Sausage Tasting

Just to remind everyone about the Sausage tasting event. It's on the 29th of this month down at St Aubins RCI Yacht Club. Just across from the Old Court House. Parking is always a problem so best to park further up and amble down.

Anyone can come along. Members can bring guests.

This was a highly attended event last year so come early. It starts at 7.00pm. Get a drink, take in the terrific view and wait for the contest to begin. There were 16 varietie's last year and this year there could be even more.

Next Year's Menu of Events....

Slow Fooders,
We are organising a few events for next year as you can see by the list below. Actual dates and venues will be identified and you will be updated as and when possible. But we wanted to let you know that all is in hand and to give you a chance to prepare.

We have a Pot Luck night planned for the 10th of December which is the date of Slow Food's International event Terra Madre Day.
Julia Quenault has kindly offered her home as the venue. So if you are keen to come along meet some members, share food and wine, then the 10th of December at Manor Farm at St Peters is for you. If you are bringing food, and I hope you do, try and make it local produce. If you can't no matter come along anyway. Please drop me an email to confirm if you can rod.bryans@live.com

2010 Calendar of Events
January - Twelfth Night Supper at the Grand Hotel
February - Cake making
March - Curry Event
April - Sausage Tasting Competition
May - Potato Tasting and Tour
June - RJA de Foire / Cheeses Tasting and awards
July - West Show and Fish Festival
August - Fresh Fish - Louise Jackson
September - Cookery Competition - Highlands
October - Hog Roast/ Black Butter / La Mare Vineyards
November - Chinese Night Mr Lam./ Fungi Delecti
December - Pot Luck Event

Rod.

Patrick Holden

Partrick Holden Chairman of the Soil Association http://www.soilassociation.org/ provided a large gathering at the town hall last night with food for thought.

His assertion is that over a single lifetime we have used up half of the capital resources this earth has accumulated in the last millenia. 50% of all fossilised fuel, natural gas, water, etc have all gone in a growing constant stream of consumption. We are using it at such a rate of knots that the point when it has all gone is considerably closer than first imagined.

A notional date of between 2050/70 is predicted by the best scientific minds available.

So what do we do? The first point is to consider how far we have come without any real substance. We have lost so many simple skills along the way that we would find is so difficult to cope. His provocation was to think about how long you can survive if all the power is suddenly switched off? In his case 12 hours. As a Dairy farmer his herd would need milking and with no power to do it life would become extremely physical. We would be driven back to the land to fend for ourselves. It paints a pretty bleak picture but at least we have some time to sort things out.

His suggestion is to get organised and spread the word. To build in resilience to our lifestyles. To reduce where possible our dependency on fuels of all sorts and to get back to basics re-learning those lost skills of forebears. Create a sustainable lifestyle.

Rod.

The Beginning........

Welcome to our new site. We have been busy over the last few months creating the agenda for next year. This will be published shortly.

I have just come back from a Slow Food Conference in London that was provocative, inspiring and motivating.

The heart of the meeting was to use Open Space Technology to open up areas of discussion people felt passionately about. It proved a great catalyst for open dialogue and people were really keen to swap ideas and search for common ground.

We have a unique situation in Jersey as we are surrounded by cold waters abundant in marine life and a fertile Island producing world renown produce. The Island and what it produces is widely admired and much envied.

One of the concepts deeply embedded in the Slow Food psyche is reducing the distance from producer to plate. That combined with creating an open respect between the the producer and the purchaser were hot topics of discussion. Whilst a few struggled with what Slow Food means we became closer as a group in appreciating the fundamentals that lie behind Good, Clean and Fair.

It is part of our agenda to focus on all the issues raises and that are particularly relevant to Jersey.

This Blog is one of the ideas that was galvanised by discussing blogging with other Conviviums. Both Slow Food Liverpool and Edinburgh proved great sources of inspiration.

Another idea warmly received by me was to meet local members at a Pot Luck event were people can eat, drink and chat informally. The social aspect combined with hearty discussion and fuelled by good wine is a terrific idea. Watch this space.

All in all it was a successful event and I'm sure it will provide most of the UK Conviviums with food for thought. Every pun intended.

Rod Bryans - Committee Member