REAL FOOD FESTIVAL - 24--27 APRIL 2008 -- Earl's Court by Ian Bird

This was the first Real Food Festival. The introductory notes in the show guide talked about it being a grand celebration of the finest food and drink from small, artisan producers within British shores and beyond. This claim was immediately questionable when you entered the show and were greeted by people handing out bags advertising Whole Foods Market, an American company with over 270 stores in USA and more recently some in UK, and confronted the stall from the same corporation, one of the major supporters of the event. Still I needed to give it a chance, as the brochure assured me my entrance fee would help subsidise these amazing producers who were part of the event. It also offered a lot more; some of the best chefs in the business were there to show off what they can do.

There were also a huge range of seminars that looked interesting and informative. Besides, with around 400 stalls and eating places there should be something for everyone. It's always difficult when there is so much choice to know where to start. A quick walk around the halls to get a feel is often the way to start. It also gives an impression of what is on offer. There seemed to be a surfeit of stalls offering ''hand made'' JAMS, CHUTNEYS, SAUCES, and all sorts of pre mixed dressings to make your life easier, quicker and more AUTHENTIC. Now I have nothing against any of these items but it seemed difficult to trace where some of them may have originated from. Chocolate is the new coffee and there was no shortage of stalls there to satisfy the interest or demand. The only problem seemed to be that there weren't many adding to the education of the product; plenty were interested in selling their special offering or unique chocolate with some amazing added flavour. It was already starting to be hard work sorting the real artisan producers amongst a good dose of dross.

If I attend another market or great food event and see the same looking bread stalls packed to the roof with breads of all shapes, sizes and added toppings I’ll scream. Olives are another sore point. How can you learn about olives when you are constantly faced with the wooden pails full of a huge range of olives with all sorts of added flavours that you know have come from the plastic containers the stall holder probably bought from The Real Olive Company. There seems to be very little sign of traceability with these mass market stalls these days!

One exhibitor proudly announced that they took great pride in creating ambient marinades from only the finest ingredients, ensuring your final result gives you equal pride. ‘Distinctive in quality and taste our marinades meet the desires of the discerning palate and time conscious needs of today’s cooking. Our marinades are designed to maintain the moisture of your food, penetrating it with subtlety enhancing flavours, and an added zing!’ I can’t remember the last time I read such drivel about something you should do yourself to get real satisfaction from your cooking. This sort of misplaced marketing hype was sadly repeated on too many of the stalls at the Real Food festival which promised to be a grand celebration of the finest food and drink from small, artisan producers within British shores and beyond.

What a joy it was though, when walking around the Earl’s Court venue amongst what seemed liked too many pretenders, to find what I had really gone to see, something with integrity. You had the chance to learn something about Balsamic vinegar if you went by the Acetaia Del Cristo or Acetaia Dodi UK stalls. The Aged Artisan Gouda stall opened my eyes to the delights of this Dutch delight made from raw milk. The Trealy Farm charcuterie from Monmouth had a very interesting range of products made on their farm but inspired by many traditional European products. I had a great time discussing Salt marsh Lamb with The Thoroughly Wild Meat Company; what’s more I was able to buy some and take it home to try. Bocaddon Veal farm from Cornwall also provided me with another meal.

The Artisan Somerset Cheddar, The First English Slow Food Presidium, provided a great opportunity to try the cheddars from Montgomery’s Keen’s and Westcombe diaries. The creaminess of one compared to the grassy acidic tang of another was fascinating. Daylesford Organic provided the very sophisticated image of organic and traceability. Their stall presented an image far removed from the home spun trestle tables of many others. However I believe they play an important part in getting out the message about how civilising food can be and how it makes you feel good. The Isle of Man Pure Produce stall provided a peek into their unique products, Manx Loaghtan lamb and traditionally cured kippers. Richard Howard’s Oysters gave me a chance to re-visit the native oysters from around Mersea Island. Indeed there was a lot to see and be excited about.

Sadly on my way out I went past Pero Petfoods Ltd, the UK’s only independently certified, commercially available organic pet food range. With the slogan of ‘’You choose the healthy option for yourselves, now you can do the best for your pet too!” I needed a coffee!!

Azorieblue served coffee, maybe I’d drop by. It promised a coffee smoother than a tiger in a tuxedo and more luxurious than a cashmere codpiece. Tigers are an endangered species and cod has been overfished so I gave that stall a wide berth.

The show had promised so much and it had delivered some gems. Would I go back; probably not until it truly represents the finest food and drink from small, artisan producers within British shores and beyond as the organisers had promised.