Food news.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2020 13:10 Page 1
FOOD & DRINK TASTY TIDBITS FROM THE CITY’S RESTAURANTS, CHEFS AND PRODUCERS
LOVING THE VINA LOCA
Oli has worked in wine for years and has now started his own business
A new wine company has launched in Bristol, positioning itself as a strong supporter of modern, inventive, bold wines and building up from foundations of independence, freedom and nurture. Over 85% of the Vina Loca range is either vegan, organic or boutique, although founder Oli Di Meo and team stock the classics too. They also provide mystery boxes, virtual tastings and free delivery with no minimum order. Born and raised in Bristol, Oli went to Wellsway School in Keynsham and after a stint travelling post-university, worked for Majestic Wine and E&J Gallo, with another stint as Michelin-level head sommelier, and then a few years working in the Middle East managing a large portfolio of five-star hotel clients while consulting on and importing fine wines. His original plan to open a bar was quashed by coronavirus, but moving the concept online has proven to be a great success – and we’re very glad to hear it! • vinaloca.co.uk; @vina.loca (Instagram)
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PUT ‘THEM APPLES’ TO GOOD USE
A new Bristol start-up is enabling local home cooks, producing “real food, made in kitchens not factories” to sell their dishes to the people of Bristol. All About The Cooks, founded by Bristol Food Connections chair Claire Ladkin, aims to provide home-cooked food for celebrations, family mealtimes, dinner parties or those keen to try freshly cooked dishes without the hassle of sourcing ingredients and cooking themselves. “Discovering that someone only a few minutes from your home is cooking delicious Mauritian-inspired dishes, seriously tasty chicken wings or baklava is the joy of this concept,” says Claire. “Uncovering the cooks and their stories has been a total privilege and I cannot wait for the people of Bristol to do the same. All About The Cooks has the ability to create greater connection within communities and I think there’s a real appetite for that.”
Bristol residents with surplus apples in their garden are being urged to take them to Riverside Garden Centre in Southville so The Cotswold Fruit Company can turn them into 100% natural pressed apple juice or, if enough fruit is donated, a Bristol blend of cider. In return, donators will get a choice of free apple juice or cider, and the satisfaction of knowing their spare fruit has been put to use. “Bristol is a city that understands cider so using surplus local apples to make Bristolian cider seems right,” says director David Lindgren. “This year’s crop appears be a good one, so there may be people wondering what to do with their spare apples. The batches of Bristol juice and cider we made last year were much appreciated; we hope to go further this year.” Collect sacks from Riverside; pick apples when they are ripe (pips black or dark brown); leave filled sacks at Riverside on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays up until late November and your juice will be left at Riverside once the apples have been milled and pressed. The Bristol cider blend will be ready next spring (after the first cuckoo has been heard in Gloucestershire, we’re told). Good quality fruit only please; the odd bruise or scab is fine but it’s a no to rotten or partly rotten fruit! Minimum donation 8kgs.
• allaboutthecooks.co.uk
MORE BANG FOR YOUR BEAN Local cook Ximena Saez
48 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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NOVEMBER 2020
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No 194
• For more, email david@cotswoldfruit.co.uk
New research shows that buying a coffee from a community business or socially minded café keeps more money in the local area and costs less. Power to Change, a charitable trust supporting community businesses, has launched the Cappuccino Index to help coffee lovers get more bang for their bean, after commissioning an audit of cafés and finding that while a chain like Starbucks charges an average £2.70 for a cappuccino, Bristol community businesses charge an average of £2.10. “For aficionados, lower prices may raise alarm bells,”
they said. “But many cafés emphasised not just the quality of their coffee, but the social equity of their supply chain.” For every £1 spent with a large business, 40p stays in the area, while with a small business, you can expect 63p to stay in the local economy (source: Federation of Small Businesses). With the latter likely to buy locally and be part of local supply chains, helping ‘build back better’ can start as simply as where we buy our coffee. • powertochange.org.uk
