STREATHAM FOOD FESTIVAL 2014 took place from Thursday 5th – Sunday 8th June.
STREATHAM FOOD TOUR 2014: the tour proved to be hugely popular again this year with an even wider choice of foods on offer. Twenty-nine Streatham restaurants took part, with cuisines ranging from Turkish to Indian, Ghanaian to Thai.
Over 1,000 diners visited eateries for taster plates of their signature dishes, with menus shown on our specially designed map plus scorecards to rate the food, service and atmosphere in each eatery.
The high road was buzzing, with more than 3,500 dishes sold and fantastic feedback from all involved. Read more about it here.
HITHERFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL’S HERBY BREAD SESSION
To kick-off this year’s festival, a class of Year 1 pupils at Hitherfield Primary School had the opportunity to make herby breads with Duncan Salisbury-Gaumont, founder of Streatham’s new bakery, Elephant Bakehouse.
In the morning, local grower and horticultural educator Jenny Hindson led a session on herb-growing, giving children the chance to learn about different varieties of herbs as well as planting herbs to grow over the coming months.
In the afternoon, Duncan taught the pupils all about real bread while they kneaded and shaped their own foccacias, to which they added freshly picked herbs before baking.
View our album of photos from the day here.
STREATHAM DROP-IN CENTRE FUNDRAISING MEAL
On Thursday evening, delicious Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine was on offer thanks to two local charities – Streatham Drop-in Centre for Asylum Seekers and Refugees and Music4Children. Those in attendance enjoyed a variety of traditional vegetarian & meat dishes specially prepared by the volunteer and staff team, while funds raised went towards children’s activities at the drop-in centre.
FOOD GROWING AT ST ANDREW’S PRIMARY SCHOOL
Morrisons’ Store Manager Steve Higgins was working hard in the run-up to the festival, building planters out of recycled stocking pallets from the store. The planters were installed at St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School during the festival week, followed by a food growing session with the school’s Eco-Team, led by Steve. The Eco-Team are now managing the planters on an ongoing basis, documenting their progress and sharing it with the wider school.
View photos of the session here.
With thanks to Steve Higgins and Morrisons for providing the planters and all of the supplies.
SUTTON COMMUNITY FARM’S VEGBOX DINNER
On Friday night, Sutton Community Farm partnered with Joe Fox from Hix Soho to create a pop-up dining event at The White Lion Stables.
Guests enjoyed a wonderful three-course meal created from the contents of the farm’s weekly VegBoxes.
Watch a brilliant short film of the event here and read this blog by local food blogger Selma Jeevanjee who attended the event.
COPING WITH FUSSY EATERS
On Saturday, Cavendish Lodge Nursery School teamed up with ‘Mama Knows Best‘ parenting adviser, Jenny Neville, to devise a special session of advice, tips and tactics for the parents of fussy eaters.
SERENDIPITY IN THE ENCHANTED GARDEN
Local tea room Serendipity brought some fairy magic to the festival programme with their Fairy Grotto, face painting and workshops, alongside fresh hand-made vegan cakes, savoury treats and some rather special summer drinks.
STRAWBERRY TEA AT MEDIWORLD
Visitors to MediWorld’s showroom indulged in a delicious range of home-baked cakes and pastries, all in aid of a very worthwhile cause – the charity Breast Cancer Care.
STREATHAM FOOD FESTIVAL BAKE-OFF
The Friends of Streatham Common‘s annual baking competition took place at The Railway Tearooms on Saturday afternoon.
SUNDAY FOOD FAIR: Our popular Sunday Food Fair returned to Streatham Green with an even bigger celebration of local food and drink. From Asian street food to boozy ice creams, jerk chicken to artisan cakes, and not forgetting face painting, live music, an interactive art installation, advice on healthy eating and, of course, live cooking demos in our demonstration tent. It was a fantastic day of food and fun for the whole family.
View our album of photos from the day here.
A VICTORIAN COOKING LESSON WITH RACHEL DE THAMPLE
On Sunday afternoon, local food writer and chef Rachel de Thample ran an outdoor cooking lesson at Streatham Common Community Garden. Rachel introduced ingredients and recipes that were popular during Victorian times including rhubarb, broad beans, cardoons, purple potatoes, golden beetroot and redcurrants.
The session looked at how Victorians structured their meals, who cooked, and how class played a part. Mrs Beeton recipes featured, along with other cooks of the day.
The event was presented by Streatham Common Community Garden and the Friends of Streatham Common as part of the Rookery Centenary Project with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
BOYCE DA ROCA FESTIVAL SUPPERCLUB
To celebrate the end of the festival, Boyce da Roca hosted a very special supperclub event, serving traditional English food with a twist.