 We helped convert one side of the farm's mechanical shed into a viewing area so kids could get up close to Ben Cadell's Tamworth pigs & his free-range hens. The other side was transformed into an information centre, dining area & buffet which show-cased the very best of local produce. Utilising a 'pot luck' style of donation from local allotment owners, we received a fantastic array of seasonal produce including, but not limited to; kale, cabbage, apples, plums, potatoes, tomatoes, marrows, courgette, beetroot, green beans, leeks & onions. Our priveledge & challenge was to create a whole series of great dishes (see our recipe section) to make the most of these; most we prepared in advance, but a couple we prepared to order, adding a little theatre to the day!  Outside (on a glorious afternoon) kids were able to play some fantastic games (from wellie-wanging to apple bobbing, Lazytown Sports to Giant Climate Change Scrabble), while those grown-ups not involved in the wellie-wanging (a hard fought competition!) were able to watch Ben Cadell & Dick Longstaff spit-roast two Soay spring lambs; very much the centre piece of the buffet. To attract 200 people, mainly young families, to a brand new event like this was a phenomenal achievement. Our first thank you is to all those who bought tickets, not really knowing what they were getting themselves into. Their enthusiasm and open-mindedness (not to mention patience while queuing for food!) made sure that it was a huge success. Thanks to ticket sales & donations on the day, the event turned a small profit which, while far from our primary focus, will allow Linlithgow Climate Challenge & ourselves to reinvest and create more great events in future. Although it might seem a little early, one of these is next year's Harvest Feast. If you have any ideas for something different, things you loved & would want to see back or things you felt didn't work, practical or whimsical, please get in touch or join discussion on our Facebook group.  An event like the Harvest Feast is the product of hundreds of hours of planning & hard work from dozens of motivated volunteers & supporters. We'd like to thank the following people, while apologising to anyone we don't mention; - Bonnytoun Farm: Ben & Ruthie Cadell put in a huge amount of work (in the middle of their own harvest) to make Bonnytoun Farm a fantastic venue for a day that will live long in the memory, as well as donating produce for the buffet. - LinlithGROW (the Food & Gardening Subgroup of Linlithgow Climate Challenge): It was LinlithGROW who first came to us with the idea of a traditional harvest feast, but done on a grand scale. They provided much of the manpower & organisation for the Feast (particularly Mel, Pete, Alan & Rose) and we could not have asked for a better partner organisation (to read their report on how things went, click here) - Hyndberry: Catriona (our convivium leader) & Margaret, who run arguable Scotland's finest 'Slow ethos' catering company, put in a tremendous amount of work to put the 'feast' into our Harvest Feast! They came up with a fantastic range of recipes to take advantage of all the donated produce; from local classics like Venison Stew & Potato Salad to more internationally inspired uses home grown ingredients like Apple Butter & Chilli, Tomato & Pepper Salsa. To download a full list of recipes used click Harvest Feast Recipes or check out our recipe section. - Dick Longstaff: Dick manned the spit-roast from 10.30 in the morning, protected it from the odd shower & delivered the meat, perfectly cooked right on the dot at 4.30pm. We were lucky to have such a skilled fire wrangler! - Epulum: Not only did they sell all their tickets for the feast, but Christina & Carlien (the manager & chef) at Linlithgow's premier Slow Food restaurant helped us out by making the delicious apple crumble that was the centre-piece of the desserts & the apple chutney which went spectacularly well with the lamb. Meanwhile, the owner & Slow Food Linlithgow committee member, Michael Bennett, put in a sterling shift carving the lamb. - All the gardeners & allotment owners who contributed ingredients for the buffet; Dave du Feu, Kirsty Leonard, Mel McEwan, Marian McPhillips, Sheanna & Peter Roberts, Elizabeth Ross & others - Sheanna Roberts: We've just thanked her above, but when you produce lots of incredibly tasty, home-made Blackberry ice cream then donate it to the dessert station at our Harvest Feast, two thank yous is the least we can do! - Liz Reid & Friends: A superb group of musicians who provided a lovely musical backdrop to the event. - Fitkids: Mandy, the local representative of this innovative kids fitness & play scheme brought the Lazytown Sports Club to life in the rolling fields of Linlithgow & volunteered to run the other outdoor games. - Craigies Farm: They donated the strawberries that were such a hit at the dessert station. - Beecraigs Deer Park: They gave us a fantastic price on the venison which made a delicious & hearty stew. - Linlithgow Bookshop & Blast-Off Books: Both sold lots of tickets in advance of the day which really got the buzz about the event up & running. - Vegware: We've been using their compostable plates & cutlery for some time & they've just given us a fantastic discount code for local events so please get in touch if you want to make your event ethical & affordable! - Kitchen Canny: Rose, a member of LinlithGROW manned the information centre, with her particular focus on this superb scheme designed to cut waste & make the most of what you buy. - West Lothian Council: They allowed us to advertise the event via a temporary window display on the high street and let us use the bunting & everyone knows that no harvest feast is complete without bunting! - Provost Tom Kerr: He kindly attended planning meetings and provided funding for the posters and tickets from the Councillors’ Fund. - Linlithgow Gazette: They sent a reporter & photographer along who wrote a lovely story in the latest issue. We hope to give them plenty more to write about in future. And finally... - The Linlithgow convivium of Slow Food: Sorry to blow our own trumpet, but several members & supporters of the convivium deserve special mention for the work they did for this event. Catriona Staddon & Michael Bennett we have already thanked elsewhere. Archie McDiarmid cooked the hot vegetarian options & served them on the day, often with his daughter on his back! Kitty Lang, who walked all the way from West Binnie, abandoned her husband & jumped behind the buffet station to lend a hand. Lastly, all those members & supporters who bought tickets, persuaded friends & family to come along and generally made it such a fantastic event. We have tried to make this list as complete as possible. If you know someone we have forgotten, please get in touch. |
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Report - Harvest Feastposted 27 Sep 2009 15:45 by Slow Food Linlithgow [ updated 30 Sep 2009 05:26 ] |
