Posts Tagged ‘Caroline Dawson’
Marketing Initiative of the Year 2011
POULTRY veteran Tony Kynaston has become the face of free range eggs after appearing in a snappy poster campaign.
Mr Kynaston, of Nant Ucha Farm, Garth, Llangollen, is pictured holding a chicken on the poster.
Underneath are the word: “Meet Tony … he produces eggs. Well he doesn’t, he leaves that to his free range hens in the wilds of Garth.”
Since its launch earlier this year, the number of outlets stocking Nant Ucha Eggs has soared from 32 to 71.
Tony’s daughter Heather said: “The posters have been fantastic in getting the face of the egg farmer known to the locals.
“Our customers feel as if they know Tony personally. They feel as if they know where the eggs are coming from.
“The posters have helped generate new customers for us, both retail and wholesale.”
The poster was produced by Local Food First Wrexham, which was nominated for an award by Nant Ucha at this month’s British Free Range Egg Producers Conference, Stoneleigh.
Local Food First Wrexham went on to win the Best Egg Marketing Initiative 2011.
Heather added: “My old man is recognised by so many people now.”
Wrexham Champion Sausage 2011
Wrexham Champion Sausage 2011 – Results
Traditional Pork Class
1. Lewis’s Farm Shop, Eyton
2. Jones Brothers Farm Shop, Wrexham
3. Home Farm, Overton
Speciality Class
1. Lewis’s Farm Shop, Eyton – Welsh Dragon Sausage
2. Home Farm, Overton – Pork and Leek
3. Platts Butchers, Wrexham – Pork and Black Pudding
Overall Champion – Lewis’s Farm Shop for their Welsh Dragon Sausage
Cooking & Culture Come Together…..
North Wales food and drink producers will be showcasing their produce at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham (July 30- August 6).
More than 20 producers* will be featured on the Maes at the appropriately named stand – ‘Y Pantri’. From beer to blueberries, and chocolate to cheese, there will be a host of flavours for visitors to try and buy.
Y Pantri, which is supported by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, will host a variety of culinary related activities during the week, including cookery demonstrations and competitions.
The stand is jointly managed by Northern Marches Cymru and rural development agency Cadwyn Clwyd which delivers rural regeneration projects in North East Wales, and has been working hard to make sure local food producers have the best opportunities to highlight what they do at the event.
Throughout the Eisteddfod chef and food author Nerys Howell will be sharing cookery tips, and demonstrating how to use local and Welsh produce to create a range of tastydishes, featuring recipes from the Wales the True Taste Food & Drink Awards magazine and website.
A number of chefs will be cooking up interest on the stand during the week including Steffan Davies – the Springboard Future Chef of the Year – who will be cooking at Y Pantri on Tuesday. Also taking part in the demonstrations on Monday is Geraint Hughesfrom the True Taste Award-winning delicatessen, Y Bwtri.
On Wednesday (August 3rd) there will be a celebrity element to proceedings with opera star Wynne Evans – better known as the ‘go compare’ man – turning his hand to a spot of cooking. Wynne will be making Chirk Farm hot smoked salmon and avocado salsa, Rye Crisp breads, and Wrecsam ‘Mess’ – a local twist on the famous dessert, Eton Mess.
Friday will see students and lecturers from Yale College in Wrexham cook up an array of local delicacies.
Y Pantri will also feature the climax of the ‘Taste of Wrexham’ schools competition. Primary (year 6) and secondary (year 9) school pupils have been hard at work devising recipes using local produce, and the competition has attracted over 300 entries.
The four semi-finalists will take to the stage on Sunday (July 31st) to create their dishes with the winners chosen by a panel of experts.
Companies exhibiting at Y Pantri during the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham:
Really Nice Chocolate
BLUE Whole Blueberries
Lewis’s Farm Shop
Home Farm Produce
Veggie Fayre
Orchard Pigs
Just Tea and Coffee
The Crafty Carrot Cake Co
Denbigh Chocolate Shop
Megan’s Kitchen
Pant Glas Bach
Northern Marches Cymru
Aballu Truffles
Llangollen Brewery
North Wales Brewery
Cadwyn Clwyd
Traed Moch
Treat Petit
Mn ar Lwy
Harvie’s Ltd
The Patchwork Traditional Food Company
Caws Rhyd y Delyn
Food Festival Feeds the 5,000….
A top TV chef was a man on a mission at a new food festival which was a huge success.
Graham Tinsley MBE, the captain of the Welsh Culinary Team, made an impassioned plea to people to buy and enjoy locally produced food.
He was one of the main attractions at the first ever Wrexham Food Festival which was hailed a huge success – by exhibitors and visitors alike. The festival attracted over 5000 visitors during the two days.
Graham, who starred in ITV’s Taste of the Nation series last year, is the Chef Director at the award-winning Castle Hotel, in Conwy.
He said: “It’s an absolutely tremendous event that has provided an important showcase for high quality local produce.
“It shows that around the corner there may be a bespoke delicatessen, a cheese maker or a farm producer who supply some wonderful products.
“You don’t have to go to the big supermarkets all the time – you should search out these fine products from your local area.”
The Food Festival was organised by Xuberance Events, the company who run the highly successful Llangollen Food Festival, The Gardening Show and The Motorbike Show.
They were backed by the Local Food Project, Northern Marches Cymru.
The project has received financial support through the Rural Development Plan for Wales which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Hundreds of local schoolchildren entered a competition to design a recipe to find the Taste of Wrexham.
Four finalists were invited to the festival to stage a cook off under Graham’s watchful eye.
In the cook off for the main course, Fianna Ball-Smith, a Year 7 from St Joseph’s School, was pitted against Lauren O’Connor, a Year 7 pupil from Ysgol Bryn Alyn.
After a close fought tussle, Lauren was narrowly judged to be the winner with her delicious Pan Fried Chicken with Leek and Stilton sauce.
The final of the dessert competition was also keenly contested with Lewis Melia, from Year 6, at Victoria School, vying for the title against Alexander Oulton, from Year 6 at Bronington School.
In the event, Alexander just came out on top with his a Blue Chocolate Stir with local blueberries.
Graham added: “The encouragement in the audience for the schoolchildren has been great.
“All four finalists studied hard and found out what was in season – their attitude was great and the recipes were top class.
The Festival was officially opened by the Mayor of Wrexham, Cllr Arwel Gwyn Jones.
He was delighted to be there because he was a big food lover – and was mightily impressed with what he saw and tasted.
“I have been around the stalls and the array of produce is remarkable and that’s fantastic. Importantly, many of them are local who are producing healthy food that people enjoy.
“I am sure that this will also be good for the local economy – and the way things have started this will become the biggest and best food festival in North Wales.”
Caroline Dawson, Northern Marches Cymru’s Local Food Project Officer, was thrilled that the first festival had proved so popular.
She said: “ We are off to a flyer – the response and the sheer number of food lovers who have come is just fantastic. It’s exceeded all expectations.
“There is a brilliant atmosphere. As soon as people started coming in you could pick up on this buzz – there was energy and feeling that it was going to be a good day.
“It bodes well for the future – I’m looking forward to next year and I already have ideas what I want to do.”
Among those already looking forward to next year’s festival is Robert Didier, a former chef who tantalised the tastebuds of James Bond actor Sean Connery and a host of other Hollywood stars.
Robert, who trained under culinary legend Raymond Blanc, now runs Bwlchgwyn-based Orchard Pigs, who makes a range of handmade pies and pastries – including their trademark Tractor wheel pie, using local free range produce.
He said: “The event has been really well organised and the turnout is absolutely brilliant.
“People are spending money which is in this climate is great – they’re not just looking for fine food, they’re looking for local fine food and supporting local businesses.”
Equally delighted was Jo Edwards, from Aballu Truffles, who said: “They have done a brilliant job in setting this event up – there are loads of people here and Xuberance have come up trumps again.”
Food lover Sian ap Dewi came all the way from Bangor.
She said: “It’s great to have an event that celebrates fine food and that you can find out who produces food locally and what is available.I like to know where the food I am eating comes from.”
That was music to the ears of organiser David Green, the Managing Director of Xuberance Events.
He said: “I would like to say a big thank you to all the exhibitors for supporting this first ever Wrexham Food Festival and obviously to all the food lovers who have come.
“We’ve also had amazing support from Caroline Dawson at Northern Marches Cymru and Wrexham Council. Everybody has pulled together – many hands make light work.”
