There is most definitely something of a feast for all the senses happening in Leeds this weekend. Leeds Gallery host their private view of Feast (an exhibition to gorge yourselves on), BlogNorth have a feast of a day for food/drink obsessed bloggers and we hear whispers of a publication being launched with the same name at that event. And to top it off the mysterious food adventurers We, The Animals are launching their cornucopic eating extravagance…A great weekend to be in Leeds, what an abundance of sensual pleasures.
We asked Andrea Huntley of We, The Animals to tell us a bit more about what they are up to and why you should get your hands on the few remaining tickets (Friday 12th April)
FEAST
n // a plentiful supply of something enjoyable esp. for a mind or the senses
v // to eat and drink splendidly
I often muse that British cuisine is the world’s best kept-secret. Before my move to Leeds three years ago, terms like enjoyable and splendid were not words I would have used to describe my experience of British food. I -like most other travelers- had eaten at “traditional” British eateries around the globe and for years had only been fed soggy fish and chips, tasteless bangers and mash, and microwaved shepherd’s pie. One would think that the British couldn’t cook much else.
It is a fairly well-documented fact, however, that this is not the case; British cuisine -vast and varied in its ingredients and recipes- is inextricably linked to its history and culture. Although this article is not the place to explore this topic, one must consider how a food culture so long-established could remain so relatively unknown. How did British cuisine get so lost in translation?
Traditional British cuisine relies heavily on seasonal local produce; this dates back as far back as the primeval days of farming where ingredients were available at various points of the year. So, in theory, some dishes could be difficult to make if certain key ingredients were hard to obtain overseas. (I ate my first parsnip only three years ago.)
It doesn’t help either though that there are dishes, such as haggis, that cannot be exported to certain parts of the world, or black pudding, whose ingredients simply sound unappealing.
Perhaps the answer does not lay in distance or ingredients however, but generation. The modern-day conveniences of supermarkets and fast-foods have rapidly severed our connection to what and how we once ate, even fifty years ago. These days everything is available whenever you want it. Once a blessing, it is arguably now a curse.
The industry of convenient food has left little room for the age-old practice of eating that which is fresh, local, and seasonally available; more worrisome still is that this industry is fostering obesity and other health-related illnesses. As fresh, local and seasonal ingredients become harder to find and more expensive to purchase, especially in the wake of the current economic crisis, convenience and affordability take priority over tradition and health. It’s no secret that children are being raised in homes of ready-cooked and processed meals, never knowing that their chips began as spuds. There is little hope of exposing the world to authentic British seasonal cuisine when the British themselves lack the ability to embrace it.
There should be little surprise then when whisperings of food revivals float in the air; a culture so rich in culinary tradition is not so easily forgotten nor abandoned. For chefs well-versed in the delights of British cuisine, it is their commitment to keep alive the flavours that define their life’s work. So, in the face of big brands and household names, chefs and food enthusiasts across the country are hosting temporary culinary events, and their increasing frequency and attendance speaks volumes about their success.
The manner in which these revivals are manifesting are as diverse in nature as they are ingredients; from pop-up restaurants to food clubs, food groups, and sustainable produce food-carts, culinary events are running the gamut. What makes these events extraordinary however, is the necessary act of bringing people together for these meals. Meant to be as social as they are delectable, this food revival is not just about what we eat, but how we eat it and who we eat it with. We are witnessing the veritable return of the feast, and not a moment too soon.
Gaining in recognition and respect, these temporary culinary events allow up-and-coming chefs the opportunity to run their own kitchens affordably (no rent or major overhead costs), and they offer the diner a unique and memorable eating experience, even if the ingredients and socialization involved are as traditional as traditional gets.
With the I Love Leeds Food Festival on the horizon, it is to be expected that a number of culinary events will be taking place around the city to mark the occasion. Such is the case with The Beast & The Swine, a pop-up restaurant coming to Leeds at the end of April. Promising to introduce their diners to the succulent underbelly of Yorkshire cuisine, although their venue remains a mystery, one can rest assured that an unforgettable meal using the most local and seasonal of spring produce will be served along a single feasting table, complete with candles and wine.
It is the small steps such as this that will hopefully breathe new life back into traditional British cuisine. A successful revival of a food tradition has as much to do with its ingredients, recipes and techniques as whether or not it is readily eaten by the people; by bringing people back to the table with good food to share, perhaps they’ll realize the important role that traditional British cuisine plays not only in feeding our appetites, but in bringing us together. Perhaps by breaking bread we’ll inadvertently rebuild and strengthen our families, our communities and maybe even our country as a whole.
Perhaps then and only then I’ll find a greater variety of British food the next time I’m on the road.
Who are WE, The Animals?
We, The Animals are a small collective of Leeds-based food enthusiasts. Of the four members, two are well-respected chefs and two are experienced bar & wait staff; all four love food. Equipped with their collective knowledge of curing charcuterie, making homemade pasta, baking bread, wine pouring, and other culinary expertise, they have decided to join forces to launch their first seasonal pop-up restaurant, The Beast & The Swine