Are yougetting ahealthystart?

SUMMER 2006

8 Healthy Start

10 Recipe for a Greener Curry

15 England Preserves13 London Food Strategies

ISSUE 15

9 Rare Breeds in Essex

12 Food Access in Hackney

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This may be the first time you'vepicked up a copy of the Jellied Eel.Perhaps you've chanced upon it in a

library, café or at an event. Well, for younew comers, I'd like to welcome you toour magazine! JE brings you the latestinformation and opinions about London'ssustainable food network. In these pagesyou'll read about all the efforts to improveLondoners' access to healthy food, localfood, organic food…you get the picture! Ifyou like what you read here, you may beinterested in joining (see the back page forthe benefits). If you feel intrigued, we'replanning another network get-together inJanuary so send us an e-mail to get on thelist for more information. Existing networkmembers will get more details when thedate and venue are confirmed.

As the last vestiges of summer finallysuccumb to the rain, and we knock backthe last of the English Perry (which Ifound, to my surprise, in many pubs -including a Wetherspoons!) we start tolook forward to what the next few monthshave in store. This issue looks ahead to thelaunch of the implementation plan of theMayor's food strategy (see p.13). Thiscomes at a time when other boroughs arepreparing their own food strategies, (e.g.Newham and Islington), or are at lookinginto doing them (e.g. Camden andHackney).

Food access is a major part of most ofthese strategies, and on p.8 we take acloser look at the Healthy Start schemewhich is being launched in November. Thisis particularly relevant to any retailers whoneed to apply to be able to take thesevouchers. Also in November we will behaving the next meeting of the Londonfood access forum, which is a joint venturebetween London Food Link and Sustain'sFood Poverty Network. The last fewmeetings have focused on issues such asfood mapping and working with business.The next meeting will focus on evaluation

techniques, which have been highlightedas particularly useful for projects trying tosecure much-needed funding.

If you are interested in finding outmore about future (and past) meetings ofthe food access forum it is all featured onour new-look website (www.sustainweb.org).The site should be easier to navigate andwill contain much more information, formembers and non-members alike. One ofthe new features is our producer/supplierdatabase, which includes details of almost900 producers in and around London. Soif you are looking for local sausages or anorganic lassi you should be able to find ithere. The need for this database has comeabout partly through our work withrestaurants and hospitals, which will befeatured in the next issue, and partlythrough our work with multicultural foodbusinesses, which is the focus of ourforthcoming report A Greener Curry (seep.10). Incidentally, the hospital foodproject is being renamed Good Food onthe Public Plate, to reflect its wider workwith schools, hospitals and care homes. Soif you're such an institution, based inLondon or the South East and want toimprove your food, contactEmma@sustainweb.org orMathew@sustainweb.org.

EditorialContentsAROUND TOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

MEMBER FEATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

BULLETIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7

HEALTHY START . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

FARM GATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

RECIPE FOR A GREENER CURRY . . . . . . . . 10

IN PRINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

MAYORAL RUMBLINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

FUNDING ROUND-UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

LOCAL TO LONDON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

DIARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

London Food Link runs a network oforganisations and individuals withmembers as diverse as farmers, foodwriters, caterers and community foodprojects. Both London Food Link and itsmembers run projects that help to:

increase the availability of sustainablefood in London

tackle the barriers preventing accessto healthy and sustainable food forall Londoners

celebrate and protect London'sdiverse food culture

Editor: Ben ReynoldsProduction Editor: Rachel BeebeDesign: Gav DupeeIllustrations: Ciara DevinePrinting: RAP Spiderweb

Cover image by Sarah Bowyer

LONDON FOOD LINK94 WHITE LION STREET, LONDON, N1 9PFTEL: 020 7837 1228 FAX: 020 7837 1141EMAIL: BEN@SUSTAINWEB.ORGWEB: WWW.LONDONFOODLINK.ORG

Disclaimer - Inclusion of information in The Jellied Eeldoes not imply that the product or service is endorsedby London Food Link or Sustain.

We would like to thank the followingvolunteers for all their help over thepast few months:

Rachel Beebe Tamarind Falk Naomi Mead Hadija Mohammed Pierre Morand Paul Rosenbloom Lucie Wanctin

Growing up with the Good Food Swap Credit: Growing Communities

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Around Town

Growing Communities, the Hackney-basedgroup that pioneered London's firstorganic box scheme and the UK's first all-organic farmers' market, is celebratingtheir 10th birthday with the Good FoodSwap on Sunday 8th October from 2 till5pm at the Old Fire Station in StokeNewington.

"We want people to bring food they'vemade, picked or grown themselves. It's asort of inner-city, money-free version ofthe village show," said Natalie Silk, who isorganising the event. "This is a chance forpeople to share their cooking skills, theirfavourite pickle, fruit from their urban

gardens or the prize marrow from theirallotments. People without gardens canbring stuff they've made from localingredients or swap their favourite familyrecipes. Or just come along and admirethe produce!"

Growing Communities believes goodfood tastes great, is chemical-free,seasonal, locally grown or home-madefrom fresh ingredients - this is the type offood they are encouraging people tobring. Pledges received so far include:spicy tomato ketchup, damson jam,"hackney salami", home-made egg pasta,garden reared hen's eggs, and lots of

locally grown or foraged fruit, vegetablesand herbs.

The Good Food Swap is a celebrationof Growing Communities' achievementsover the last 10 years. They want to getlocal people thinking, talking about andmaking good food and to inspire peoplewith the culinary and social pleasures ofmaking and exchanging seasonal produce.

CONTACT: KERRY RANKINE GROWING COMMUNITIES 0207 502 7588 WWW.GROWINGCOMMUNITIES.ORG

East Growing Communities celebrates 10years of local food with a Good Food Swap

South Check outyour local BISTROWhat if you could use the same oil to frychips for your dinner and run your car? Itmay seem unlikely, but that is exactlywhat will soon be happening in Londonthanks to the latest biodiesel initiative.The South-East London Transport Strategy(Seltrans), a partnership between sevensoutheast London boroughs that aims toimprove the efficiency of the localtransport system, has got the go-ahead ontheir pilot scheme: Biodiesel Initiative forSustainable Transport from Recycled Oil(BISTRO). BISTRO will initially be a fiveyear project to collect used cooking oilfrom local restaurants and cafes and thenrefine and convert it into biodiesel.

The pilot scheme will be following inthe footsteps of two schemes alreadyunderway - one in Valencia, Spain andthe other in Gratz, Austria. Seltrans haspaired up with Thames Water, who will bemanaging the collection of the usedcooking oil. As weel as using fossil fueland reducing emissions, the project willreduce the amount of used oil illegallythrown down

London's drains. Used oil seriously gumsup the works for Thames Water and it isexpensive for them to clean up. Nowrestaurants and chip shops can have theiroil collected and taken to a conversionplant in Bromley, where it will be refinedfor use in vehicles.

Biodiesel can be used to power anydiesel engine and no conversion isnecessary. In Spain and Austria it is beingused to power busses. More locally, theRoyal Mail distribution centre in Yorkshirepowers 300 vans with biodiesel, and adelivery company in Norfolk uses it to runover 100 of their vehicles. The plan nowis for Seltrans to use the oil in councilfleets.

CONTACT: ALAN LUCKINGALAN.LUCKING@BROMLEY.GOV.UKWWW.SELTRANS.ORG.UK

North ImagineIslington environment fair Do you know your native apples? That's the question we asked folks visitingLondon Food Link's stall at the ImagineIslington green festival on 2nd September

2006. Most people correctlyremembered Cox's Orange Pippin

as a native English apple butknowledge usually deterioratedafter that; supermarket staplessuch as Pink Lady, Gala andBraeburn were the apples mostcommonly identifiedincorrectly as natives.

Predictably, people who regularly shoppedat farmers markets, visited orchards,tended apple trees or knew friends withfruit trees were more savvy about Englishapples. They reeled off varieties such asDiscovery, Spartan, Worcester, Bramleyand even Laxton's. Ida Fabrizio conductedthis research for Sustain's new Leader +funded Orchards Project. The project aimsto maintain traditional orchards as part ofthe local landscape and economy, enjoyedby local people.

CONTACT: IDA FABRIZIOIDA@SUSTAINWEB.ORGWWW.SUSTAINWEB.ORG

West Boroughboosts businesswith BEST practiceEaling Council has launched what it iscalling Business Environmental Supportand Training (BEST) to ensure small andmedium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in theborough have access to all the informationthey need to do their bit for sustainability.Working with Government-fundedEnvirowise and Groundwork West Londonthe Council plans to provide a series oftraining workshops looking at the generalissues that might affect local businesses aswell as pointing them in the direction ofspecialist support should they need it. Theofficer responsible for the initiative, AlexBeckett, has said the Council hadidentified a gap in its services andresponded to it. "We had active towncentre partnerships encouraging economicregeneration but no borough-specific envi-ronmental support mechanisms."

CONTACT: ALEXANDER BECKETTENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROJECT OFFICER,EALING COUNCILBECKETTA@EALING.GOV.UK OR 020 8825 5313

LFL in Islington Credit: Zeenat Anjari

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What does The Food Chain do?The Food Chain exists to ensure that thoseliving with HIV can have access to goodnutrition to regain their health and staywell.

We provide an individually tailored hotmeal service to those who are houseboundand living with HIV. We also provide agrocery box service to those who are veryill or have poor access to food and anemergency hamper for those who havejust come out of hospital. Nearlyeverything is done by volunteers.

Research shows that good nutrition isessential to those living with HIV in termsof living a full healthy lifestyle andmanaging their drug treatments.

Who set it up and when? The Food Chain was set up in 1988 byfour friends who cooked Christmas dinnertogether with another friend who wasliving with HIV. Since then it has grown toprovide a meal service, grocery boxes andnutritional advice and information forpeople living with HIV all over London.

Who is involved in your work? We currently have over 900 volunteers;The Sunday meal delivery service operatesfrom six borrowed kitchens in differentareas of London. Volunteer roles include:Lead Cooks, Kitchen Assistants, Drivers,Navigators, supervisors and Rota coordina-tors. Other volunteers provide administra-tive support for the main office; andothers are involved with fundraisingevents. We are very much a volunteer ledorganization, and every meal that comesout of our kitchen is designed, preparedand delivered by volunteers. We alsoemploy several full time paid staff,including the Chief Executive, a ServiceManager and a Volunteer Coordinatoramongst others.

What have you been working onrecently?We are producing a cookbook for thoseliving with HIV, and nutrition handbook toprovide information for those living withHIV, and for health professionals workingwith people who have HIV. We alsorecently won the National Lottery AwardsInspiration Award for our work.

What are next steps/projects? Naturally we are looking for ways toexpand our work so that those living withHIV across the UK have access to ourservices. Our new strategic plan outlinesthe development of our services in 4areas, feeding, shopping, teaching andinforming. We are looking for opportuni-ties to expand our meals service, developa volunteer led shopping service, start

cookery classes and provide more qualityinformation for individuals and profes-sionals to access.

THE FOOD CHAINUNIT 4 NEW NORTH HOUSE, 202-208 NEWNORTH ROAD, LONDON N1 7BJPHONE: 0207 3540 333 FAX: 0207 359 8169WEB: WWW.FOODCHAIN.ORG.UKEMAIL: INFO@FOODCHAIN.ORG.UK

The Food ChainMembers feature

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cookbook as part of the promotion. Details of events can be found on the

London Libraries calendar at www.london-libraries.org.uk/events

FIONA O'BRIENLONDON LIBRARIES DEVELOPMENT AGENCYFIONA.OBRIEN@LLDA.ORG.UK

Friends of the Earth local groupsconference 2006"If we want to engage them, we need totalk to them where they're at" (taken formconference publicity materials)

Over 300 Friends of the Earth (FoE)members representing local groups fromall over the country met for three days inNottingham to discuss how campaigningfor solutions and communicating positivemessages could help FoE reach a broaderspectrum of people.

In support of this theme, London FoodLink (LFL) project officer, Zeenat Anjari,was invited by FoE's food team to speak ata workshop on her work to increase themarket for sustainable food by appealingto London's multicultural communities.Zeenat's research revealed differentmethods used to engage certaincommunities. One of her proposals was forFoE local groups, LFL and ethnic minoritygroups to work together to share

BulletinFood Growing for Groups - WENWomen's Environment Network (WEN)has produced a briefing paper called FoodGrowing for Groups. This briefing, whichhas come from WEN's local food project,has been developed because of a lack ofinformation about what people can dotogether as a gardening group throughoutthe year. As well as including a gardeningcalendar, it includes examples of whatother groups have done, information onsupport that WEN can give and lists ofsources of information and potentialfunders.

WWW.WEN.ORG.UK

Setting the Standard for SchoolFoodThe second annual Healthy Eating inSchool Conference is scheduled forThursday 12th October, 2006 at EarlsCourt One in London. This nationalconference will examine the latest policyon school meals and nutrition and theimplications for schools and the foodindustry. Sharing examples of how toprovide healthy school food, delegates willhave the opportunity to consider how bestto meet the new standards for both mealsand non-meal food, such as vending. Feesrange from around £200-£400.

CONTACT GEMMA SUTER 020 7324 4363, GEMMA.SUTER@NEILSTEW-ARTASSOCIATES.CO.UKWWW.NEILSTEWARTASSOCIATES.COM/KD145

Appetite for reading - what'scooking at your local library?At the beginning of October, and runningtill the end of the year, London's publiclibraries are runnin g a reading promotioninspired by food and drink. LondonLibraries Recommend…An Appetite forReading is the latest in a series ofsuccessful campaigns, funded by the ArtsCouncil, which encourage library membersto extend their reading tastes and invitenew readers to try something different.

Librarians across London have chosenthe selection of fifty titles (with a littlehelp from London Food Link) and all havea culinary influence - fiction and non-fiction are included, with memoirs andaccounts of travel but no pure recipebooks.

The list of books, with reviews writtenby the librarians who nominated them,will be available on the London Librarieswebsite www.londonlibraries.org.uk/read,which also allows you to find the book inyour local library at the click of a mousebutton. The website also indicates whichof the books is available in accessibleformats such as large print, talking book orBraille and will have pages devoted to anonline quiz and links to other usefulinformation.

Librarians will be running a series offood-related talks and events hosted inlibraries and other venues. For example,the local studies centre in Romford willhost an exhibition related to the history ofits local allotments, and LewishamLibraries will launch their community

information on sustainable food - andfood! - in culturally appropriate locationssuch as shops, street markets, communitycentres and places of worship.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FOE'S WORK ATWWW.FOE.CO.UK/CAMPAIGNS/REAL_FOOD/CONTACT ZEENAT ATZEENAT@SUSTAINWEB.ORG OR 0207 837 1228.

Government plans to allowwidespread GM contaminationOn 20th July Defra published its consulta-tion on proposals for managing thecoexistence of GM, conventional andorganic crops. The consultation is open toanyone and the closing date for responsesis 20th October 2006.

The most startling thing about thisconsultation is that the Governmentproposes to "facilitate choice betweenconventional, organic and GM crops" byaiming "to minimise any unwanted GMpresence in non-GM crops so that it isbelow 0.9%".

In other words, crops cross pollinatedwith a neighbouring GM crop will still beclassed as non-GM or organic even thoughthey may have nearly 1% GM present. Toachieve this Defra proposes to set statutoryseparation distances between GM andother crops of 35 metres for oilseed rapeand 80-110 metres for maize crops. Othermeasures to prevent contamination, suchas controlling GM oilseed rape plantswhich come up in following crops, are tobe dealt with by voluntary means.

The consultation specifically excludesgardeners, allotment holders, beekeepersand farmers, who save their home grownseed each year, from protection and,hence, compensation if they suffercontamination. Indeed, Defra fails to comeup with a firm proposal as to who shouldbe liable if non-GM crops are contami-

nated with GM.Anyone who is concerned about the

protection of the environment, theintegrity of the food chain and who wantsto retain the right to choose genuinelynon-GM food should take part in theconsultation. We are also planning anevent in London on 19th October to markthe end of the consultation and will havemore details available shortly.

You can find more details, including aguide on how to take part and an emailaction, at www.stopgmcontamination.org.

The full text of the consultation isavailable at www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/gmnongm-coexist/index.htm

GM FREEZE020 7837 0642

Local Food at the Cross Roads:Celebration, challenge, opportunityThe 2nd National Food Links UKConference will take place on 29thNovember 2006 at the East of EnglandShowground, Peterborough

The conference will be looking at theissue of local food on the threshold ofhuge expansion, due to high consumerdemand and in the light of the urgentneed for more sustainable food systems. Itwill also look at the efforts of food linksorganisations and others to overcome thepractical difficulties of creating sustainablefood systems. Speakers include: LawrenceWoodward, Elm Farm Research Centre;Dan Keech, New Economics Foundation;Tully Wakeman, East Anglia Food Link; SueClifford, Common Ground; and our veryown Matt Castle and Zeenat Anjari.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO A BOOKINGFORM, GO TO WWW.FOODLINKS-UK.ORGOR CONTACT SARAH DAVIES ATSARAH@FOODLINKS-UK.ORG OR 01225787921.

ASDA to 'bin' wasteSupermarket group Asda yesterdaypledged to stop sending any waste tolandfill sites within four years as part of aplan to achieve a new clean and greenimage. The 307-store chain is also to test arange of energy-saving technologiesincluding sunpipes and biomass boilers.The "zero waste" promise echoes a similarpledge made by Asda's parent group, Wal-Mart, last year and is part of a drive by allthe big grocers to reinvent themselves asenvironmentally friendly businesses.

The company is also reviewing all its

own-label products in an effort to reducethe amount of packaging shoppers have todispose of at home. It aims to cutpackaging by 10% over 18 months.

David Cheesewright, Asda's chiefoperating officer, said: "It's a massivecommitment ... We hope our competitorswill follow our lead."

Asda's new campaign to slash wasteand build more energy efficient storescomes less than a week after bosses fromthe big four supermarkets were summonedby environment secretary David Miliband,who told they must make their businessesmore environmentally-friendly.

The meeting was attended by Sir KenMorrison of Morrison's, Justin King ofSainsbury's, David Cheesewright of Asdaand Tesco's company secretary, LucyNeville-Rolfe. Mr Miliband told them hewanted to see more local supplies toreduce the distances food is hauled aroundthe country.

The environment secretary said thefood industry could "significantly affectour fragile environment, but is also in theunique position of being able to make amajor positive contribution to reducingour environmental footprint".

In related news, the NationalConsumer Council just released theirreport Greening supermarkets, which ratesthe top eight UK supermarkets on theirenvironmental credentials. Have a look inour In Print Section on p.12 for more info.

(Source: Julia Finch in the Guardian,Wednesday 26 July, 2006)

And finally….Asda, part of the massive US Wal-Martretail chain, was recently selling aninteresting DVD from its online store. TheDVD, entitled Wal-Mart: the high cost oflow price, was described on Asda's site as"an attack on the unscrupulous businesspractices of the world's biggest retailerWal-Mart".

Asda went on to explain that the filmfeatures "interviews with current andformer employees as well as owners ofsmall businesses deeply affected by theexpansion of Wal-Mart, this expose ofwhat can be only be described as acorporate monster is fascinating andterrifying in equal measure."

Although it was nice to see Asda beingso candid about being part and parcel of a'corporate monster', it is perhaps notsurprising that the supermarket has nowquietly dropped the DVD from its onlinestore.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE DVD SEE:WWW.WALMARTMOVIE.COM(FROM THE FOOD MAGAZINE, AUGUST 2006)

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Farmers take action on GM Credit: Dr Mae-Wan Ho / Isis

According to the NHS, babies borninto disadvantaged families aremore likely to die or be born with

low birth-weight than those born intofamilies on higher incomes. A nutritiousdiet for pregnant mothers and their infantsis the best way to combat these issues.

Starting on 27th November, expectantmothers below 18 years old and womenon benefits who are pregnant or haveyoung children will become eligible forfree cows milk, infant formula, and freshfruit and vegetables. The program is calledHealthy Start and it is being expandedfrom initial trial schemes in Devon andCornwall to cover all of Britain.

The programme issues vouchers worth£2.80 each. The number of voucherswomen will receive will depend onwhether they are pregnant, how manychildren they have and what ages thechildren are. The vouchers can be spent inany shop that is taking part in the scheme,including greengrocers, milkmen, marketstalls, chemists, corner shops, food co-opsand supermarkets.

Healthy Start is a new version of theWelfare Food Scheme, which was reviewedseveral years ago. The new programmeaims to make it easier for people to takepart and to better meet the nutritionalneeds of pregnant women and children byoffering fruit and vegetables as well as

milk and providing greater support forwomen who choose to breastfeed.

The scheme seems like a good way totackle food poverty and the healthproblems that go along with it, but somefood and health policy experts aresceptical. Martin Caraher of City Universityis concerned that the evaluation of thetrial schemes has not been systematicenough to anticipate the practical difficul-ties health care providers will face whenthe scheme begins around the country.

For individuals taking part in thescheme, the vouchers might not be worthenough to make a real difference in theirdiet. Pregnant women will receive onevoucher per week, which might buy therecommended five a day for one day, butwhat about the other six? In addition, itmay prove difficult getting retailers to jointhe scheme. Small retailers, in particular,may have a problem trading stock forvouchers and then having to wait for thevouchers to be refunded.

According to the Department of Health(DoH) there are nearly 1,000 registeredretailers in the Devon and Cornwallschemes, compared to the 500 who wereregistered for the old Welfare FoodScheme. The DoH expects a similarincrease in the number of registeredretailers in London. "Experience fromDevon and Cornwall did not identify any

significant problems for people using theirHealthy Start vouchers."

Reimbursement for retailers isexpected to take about 14 days. Paymentswill be made through BACS, a moreefficient payment scheme than the oneused under the Welfare Food Scheme. Inaddition, vouchers will have a shortervalidity period than they previously did,which means they will be claimed morequickly, tightening up the flow of benefitsand reimbursements.

For the scheme to be a success, theDoH will need to get as many retailers aspossible registered to offer the benefits.According to the Healthy Start website,registration is fairly simple. Retailers canprint out an application form from the siteor call to have one sent. Once they havebeen approved, retailers receive a supplierguide and a sticker to put in their windowadvertising that they are taking part in thescheme.

So, come November, check out thewindow of your local shop. If they don'thave a Healthy Start sticker, why notsuggest that they register? It might make iteasier for someone to get the nourishmentthey need to start off on the right foot.

WWW.HEALTHYSTART.NHS.UK

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Credit: Adrian Arbib

everyone deserves ahealthy start

Mat Castle, Project Officer with Sustain, recentlyvisited Tollesbury Wick - an Essex Wildlife TrustReserve - to look at how the Trust is attempting todevelop a market for the endangered heritagebreeds currently used for conservation grazing.

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Farm Gate

Tollesbury Wick is a rare example of afreshwater grazing marsh, most ofwhich has been worked for decades

by traditional methods sympathetic towildlife. The 600 acre reserve is animportant home and feeding place formany species of birds, mammals andinvertebrates which depend on the mix ofgrasses, rushes, sedges and flowers, as wellas insects, especially butterflies and moths.The Trust's grazing animals consist of 480Shetland sheep, 75 North Ronaldsaysheep, and 48 Shetland cows.

The 75 "Ronnies"The seaweed eating Ronaldsay, or Ronniesas they are affectionately known, originatefrom a semi-feral flock from the Orkneys.The original flock began to be dispersedaway from North Ronaldsay in case somedisaster like Foot and Mouth Disease ormassive oil pollution should wipe out thebreed and the unique gene bank. Due toits strange diet in its native Orkneys it isthe winter when the North Ronaldsaysheep eat best, and the carcases are attheir prime in December. Their grazinghabits also have had to change with the

diet. Instead of grazing during the dayand ruminating at night as other sheepgenerally do, the North Ronaldsays grazewith the tides (twice in 24 hours) andruminate between low water periods. InEssex, however, they have quickly adjustedto a more normal regime. It is also one ofthe few breeds that will eat creepingthistle, therefore acting as a handy"biological thistle control" for the site.They are even smaller than the Shetlandsand, being a primitive breed, are equallyhardy.

Endangered CowsIt is a sad fact that many people are noteven aware that there is such an animal asthe Shetland cow. This is because, likemany traditional breeds, it has sufferedgreatly from the switch to intensivelivestock farming - hence it's currentlyclassified as endangered by the RareBreeds Survival Trust. They have an ancientlineage, thought to date back to the cattlethe Vikings brought to the ShetlandsIslands in the period 700-1100 AD. By the1950s there were fewer than 40 pure bredanimals remaining. Their adaptation to

extensive systems of management, alongwith their hardiness and thrifty nature,makes them perfect for conservationgrazing.

Although not certified organic, theanimals are reared sustainably, with thehighest considerations given to animalwelfare. Meat from the stock, which has adistinct flavour noticeably stronger than itsconventional counterpart, is currentlydistributed to Essex Wildlife Trust (EWT)members, staff and friends. However,Mike Sanderson, volunteer livestockmanager and trustee of EWT has beeninvestigating new routes to market it as apremium conservation grade meat withlocal identity. He has also been lookinginto the possibility of supplying mutton topublic sector institutions such as hospitals,schools and care homes.

Essex Wildlife Trust must be applaudedfor cleverly combining the conservation ofthese charming breeds with the preserva-tion of this rare and beautifulenvironment.

WWW.ESSEXWT.ORG.UK

Credit: Essex Wildlife Trust

Consumer demand for organic, local,and fairly traded food has been onthe rise for years as more people not

only enjoy the benefits of fresh seasonalfare, but also realize how their decisionsaffect the world around them. In 2005 theoverall organic market increased by thirtyper cent; annual sales now exceed£1billion.

It seems, however, that this growth hasnot been enjoyed by all sectors. Inparticular, London's black, Asian andminority ethnic (BAME) food businessowners are lagging behind the trend.Despite massive growth - forty-four percent between 1998 and 2002 alone -producers of traditional minority ethnicfoods have neglected to reap the benefits

of sustainable food. A forthcoming reportby London Food Link's Zeenat Anjari askswhy.

After a year of research, A GreenerCurry collates the experience and opinionsof dozens of BAME owners of foodbusinesses in the capital. It questions whyethnic food businesses may not beconcerned about sustainability andsuggests how this situation might bechanged. Crucially, the report is part of aproject to make suitability a priority forLondon's BAME food business owners.

Is green good for business?Opportunity is ripe for this burgeoningsector to integrate sustainable practicefrom the start, but opinions were mixed

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among the business owners surveyed forthe report. Tanoj Shah at Gazebo FineFoods, for instance, sees organic as apotential market opportunity, but remainsskeptical that organic food will sell wellenough to ensure a profit. "We haveheavily invested in our new productdesign facility to provide service toexisting and potential customers," saidShah, but sustainability is not somethinghe believes his customers will pay for.

There is evidence to the contrary,however. Some BAME food businessowners have already begun responding tothe expanding market for sustainablefood and they have found that it ispaying off nicely. Sir Gulam Noon ofNoon Products, Inc is one of these. Hiscompany makes every attempt to ensurethat their environmental impact is kept toa "practicable minimum". The company'sEnvironmental Policy - which is publishedon their website - emphasises efficientuse of energy, fuel and water, as well aswaste minimisation. Sir Gulam came toBritian in the 1960s and launched aready-made curry company in 1989.Today, Noon Products is the biggestsupplier of cooked and frozen Indian

The last time you ate chicken curry did you wonderwhether the chicken in it was organic? Or whether thespices were fairly traded? If you did, you are part of agrowing group of consumers who want to eat foodthat is sustainable - no matter what type of cuisine itis. Rachel Beebe explains.

RECIPE FOR A G

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food to British supermarkets.For Sir Gulam, sustainability is simply

part of the innovation necessary for smalland medium-sized enterprises to gain anedge on their big business competitors.Alan Johnson MP, then the Secretary ofState for Trade and Industry, agreed: "It issmaller companies, unconstrained byhuge structures, who are nimbler; able tozip in and out of new markets, developingopportunities and ideas to outperformtheir rivals." To maintain growth in themarket for ethnic food, entrepreneursneed to develop new products that meetthe needs of ethical consumers.

Good green governmentAnd it is not just consumers who areinterested in seeing more sustainable foodon the shelves. The government is alsoputting pressure on food businesses tobecome greener. The most recent initiativeis the Food Industry SustainabilityStrategy, which challenges the food anddrink industry to meet a wide range ofsustainability indicators, includingsignificant reductions in carbon emissionsand waste, and the promotion of ethicaltrading. More locally, the Mayor's London

Food Strategy calls on the public,voluntary and private sectors to worktogether to improve the sustainability ofLondon's food and farming system.

With all this government attention onLondon's sustainability, it may not beunrealistic to expect that soon, sustainablepractice may become the key to winningpublic sector catering contracts in thecapital. Opportunity for BAME foodbusiness owners in the public sector isalready growing. Take for instance,Johnson Samuels at Caterers International,which produces a range of south Indianready meals for sale to offices and specialevents. He is interested to supplyingculturally appropriate meals to elderlypeople in care homes or through the localmeals-on-wheels service as a second tiersuppler to a public sector contractor. Forthe public sector, a contract with a localsupplier has the added benefit ofreinvesting money back into the localeconomy.

Next stepsAs demand for sustainability grows, envi-ronmental policies and ethical supplychains will become expected practice. Like

preventative measures to ensurecompliance with health and safety codes,sustainable practice will have to bewritten in to business plans and sooner orlater it will have a domino effect, filteringback through the supply chain. For now,LFL is focusing in on those businessesidentified by the project who want tolearn how to become greener. Theseinclude By Chaat House, who are lookinginto the organic market, and OasisCatering, who are interested in localproduce.

But this is just the beginning. Asconsumers become more aware of theimportance of sustainability and businessowners become more informed about it,the standards for food in London will beraised and everyone will benefit from theinvestment.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REPORT ORLONDON FOOD LINK'S WORK WITH MULTICUL-TURAL FOOD BUSINESSES CONTACT ZEENATANJARI AT ZEENAT@SUSTAINWEB.ORG

REENER CURRY

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Shopping for Food A study published recently by CityUniversity's Centre for Food Policy,considers healthy food shoppingexperiences in Hackney. The study focusedon shopping patterns in areas where therewere clusters of food shops. Researchersinterviewed Hackney residents whilecommunity volunteers collected data onavailability and price and mapped localfood shops.

Food shops within the surveyed areaswere mainly run by small independentretailers rather than major supermarketchains. These small retailers representedan important part of the local community,not only in terms of economy and regen-eration - contributing to local money flowsand employment - but also in addingvalue in terms of cultural foods andfriendly and accommodating service, suchas home deliveries.

With a variety of healthy andethnically diverse food on offer, the surveyrevealed food access to not generally be aproblem. But, the survey warned, theclosure of one or two shops would beseriously detrimental to the current,healthy situation.

INPRINTThis report is the first step toward

developing a food policy for Hackney thattackles the barriers to healthy andculturally diverse food. Research for thereport was done in partnership withHackney Primary Care Trust, HackneyCouncil and East London Food Access. Thepartnership plans to work with local shopsto promote their value and withcommunity food projects to consult onhealth education and advice.

A FULL COPY OF SHOPPING FOR FOOD:ACCESSING HEALTHY AND AFFORDABLE FOODIN THREE AREAS OF HACKNEY, IS AVAILABLEFROM M.SAME-ESSAKA@CITY.AC.UK ORSARAH.BOWYER.1@CITY.AC.UK

GreeningSupermarketsLeading supermarkets need to green uptheir act and do more to help shoppersmake greener choices. This is the finding ofthe first consumer-focused environmentalrating, Greening supermarkets, from theNational Consumer Council (NCC).

The NCC put the top eight supermar-

kets to the test on four key greenindicators - from seasonal food andorganics to sustainable sourcing andcutting waste. It found that, while thereare real improvements in some areas, notone of the supermarkets is doing well onall fronts.

Waitrose came top overall and, of thefour largest retailers - Tesco, Asda,Sainsbury's and Morrisons - Sainsbury'sachieved the best rating. Tesco and Asda,

the two biggest, were disappointingperformers, while Morrisons was last ofthe four.

NCC Chairman, Lord Whitty, said, 'Weall need to understand that food is thetypical household's number onecontributor to climate change. By throwingaway ten billion carrier bags each yearand transporting carrots from Egypt andstrawberries from New Zealand, we hit theenvironment hard. But shoppers areincreasingly keen to do their bit. Now, wemake it clear how supermarkets couldmake greener choices easier foreverybody.'

Greening supermarkets shows thatwhere we shop for our food has a majoreffect on the environment - how food isproduced, processed, packaged andtransported - accounts for nearly a third ofour climate impact. NCC calls on the worstsupermarket performers to catch up withthe best, and the best to do better.

The NCC is calling for simple changesby the big four supermarkets which wouldbring significant benefits. We want to seemore recycled materials used in packagingand paper products like kitchen towels andtoilet rolls. Sourcing and promoting moreUK seasonal fruit and vegetables to cutcarbon emission from lorries andairfreight, encouraging shoppers to cuttheir use of plastic carrier bags and makingsure people can buy fish from sustainablesources, would all make a difference.

The NCC Greening supermarketsindicators spot checked practices that canhelp supermarket customers becomegreener shoppers. Ratings from A(excellent) to E (poor) were given, withthe system inspired by energy efficiencyratings used for fridges and washingmachines.

GREENING SUPERMARKETS BY SUE DIBB,CAN BE FOUND AT:WWW.NCC.ORG.UK/RESPONSIBLECONSUMP-TION/GREENING-SUPERMARKETS.PDF

Credit: Sarah Bowyer

It has been almost five months since the Mayor's food strategy Healthy andSustainable Food for London, was launched. After all the fanfare, you may havewondered what has happened since then. A couple of internal reshuffles later, London

Food are planning to release an implementation plan at the end of October. Is this justmore talk rather than real action? It would be tempting to say so, but in reality this is alogical next step, as there was a clear call from those who took part in the consultation toreinforce the broad policies listed in the strategy with specific projects, with timescalesand targets. So London Food is set to announce new projects that will:

increase public sector procurement of sustainable food create a business plan for a sustainable food 'hub' provide training for caterers, particularly school dinner staff promote London's food culture through tourism.

It is unclear exactly who will be able to tender for this first wave of projects, buttheir launch will be phased in after the implementation plan has been released inOctober. As well as commissioning their own projects London Food is keen to collectdata on major projects being run by other people which help to implement thestrategy. No doubt you will be hearing from them soon.

WWW.LONDON.GOV.UK/MAYOR/HEALTH/FOOD

Mayoralrumblings

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Down the marketMarkets have been a part of Englishculture for hundreds of years, but are theystill a significant part of our sociallandscape? Two reports published inSeptember by the Joseph RowntreeFoundation explore this question.

Markets as sites for socialinteraction: Spaces of diversity bySophie Watson and David Studdert is thefirst comprehensive account of Englishmarkets as social spaces. It investigatesmarkets around the country, sets out whatpractices sustain markets as a part of oursocial fabric and recommends action forrejuvenation. The report concludes that,"all markets operate as social spaces, evenif simply as a public space for marginalisedmembers of the community to shop orpass the time of day. As such, they play acrucial, and mostly neglected, role in localcommunities."

PUBLISHED BY THE POLICY PRESS AT £12.95

Public spaces, social relations andwell-being in East London by NicholasDines and Vicky Cattell with Wil Gesler andSarah Curtis is a general report on publicspaces in East London, but has a sectionfocusing on the value of Queen's Marketin Upton Park. According to the report themarket is a vibrant social arena and asource of many patrons' attachment to thearea. People's sense of comfort andwellbeing in the market is tied to theirappreciation of it as an unstructured multi-ethnic and multilingual social space. Thereport also focuses on the proposed rede-velopment of Queens Market (See JE 14)and how it has raised people's publicspace consciousness in Newham as the sitehas become a major focus of publicdebate.

PUBLISHED BY THE POLICY PRESS AT £12.95

GreenwichLondon Food Link has taken theinitiative and 'translated' the Londonfood strategy for use at a boroughlevel. To help realise this, LFL hasbeen running a pilot with Greenwichborough to see how they are meetingthe Mayor's food strategy. This hasmeant pulling out the actions fromthe Mayor's strategy which areapplicable at a borough level. This isa fairly large chunk of what thestrategy is proposing, which makes itall the more important that it's maderelevant to the likes of PCT staff andenvironmental health officers.Commenting on this Ben Reynoldssaid, 'It's vital that this strategydoesn't just gather dust on a shelf.This document should provide areally user-friendly way for aborough to assess how they are doingon all issues to do with food andwhere their priorities for action are.'When this pilot 'health check' isdone, LFL will be looking for otherboroughs who are interested in thisassessment. Watch this space.

BEN@SUSTAINWEB.ORG

LewishamIn July of this year, Lewishamlaunched their first food strategy.This is the result of a partnershipbetween the Council, the PrimaryCare Trust (PCT), University HospitalLewisham and a wide range ofbusinesses and community organisa-tions. The document, which refers tothe Mayoral London food strategy,aims to 'provide direction andguidance in order that Lewisham canincrease the health and welfare of itspeople through improved access tonutritious and safe food from a moresustainable food chain.' The strategyhas five main themes: food access,food in schools, food, nutrition andhealth, food sustainability and foodsafety. Each of these key themesincludes a number of specific aimswhich are detailed in the documentavailable at http://www.healthfirst.org.uk/documents/foodstatsum.pdf.

CHRISTINE.NOLAN@LEWISHAMPCT.NHS.UK

Due South money heads northDue South is a Brighton restaurantcommitted to supporting local producersand suppliers. And so are their customers.As Helen Smith from Due South points out,"People come here for our values."

For the last year Due South has beeninviting everyone who eats at the restaurantto add an extra pound per head to their billto support charities that are involved withsustainable food production and distribu-tion. So far, Due South's customers havedonated £20,000 to a variety of causes,including Fareshare and Compassion inWorld Farming.

Sustain's practical and successful worktowards a sustainable food system caughtalso Helen's attention. For two monthsbeginning early July, Due South invitedcustomers to donate £1 to Sustain, raisingjust over £6,000. Helen wants to spread theword, "We'd like others to know what wedid and how easy it is for other restaurantsto do this."

So it may well be worth you taking thatworking lunch today at your local restaurantand asking them if they'd be interested indoing something similar for you.

WWW.DUESOUTH.CO.UK

London Catalyst grants programme Organisations that work to improve the livesof people limited by ill health, poverty anddisability may be eligible to apply forfunding through the London Catalyst grantsprogramme. London Catalyst is a registeredcharity and a company limited by guaranteethat makes grants in excess of £300,000 peryear through three funding programmes.Special Interest Grants support innovativeprojects that tackle health inequalities andthe limiting effects of ill health, disabilityand poverty. Samaritan Grants are availableto social work teams, hospital teams,voluntary and community organisations,church and diocesan agencies workingdirectly with and able to distribute one-offgrants to people in need. Catalytic Grantshelp set up or develop health and socialwelfare projects in areas of high need andencourage greater co-operation betweenGP/community health centres, churches andvoluntary and community organisations.Trustees meet every three months to reviewgrant applications.

WWW.LONDONCATALYST.ORG.UK/GRANTS.HTM

Groundswell re-launches grantaward scheme Groundswell's grant award scheme, whichgives money to homeless people engaged inself-help solutions, has just re-launched.Applications are welcomed from anyonewith experience of homelessness, i.e. roughsleepers, Travellers, squatters, refugees,asylum seekers and residents of hostels andB&Bs. Applications can be made at any timeand grants of up to £700 are available forany kind of self help project, includingsetting up a service user group, an artsgroup, a business or a charity. Previousgrant recipients have included a group ofhostel residents in London with a range oflanguage skills who have joined together toform Multilingual Interpreters UK. They areoffering translation and interpretationservices in a wide range of languages. Their£500 was used to pay for a website and aphone line to work on marketing theirservices.

WWW.GROUNDSWELL.ORG.UK

New community fundTelephone company O2 has launched a newcommunity fund to enable people to makeimprovements to their neighbourhood.Awards of up to £1,000 will be available tosupport local environmental, urban renewaland conservation projects. The funding isavailable for both community groups andindividuals who can show that their projectwill benefit the local environment. Examplesof projects that could receive fundinginclude turning derelict land into a wildlifearea, planting flowers in the High Street, orrenovating neglected river and canalfootpaths. The funding could be used tohire tools and equipment, or to purchaseplants, paint, signs and materials. Projectswill be judged on their potential impact,practicality, sustainability, and originality.

APPLICATION FORMS CAN BE FOUND ATWWW.O2.COM/CR/COMMUNITY_FUND.ASP

Funding round up

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Who: Owners Sky Cracknell and KaiKnutsen started the company in 2001,after growing tired of their previous jobs.Originally based in a kitchen in WoodGreen, they have now moved to NewCross Gate via Hackney. They wanted todo something that was British based andreclaim the brand of England, which hasbeen synonymous with bad food. Afterdismissing going into catering as being tooexpensive, they arrived at the idea ofmaking jam. Their first pitch was atIslington farmers market in Christmas2001 and the business grew from there.

What: The company sells a range oflocally produced preserves with 60% fruitcontent (so they're very low sugar). Thisincludes Gooseberry & Elderflower Jam,Darling Damson with stones, KentishBramble, Raspberry Deluxe and LondonMarmalade.

Where: You can buy this direct from them(see below for contact details), or from thefollowing places:

Markets: Borough Market and Londonfarmers markets www.lfm.org.uk

Shops: All branches of Konditor and Cook- Waterloo, Borough Market, Grays Inn Rd,Neal's Yard Dairy, La Fromagerie, Clerks inKensington Church St., Hand Made Foodand other neighbourhood delis

Online: www.merchant-gourmet.com

Sustainability: The fruit is grown in Essexand Kent (apart from oranges from Spain).They also grow some of their own fruit,including quinces and damsons.

Future: They don't want to go nearsupplying the supermarkets, so they'relooking for growth elsewhere. They'realso thinking about buying more land togrow more of their own fruit.

CONTACT: KAI@ENGLANDPRESERVES.CO.UK020 8692 0806WWW.ENGLANDPRESERVES.CO.UK

LLooccaall LLoonnddoonn

SPOTLIGHTON THECAPITAL'SFARE

England Preserves

OctoberLook out for two new food markets in London: Spitalfield's Fine Food Market every Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 10am - 5pm The expanded food market at Exmouth Market Fridays 11am - 6pm and Saturdays 9am- 4pmOctober 14, 11am-4pm Apple Day at Vestry House Museum, Vestry Road, Walthamstow.Tel: 020 8509 1917 or e-mail: vestry.house@walthamforest.gov.uk www.lbwf.gov.ukOctober 16 World Food Day www.fao.org/wfdOctober 19 GM Freeze action event in central London www.stopgmcontamination.org (seeBulletin on page 7)October 21 Apple Day! See www.commonground.ortg.uk for nationwide eventsOctober 21 Apple Day at Stoke Newington Farmers MarketOctober 21 Apple Day at Spitalfields City Farm, 11am-4pm. Contact: 0207 375 0441 October 21, 9am-4pm Join the 250th Birthday Celebrations at Borough Market,Southwark. The days events will be many and various. www.boroughmarket.org.ukOctober 26-29 London Wine Show Business Design Centre, Islington Tel: 020 8948 1666www.wineshow.co.ukOctober 30 - November 5 British Sausage Week www.meatmatters.com

NovemberNovember 5, 1-4pm Chiswick House Kitchen Garden open daywww.kitchengarden.org.uk/visitingNovember 7, 7.45pm. East London Organic Gardeners Pumpkin Evening Welcome Centre,Church End, Walthamstow Village, E17 (beside St. Mary's Church).http://elog.org.uk/events.htmNovember 10-12 BBC London Good Food Show, Olympia www.londonbbcgoodfood-show.comNovember 29 National Food Links UK Conference, Peterborough http://www.foodlinks-uk.org/ (See Bulletin on page 6)November 29-30 World Food Market, Excel www.worldfoodmarket.co.uk

DecemberDecember 20-31 Watch out for extended trading times at Borough Market for Christmaswww.boroughmarket.org.uk

Join London Food Link Now!The benefits of membership of London Food Link include:

The Jellied Eel, our quarterly members’ magazine.A chance to influence policy-making on food issues including contributing tofood and nutrition strategies, government and GLA consultations on food,farming, planning and the economy. Membership of an interactive e-mail group with news, events, jobs and devel-opments around food issues in London. Discounts off London Food Link events, conferences, seminars and publications.Access to an online members’ area with membership directory.A free copy of Growing Food in Cities to new members and 50% off all LondonFood Link publications.

To join London Food Link or for further details contact:Ben Reynolds, LFL Co-ordinatorc/o Sustain, 94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF. Tel: 020 7837 1228. Fax: 020 7837 1141.ben@sustainweb.org www.londonfoodlink.org

London Food Link members and supporters include:Primary Care Trusts, London boroughs, business associations, retailers, farmers,environment and community groups, food access partnerships, allotment groupsand food writers. Our work is guided by a working party of key London-wideagencies and groups representing food issues from farm to fork.

Diary

OUR WORK

To represent over 100 national public interestorganisations working at international,national, regional and local level.

OUR AIM

To advocate food and agriculture policies andpractices that enhance the health and welfare ofpeople and animals, improve the working andliving environment, promote equity and enrichsociety and culture.

The Jellied Eel is the magazine of LondonFood Link coordinated by Sustain: The alliancefor better food and farming. It aims to keepreaders abreast of developments in the foodand agriculture policy arena that have animpact on London. Sustain takes every effort tosummarise and reproduce accurately theinformation in The Jellied Eel. Inclusion of anymaterial does not imply that it forms part ofthe policy of Sustain.

Zeenat AnjariMulticultural businesses and communitieszeenat@sustainweb.org

Mathew CastleGood Food on the Public Platemathew@sustainweb.org

Emma HockridgeGood Food on the Public Plateemma@sustainweb.org

Ben ReynoldsLondon Food Link Network, Policy andRestaurantsben@sustainweb.org

s u s t a i nthe alliance for

better food and farming

SUSTAIN: The alliancefor better food and farming

94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PFTelephone (+44) 020 7837 1228Fax (+44) 020 7837 1141Web: www.sustainweb.orgEmail: sustain@sustainweb.org

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