Cutting edge research on city students

Apparently Nottingham students spend over half of their annual loan on food according to research by mysupermarket.co.uk.

This amounts to an average of £1845 per person every year across the city and, of this £40 a week, it seems that £9 is spent solely on Lambrini (presumably the rest is on McDonalds, kebabs, KFC and chips judging by the public eating habits of students in Radford, Hyson Green and Lenton… and the litter they invariably leave behind).

We already know that many Nottingham students (from both universities) are loud, arrogant, untidy, selfish and often drunk. We now know that a significant number also have an appalling taste in drinks.

We plough the fields…

Regular readers will know that I have a soft spot for environmental issues (no, not a melting iceberg in the Antarctic…) and that I am a fan of the Transition Towns movement, which is very well represented by a small but dedicated band of people in various parts of Nottinghamshire. So my interest was aroused by news of a forthcoming event and I felt that it needed sharing.

Following the apparent success of last year’s first Urban Harvest Festival (which, I must admit, completely passed me by), Transition Nottingham invites everyone to celebrate this year’s crop at Green’s Mill in Sneinton on Sunday 27th September.

The festival is part of ‘Season Nottingham’ – a year round programme of events promoting positive, local and seasonal solutions to the ecological and economic challenges we face in Nottingham as we try to feed ourselves and our families.

Clare Davies, inspiration behind the festival says: ‘despite grim forecasts for the weather and worse for the economy, our gardens and allotments are starting to overflow with goodies – let’s celebrate the abundance and learn how to put it to tasty use in building Nottingham’s food security.’

This year, the Urban Harvest Festival will focus on creative, fun and tasty things to do with the harvest.

Activities will include cooking and preserve-making demonstrations, apple pressing and making a smoothie using a bike (yes, I know it sounds whacky but I’ve seen it done; it’s fun) plus ideas about how to turn your fruit and veg surplus into something a bit stronger…….!  There will also be the serious message of  how Peak Oil and climate change will affect future harvests and how you can get involved with Transition Nottingham.

And, as if that wasn’t enough, there will be competitions, kids’ activities, stalls loaded with local produce for sale, music from local performers, and a barter area where you can swap your prize carrots for a pot of jam.

And it’s all free!

I’ll see you there. I’ll be the one with the enormous marrow… ooooerrrr!!

Pork pie poets

UNION leaders say they will “fight tooth and nail” to protect jobs at Nottingham food manufacturers Pork Farms, famous for their pork pies.

Interesting turn of phrase; both ironic and amusing… as I suspect tooth and nail are two of the ingredients that go into the pies the company makes.

City still has vegetarian delights… but they’re harder to find now

There was a time a few years ago when Nottingham seemed destined not only to be Queen of the Midlands but also the region’s vegetarian epicentre.

We had the splendid  Salamander Restaurant in the Lace Market for posh nosh, the Hiziki health food shop with Out to Munch cafe above offering great value, down to earth food amidst ageing hippy splendour and V1 for excellent fast food without a hint of an abused cow or destroyed rain forest connected with any of its offerings (and, in some ironic or humorous twist, situated opposite McDonalds).

With the demise of these three, it seemed that the tide had turned in favour of the carnivores… but maybe not. Although there may be few exclusively vegetarian or vegan establishments in the actual city centre, those that remain are excellent and there are a number of new and not-so-new eateries offering cruelty-free fare within a short walk or bus ride of these.

Of those in the city centre, the Alley Cafe is probably the best known to those who know it and the most hidden to those who don’t. Situated in Cannon Court (an alley; notice the link?) off Long Row West, the Alley Cafe offers excellent sandwiches, snacks and meals and is about as relaxed a venue as you’re going to find anywhere for breakfast, lunch or tea. Their daily special meals are, well, special, their coffee is excellent and their cocktails a delight. And, as if this wasn’t enough, they also stage poetry and music evenings on a regular basis.

Make the short walk from Long Row to the Lace Market and you can find Squeek which now occupies the site of the former Salamander on Heathcote Street. Posher than the Alley Cafe, this is a relaxed restaurant but one where you wouldn’t feel out of place in your best suit. Dishes are creative, wholesome and delicious… and the puddings are fantastic.

Other exclusively vegetarian and vegan restaurants and cafes are further out of the city but worth the short journey. For basic fare try the Sumac Centre in Forest Fields, a community centre run by volunteers, or Dotty’s Cafe, recently opened on Mansfield Road. Further out still are the Flying Goose in Beeston and the Crocus Cafe  in Lenton, the latter very popular with students from Nottingham University.

A look at the Vegan Nottingham Guide suggests that all is not yet lost for the ‘Green Food’ gang (even that it might be improving). Maybe we are the vegan capital of the Midlands after all, if not the country… unless you know different.