Well If you like a good quality modern Opera, you enjoy Italian cuisine and good company you need to join us on the 9th October at the Wedgwood Museum.
I would like to tell you a little story about a chef and an office girl (naming no names!) ;
It was an early autumn evening and said chef who was a member of the local 'Round Table' had been invited to the area Ball which was to be held at Stapley Water gardens. The Chef and the office girl had only been on a couple of dates and neither knew at that stage what the future would hold.
The office girl had not been to a ball before and was very excited so much fuss and attention was paid to choosing the right dress, the right shoes, the right curlers etc etc. The chef didn't have as much work to do - just a change from a white jacket to a black one and a neckerchief to a dicky bow.
The carriage arrived at 7.00 to collect the girl and together they sped across Staffordshire to the Ball. Neither was convinced that the venue would provide a Cinderella type atmosphere but romance was in the air and as the orchestra started (a local chap on a keyboard over dinner) and the lights dimmed it became an evening to remember and a meal that sparked mixed emotions. Much dancing around handbags and rugby talk at the bar followed and the guests were allowed the privilege of walking around the aquarium and the planted gardens. The beat of the music in the background could be heard faintly and as the young chef gazed into the eyes of the office girl over the indoor ferns her heart flipped and so a lasting love began...
So reel forward in time to the present and Peter and Sarah met with the staff at Wedgwood to plan some special themed evenings. The first of these has been planned meticulously to offer loyal customers and those who would like a rather special evening of their own, the opportunity of relaxed time to browse the galleries at the museum. To discover the culture and heritage of the finest china made in Stoke for over a hundred years. The opportunity of experiencing a fantastic meal cooked with fresh seasonal produce to reflect the theme of the evening and served on finest Wedgwood china in the best museum in England. Then to complete the evening musical entertainment that will leave you breathless and eager to do it all again at the next event...
So may be there are no fish and ferns at Wedgwood to flutter your eyelashes over at each other but we promise you a great evening of real tradition and culture and it will be special... and you never know where new relationships may flourish be they romantic or of a business nature!
To book your place on this evening not to be missed call The Wedgwood Museum on 01782 371913 or pop into the shop to pick up your personal invitation and booking form.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Peter Loves Food. He loves feeding people and more importantly he loves feeding people with good quality wholesome food. If you want to upset him then suggest he cooks a boil in the bag meal with processed potatoes out of a packet. - light the touch paper and stand back! Its really important to him where the food comes from and that belief is two fold – He has a big picture view of why local food production is essential to our rural way of life and why that is important. He also simply rejoices in the vibrancy and character of local food on our door step, made in Staffordshire and Shropshire.
So what is the big picture?
Most food in the world is grown, collected and harvested by more than a billion small-scale farmers, pastoralists and artisans. This food is mainly sold, processed, resold and consumed locally. Local food production provides the foundation of peoples' nutrition, incomes and economies, it enhances cultural diversity, reflects the local history and circumstances of countries across the world. At a time when halving world poverty and eradicating hunger are at the forefront of all governments’ agendas, reinforcing the diversity of local food systems is vitally important.
Yet, the rules that govern food production and agriculture at all levels - local, national and international - are designed to facilitate not local, but, national and international trade. This only concentrates the wealth of the world's food economies in the hands of ever fewer multinational corporations, leaving small-scale food producers, local traders and consumers marginalised.
And the local picture?
The Campaign to protect Rural England published a report in June 2006, The Real Choice: how local foods can survive the supermarket onslaught, which surveys the successful local food economy which has developed in East Suffolk following a decision by the local council to refuse planning permission for a Tesco superstore. The report argues in favour of planning and retailing policies that will encourage local food networks like the one that is flourishing in East Suffolk rather than short term financial gain that ultimately crushes local businesses.
Chef Gordon Ramsay, is quoted saying of the report Local food matters because it's fresh, it's seasonal, it's distinctive and it tastes great. The producers care about the quality of their food, and it matters to them if we don't. The people in CPRE's report are producing and selling great local food and are surviving against the odds. We need more like them and they need our support to succeed.
Only this week Former Conservative leader and shadow foreign secretary William Hague voiced his support for regionally-branded food as a way of ensuring the future sustainability of rural economies.
Speaking at an event organised by the Wensleydale Creamery based in his constituency in the Yorkshire Dales – Mr Hague said it was important to protect iconic British brands, particularly in more remote areas.
Tony Naylor of the guardian wrote on his blog that “according to the New Economics Foundation, every fiver spent at a locally owned business circulates five times before it leaves the local economy and, in this way, is actually worth £25. On this basis, if two million people choose to spend £5 in their local shop rather than a supermarket, that's a £50m cash injection for Britain's independent food shops”... And where do the independent retailers spend their money. If they hold the same values as us probably locally so the circle continues.
We are not suggesting that independent deli’s and farm shops occupy some moral and gastronomic high ground. Nor are we are suggesting that everyone in Staffordshire should shop only at The Gastronomy Shop over any other local shop. We are suggesting that people take a look at their buying habits and examine their own values and think of the long term big picture for all small retailers and the effect that habits now will have on the future.
For our part we are glad and thankful for the many people in Gnosall do appreciate Peters passion for food – even if it’s because it tastes good. We are glad that we have a whole plethora of local suppliers who feel about their businesses and customers as we do and we are grateful for the community that has developed in our own small part of the rural economy – long may it last.
So what is the big picture?
Most food in the world is grown, collected and harvested by more than a billion small-scale farmers, pastoralists and artisans. This food is mainly sold, processed, resold and consumed locally. Local food production provides the foundation of peoples' nutrition, incomes and economies, it enhances cultural diversity, reflects the local history and circumstances of countries across the world. At a time when halving world poverty and eradicating hunger are at the forefront of all governments’ agendas, reinforcing the diversity of local food systems is vitally important.
Yet, the rules that govern food production and agriculture at all levels - local, national and international - are designed to facilitate not local, but, national and international trade. This only concentrates the wealth of the world's food economies in the hands of ever fewer multinational corporations, leaving small-scale food producers, local traders and consumers marginalised.
And the local picture?
The Campaign to protect Rural England published a report in June 2006, The Real Choice: how local foods can survive the supermarket onslaught, which surveys the successful local food economy which has developed in East Suffolk following a decision by the local council to refuse planning permission for a Tesco superstore. The report argues in favour of planning and retailing policies that will encourage local food networks like the one that is flourishing in East Suffolk rather than short term financial gain that ultimately crushes local businesses.
Chef Gordon Ramsay, is quoted saying of the report Local food matters because it's fresh, it's seasonal, it's distinctive and it tastes great. The producers care about the quality of their food, and it matters to them if we don't. The people in CPRE's report are producing and selling great local food and are surviving against the odds. We need more like them and they need our support to succeed.
Only this week Former Conservative leader and shadow foreign secretary William Hague voiced his support for regionally-branded food as a way of ensuring the future sustainability of rural economies.
Speaking at an event organised by the Wensleydale Creamery based in his constituency in the Yorkshire Dales – Mr Hague said it was important to protect iconic British brands, particularly in more remote areas.
Tony Naylor of the guardian wrote on his blog that “according to the New Economics Foundation, every fiver spent at a locally owned business circulates five times before it leaves the local economy and, in this way, is actually worth £25. On this basis, if two million people choose to spend £5 in their local shop rather than a supermarket, that's a £50m cash injection for Britain's independent food shops”... And where do the independent retailers spend their money. If they hold the same values as us probably locally so the circle continues.
We are not suggesting that independent deli’s and farm shops occupy some moral and gastronomic high ground. Nor are we are suggesting that everyone in Staffordshire should shop only at The Gastronomy Shop over any other local shop. We are suggesting that people take a look at their buying habits and examine their own values and think of the long term big picture for all small retailers and the effect that habits now will have on the future.
For our part we are glad and thankful for the many people in Gnosall do appreciate Peters passion for food – even if it’s because it tastes good. We are glad that we have a whole plethora of local suppliers who feel about their businesses and customers as we do and we are grateful for the community that has developed in our own small part of the rural economy – long may it last.
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