Known for giving the big two to
the 'Big Four', Rebecca has proved that eating locally, seasonally and from
alternative sources (i.e markets, online, independent grocers etc) is
possible. In Fabio's word she's a staunch foot soldier for the green
revolution, although getting her to give up her hair spray is in
'negotiations'.
Her campaign to make the world a better place free of plastic bags and
Starbucks continues daily. She's most likely to be found in her kitchen
baking cupcakes, hosting dinner parties, out in a field foraging for
food, fishing in a lake or being 'sternly spoken to by a bobby for
protesting pig feed prices'. If you can't find her there then you will
certainly find her on the the curb at Monmouth coffee in Borough market
stuffing a pork baguette down her neck, apple sauce down front of
shirt, on a Saturday. Rebecca is the mother hen food sharer who
sustains the team on chinese white tea, organic 75% chocolate and fresh
fruit..... all real food of course!
My obsession with food began in Italy, so it followed course that I would become interested in the
Slow Food Movement. I know ‘movement’ is a slightly dubious word that brings with it many connotations – perhaps, chaining yourself to trees and singing 'Kum ba yah' by a camp fire, however that is exactly what it is not.
There is an element of campaigning but it's more like being extraordinarily passionate about saving heritage, tradition and the things that we all love... produce.
Slow Food began in 1989 in Italy, to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
I have always been of the belief that if you can be part of a group (or convivial as Slow Food refer to it) that are equally as passionate and inspiring, then you are much more likely to follow through with wanting to save the world or, in this case, save the pilchard. Slow Food do many things but the most admirable is the Presidium products, which is a list of endangered food products that they work to protect and, in some cases, save.
Essentially that is what it is. A membership driven organisation made up of people that care deeply about good food and where it comes from, how it was produced and if everyone involved was paid fairly.
Many people and organisations have been inspired by Slow Food and what it stands for. In fact, that is the reason for the
Real Food Festival, to promote the principals that SF is based on. Good, clean and fair. All the producers selected are subsidised for the Real Food Festival which in turn promotes small producers and keeps their business sustainable.
Thomasina Miers of
Wahaca is a massive SF advocate, along with the infamous Raymond Blanc and Georgio Locatelli. There are no official Slow Food restaurants in the UK as yet but more and more are turning to the movement's ways. The movement itself is not quite what it is in Italy yet, but if we all spread the word then we can all feel like we are doing our bit for small producers and good, clean and fair food, just the way it should be!