Countdown is on to The Edible Garden Show 2010The countdown is on to an exciting new national garden show being launched in March amid the phenomenal explosion of interest in ‘Grow Your Own’ food. The Edible Garden Show 2010 will be staged over three days from Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21 at Britain’s most famous agricultural venue – Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire. The Edible Garden Show is a “must-see” event whether you are a seasoned gardener who spends every spare minute on the allotment or a complete novice daunted by planting a few vegetables in the back yard. The new show has won official endorsements from two of the most high-profile organisations in the gardening and agriculture world – the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners (NSALG), which boasts 103,000 members in the UK at over 2,000 allotment societies, and the Royal Agricultural Society of England. The Edible Garden Show 2010 is targeted towards anyone passionate about Grow Your Own, Brew Your Own… or anything to do with healthy eating or home produce. From fruit and veg to bread making, from poultry to organic herbs, and from bee keeping to home brewing, The Edible Garden Show is THE ultimate Grow Your Own event. The Women’s Institute’s National Cookery School is to play a key role at The Edible Garden Show after agreeing to stage a series of cookery demonstrations and other food-related events at the show. The WI National Cookery School, based at Denman College in Oxfordshire, has become one of the UK’s most popular cookery institutions since its launch last year. Alison Hogsbjerg, a spokesman for the WI, said: “We are delighted to have been invited to provide cookery demonstrations at The Edible Garden Show. It promises to be a super show and experts from the WI will be on hand throughout the event with great ideas and recipes for your home-grown produce.” But it’s not only cookery advice that the WI will be concentrating on. Their team will also run seminars on preserving, baking and even bread-making. There will also be a high-profile event on the opening day where the WI will be promoting its ‘SOS for honey bees’ campaign aimed at highlighting the plight of the honey bee and the vital role they play in pollinating plants for fruits and crops. Alison Hogsbjerg said: “Home-grown food, sustainability and safeguarding the honey bee are all massively important environmental issues. The Edible Garden Show is an excellent vehicle to promote our various campaigns and help to educate the public about the benefits of growing their own food.” The concept of growing or producing your own food and drinks has enjoyed resurgence in recent years. The trend, which coincides with 100,000 people now being on waiting lists for allotments in the UK, has enjoyed ever-increasing media attention. Exhibitions guru Brian Wiseman, one of the instigators behind the event, said: “Despite the concept of Grow Your Own being featured within some existing horticultural or lifestyle exhibitions there is currently NO single national event in the annual show calendar that is devoted purely to the idea. The Edible Garden Show will address that omission. “Our extensive research has confirmed the viability of the concept of The Edible Garden Show and we are convinced that this show will appeal to both the avid gardener and those people just starting out and experimenting with growing their own fruit and vegetables. Tickets will be at affordable prices with value-for-money rates for exhibitors.” He added: “Visitors can gain tips from the experts and the opportunity to buy a huge range of essential items, from mighty garden sheds and greenhouses to individual packets of seeds and compost. Young or old, townie or country dweller, novice or experienced gardener, The Edible Garden Show is a must-visit attraction for your diary. We will have a host of seminars and exhibitions, plus a packed programme of practical demonstrations from growing it to cooking it that will provide an informative, educational and fun event for all the family.” Fantastic and innovative ideas include: For more information on the show visit www.theediblegardenshow.co.uk 14 January 2010 |