Leeds foodie scene fights Pancreatic Cancer

Earlier this year Giles Coren (food writer at the Times) suffered the wrath of Twitter after reportedly describing the Leeds food scene as “rubbish.”
Now it’s no secret that I live and breathe food. Whether I am blogging about it or cooking it or eating it, I am always conscious of how much joy food brings to my life. But it’s not just the food itself, living in Leeds I have been incredibly fortunate to be in the company of so many amazingly passionate fellow foodies – those who blog about food and drink and those who make and sell it. It’s like having an extended family, being part of this network of wonderful people and my Fairy Cakemother Lisa Gair (also known as The Yummy Yank) and her equally yummy husband Ian are without a doubt among the warmest and loveliest people that I know on the Leeds food scene.

In addition to satisfying our sweet teeth with her outrageously scrumptious baked goods, Lisa is leading an army of wonderful indie food producers to raise money to fight Pancreatic Cancer in honour of the utterly lovely Carl Denning of Market Wraps. If you’re not familiar with him, here is Carl’s very moving blog about living with Pancreatic Cancer.

Lisa said about the event “I met Carl at Kirkstall Deli Market before he was first diagnosed, four years ago and he and his partner Rob Fowler have become very close friends. We share a love of food, a love of life and a strong bond of friendship. Carl is one of the strongest and most positive people that I know and is truly an inspiration to both me and Ian. His positivity and laughter astound me, as they exist even in his darkest moments of illness. We will continue to have events like this so awareness and money is raised for this truly devastating disease of pancreatic cancer. Nothing is too much trouble for a friend like Carl and clearly I am not alone in my thinking!”

If the benefit I attended last night was anything to go by, she’s absolutely right! Lisa and Ian raised over £2,000 for Pancreatic cancer by hosting a buffet at their home that was absolutely groaning with amazing food (see full list of contributors below.)

In addition to this belly-busting buffet (well worth the £25 per head entry ticket) the raffle was absolutely packed with incredible prizes; a Yummy Yank vodka and amaretto cake, Meal vouchers for Buon Apps, The Greedy Pig’s Swine That Dines supperclub, Dough Bistro and Cena Sarda Dining Club. Browns Beauty and Brown’s Hair offered a huge gift basket of products and a treatment voucher, Leeds Uni offered two day gym passes and there were hampers stocked by Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil, Stickey’s Honey, Yorkshire Honey, Garth Cottage Herbs, Jilly’s Jam, Art of Mallow, Simply Indian, Cryer & Stott, The Harrogate Preserves Company, The Really Nice Food Company, The Secret Haberdasher, Kirsty Clark Wool and Brewer’s BBQ Sauce. The name the Sock Monkey from Nicola Carney at Tilly Tally raised £85 alone!

There was also absolutely marvellous entertainment in the form of acoustic music from an incredibly talented Leeds Uni Student by the name of Marcus (check out his You Tube channel, Marcus Songs – his voice is out of this world) who Lisa and Carl met at Leeds Dock market.

It was a wonderful evening, for a wonderful man, and for a wonderful cause. But it doesn’t end here. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month and following her first Host for Hope benefit, you can donate via Lisa’s Paypal [email protected].

Buffet details:
Lisa made cowboy steak chilli, crab ham and potato salad, salad with raspberry dressing, smoked salmon on pumpernickel and a huge pile of her brownies, cake bars and an enormous caramel peanut butter ripple cheesecake.
Buon Apps donated an entire trestle table of lasagnes, meatballs, squash and spinach pasta, fish balls. The Yorkshire Pizza company were out in the freezing cold all night tending to their pizza oven which served margherita, mushroom, brie and caramelised onion, pear and honey and pepperoni pizzas. Ira B’s donated chopped liver and dill pickles, latkes, mini hot dogs and mustard dip. Olianas Gusto Italiano donated antipasto platters with Italian meats, yorkshire cheeses, a caprese salad with mozzarella made from Yorkshire milk and several trays of incredible focaccias. The Greedy Pig made some of their wonderful quiches – butternut squash and kale, pear and blue cheese, potato, pepper and paprika. Wharfedale Fine Cheese, George and Joseph & Cryer & Stott donated huge wheels of cheese, pickles and crackers. Istanbul Meze offered Turkish dips, pizza, bread, chicken rolls and cheese rolls. The Foodamentalists made gluten free mince frangipane pies and Fayre by Alley offered Nanaimo bars.