Food lovers should journey to Wales this British Food Fortnight to discover arguably the best locally produced food and drink in the UK.

Through its management of the Wales the True Taste Food & Drink Awards, the Welsh Assembly Government has helped to create a climate of support for the local sourcing of high quality produce among restaurants and gastropubs across Wales. These eateries form the basis of an exciting "True Taste road trip", to enable Brits to experience Wales as a top food destination over British Food Fortnight. The trip winds its way through the south east corner of Wales, an area put firmly on the map by the advent of the Ryder Cup golf tournament (1 – 3 October), which just happens to coincide with the end of British Food Fortnight.

True Taste road trip: six True Taste Award-winning restaurants
Newport; Whitebrook; Monmouth; Skenfrith; Abergavenny; Nantyderry

The trail commences in Newport at The Chandlery Restaurant (thechandleryrestaurant.com). Since opening in 2002 it has won a clutch of awards including True Taste regional winner in 2008 and UK Seafood Restaurant of the Year. Head chef Ryan Mitchell is keen the menu should be seasonal and uses local produce where possible. He's particularly enthusiastic about the local grass-fed Welsh lamb, which he serves as a loin fillet in filo pastry together with braised shoulder. His salamis and cured meats come from True Taste winner Trealy Farm Charcuterie, which produces traditional smoked and air-dried sausages and meat from its own free-range Gloucester Old Spot, Saddleback and Welsh pigs.

From Newport the coast road skirts the coastal plains, then heads north up the Wye Valley with each bend revealing new views of the gorge carved by the river. On to Whitebrook and The Crown (crownatwhitebrook.co.uk), one of four restaurants in Wales to hold a Michelin star. Their meat comes from Neil James at Raglan – one of few butchers with an abattoir and where traceability of the meat he sells is not just back to the farm, but to individual animals. Handcock of Monmouth provides bacon and sausages and Munday and Jones supplies organic vegetables, while the ewes-milk cheese comes from Caws Mynydd Du in nearby Talgarth.

Back on the ridgeway road, the route circumvents Monmouth and heads north to Skenfrith, bypassing the remains of a triangle of castles – Skenfrith, White Castle and Grosmont. The next port of call is The Bell (skenfrith.co.uk) at Skenfrith; a 17th century coaching inn owned by William and Janet Hutchings. Since 2006 they have been growing their own vegetables in the organic kitchen garden. The fact that all game is shot by William reflects his belief in the link between food and the land, and that it's a bonus for visitors to enjoy produce that comes from the countryside they walk in.

From Skenfrith, join the road back towards Abergavenny – the market town famed for its annual food festival – where you come to The Walnut Tree (thewalnuttreeinn.com). Run by Shaun Hill and David Griffiths, the restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star this year. The availability of good local produce was one of the things that brought Shaun to Abergavenny: "I am currently building up a group of all-year-round local suppliers," he says. "If you are working with rather ordinary ingredients it takes a lot of effort and fancy footwork to make something good out of it. But if the produce is good you are half way there."

Next, head to the big junction south of Abergavenny and out on the old Raglan road which brings you to The Hardwick (thehardwick.co.uk), a country pub and restaurant owned by chef Stephen Terry and his wife, Joanna. Stephen's menu works around what is local and seasonal. "With the great pork, beef and lamb we can get around here, salad and vegetables, local ales, cider and perry…it's a no-brainer, we're spoiled for choice," he says. It's an approach that won them the top award for use of local food in the 2008 Good Food Guide. The Hardwick looks like it will be part of the Abergavenny food scene for some time to come as building work has started to add eight bedrooms and increase the restaurant size to 100 covers.

The trail ends almost full-circle a little further down the road at Nantyderry where Matt Tebbutt and his wife Lisa have turned a former stationmaster's house and pub into a restaurant that's won both a True Taste Dining Out Gold Award and AA Welsh Restaurant of the Year – The Foxhunter (thefoxhunter.com). Matt is a London-trained chef and he echoes Stephen Terry in praising the quality of the local ingredients and keeping the menu seasonal: "Our menu changes twice a day to make the most of the best ingredients available. A lot of dishes have been designed to incorporate the wild and foraged foods our professional forager brings us."

The Foxhunter offers foraging trips with their expert after which participants can enjoy a wild food lunch incorporating their finds. Depending on the time of year you might bring back marsh samphire, whinberries, ceps or seabeet.

All the above Welsh restaurants have won accolades at the Wales The True Taste Food & Drink Awards. The scheme was launched in 2002 and is managed by the Welsh Assembly Government as part of its commitment to developing the food and drink sector and to building awareness of the Welsh food brand 'Wales the True Taste'. Year-on-year the True Taste Awards grow in strength and popularity and are regarded as the 'Oscars' of the Welsh food industry.

Simon King, chef/proprietor at 1861 near Abergavenny, tells us not to forget Dad - he could do with a gastronomic treat too.

Everyone takes Mum out for lunch on Mothering Sunday, but Dad is left to fend for himself.

Well, not quite, maybe, but Dad’s Day lunch treats are few and far between, and we all know that the way to a man’s heart is via his stomach.

As most guys like to tuck in, then it might be worth treating Dad to a special meal this year.

If you fancy cooking something at home, then this pork dish braised in cider couldn’t be easier.

It’s a hearty dish, but light enough to fit the bill if June 20 happens to be a scorcher.

Cider is perfect for summer cooking as it isn’t rich and heavy, but still has a distinctive flavour, and I enjoy using it in many dishes.

Try using a Welsh cider (or perry, which is a cider made with pears rather than apples), the flavour of traditional brews is more exciting, and will make for an interesting sauce.

What’s more, if there’s any cider leftover, the cook can enjoy a tipple!

Serve up your braised pork with some fresh summer vegetables and new potatoes.

Simple, but totally delicious.

*1861 recently celebrated its first inclusion in the Michelin guide.

The classic guide to exceptional restaurants has become known as the world’s most respected source of restaurant information.

Contact details:

1861,
Cross Ash,
Abergavenny,
South Wales NP7 8PB.

Annual Spanish fiesta 'A Taste of Spain' brings an explosion of Spanish flavour and culture to Regent Street for the fifth consecutive year.

An estimated 500,000 visitors took to the delightfully traffic-free streets of W1 to experience a grand showcase of Spanish culture, gastronomy and music. The event which kicked off at 12 noon welcomed flamenco dancers, artists, medieval food markets, giant paellas and a range of interactive sports challenges all highlighting Spain's diverse holiday offering.

For the first time in the festival's five year history sport was the name of the game and 'A Taste of Spain 2010' played host to a dedicated ‘Hall of Spain’ where visitors were able to wander through 80 years of Spanish sporting history. Guests enjoyed an interactive sports area including a pit-stop challenge for F1 enthusiasts, a unique F1 simulator featuring the Montmeló FI track in Barcelona and state-of-the-art MotoGP simulators replicating the popular ‘Circuito de Jerez’. As well as motor sports, footballers were able to test their aim in the kick point challenge, tennis stars competed for the fastest serve, basketball talent impressed the crowds with a ‘shoot the hoop’ contest and golfing gurus showed painstaking precision in the ‘nearest to the pin’ contest.

Many of the Spanish regions were also on hand to offer a taste of their local cultures and traditions. Aragón offered folk music by the Orquestina del Fabirol whilst Andaluca added colour and flair to the fiesta with flamenco from the highly acclaimed Serva la Bari. Visitors were able to sample one of the three giant paellas from the popular coastal region of Valencia or head to the capital city of Madrid where impressive golf installations demonstrated Madrid’s current bid for the Ryder Cup.

Gastro fans sampled some of the tasty delicacies that Spain has to offer such as suckling pig in Segovia, refreshing gazpacho in Andaluca, cheese and typical foods from Navarra, and the iconic jamón in Aragón.

On the main stage the highly acclaimed Spanish guitarist Paco Fernández and La Gente del Sol plus Foc i Fum from Ibiza wooed the crowds with hair raising riffs and surprising dance scenes. In addition, the main stage also welcomed Spanish indie artist Annie B Sweet from Málaga and brass band Charanga La Chicuelina from Segovia. Throughout the afternoon traditional flamenco dancers from Andaluca demonstrated their gypsy flair and guests even got the chance to participate in a traditional Spanish dance lesson.

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At a prestigious ceremony in Brussels last night (2nd June), European Environment Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, announced the Findus Group/Young’s Fish for Life programme for seafood sustainability as the overall winner of the ‘Management’ category of the European Business Awards for the Environment.

The Awards jury said: “This initiative sets a benchmark for responsible fishery management, promoting and sharing best practices both locally and internationally, with strong involvement of employees and other stakeholders.”

Chris Britton, CEO of the Findus Group, says, “This is fantastic recognition for Fish for Life which places it amongst the very best environmental initiatives in Europe. Being declared a winner underlines the point that Fish for Life is much more than just a consumer label for our products - it is a committed and multifaceted programme intended to support genuine improvement in fish sustainability.”

The biennial awards are given in four categories and recognise European businesses that make a particular contribution to sustainable development by combining innovation, economic viability, environmental concern and social responsibility. The winners were chosen from 141 entries from 24 EU and candidate countries. This is the highest number of entries since the European Business Awards for the Environment were launched in 1987.

Fish for Life was initiated in 2006 by Young’s Seafood and has since been adopted across Findus Group’s operations in continental Europe. It encompasses detailed criteria and a stringent assessment process to ensure that all fish is responsibly sourced and highlighted as such on Young’s and Findus packs through the Fish for Life logo. The programme also drives extensive engagement work with fisheries to support best practice and long term sustainability.

The programme was the only British entry to reach the pan-European stage out of eleven UK winners named in London in March. It beat two other entries from Austria and Turkey to take the overall prize.

Loire wines (Anjou, Saumur, Touraine and Muscadet) have won a combined total of 141 awards at the International Wine Challenge and Decanter Awards. Out of the 141 wines awarded, there were 2 gold, 13 silver, 48 bronze and 78 commendations. A total of 95 white, 9 rosé, 26 red, and 11 sparkling Loire wines were represented in the line up.

The list also included 10 wines made from Cabernet Franc de Loire and 16 made from Sauvignon Blanc de Loire, proving that the UK is ready for these two ubiquitous Loire varietals which are currently being promoted via two technical and commercial projects on the UK market.

The Cabernet Franc de Loire Project started in 2004 and was designed to encourage producers to experiment with different techniques to improve their appeal in the UK market, without compromising on the styles of their individual ‘terroir’. The Sauvignon Blanc de Loire Project aims to improve the image of Sauvignon Blanc de Loire in the UK and elsewhere. Both projects employ Sam Harrop MW as wine consultant.

René-Louis David, Secrétaire Général of InterLoire, the regional marketing board for Loire Wines, commented: “We are delighted at the array of Loire wines awarded with medals in this year’s two competitions. It goes to show that the quality and consistency of the wines produced in our region are becoming increasingly popular with the British palate.”

The London Restaurant Festival - brainchild of restaurant critic Fay Maschler - today announced that for the second successive year Champagne G.H. Mumm will be its official champagne partner. Champagne G.H. Mumm will be involved throughout the two-week event which takes place from October 4th to 18th 2010. G.H. Mumm is widely regarded as a champagne marque which is able to enhance and complement a wide range of food dishes and therefore is an ideal partner to collaborate with the two-week festival which celebrates all aspects of dining out in London. G.H. Mumm will support the festival in a number of different ways, including:

• Festival Menus. Every participating restaurant creates a special Festival Menu, a great-value three-course lunch or dinner showcasing the very best of their specialist cuisine. This year 25 of these menus will be sponsored by Champagne G.H. Mumm, with diners enjoying G.H. Mumm champagne as part of their dining experience.

• The Gourmet Odyssey. One of the most popular events at last year’s festival, the return of the Gourmet Odyssey will see a handful of lucky diners enjoying a starter at one exclusive restaurant, a main course at another, before having dessert at a third. Each odyssey begins with a champagne reception at the chic Met Bar, where Champagne G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge will be served. Getting from one restaurant to the next is all part of the fun with this event – diners travel on a fleet of liveried Routemaster buses. G.H. Mumm’s Gourmet Odyssey will take in some of London’s top dining areas including (restaurants being finalised) Piccadilly, Park Lane and Belgravia. As well as champagne on-board the bus, different styles will then be served with each course.

Simon Davis, Co-founder and Director of the London Restaurant Festival comments: “The Gourmet Odyssey is one of the landmark events to return to the London Restaurant Festival. It combines fun, great food and adventure in equal measures and we are delighted that Champagne G.H. Mumm will be working with us to create another outstanding line-up of Festival events.”

Jo Spencer, Head of Marketing for Champagne at Pernod Ricard UK, commented: "We are delighted that G.H. Mumm will be the official Champagne of The London Restaurant Festival again. G.H. Mumm is the perfect Champagne to accompany food as it enhances and complements a wide range of dishes. The house style focuses on the Pinot Noir grape which provides both fruit and structure - two vital ingredients when it comes to the successful pairing of wine with food.”

Spencer added: “We’re very excited about supporting the Festival – and working with the many outstanding chefs and sommeliers who make up the fabric of London’s world-leading restaurant scene. In fact, G.H. Mumm has cultivated close ties with the world of gastronomy since its foundation in 1827, so this is a superb opportunity to showcase the breadth and quality of its award-winning range. G.H. Mumm Champagne will be enjoyed not only as a stylish aperitif, but also paired with some of London’s finest menus at some of the city’s most exciting restaurants.”

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