Film: Age of Stupid

We’re showing AGE OF STUPID this Friday, 4th Sept at 7.30pm.

The Age Of Stupid (certificate 12A, 92 mins)

This underground-turned-mainstream film stars Oscar-nominated actor Pete Postlethwaite as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking back at archive footage from 2007 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

Tickets £7 (£5 to members of Slow Food.)
Please call to book on 01488 674737

Why is it cheaper to Slow Food members? The local SF group have organised this event and SLOW FOOD is a movement we support. (Of course you can join on the door too.) The way we produce food is inextricably linked to the climate change issue, and so it’s only fitting that their film is shown at the Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre. On Friday the Oak Room will become a cinema for the night!

This is just one of many events at the Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre.

Seasonal Cooking at Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre

Anyone happening to wander into the kitchen at Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre in the mornings is likely to be greeted by a worktop groaning with seasonal produce picked from our garden that morning by our Head Gardener, Phil, waiting to be turned into any number of warming, inspiring seasonal dishes.

Seasonality is very much at the heart of our menus at Sheepdrove and meals are devised to make use of whatever is most abundant in the garden at that time of year. In addition to this, we try to grow traditional, hardy English varieties wherever we can – a quick chat with Phil reveals that we grow no less than five varieties of English apple.

As we head into winter our pumpkins, squash, beetroot, kale, parsnips and apples are all at their very best and Mel, our Head Chef, along with her team, work hard to create delicious, inviting lunches. In addition to the wide variety of vegetables grown here, we’re also lucky enough to be able to cook with the finest organic meats sourced straight from the farm – although vegetarian guests are equally well catered for. We always provide a creative vegetarian option (and usually find that the carnivores tuck in sneakily!) – our parsnip and cheese roulade is hard to beat and usually finds people queueing up for seconds.

Today’s delegates were presented with a choice of a hearty chicken and bacon pie, a pork, apple & cheese crumble or a pumpkin tart – served with garlic sauteed kale, carrot, swede & celeriac puree and homemade cheese & onion focaccia bread. For dessert, we served a sinful sticky toffee pudding – it’s a wonder the delegates made it back to their rooms!

As well as our passion for using seasonal vegetables, we love to make use of meat that is at its best at this time of year – our mutton season is now well under way and a rich, fruity mutton tagine or a velvety mutton and red wine casserole might well be featured on the menu in the forthcoming weeks. One thing is for sure – delegates never leave Sheepdrove hungry!

Mexican night – arrrriba!

There’s a knack to making tortillas – as Peter and Juliet Kindersley discovered in Mexico last year. On Friday night guests tried it for themselves in a Mexican Food evening for the Slow Food Berkshire and Wiltshire hosted at the Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre.

Everyone got stuck into the cooking and, of course, the eating! We used iron tortilla presses to squeeze the dough flat and thin. Then you have to deftly flip the raw tortilla onto the hotplate absolutely flat, not flopped and wrinkled.

Also on the menu were different fillings and salsas, made from genuine Mexican recipes collected by Juliet Kindersley and Clare Marriage who coordinates the local Convivium. Prickly Pear ice cream with chocolate sauce for dessert! (Prickly pear cactus from Ibiza.) Rows of chili plants, hats and Mexican music set the fun atmosphere for the night. Mezcal shots and beer helped too!

     

Photos above: click on these thumbnails to see larger images.

Fun was had by all, and we must mention Peter’s presentation, all about the food of Mexico. The Kindersleys and Marriages gained a truly delightful experience of Mexican Cuisine and the vibrant food markets. They went to Puebla in Mexico for the Slow Food 5th International Congress. A conference that Peter Kindersley described as ‘inspirational’.

One of the encouraging statistics about Slow Food is that its membership consists of an increasing proportion of people from poorer countries – food culture and biodiversity is as precious to them as it is to the gastronomic enthusiasts and farmers of wealthier nations.

Find out about the next Slow Food Berkshire and Wiltshire events from Clare Marriage, tel: 01488 684880 or email slowfoodbw@hotmail.co.uk