Food

Chilli-lovers from across the city are being invited to take part in the annual chilli eating competition as part of this year’s Birmingham Chilli Festival at Brindleyplace. Now in its fifth year and free for everyone to attend, the Birmingham Chilli Festival sponsored by Dares – a resurrection craft beer from Davenports – will return on Saturday 19^th September, taking place in Central Square at Brindleyplace, with the hotly anticipated chilli eating competition kicking off at 3pm.

The award winning Chef and restaurateur Jean-Christophe Novelli has joined forces with the Channel Island of Guernsey and will take part in the first Guernsey International Food Festival from the 18th – 27th September. Events are taking place daily throughout the festival but Jean-Christophe will be on the island on Saturday 26th September and Sunday 27th September taking part in several events which visitors can buy tickets to.

Having already collected numerous awards for their quality artisan cheeses, 2015 continues to be a successful year for Quicke's. Their traditional clothbound cheesemaking methods triumph again, with Quicke's Goats' Milk Cheese collecting two stars at the Great Taste Awards 2015. Quicke's Mature Cheddar and Extra Mature Cheddar were also each awarded stars.

Luxury boutique hotel, Fishmore Hall in Shropshire, is giving budding chefs and food fanatics the opportunity to become a chef for the day with their 'Shop and Cook with the Chef' package. Venture off into the picturesque market town of Ludlow to explore the famed Ludlow Food Centre, independent delis and quirky artisan producers, before taking the reins in the kitchen to prepare an opulent evening meal.

The BBC Good Food Festival is back for its 2nd year and will be held once again in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace over the August Bank Holiday weekend. In Hampton Court's 500th's anniversary year it promises to be a highlight of the Palace's summer calendar and a day full of fun and inspiration for all the family.

Throughout August, in keeping with the hotel's continued commitment to supporting local purveyors and producers, Shangri-La, At The Shard, London has teamed up with local gin distillery Jensen's in Bermondsey to unveil a month-long Summer Gin Terrace at LÁNG.

Throughout August, in keeping with the hotel's continued commitment to supporting local purveyors and producers, Shangri-La, At The Shard, London has teamed up with local gin distillery Jensen's in Bermondsey to unveil a month-long Summer Gin Terrace at LÁNG.

British rainbow trout could disappear from the nation’s tables within a generation, Morrisons fishmongers are warning. Sales of the fish have been in decline for the last decade. They have dropped by nearly 10 per cent within the last five years. Should this trend continue the nation will have stopped eating the fish completely within 17 years.

A new survey commissioned by Tesco into Brits' cooking habits has found the humble Chinese stir fry is the most well-known dish people know how to cook from scratch, with 81% of people knowing how to cook one without having to resort to a recipe book. Spaghetti Bolognese came a close second with 80% knowing how to cook the Italian classic, while 77% of people can cook a traditional Sunday Roast Dinner unaided, bringing the British favourite home in third place.

The British cherry season is well and truly underway with a record breaking 4,500 tonnes of the sumptuous fruit predicted to be produced in 2015. And it seems that the younger generation of savvy farmers are tapping into this ever-growing industry. The stone fruit has enjoyed record-breaking sales and this summer is predicted to reach in excess of £32 million whilst demand continues to grow. In 2014 4,000 tonnes of cherries were produced, a 20 per cent increase from the previous year.

A bigger and permanent weekly market will return to Tottenham Green this summer boasting the best independent food and drink after the huge success of a six-week Haringey Council trial last year. The revamped Tottenham Green Market will run on Saturdays throughout the summer, with dozens of stalls offering everything from sumptuous street food to local produce and arts and crafts.

Handcrafted marshmallows and chocolate, gourmet risottos, artisan dressings and luxury cocktail sorbets are just some of the delicious new products waiting to be discovered at a unique 'pop up' marketplace. The creations are being retailed at London's Old Street Station as part of the first ever Artisan Springboard - a unique project from Kitchen Table Projects, which aims to launch the next generation of artisan producers.

Popularised by celebrity chefs such as Nathan Outlaw and Raymond Blanc, and having hit national papers due to their breakthrough into supermarkets, The Cornish Seaweed Company is one of Cornwall's fastest growing startups. Their commitment to sustainability is evidenced by the company's harvesting policy.

Cornwall is gearing up for another moment in the spotlight as the dates are announced for the biggest annual celebration of the county's storming food and drink scene. The Great Cornish Food Festival is the largest event anywhere dedicated 100% to Cornish food and drink and it will take place this year from Friday 25th to Sunday 27th September.

Brett Graham and his team at The Ledbury have scooped the coveted top spot for a fourth year running as they top the definitive list of London's top 100 restaurants. The 2 Michelin star, Notting Hill restaurant adds yet another trophy to the already heaving award shelf, this time it's to celebrate topping the All In One Ultimate Restaurant List for an incredible fourth year on the trot.