A return ticket to the classroom

Hot news! I'm succumbed to pressure and am now on Twitter so if you follow me, I can let you know as soon as I've written a new post. Just click on the Twitter button at the top left.

Not only that but after a June of football and tennis, I've been out to a couple of very cool new places - one of which is open for a limited period only - so the blog takes a slightly different format this week.

1) Penny University, Redchurch Street, Shoreditch (nearest tube Liverpool Street

Apparently Penny University is a term originating from the eighteenth century coffeehouses in London, England. Instead of paying for drinks, people were charged a penny to enter a coffee house. Once inside, the patron had access to coffee, the company of others, various discussions, pamphlets, bulletins, newspapers, and the latest news and gossip. So everyone frequented them and had intellectual conversation.

Spending a penny at Penny University in Shoreditch doesn't get you very far (don't try it!) and it's not a big place either which makes it very special. No sugar, no milk, no espresso, no latte - just pure filter coffee and just three varieties (matched to William Curley chocolates if you prefer).

If you're lucky, Gwillym Davies (2009 World Barista Champion) will impart some of his extensive and fascinating coffee knowledge to you whilst he prepares the best coffee ever from something that you would normally expect to find in a chemistry lab.

If you're really lucky, you might get James Hoffmann (2010 World Barista Champion and the man behind Square Mile Coffee).

Things you should know!

- Three beautiful single estate coffees on the menu originating from Kenya, Ethiopia and Colombia costing from £3 to £4 per cup.
- Beans ground to order using a very special grinder that varies the grind quality (apparently one of the most important variables in coffee).
- A state of the art water boiler and three very cool preparation vessels.

Yes it sounds very nerdy but actually it's not - it's an enlightening and enjoyable way to drink coffee that everyone should try. It's only open until 31 July so hurry up and go!

2) Union Market, Fulham Broadway (Fulham Broadway tube)

Someone has done a stunning job of converting the old Fulham Broadway ticket hall into a food market. A beautiful space that has maintained some of the quirkiness of the old station with ticket desks and signage clearly visible. Even the old ticket office has been converted into a kitchen.

It's all about traceability, sustainability, seasonal and local. A farmers market that's open daily from 8am until 8pm (but you can get an early morning tea or coffee from 7am). From fruit and veg to wine and cider to cheese, charcuterie, bakery and general provisions, you can get everything here, even organic cola bottle gums. In addition, there's a [very] small tapas area and a few tables for something more substantial.

It's a warm and welcoming place to shop and the staff were very helpful and friendly. It's not cheap but the Fulham mummies will love it and I wish it all the best.

Is Life Ever Fair?

Week 9

Finally, it's stopped raining and the world is a beautiful place.

Or is it? We're now in the middle of Fairtrade fortnight (22 Feb - 7 March) - a topic that is so important yet so often misunderstood.

Fairtrade has become the generic word for produce that 'gives back' to the producer. Or should that just be 'fairly traded'? Other certifications include Rainforest Alliance which is perceived to be about saving the rainforest (take another look at what they do!) and organic apparently means no chemicals added. So what's biodynamic? What's Soil Association? What's Red Tractor? What's Freedom Food vs Free Range?

We've all come to look at different seals as 'safe' badges without really understanding what they mean. Are they all good for the producer? Maybe. Are they all sustainable? No. Is one better than the other? Depends.

Is it better to have a Fairtrade biscuit made in Malawi than a flapjack from a small producer in Kent?
Is it better to pay a fixed premium for a product that is in little demand or to encourage farmers to diversify?

Are organic green beans from Kenya better than non-organic green beans from the farm down the road?

Ultimately, it's about knowing where your food comes from and understanding what all these certifications really mean - and no one is making it particularly easy. Exploitation isn't the answer. Neither is shipping products thousands of miles when you can get better from round the corner. And ultimately, if it's not commercially sustainable, then there's no point at all. Food for thought...

So, on a slightly different note this week's Food of the Week is...

Meat!

It's taken me a lifetime to work it out but finally I've realised that
a) good meat usually comes from a [good] butcher

b) it's better to buy hunks of meat rather than specific cuts because it's much cheaper and less likely to have been interfered with.

Ginger Pig is my favourite butcher of the moment. It's not just about pork (although that's where it all started) and you will find all meats from traditional breeds as well as charcuterie products in their shop. It's always busy so there's a big turnover of meat which assures me of its freshness (vs other butchers who have little on show and get things out the freezer). Ginger Pig's meat is tender and full of flavour and everyone notices the difference when they eat it.

So what's the difference?

Ginger Pig refuses to feed their livestock bought in artificial foods containing unnecessary proteins. Instead they grow their own barley, wheat, oats etc which is fed to the animals. Because everything is natural, the animals grow slower and are slaughtered between one and three months later than those reared on industrial farms.

Overall, Ginger Pig oversees every element of the rearing process from planting the seeds for the fodder, through to breeding, feeding, slaughtering and butchering right through to selling the product in their shops, and apparently no one else does that in the UK.

Best Way to Serve

Depends on what you're eating! Their butterfly lamb chops are beautiful, as is their beef fillet (great for a carpaccio) and their ham (pinker than any other ham I've seen!)

Where can I buy them and what's it going to do to my bank balance?

Price: tbc according to what you purchase

Ginger Pig has shops at Marylebone, Hackney, Waterloo (at Greensmiths), Borough Market and Pickering in North Yorkshire

www.thegingerpig.co.uk

Restaurant of the Week

Sacred Cafe

This week's choice is Sacred Cafe, with branches on Ganton Street and Kingly Court (near Carnaby Street), Westfield and Torrington Street.

It's actually more of a bar than a restaurant but the reasons for including it are as follows:

Why is it good?

It's possibly the best place for a decent cup of tea in London that won't cost the earth! Apparently it's Antipodean style.

As well as fresh brewed ice teas and the usual chai lattes, Sacred Cafe has a range of long leaf loose teas as this is a teabag free zone. All served in a 'so chintzy it's cool' teapot!

Che - three letters that start a revolution

Week 3

The snow has melted - hurrah! But it's all gone very grey - boo!

Christmas seems like a long long time ago and we're struggling with those New Year's resolutions... so stuff that idea and start enjoying life again with something nice!

Food of the Week

Stichelton cheese



To the normal eye, this stuff looks like Stilton, smells like Stilton and tastes like an amazingly fantastic Stilton but those three extra letters 'che' make all the difference and are creating a revolution of their own!

It's not a Stilton. Stilton refers to the cheese that we know and love that only six dairies across Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are licensed to produce using locally produced, pasteurised milk according to EU law.

Stichelton is different. It's still made in Nottinghamshire but the main difference is that it uses 'raw' unpasteurised organic milk (as many traditional English cheeses used to be made). Because of the 'raw' milk, it has to be called something different and so the name Stichelton was chosen - the ancient name of Stilton town as per the Domesday Book.

So what's the difference?

I bought some for Christmas and found it a much softer, creamier cheese than you would expect from a Stilton, still with a strong and distinctive tang from the blue mould and an exceptionally long aftertaste. Everyone loved it, remarked on it's 'delicious-ness' and it disappeared very quickly!
Try it and I'm sure you'll agree this is in a different league.



Best Way to Serve

So there's not much left from Christmas now, but there's definitely a few of us who are stockpiling the Christmas cake! Brighten up a January evening with a chunk of Stichelton, a hunk of Christmas cake and a large glass of port or red wine.

For a slightly healthier option and in tune with the seasons, try a salad of chopped chicory, sliced apple, crumbled Stichelton and some walnuts, topped with a simple vinaigrette.

A little known fact...

Britain now boasts around 700 varieties of cheese – 100 more varieties than France produces, and twice as many as Italy*.

Where can I buy it and what's it going to do to my bank balance?

Borough Market (in the new Jubilee Market section), open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Neals Yard Dairy: Covent Garden and London Bridge, open Mondays to Saturdays
www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk

Price: £23.50 for 1kg so about a fiver for a substantial chunk



Restaurant of the Week

32 Great Queen Street

This week's choice is 32 Great Queen Street on...surprise suprise! 32 Great Queen Street between Covent Garden and Holborn tube stations
There is no website so you'll have to call them to book a table on 020 7242 0622



Why is it good?
1) It's a great location
2) It's all about great British food and seasonal produce
3) It's relaxed and it's not too expensive and you can get a good range of wines by the glass and by the carafe too

It's like the best gastro pub you've been to, up a level, in a comfortable, seated environment without the pub bit. Almost like a British version of a Paris brasserie without the old men drinking Pastis. Around £30-40 per head.

Try the rib of beef for two with twice cooked chips. They insist (understandably) on serving it rare so prepare yourself to be like a caveman for the time it takes to finish it off. They also have great fish and vegetarian dishes on offer.



*Source: Julia Harbutt, organiser of British Cheese Awards