Building on the success of last year’s Big Lunch, Northfield Ecocentre are holding a Big Green Food Weekend that aims to show local people how growing and cooking your own food is easy, cheap and fun whilst celebrating the abundance of local food artisans that are springing up across South Birmingham.
The free event, which takes place on Saturday 4th June 2011, from 11am – 4pm, will host a local food market, drawing together the talent of Loaf (community bakery and cookery school), Frost and Snow Cupcakes, Artisan Preserves (jams, chutneys, sauces), Our Lizzy (vegan and vegetarian food), Barrow Boy (fresh fruit and vegetables), South Birmingham Food Co-op, Martineau Gardens (edible plants) and more*.
Northfield Ecocentre are also inviting neighbours, near and far, to join the Big Lunch (12 – 2pm) in the garden, an annual community event organised by the Eden Project. Alongside millions of people across the UK doing the same, it will be an opportunity to have fun, meet new people and get to know your local community a little bit more, whilst tucking in to edible treats. Bring some food or drink to share or buy something tasty on the day from one of our food stalls and add it to the table. This year a record number of people are expected to take part in the Big Lunch, so let’s help swell the numbers and beat last year’s achievement!
There will also be a Love Food Hate Waste cookery demonstration, organised by Birmingham City Council’s Fleet and Waste Management Team. Guided by a trained chef, visitors will learn how to cook some mouth-watering dishes from items so often throw away. There will be curries and fruit smoothies and more. Follow your nose and you’ll find us!
Northfield Ecocentre will also be opening the garden to the public to showcase the hard work of our volunteers throughout the year. The ecocentre’s domestic sized garden boasts a small organic vegetable patch, emerging forest garden, wildlife area and sensory garden. It also has a greenhouse and cold frame made from 2 litre plastic drinks bottles collected by staff and visitors to the centre. Come along and see how we’ve managed to pack lots in to our small urban space, and take away a fact sheet or two about how to grow your own vegetables at home.
There will also be opportunity to buy home grown vegetables and herbs for nurturing in your own garden, on a windowsill or in a plant pot to start you on your way, or join in with our Seed Swap. Just bring along any packets of seeds that are in date, that you no longer need and swap them for something new. We will have heritage seeds available kindly donated to us by Garden Organic down the road in Coventry. So it’s first come, first served. Get here early for the best pick of the bunch!
This family friendly event will also have activities for children to get involved.
Please Note: The Big Lunch is taking place on the Saturday to allow visitors to attend other local lunches taking places on the Sunday, the official day of the Big Lunch.
Northfield Ecocentre – www.northfieldecocentre.org
Northfield Ecocentre works with the community to find practical ways to live better and protect the environment. The centre which opened in March 2009 is fitted with many sustainable features such as a hot water solar panel, a green roof, an air source heat pump and an array of energy saving light bulbs. The Ecocentre offers advice on any green or sustainable issue and serves as a hub to sign post people to other organisations or green local businesses. Northfield Ecocentre is owned by Central England Area Quaker Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Registered Charity No. 224571).
The Big lunch – thebiglunch.com
A Big Lunch can be anything from a few neighbours getting together in the garden or on the street, to a full blown party with food, music and decoration that quite literally stops the traffic. Since starting in 2009, thousands of Big Lunches have taken place in all kinds of communities across the UK and the best part of a million people get involved each year.
Stirchley Community Market* – stirchleycommunitymarket
South Birmingham is fast becoming a hotbed for grassroots food activities. Many of the artisans represented at the Big Green Food Weekend are represented at the vibrant community market in the city suburb of Stirchley. The market takes place on the 1st Tuesday of the month, 4 – 8pm at Stirchley United Working Men’s Club, B30 2PP.
Love Food Hate Waste – lovefoodhatewaste.com
