Low Carbon Cook Off

Last Updated on Thursday, 08 March 2012 15:17 Written by Jake Hollyfield Friday, 27 May 2011 13:23

“What’s for dinner?”

IT’S A QUESTION every one of us asks ourselves every day. At first, the answer seems straightforward: we simply think of what’s in our cupboards, and how those ingredients can be used together.

BUT, behind this seemingly simple question are a whole host of important issues we rarely consider: How much energy has gone into producing this dinner? What about the packaging? The transport? The farming method used? How does it affect my health, the health of others, the health of the environment?

OUR ANSWER to this everyday question impacts on people and environments the world over.

THE LOW CARBON COOK-OFF, a project by Eco Centre Wales and supported by the British Council, aims to open up the conversation and raise public awareness of the environmental and social issues surrounding our food choices. It will do this in a fun, engaging, and participatory way – by hosting a series of cook-offs, where the competition will be based on cooking the most sustainable dish. This is an event that focuses on looking for positive solutions to the problems we face.

Chefs compete head-to-head, using ingredients of their choosing, to create a winning dish that has the lowest environmental impact. Come, be inspired, and vote for who to crown the Low Carbon Cook.

• Hay-on-Wye Festival, 30^th and 31^st May 2011 (in collaboration with ‘This Is Rubbish’). The first of our workshop events. We invited people to test their Low Carbon Cooking knowledge in a quick-fire quiz, and gave them the chance to form teams and compete head-to-head to convince the judges that their Low Carbon Meal was the tastiest.

• Wise up to Waste, Swansea City Farm, 20^th and 21^st June 2011 Another of our workshop events in collaboration with ‘This Is Rubbish’

• Really Wild Food Festival, St. Davids, 29^th and 30^st July 2011. Four local chefs competed head-to-head, using ingredients of their choosing, to create a winning dish that had the lowest environmental impact. On Firday 29th Tommy Simmons of Newport Golf Club, Pembrokeshire competed against Matt Smith of Llysmeddyg, Newport, Pembrokeshire. On Saturday 30th Sam Rice of the Bench in St. Davids went up against Jonathan Williams of Cafe Mor.

• Cardigan River and Food Festival, 6^th August 2011. Two more local chefs, Gavin Stinton of the Ferry, St. Dogmaels and Dave Evans of the Flat Rock, Gwbert battled it out to produce the lowest carbon dish.
• Fishguard Autumn Festival, 27th October 2011.  Owen Hall, chef at Allt-Y-Afon Restaurant, Wolfscastle Country Hotel and local forager Tom Bean competed to cook a tasty low carbon vegetarian dish at the Ready Stena Cook night.
• Newport Community Group Workshops, 29th October 2011.  Newport community groups NUTS (Newport Untrained Theatrical Society), Newport Surf Club and Gardening Club embraced a challenge to create the tastiest and most environmentally friendly dish.

• Equipment Pilot, Eco Centre 14th December 2011.  The Low Carbon Cook-Off team road tested their newly bought cooking equipment (thanks to a grant from Environment Wales). Duncan and Helen volunteered to cook up a low carbon lunch in our middle office.
 

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Have you got what it takes to be a Low Carbon Cook? Want to find out more?

Take a look at our Recipe for Low Carbon Cooking

Follow us on facebook and on twitter: @LoCarbonCookOff

Recipes

Cardigan River and Food: Dave Evans, Gavin Stinton

Really Wild Food Festival: Sam Rice, Jonathan Williams, Tommy Simmons, Matt Smith

Newport Pilot: Jake Hollyfield, Matt Leese

Fishguard Autumn Festival: Owen Hall, Tom Bean

Newport Community Group Workshop: Surf Club, Gardening Club

Equipment Pilot: Duncan Richmond, Helen Manley Jones

Maenclochog Community Group Workshop: Aelwyd, Ffrindiau Maenclochog

If you're interested in hosting a Low Carbon Cook-Off at an event or for more information on the project contact:

Alice Williams alice@ecocentre.org.uk 01239 821 901 or Duncan Richmond, duncan@ecocentre.org.uk, 01239 820909