The food’s marvellous here: of such oysters, we who live deep inland can have no conception. Then a few slices of meat and a draught of porter -delicious! I like English cooking very much for its honest simplicity. The excellenceof the meat and poultry is indescribable!
So recounted the German composer, Weber, following a visit to a London eating house in the 1820s.
The weekend of 2-4 May 2003 heralds a significant milestone in the development of Slow Food in Britain, with the inaugural conference of Slow Food Convivium leaders from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. To mark this occasion, Carlo Petrini, the founder and President of Slow Food, invites the friends and members of Slow Food in London to join us for dinner in celebration of British culinary diversity.
The evening will begin with an aperitif and a keynote address by Carlo Petrini on ‘The importance of biodiversity and food culture’. Then after a special British Heritage Feast, Master of Ceremonies Matthew Fort, food editor of The Guardian, will speak about ‘Food culture in Britain today’, while Guest Speaker Ben Rogers, senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research and author, will consider ‘Beef & Liberty: an original history of meat and the English nation.’
The evening will be rounded off by a novel tombola (debenture in one year’s honey harvest from The London Honey Man) and auction (collectors’ item, the first English edition of the Slow’ journal).
The event has been made possible courtesy of The Jolly Hotel St Ermin’s, Food from Britain, Neals Yard Dairy, Borough Market, Villandry, Bisol Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, Plymouth Gin, Sillfield Farm, Farmer Sharp, Colchester Oysters, Formans, Bladgons, Somerset Brandy, Burrow Hill Cider, Montgomery Cheddar, Moorehayes Farm, Westcombe Dairy, The Glencairn Glass and Llanllyr Water.
Friday May 2
The Terrace
The Jolly Hotel St Ermin’s
2 Caxton Street
St James. London. SW1H 0QW
Prices:
£40.00 members
£60.00 members’ guests
£10.00 aperitif & talk by Carlo Petrini only (6.30 – 7.45pm)
For details:
Silvija Davidson,
Treasurer Slow Food London
12 Lords Close
West Dulwich
London SE21 8JH
T: 07740 940 919
To book, see the major events section of the site.