but even they end up with “waste” in the form of spent mushroom compost. Very little research exists on this type of compost and how well it works. To this end 4 city food news
Espresso Mushroom are enlisting the help of green-fingered growers to help trial the compost and share their results along the way. Visit www.espressomushroom.co.uk to find out how it’s going.
Food Partnership News
Poverty: Why it matters now Food banks have seen a big rise in demand from people who are unable to afford basic food, and they are bracing themselves for another increase when benefit cuts bite in April. Benefit reforms will hit low paid working people as well as those who are unemployed, and follow big increases in the price of food and fuel. Locally, an increasing number of people are facing the choice between putting on the heating and putting food on the table – and skipping meals has become a way of life for many. Local organisations who attended a recent Food Poverty event were
concerned that many local services which can help people in need are being cut just when they are needed most. The event called on councillors and other decision makers to recognise this growing problem; and made a series of recommendations which can be found at www.bhfood.org.uk/foodpoverty
BUPA staff enjoy healthier food We are really pleased to be working in partnership with the BUPA centre in Brighton, who are launching a series of staff wellbeing events. The BUPA centre have recently achieved a gold Healthy Choice Award for their workplace restaurant, which provide staff with healthy meal options. The Food Partnership offers a range of activities which can help workplaces to achieve their targets for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), including community volunteering opportunities and Eatwell workshops for staff. Contact Vicky for more details vickyv@bhfood.org.uk, 01273 431717
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The Food Partnership signs up to the Living Wage Campaign Developers take food growing seriously The innovative Planning Advisory Note (PAN) encouraging new developments to include food growing was adopted by B&H City Council over a year ago. Monitoring has shown that 39% of new builds since have included food growing in their planning application. Public land secured for woodland as part of a Section 106 agreement at The Keep archive centre (see pg 21) now includes an orchard at the requests of the community. Other examples include a housing association development in Hove which includes raised beds, fruit and nut tree planting and containers on balconies. The PAN has attracted much attention from other areas who now want to include similar policies in their planning process. For further information see www.foodmatters.org 6 city food news
Launched in 2012, the Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign aims to encourage local businesses to voluntarily pay all employees at least £7.20 per hour. Vic Borrill, Food Partnership Director says: “The difference between someone working a 40hr week on minimum wage (£6.19) as opposed to Living Wage is a £40 a week difference, which is a significant amount when making food choices. We’ve signed up to the campaign not just to support our staff and help raise the issue of a Living Wage, but as a key component of our work to prevent people having to make unhealthy / unsustainable food choices because they can’t afford not to”. Show your commitment as a local business and sign up now www.livingwagebrighton.co.uk
Food Partnership News
MEND families hit the slopes To celebrate completion of the nine week MEND programme, 11 children and their families took to the slopes at Knockhatch in Hailsham for a fun tobogganing session in celebration of the healthy lifestyle changes they’ve made whilst attending MEND. One parent commented that her child would never have been able to run around and enjoy activity like this before joining the programme. Once they’ve completed the
programme, all MEND families are invited to attend ongoing activities including weekly fun games at the AMEX stadium with the Albion in the Community team. To book a place for your child on the MEND programme call 01273 431703.
Learn by doing in East Brighton Learning whilst creating two new community food growing spaces is the idea behind a project funded by the Community Learning Innovation Fund. The fund seeks to support new and creative learning opportunities particularly in more deprived areas. Learning activities have started at Moulsecoomb Community Garden (a
new space behind the primary school) including construction of raised beds, cookery, fruit tree care and pond building. At Race Hill Community Orchard activities include orchard preparation and tree care. A wide range of cooking and growing classes will be available for local adults – full details are available on the Food Partnership website. w w w. b h fo o d . o rg . u k 7
Reviews The Hairy Dieters Book review by Vicky Veevers – Community Nutritionist I really like this book. From the outset, the Hairy Bikers, Si & Dave, make it clear that portion control and using high calorie ingredients sparingly is key; it’s a message echoed by our own Healthy Weight team at the Food Partnership. The handy ‘top tips’ at the beginning of each chapter are full of great weight loss and food swap ideas. These are useful for anybody trying to make healthy lifestyle changes, not just those wanting to lose weight. The book provides a range of tasty and easy to follow recipes, showing that eating healthier doesn’t have to mean giving up all your old favourites. I especially like the ‘Fakeaways’ section that revamps classic takeaway choices, helping save you money, as well as cutting down on calories. Don’t forget though, healthier doesn’t always mean healthy – keep your diet varied and if you are following this book as part of a healthy lifestyle change, try not to just cook from the pies and puddings section! 8 city food news
Queen of the Sun – What are the bees telling us? Film review by Josie Jeffery – Food Partnership Board member Directed and produced by Taggart Siegel, this is a feature length documentary all about bees. It takes us on a journey that is both joyful and heart-wrenching, from humble backyard beekeeping to organic farms and bee sanctuaries, to large scale commercial beekeeping. This enchanting film speaks of the ancient relationships between humans and bees, beginning 10,000 years ago when bees were worshipped as sacred. The film goes on to show how honey production became mechanised in an effort to control nature. It explains how neonicotinoids found in the pesticides used on cash crops and domestic gardens can cause colony collapse and how the large scale transportation of bees (to pollinate monoculture crops in the US) is devastating native colonies. In a way, Queen of the Sun is a romantic story of the flower, the bee and the beekeepers, who feel like they are ‘chosen’ by the bees to protect them, the future of the plant and the animal kingdom, and food security itself. www.queenofthesun.com
Love Food Hate Waste
It All Adds Up By Vera Zakharov, LFHW Co-ordinator Most of us don’t waste that much food, do we? A slice of bread here, a small potato there are just tiny drops in the bucket. But multiply that by 25 million UK households and it soon adds up. Here are some facts to illustrate the hidden scale of food waste, and inspire us to take small actions that equal big change*.
which means that it will turn stale instead of green, and you can still use it for breadcrumbs or french toast. The ends are great for toasted sandwiches.
Spare some change The most expensive food waste is what we leave on our plates. £1.7 billion of our home-made and pre-prepared meals is scraped into the bin. A few spoons’ worth is tough to save for later, so avoid it in the first place. Use the Love Food Hate Waste portion calculator, even for foods like meat and veg. Serve mains and sides in separate dishes, which makes it easier to save leftovers, especially if you’re dining with fussy eaters. Every scrap saved is more change in your piggy bank.
The lonely loaf ends The humble loaf of bread accounts for the heaviest food waste, at 540,000 tonnes yearly, costing us £640 million. If each household only wastes one slice of bread per week, that adds up to a mind-boggling 59 million loaves a year. If you’re worried your bread will go mouldy, let it breathe. Even sliced bread can be kept in a perforated bag,
Down the drain 4% of UK’s water use is lost through food waste. A piece of steak takes 2,300 litres of water to produce, while a loaf of bread takes 1,300 litres (that’s almost 60 litres in a single slice!). But the biggest guzzler of water is our daily cup of coffee, which takes up 140 litres. Make only as much as you need, or refrigerate and reheat the leftover brew later if you prefer.
Get saucy We waste 200,000 tonnes of condiments and sauces, costing us £700,000 annually. But sauces freeze well and can be used later in a variety of ways. If you have bits of jam left in the jar, add some milk, close and shake for a quick treat, or use a bit of yoghurt and water for a healthier drink. Find more facts, recipes and tips at www.bhfood.org.uk/love-food-hate-waste. * Source: WRAP Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK Nov 2009 w w w. b h fo o d . o rg . u k 9
Change the way you cook for a
Healthier Heart By Alan Lugton, Community Cookery Manager Although the average UK household owns about 15 recipe books, we only cook the same 6 or 7 meals each week; when we go shopping we fill our wonky trolleys with the same ingredients. It turns out that we really are creatures of habit. So the thought of changing our meals to healthier options can be simply terrifying for some of us, or at best exhausting. One of the little changes often talked about is reducing the amount of salt you
put in your food, but this can often be at the expense of flavour, and bland meals often leave us reaching for the salt cellar. Salt is classed as a flavour enhancer because of the way it interacts with food molecules and the tongue’s taste receptors. On its own it is not that pleasant, and I always think: why enhance a little flavour when you can just create more flavour in the first place? Flavour in your food is created by two things – what ingredients you use and
Create Your Own Spice Shakers Making your own dried herb combinations will save you time (and money) when making recipes. Mix all ingredients well.
Basic Spice Shaker
Herb & Onion Blend Enhanced Seasoning
1 Tbsp. ground marjoram 1 Tbsp. ground thyme 1-½ tsp. ground basil 1-½ tsp. ground black pepper 1-½ tsp. ground oregano
¼ cup instant chopped onion 1 Tbsp. sweet basil 1 Tbsp. ground cumin 1 Tbsp. garlic powder 1 Tbsp. cracked black pepper
10 city food news
1 tsp. crumbled thyme leaves 1 tsp. marjoram leaves 1 tsp. celery seed 1 tsp. garlic powder ½ tsp. onion powder ½ tsp. curry powder ½ tsp. dried dill weed 2 Tbsp. paprika
Community Cookery
how you cook them. Cooking techniques can make a huge contribution to the flavour of your meal, as it directly affects the ingredients and changes how your tongue will taste it. However, many people’s skills do not extend to the more subtle techniques of braising, sautéing, poaching and the like; and this can be a big barrier to being adventurous with food. For most, the best way to achieve flavour is by adding more ingredients. There are quite literally thousands of ingredients available to us today from around the world you can use to make your meals more exciting; and I
thoroughly encourage you to go out there, get stuck in and find something new and exotic to add to your next meal. However, if you want to start simple then here are a few ideas to consider before you reach for the salt.
Meat seasoning ideas
Vegetable seasoning ideas
To season Try Poultry basil, fresh ginger, mushrooms, marjoram, paprika, parsley, sage, summer savoury, thyme Lamb curry powder, basil, garlic, mint, onion, oregano, parsley, pineapple, or rosemary Pork apples, garlic, marjoram, onion, sage, clove Beef bay leaf, chive, mustard, garlic, green peppercorn, marjoram, mushrooms, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage, thyme, or tomato Fish basil, bay leaf, curry, dill, dry mustard, garlic, green pepper, lemon butter, lemon juice, marjoram, mushrooms, paprika, parsley, tarragon, thyme, or tomato
To season Try Asparagus chives, herb butter, or lemon juice Green dill seed, chives, lemon beans juice, nutmeg, marjoram, onion, rosemary, or scallions Broccoli lemon juice Cabbage dill seed, or mustard dressing/paste Cauliflower nutmeg Corn chives, curry, onions, or parsley Peas chervil, chives, fresh mushrooms, lemon juice, mint, onion, or parsley Potatoes green peppers, mace, onion, or parsley Squash allspice, basil, ginger, mace, or sautéed onion Tomatoes basil, chives, curry, marjoram, onions, parsley, or sugar w w w . b h f o o d . o r g . u k 11
Community Cookery
Kale & Feta chicken en papillote Lemon brightens the flavour of kale and cooking in parchment keeps the chicken moist and tender. It’s easy to whip up too. Serves 4 Ingredients 5 Fold parchment paper over and fold • 250 ml water up edges to form a seal. Place on • 280g chopped fresh kale leaves large baking sheet and roast in 220°C • 10 ml rapeseed or olive oil oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is • 4 x spring onions, thinly sliced no longer pink. Let stand 2 minutes • 3 cloves garlic, minced before serving. • 1 tsp grated lemon rind • 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice Tip: Kale has firm, tough ribs or • 80g finely crumbled feta cheese stems, so be sure to remove them • 10g chopped fresh dill before chopping the tender leaves for • 4 small boneless skinless chicken this recipe. breasts (about 500g)
Method 1 In a large non-stick frying pan bring water to boil and add kale. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until wilted and bright green. Drain well and return to pan. 2 Add oil, spring onions and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Then set aside. 3 Mix the lemon rind and juice, feta and dill, and add it to the kale. 4 Slice into the chicken along the side horizontally almost all the way through. Open it like a butterfly and press down gently to flatten and make it more even. Fill each centre with some of the kale and feta mixture and place each stuffed chicken breast onto 4 large pieces of parchment or foil. 12 city food news
t ou p ll ee pu& k
harvest rhubarb fruit trees and leeks
tend fruit trees and bushes
prepare seedbeds
sow wildlife friendly flowers
weed rake and sifft
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plant potatoes c ic rlic and garl
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Big Dig Week
dig in compost
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Go to www.bigdig.org.uk for more details about need new volunteers to get going for the coming to drop in, register in advance, or give us a Saturday 16th March 1 Coldean Community Allotment, BN1 9GR 12am until 4pm Planting broad beans and sowing flowers.
2 Dyke Road Park Community Vegetable Garden, BN3 6EH 12pm until 4pm Seedling swap & sale, seedling planting, garden activities for kids.
3 Fork & Dig It, Stanmer Organics, Stanmer Park, BN1 9PZ 11am until 4pm Building a compost heap, broad bean and salad sowing, pruning trees.
4 Harvest Demonstration Garden, Preston Park, BN1 6HN 12pm until 4pm Information hub for the Big Dig week, general gardening & growing advice.
5 London Road Station Partnership Garden, BN1 4QS 11am until 2pm Sowing salad vegetables, preparing beds, mulching and composting.
6 North Laine Community Allotment, Stanmer Park, BN1 9SE 12pm until 4pm Clearing and laying paths, preparing beds for planting, tending soft fruit beds.
7 North Portslade Community Allotment, BN41 2YX 12pm until 2pm Harvesting rhubarb, sowing lettuces, plant seedlings and take them home too.
23 One Brighton Community Garden, New England Quarter, BN1 4GQ 11am until 3pm Launch day with community chef cooking and producing potato based recipes.
8 Phoenix Community Centre Garden, Near St Peters Church, BN2 9ND 1pm until 4pm Salad sowing and composting.
9 Saunders Park Eco Garden, Lewes Road, BN2 4AY 1pm until 3pm Gardening session. Meet the new ranger and plan the garden for the year ahead. Enjoy refreshments.
10 St Nicholas Green Spaces Association, Dyke Road, BN1 3JN 10.30am until 1pm Preparing seed beds and planting wild flowers.
15 Plot 22, Weald A Hove, BN3 7JN
Arrive at 11am (fam Seed sowing, potato preparing wildlife ar fire. Advance bookin info@plot22.org.
Monday 18t
23 One Brighton Co New England Qu
1pm until 5pm Potato planting activ
11 Stanmer Community Garden Group, Stanmer Park, BN1 9SE 11am until 4pm Seed and wild flower sowing. Tea, biscuits and produce for sale.
12 Wish Park Vegetable Garden, Hove, BN3 4LG 10.00am until 12.30pm Activities for kids including seed planting and pond watch.
Sunday 17th March 13 Bevendean Community Garden, BN2 4TR 1pm until 4pm Planting early potatoes and broad beans. Veggie lunch.
14 Brighton and Hove Organic Gardening Group, Weald Allotments, Hove, BN3 7JN 11am until 3pm Sow your own organic seeds and take some home too.
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t each garden, locations and directions. Gardens g season so why not try it out? You are welcome call for advice on which one is best for you.
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11 Stanmer Community Garden Group, Stanmer Park, BN1 9SE 10am until 3.30pm Seed and wild flower sowing.
12 Wish Park Vegetable Garden, Hove, BN3 4LG From 4pm Sowing and planting.
Wednesday 20th March 4 Harvest Demonstration Garden, Preston Park, BN1 6HN 10am until 1pm Seed sowing and transplanting.
Thursday 21st March 13 Bevendean Community Garden, BN2 4TR 9.30am until 1pm Planting early potatoes and broad beans.
17 Brighton Permaculture Trust Plot, Stanmer Organics, Stanmer Park, BN1 9PZ 11am until 2.30pm Planting trees and perennials in the forest garden.
18 The Carers Garden, Craven Vale Allotments, BN2 5DD 10am until 2pm Therapeutic growing activities. Advance booking required, email sara.padhiartutton@thecarerscentre.org.
19 Hanover VEG, Southover Street, BN2 9UD 12pm until 5pm Composting and seed sowing.
8 Phoenix Community Centre Garden, Near St Peters Church, BN2 9ND 1pm until 3pm Salad sowing and composting.
15 Plot 22, Weald Allotments, Hove, BN3 7JN Arrive at 11am (session for women) Seed sowing, potato planting, preparing wildlife area, lunch round the fire. Advance booking required email info@plot22.org.
10 St Nicholas Green Spaces Association, Dyke Road, BN1 3JN 10 am until 12.30pm Preparing seed beds and planting wild flowers.
20 ‘The Greenhouse’ Community Garden at Emmaus, Portslade, BN41 2PA 11am until 3pm Building vertical salad gardens with old pallets.
Friday 22nd March 3 Fork & Dig It, Stanmer Organics, Stanmer Park, BN1 9PZ 10am until 2pm Building a compost heap, broad bean and salad sowing, pruning trees.
21 The Plant Plot, Stanmer Organics, Stanmer Park, BN1 9PZ 10am until 4pm Preparing beds, planting seeds and seedlings including ‘Brighton’ lettuces.
15 Plot 22, Weald Allotments, Hove, BN3 7JN Arrive at 11am (session for adults) Seed sowing, potato planting, preparing wildlife area, lunch round the fire. Advance booking required email info@plot22.org.
11 Stanmer Community Garden Group, Stanmer Park, BN1 9SE 10am until 3.30pm Seed and wild flower sowing.
22 Village Fruits, Stanmer Organics, BN1 9PZ 10am until 4pm Preparing soft fruits beds and learning about fruit cultivation.
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Sustainable Fish
Brighton Fish Festival 1st April, 12-6pm, Bartholomew Square Join us for the second ever Fish Festival, which is part of the spring Food Festival. It has a strong focus on sustainability this year and there will be food stalls, chef demos and talks from local fishermen and businesses. The Food Partnership will be there with some tasters and cookery tips, as well as asking the public to sign up to our Sustainable Fish Campaign. Speak to the Catchbox team about buying a share in the local catch and meet Moshi Moshi’s suppliers. Activities and information all afternoon. www.brightonfoodfestival.com/ brighton-fish-festival-2013
Free entry
We have a new section on our website which helps break down some of the major fish issues. It includes a local directory of where to buy fish and some simple suggestions to help you pledge to change your fish buying habits. www.bhfood.org.uk/localfood/sustainable-fish
Meet Catchbox, ght fish u a c y l l a c a new way to buy lo Eating locally caught fish is a great way of making your diet more sustainable. It’s fresher, tastier, and in all but a small percentage of cases, it’s caught using the most sustainable methods. ‘Catchbox’, a new co-operative scheme aimed at providing Brighton & Hove residents with fresh, seasonal fish direct from fishermen, starts this spring. I met Jack Clarke, the Catchbox Coordinator, to discuss his plans:
How does Catchbox work? Catchbox brings fishermen and members of the community together in a co-operative -our members pay in advance for a share of a fisherman’s catch. Because you’re buying a share of the catch, you never know exactly what you’ll be getting but we can guarantee it’ll be super-fresh, local and that the guys who caught it are paid a fair price. continued overleaf w w w . b h f o o d . o r g . u k 17
How can people sign up? The easiest way is to sign up online at www.catchbox.coop/signup. It is likely to cost around £5 for a kilo of fish plus a £10 sign up fee. You can choose how many kilos you want and whether you want it weekly or fortnightly. You can have fillets or whole fish although fillets will cost slightly more because of the processing involved.
What is wrong with the way we currently catch and consume our fish? The UK relies far too heavily on eating just five species of seafood; cod, haddock, prawns, tuna and salmon. Our local seas have an amazing variety of excellent seafood but the majority of this is exported to the continent. Another problem is that communities have lost touch with their fishermen. In some English coastal towns, you can go down to the harbour and buy fish direct but in most places this link has disappeared. Local fishermen who use small day boats tend to fish in a responsible manner compared to the larger, longdistance trawlers. By joining Catchbox you can support this way of fishing.
Why is getting your fish from Catchbox a more sustainable option? All our fishermen use static gear; things like hand-lines, pots and 18 city food news
trammel nets. These cause very little damage to the seabed and result in far less by-catch. It’s a bit like buying organic- you’re supporting a method of production that you agree with.
What do you hope Catchbox will achieve? Hopefully, it will reward fishermen for catching our fish in a responsible way. It will bring our members closer as a community, introduce them to the amazing and delicious array of local seafood on offer and educate them in both preparing and cooking it. We want to be the first of many communitysupported fisheries across the nation. Interview by Tom Williams, Food Partnership intern
Landmark victory as discards are banned The European parliament voted in February to ban the wasteful practice of throwing away healthy fish at sea in a victory to campaigners. The vote on the European Common Fisheries Policy was overwhelmingly in favour of a change that will see a move to more eco-friendly practices. Fish are currently discarded at sea when boats exceed their fishing quota or catch species for which they have no quota.
Sustainable Fish
How eating oily fish can benefit you By Rachel Hollingdale, Health Promotion Dietitian
What’s not to like about oily fish? It’s tasty, easy to prepare, a good source of protein and provides us with nutrients such as vitamins A and D, important for healthy bones and skin, and helps ward off infections.
Benefits of omega-3s More widely known is the link with heart health and long chain omega-3 fats that only oily fish contain. Although we can find omega-3 in nuts, seeds and flax seeds, these differ from those found in oily fish. It is thought that omega-3 has several benefits including helping prevent blood from clotting, maintaining a regular heart rhythm and helping to lower triglyceride (unhealthy) fat levels.
Current recommendations Current recommendations state we should eat two portions of fish a week making sure one is oily. This provides around 3g of omega-3 fatty acids per week. The only exception is if you’ve
Sustainable fish suggestions Shellfish Crabs Whelks Cockles Mussels & Clams
Oily Fish
ever had a heart attack, in which case the national recommendations are to consume at least 7g of omega-3 fatty acids, equivalent to two to three portions of oily fish per week. We encourage people to choose a sustainable option – oily fish that are not under threat at the moment and available locally include herring and sardines.
How can I enjoy fish from a sustainable source? If you’re buying fish in a supermarket, look out for the blue Marine Stewardship Council logo. If you’re buying from a local fish monger and you want to buy local, ask about the method of catch. More information can be found on our website to help you make an informed choice, www.bhfood.org.uk/localfood/sustainable-fish
White fish
Salmon (MSC certified), Pouting Mackerel (MSC certified) Gurnard Herring Pollock Sardines Coley Yellow fin or albacore Red & Grey mullet Tuna (pole and line caught) Dab & Sole Sprats w w w . b h f o o d . o r g . u k 19
Four city orchards take root Over the winter four community orchards have been planted in Brighton with funding from the Food Partnership and expert support from Brighton Permaculture Trust. They’ll provide fruit for local people for decades to come and change the landscape of our city indefinitely.
The Bevy
Racehill Orchard
On a cold but sunny Sunday in January, 30 volunteers made a start on Brighton’s first ever edible pub garden. The Bevy is a new community-run pub/cafe offering a much needed watering hole and community space in Moulsecoomb. The garden which is now planted with 4 rare apple trees and 2 plum trees will produce some of the food for the pub. The next big task is to terrace one of the overgrown steep slopes to start growing vegetables. The Bevy are selling shares in the pub from £10 and you can support the project by sponsoring the fruit trees. Fancy becoming a pub owner? Now’s your chance www.thebevy.co.uk
After consultation with local residents, permission to plant a new community orchard on land next to Wilson Avenue and Swanborough Drive got the go ahead. On Saturday 26th January, 50 volunteers broke ground to plant 5 fruit trees in celebration of the start of this new project. The orchard has been mostly planted with apples as these are the most reliable croppers, but some plums, pears and more unusual fruit may also be added in later years. The fruit varieties selected grow well under organic conditions, with fruit ripening from July through Novembersome eaters, some cookers and a variety of flavours. The orchard, which will continue to be planted over the coming winters, will yield fruit for 100 years or more. A group of local residents are managing the project and will be organising seasonal activity days.
20 city food news
Harvest
The Keep Thirty children from Moulsecoomb Primary School and Brighton and Aldridge Community Academy planted 12 heritage apple trees this winter at The Keep, the new historical archive buildings for the city. The kids, along with Brighton Permaculture Trust, dug the frozen ground in sub-zero temperatures. The idea first came to local parish priest, Father John, who had a Eureka moment whilst eating a pork and apple pie; he remembered Woolards Field, the location of the new orchard, having fruit trees on it sixty years ago. He said: “This orchard will primarily bring something beautiful to the community. In some ways it will speak of the “rootedness” of our community. People often think of Moulsecoomb as an inter-war & postwar development, but our community goes much deeper than that.” The fruit trees are right next to Ashurst Road Children’s Playground and are there for everyone to enjoy. The Keep opens in spring 2013.
Preston Park mini orchard On another bitterly cold day in February an orchard was planted at the Demonstration Garden at Preston Park. The Permaculture Trust along with Harvest ran a great workshop on ‘How to plant fruit trees’ with 15 people taking part. The theory session was followed by the actual planting of the trees. Everyone’s enthusiasm contributed to making it well worth while, and the result is that we now have 8 young fruit trees, including a selection of local Sussex varieties. We planted four stand-alone trees, including two apples and two plums, as well as four apple and pear trees trained as cordons, which is a great way of growing fruit trees in a small space. The Demo garden is always open to visitors and welcomes new volunteers.
For information on any of these projects, contact us on 01273 431700, or email harvest@bhfood.org.uk w w w . b h f o o d . o r g . u k 21
Scrumping update The Harvest Scrumping Project collects unwanted fruit and turns it into delicious fruit juices and chutneys. In 2010 and 2011, the Scrumping Project collected 6 tonnes of fruit, from trees around the city that would have otherwise gone to waste. The fruit was used to make juice at public events and it was also turned into bottled juices and chutneys to raise income to keep the project going. Most of these products were sold from outside a barn in Stanmer Park at weekends, where the fruit is pressed into juice as passersby watch and taste. Brighton Permaculture Trust runs the project and works with dozens of
volunteers each year to pick apples and pears, and more unusual fruits like cherry plums, mulberries and figs. Although the definition of scrumping is ‘stealing fruit, especially apples, from someone else’s trees’, they only collect fruit with the owner’s permission. In 2012, the weather affected the harvest so the project had to seek other sources of fruit. They bought 3 tonnes of poorer quality fruit from a fruit farm in Sussex, saving it from going to waste. To become a volunteer scrumper, or if you’ve got a tree in your garden that you’d like to see scrumped, contact Brighton Permaculture Trust. www.brightonpermaculture.org.uk
New spring training menu Harvest runs a series of workshops and trainings throughout the year from core growing skills to composting, foraging and wine-making. We have a new training menu which shows the range of courses on offer. We can organise bespoke training at 22 city food news
community sites and offer specialist training and support for community food projects such as fundraising, managing group dynamics and First Aid. Visit our website for upcoming dates www.harvest-bh.org.uk/events
Harvest
New workshop: working with vulnerable people at food growing projects Saturday 20th April, 10am-3.30pm, BMECP centre, Brighton Cost: £5 including lunch The workshop will discuss mental health, physical disabilities and learning difficulties and look at how food growing projects can engage and support people with more complex needs. It will include practical activities, a look at theoretical background, as well as plenty of time for sharing knowledge and experiences. To sign up, contact Jo@bhfood.org.uk or call 01273 431700.
Spring Seedling Swap Sunday 19 May, 11am-2pm, Preston Park, Brighton Come and swap or buy seedlings for your garden. There will be vegetables, herbs and more for growing spaces of all sizes, plus familyfriendly activities. Organised by Harvest and BHOGG (part of the Brighton Festival Fringe). www.harvest-bh.org.uk
What to do now in your garden or on your plot • March, April and May are the busiest times in our gardening year. When planning is out of the way, get started with sowing. If the weather is not on your side don’t worry – late-sown seeds often catch up. • Keep up with your weeding as our tireless garden companions are full of energy and can out-compete what we’re trying to grow. • Make your own liquid fertiliser from young nettle shoots by soaking them in water. They are packed with Nitrogen, which encourages plant growth in early spring. Get them before they flower! • Plant a mini-wildflower meadow and make your food growing area more biodiverse – having more wildlife visiting your garden will make it more sustainable and easier to run in the long term. • Build all your supporting structures such as wigwams and other frames and put them in place before your climbing fruit and veg start growing. w w w . b h f o o d . o r g . u k 23
Anna Schwarz, Community Cookery Worker talks to
Cookability graduates Cookability, our cookery leaders course, has been running since 2004. Since then, over 200 people have completed the course, including me. I really enjoyed being a student on Cookability in 2006 and have been teaching the course in various venues since 2009.
Below are some short interviews with just a tiny sample of people who have completed the course. We hope it gives some idea of how varied the people and projects are that come in and out of Cookability – as well as how tasty the recipes are.
Carly I run Trailer Trashed, a
Amira I have been running a
young people’s vegetarian cookery project. I teach teenagers how to cook for home and work. Some of the young people who have gained the practical skills come back to mentor new members.
Favourite recipe I really like the gougere with red pepper and tomato salad. When you make it you get a good feeling of accomplishment.
Cookery tip Toasted seeds with soy sauce are good to sprinkle on most dishes.
24 city food news
“Gourmet Cakes for Charity” service where people order cakes from me. The proceeds help me fundraise for Palestine.
Favourite recipe The Orange and Almond cake… a big hit, especially when people are told there is no white flour in it!
Cookery tip My friend recently showed me how to separate eggs by using a bottle to suck the yolk up. Search for it on You Tube.
Cookability Special
Caroline I am currently running Hove Luncheon Club at the YMCA – I cook a 3 course lunch every Tuesday using Fareshare food, helped by several volunteers. It provides a weekly lifeline for people in the West Hove community.
Gina I have been involved mostly with older people’s cookery groups. I run a lunch club for older men once a month at Ebenezer Church – we get together, cook and eat!
Favourite recipe Favourite recipe There are hundreds – I use them all the time – the smoked haddock fish soup recipe is probably my favourite fish recipe of all time.
Lemon Drizzle Cake as it’s so sunny and zesty and I have a lovely memory watching a guy bake it who had never made a cake before.
Cookery Tip Cookery tip When you’re frying onion and garlic soften the onion first, then add the garlic to stop the garlic from tasting bitter.
You can freeze fresh chillies and root ginger. Don’t try to defrost the ginger as it goes all ‘tthhhp’ and loses its texture. Bung it straight in a hot dish and it’ll be fine.
Shelley I teach a Life Skills Programme to rough sleepers and people with mental health issues. One of the elements of the course is teaching cookery and nutrition. I make basic, healthy meals which are easy to cook and good value for money.
Favourite recipe Tricky as I like loads.... I make the carrot cake a lot. I love the
Bangladeshi Fish curry and Annabelle’s Spinach pie which I tart up with garlic and chilli.
Cookery tip When slicing a pepper; slice the end off, chop down the length of the pepper avoiding the seeds, repeat two or three times. The pepper will be sliced and the seeds will still be in place.
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Shape Up Success for Sandy In October 2012, Sandy Humby started our healthy lifestyle programme, Shape Up. Vicky Veevers, Community Nutritionist talks to Sandy about her experience.
How did the Shape Up programme in Woodingdean benefit you? The Shape Up programme made me focus on the fact that I’d piled on the pounds, but there was a solution staring me in the face. Even better it was right on my doorstep and free!
What are the biggest changes you have made since attending Shape Up? I now think more about the choices I make, be it eating-wise or exercise/activities. I make a concerted effort to be more active, less sedentary, and to watch what I eat and drink. I also try and make sure I get some exercise every day.
What did you most enjoy about the programme? I enjoyed meeting up with friends (and making new friends) once a week and found the information and tools we were 26 city food news
given to achieve our goals very useful. I also really enjoyed doing the exercise class once a week.
Have you noticed any health improvements? I’ve noticed that I feel a lot fitter since I started the programme. I’m less out of breath when exercising and generally feel a lot more energetic.
How have you stayed on track since completing the programme? Since completing the programme, I’ve continued to exercise and record what I eat and drink and I weigh myself once a week. Sandy successfully lost over a stone during the programme plus a few inches off her waist. Not only are there numerous personal benefits to weight loss, as Sandy has mentioned, there are also many health benefits. If over weight, losing just 10% of your current body weight reduces cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels – which in turn reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Join a Shape Up programme near you. Contact 01273 431703 or healthyweight@bhfood.org.uk
Community Nutrition Reviews
Health bite Salt is needed in the body to control blood pressure and helps muscles and nerves work properly. But consuming too much salt can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Adults should consume no more than 6g of salt (2.4g sodium or 1tsp) per day and children even less , but in the UK we are currently exceeding this recommendation. Everyone can benefit from eating less salt, even those with normal blood pressure. Most salt we consume in the UK (around 75%) comes from processed foods, so before we have even added any salt in cooking the salt content of a meal can already be high. Most people are aware that products like crisps and ready meals are high in salt but it is also important to be aware of hidden salt in other everyday foods such as bread and breakfast cereals. Reading and comparing food labels is a helpful way to choose lower salt products. By
Recommendations for salt intake: Age 1-3 years 4-6 years 7-10 years 11 and over
Maximum intake per day 2g 3g 5g 6g
law to be ‘low salt’ a product must contain less than 0.3g of salt per 100g. It is easiest to reduce your salt intake gradually and you will find your taste buds soon adjust. It doesn’t mean food has to become tasteless. • Avoid adding salt at the table • Use herbs, spices, lemon juice, vinegar or mustard to flavour food (see pg 10 for some ideas) • Go for reduced salt varieties of foods • Prepare your own meals rather than relying on processed foods • Rock salt and sea salt are the same as table salt and should also be kept to a minimum
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Events Spring 2013 Food Buying Groups Workshop Mon 4th March, 6-9pm www.bhfood.org.uk/events
Clearing your Plot Sat 23rd March, 10am-12pm www.harvest-bh.org.uk/events
Big Dig Week, Various Community Gardens & Allotments, Brighton & Hove Sat 16th to Friday 22nd March www.harvest-bh.org.uk/events
Community Compost Workshop Sat 23rd March, 10am-12pm www.harvest-bh.org.uk/events
A Seasonal Feast with Music, Art and Dance, Hanover Community Centre Sun 17th March, time tbc www.facebook.com/SourcepanCollective Community Café Training Session Mon 18th March, 1-5pm www.bhfood.org.uk/events Brighton & Hove Food & Drink Festival Fri 29th March to Sun 7th April www.brightonfoodfestival.com/events.html Urban foraging Sun 27th April, 10am-1pm www.harvest-bh.org.uk/events
Courses Core Growing Skills Sat 16th March, 10am-2pm www.harvest-bh.org.uk/events
Practical Permaculture Gardening Sat 6th & Sun 7th April, 10am-5pm www.brightonpermaculture.org.uk Grow & Tell, Weald Allotments Sun 21st April, 11am-1.30pm www.harvest-bh.org.uk/events Mushroom Cultivation Sat 20th & Sun 21st April, 9am-5.30pm www.brightonpermaculture.org.uk Cookability Wed 23rd April – Tues 2nd July (east) and Thurs 24th April – Wed 3rd July (west) www.bhfood.org.uk/events Clay Oven building Sun 28th April, 5th May & 12th May www.bevendeancommunitygarden. blogspot.co.uk
Markets Churchill Square Farmers Market, every Wednesday, 10am-4pm. George Street Farmers Market, every 4th Wednesday, 10am-3pm. Farm Market, 73 North Road, every Saturday, 9am-3pm.
Mermaid Market, Brighton Marina Square, every Saturday & Sunday, 11am-4pm. Upper Gardner Street Market, every Saturday, 7am-5pm.