Held in the autumn at the same time as harvest festival, British Food Fortnight is the biggest annual national celebration of British food and drink.

It was established in the wake of the Foot and Mouth crisis, in response to the fact that, though there are numerous food initiatives, projects and events taking place across Britain, there was no overall flagship event to bring them to the public's attention.

 Since its beginnings in 2002, British Food Fortnight has become THE opportunity for those who work in any aspect of food and drink, to come together and promote the benefits of buying and eating from our home produced British larder.

In setting a particular date range, it concentrates efforts across sectors.

Every year businesses and organisations across the UK take part, all enjoying the commercial benefits that participation brings. The public sector supports the event en-masse with major hospitals and school catering services being involved.  Also, Wembley Stadium, Harrods, St Pancras train station, Westminster Abbey, St Paul's Cathedral, the Cabinet Office, the BBC, Buckingham Palace, National Trust and even Grey Gables Hotel in Radio 4's The Archers are just a few of the famous establishments that have added their support.

IN SEASON NOW!!

Artichoke, aubergine, beetroot, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, celeriac, chillies, courgettes, cucumber, fennel, french beans, garlic, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce & salad leaves, mangetout, marrow, onions, pak choi, peas, peppers, potatoes (maincrop), radishes, rocket, runner beans, spring onions, sweetcorn, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, wild mushrooms,   apples, apricots , bilberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, damsons, figs, grapes, greengages, loganberries, melons, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, redcurrants,basil, chives, cob nuts, coriander, oregano, mint, parsley (curly), parsley (flat-leafed), rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon, thyme,beef, grouse, guinea fowl, hare, lamb, pheasant, rabbit, venison, wood pigeon,clams, cod, coley, crab, dab, dover sole, grey mullet, haddock, halibut, hake, herring, lemon sole, mackerel, monkfish, mussels, pilchard, plaice, pollack, prawns, red mullet, sardines, sea bass (wild), sea bream, shrimp, squid, turbot, whelks.

This year celebrates the 14th year of the event which takes from 17 September until 2 October 2016.  The UK has a fantastic opportunity to bring our fabulous great British food to the fore!  And we can show the rest of the world what we are made of.

The fortnight promotes all that is good about our homegrown food.  Looking at the varieties available; amazingly we have more types of cheese than France; 350 types of potato providing a range of tastes and textures, and seasonal vegetables that provide rich and different tastes and textures, any time of year.

Why not pick and grow your own British food?   You can be creative about eating British by thinking outside the box when you buy your cuts of meat and by buying seasonal fruit and vegetables.  Then give it a go and cook a full British meal from scratch.   You'll be throwing away the ready meals in no time!

You can find out plenty about British food online and the British Food Fortnight website has a wealth of ideas for how you can get involved in the celebrations. 

 www.lovebritishfood.co.uk

The annual media campaign that supports British Food Fortnight has sustained an audience reach of 300 million+ every year since 2006: national and regional consumer press, national and regional broadcast TV and radio, and social media including front page lead picture coverage in national press.

 To celebrate British Food Fortnight – we challenge you to design a British meal using only British foods!