Examples from large organisations

ARAMARK is the leading supporter of British Food Fortnight in the catering sector.  During the event they run special British menus in the staff restaurants of some of Britain's biggest organisations giving over 250,000 customers the British Food Fortnight experience.  ARAMARK also leads British Food Fortnight's initiative sending chefs into schools to teach children how to cook and every year they send over 50 chefs into schools during the national food promotion.  They also support the event’s Sure Start Children's Centres project which is being run in conjunction with the Department of Health's 5 A DAY programme.  ARAMARK chefs visit children’s centres in deprived areas and help parents improve their cooking skills so that they can prepare healthy meals for their families. “Since we’ve sponsored British Food Fortnight, we have seen sales of certain British lines increase by more than 80%.”Val Carter, Corporate Responsibility Director, ARAMARK. For further information of ARAMARK taking part in British Food Fortnight see this link

Brakes is another regular participant.  Every year they team up with John Lewis and organise ‘BritDish’ chef competitions for British Food Fortnight. The most innovative British dishes selected are served in John Lewis’ in-store restaurants during the two week campaign.  They have also launched a 'Studiously British' competition for further and higher education catering managers to create an innovative dish for colleges and universities to coincide with British Food Fortnight.  Entrants had to create a dish for one of two categories – a main or a dessert – that was healthy and low budget. “British Food Fortnight offers us the opportunity to run competitions with our retail and education customers.  It has been tremendous to witness the creativity, passion and flair that the British culinary industry in this country has to offer” Sally Sturley, Head of Food Marketing at Brakes. For further examples of Brakes taking part see this link.

Foodservice distributor 3663 encouraged its customers to source more British produce and promote specials on their menus throughout British Food Fortnight. Vanessa Millard, Senior Marketing Manager at 3663 comments: “We're delighted to be supporting what is a fantastic event within the foodservice calendar; especially with recent research showing that one in five of us actively search out British food and the majority feeling that British food is fresher and supports British business.”

Compass UK & Ireland is an enthusiastic supporter.  They run special British Food Fortnight menus in 1,100 workplaces during the event.

BaxterStorey runs special menus in 400 restaurants during the event.

Sodexo hassupported British Food Fortnight with a competition to discover what dish tickles the tastebuds of the nation – with the classic Sunday Roast taking the top spot. Approximately 2,500 people voted in the competition, which was open to Sodexo customers in schools, universities, hospitals, offices and military facilities across the UK. In addition to voting, all participants were entered into a prize draw to win £100 of shopping vouchers. "British Food Fortnight has been a great success for Sodexo and we are delighted to be associated with it. The opportunity to deliver food and cuisine from these isles and get feedback on what British dishes the nation love most has been one that was both enjoyable and informative for a company like Sodexo.” Jeff Brades, Marketing Director for Sodexo. For further information on Sodexo taking part see this link

Anchor Trust Care Homes, the largest not-for-profit provider of residential and nursing cares in the UK, take part every year with special activities, competitions and menus in their 97 care homes.  One year they ran a competition across all the homes inviting residents to design a three-course menu using regional seasonal ingredients.  The top meal nationally was cooked for the winning home by Anchor’s national catering team and served to residents by the organisation’s managing directors. Another year they prepared 5,000 cooked breakfasts in one day to highlight the importance of British food! “We like to involve residents in food issues, whether it’s inviting them to decide on menus or getting them involved in our internal competitions to improve food standards. British Food Fortnight has given residents another opportunity to join in an activity involving food” Roy Garland, Catering Manager, Anchor Homes. For further information on Anchor Trust taking part see this link

Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant, The Warrington, has served up an all-British menu for British Food Fortnight. Head Chef, Chris Arkadieff, created a menu using quality fresh, seasonal, regional produce, with dishes such as Dedham Vale salt beef and Roasted Barbury chicken breast.

The Restaurant at St. Paul’s Cathedral takes part in a very imaginative way.  They run a ground-breaking ‘Harvest Swap Shop’ inviting people to fill a shoe-box with homegrown vegetables, head to London’s famous landmark and enjoy a complimentary Sunday roast in the Cathedral’s restaurant.  The produce is then used in the restaurant’s kitchen and highlighted on the following week’s menu. 

150 YHA Youth Hostels take part every year with special menus celebrating the best of British produce.  One year they even featured a special colour meal promotion in association with BritVic: beef burgers for red and chicken burgers for white! “YHA is brimming with pride at being associated with the magnificent British Food Fortnight initiative.  Around 10,000 guests enjoy the delights of our special menus created and delivered in an environment where British is King! We at the YHA take off our caps to salute all that is British in food” John Mcgrath, Food & Beverage Manager, YHA. For further information on YHA taking part see this link

Taylor Walker Pubs across the UK showcased their key British dishes during British Food Fortnight. Highlights included a Sausage Platter and a Mini Pie Platter. They also ran a competition for their customers to win a trip to London to sample the deliciously British food from their flagship pubs, The Punch and Judy in Covent Garden and The Audley in Mayfair, while taking in the sights from the London Eye.

Young’s Pubs leads the way in the pub sector during the event.  All their London pubs run special British Food Fortnight menus.  They have had such a strong response that  with such success Such was the response that the British Food Fortnight menu has stayed on as an option for all pubs to use as specials, a request that came directly from the pub managers participating in the event.  Some pubs also run complimentary cookery masterclasses for customers during the event. “British Food Fortnight is a great opportunity for us to shout about the fact that our food is British and that Young's pubs support British suppliers” Jayne Nelson, Retail Marketing Manager, Young & Co.'s Brewery. For more examples on Young’s taking part see our case studies.

The National Trust run special menus in all their restaurants and tea shops during the event and they always come up with imaginative extras to get people involved!  For example, fungi forays, food trails, harvest displays and event a Crumble Rumble Race with groups challenged to make apple and blackberry crumble in the quickest possible time.

The Garden Centre Group, consisting of 130 garden centres, offered seasonal British recipes to customers as part of their British Food Fortnight promotions. They also provided customers with hand out recipes to celebrate this patriotic promotion.

Orchid pub group offer promotions such as any two courses from the British Food Fortnight menu along with a glass of wine for £20; and specials dishes on a 2 and 3 course offer of £9 and £11 to encourage customers to try new dishes with more British provenance. Sharon Hammond, Marketing Manager for Fresh Dining, says: “Yet again British Food Fortnight has proved to be a big winner for us. Not only did we see a boost in sales (by 4%), but it was the perfect opportunity to show customers that they can enjoy fantastic British produce at reasonable prices in our pubs.”

Twelve Oxford Hotels and Inns showcase their high quality offerings and commitment to delivering a first rate customer experience, by serving up special menus and hosting community events.

Harvey Nichols has taken part by inviting chefs from the country to join their city counterparts at their restaurants London, Leeds and Bristol during British Food Fortnight. The ‘3 Stars, 3 Cities for British Food Fortnight’ promotion saw Mark Teasdale, head chef at the Sharrow Bay Hotel in the Lake District join Jonas Karlsson, executive chef at the Fifth Floor Restaurant in Harvey Nichols, London. The pair compiled a special tasting menu highlighting Cumbrian produce and including Sharrow Bay’s famous sticky toffee pudding.

Punch Taverns was the first pub group to get involved in British Food Fortnight back in its early days.  They challenged 1,000 of their pubs to include at least five locally produced dishes on their menus.  They have linked other activity to the event too.  For example, supporting British Troops during British Food Fortnight with an offer of 2 for 1 on selected meals.  To obtain the offer customers needed to display a British Flag which was being sold for £1 at the bar, and all proceeds went to charity.

22 Great Inns of Britain have supported the event with a seasonal celebration of the best of local, seasonal game on their menus.

Geronimo Inns offered a range of old English dishes across its 25 sites for British Food Fortnight. Dishes included Crown Roast of Lamb, Stargazy Pie, Roast Partridge with Wild Mushrooms, Pot-roasted Pheasant and Eccles cakes.

21 QHotels across the UK ran a special ‘British Food Fortnight’ menu focusing on locally sourced dishes as part of their promotions. Moreover, The Midland – QHotels' flagship hotel in Manchester – hosted the Conservative Party Conference during British Food Fortnight and served politicians with the best seasonal, locally sourced, great tasting dishes on offer.

Hatton Hotels celebrated British Food Fortnight by featuring 12 British Sausages including Michael Thomas ‘Best sau-sage in Britain’, the “Malmesbury King Sausage”. Throughout the 14 days of the festival all the sausages were available as either ‘toad in the hole’ or with classic ‘mash and onion gravy’ for just £9.00 with £1.00 being donated to ‘Help for Heroes’.

Whiting and Hammond Pubs ran special menus for British Food Fortnight!

Examples from individual establishments

Bumpkin Restaurants offered a special deal throughout British Food Fortnight whereby customers who order two courses would receive a free pudding! 

Dermot O'Leary's Fishy Fishy Restaurants in Brighton and Poole ran a special promotion for British Food Fortnight whereby customers chose a starter, a main and a dessert (from a choice of 3) all for £14.95 from a menu filled with the freshest sustainable local fish and seafood.

Albright Hussey Manor Hotel has been a keen supporter of British Food Fortnight over the years, running special promotional menus that highlight the best of British. One year the hotel's menu was such a success Michel Nijsten, head chef at Albright Hussey, reported “increased custom by 300% during the two weeks.” For more information [click here].

Head Chef at Best Western Pinewood on Wilmslow, Stephen Jarvis, visited Ramillies Hall School in Cheadle Hulme in support of British Food Fortnight. Stephen helped the pupils produce a meal for one of the Olympic hopefuls, Niall Brooks. For further information on Best Western Pinewood Hotel taking part click here [click here].

The Best Western Derwent Manor Hotel in Northumberland invited 75 children from Castle Primary School, Consett County Junior School and The Grove Primary School to create a five-metre tall mountain of their favourite sarnies.

The Hoxton Apprentice restaurant in London ran a ‘best of British’ menu for British Food Fortnight. The restaurant also hosted a British Food special lunch for 75 top women executives in the Professional Women's Network

Packington Moor Farm Shop and cafe offered discounts and a special menu for British Food Fortnight! They offered over 60's 10% off on all shop produce and selected café dishes and promoted ‘kids eat free’ for every adult main meal ordered. 

To mark British Food Fortnight, The Cavendish London, offered diners at its AA Rosette winning Petrichor restaurant an exclusively British menu.

Ethical Eats in London organised a Restaurant Ramble during British Food Fortnight, which showcased seasonal British ingredients through a dinner of four courses, each course at one of four top London venues.

Niaz Taj, manager of The Spice Route buffer restaurant in the Red Dragon Centre, Cardiff Bay, proved that you can mix Indian and Welsh cooking by adapting Indian dishes to suit local tastes and ingredients.  The Cardiff curry for example, a vegetable curry, would be made with turnips, yams and white pumpkin in India but here he uses carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and courgettes to make a sweetish dish.

Lussmanns Fish & Grill in Hertfordshire celebrated British Food Fortnight with a series of six special events at their restaurants in St Albans and Bishop’s Stortford. Owner Andrei Lussmann hosted a series of informal three-course dinners, inviting seven key artisan producers and suppliers to share their expertise with a select audience of food lovers.

The Ship pub in Wandsworth, organises a range of exciting activities for British Food Fortnight. Highlights include a British cheese masterclass and a whisky tasting event for 45 guests. For further information on The Ship taking part see this link

Wembley Stadium served a ‘Mash of the Day’ to celebrate British Food Fortnight.

The Mill Race Pub has invited children around Ross on Wye to take part in a Children’s Menu Design Competition for the Fortnight. The children had to write menu featuring dishes they would see on Children’s Menu when they eat out, taking into account the menu needs to be nutritionally balanced, seasonal and tasty! The second part of the competition was to come up with an eye catching interesting design.

The Chesil Rectory in Winchester celebrated British Food Fortnight by offering a hearty, delicious “Dish of the Day” for just £10 during the Fortnight. The offer was available for lunch and early supper and featured dishes using an abundance of local produce such as Chesil Fish Pie with seasonal greens and Hampshire Ham with parsley sauce.

The Jewel In The Crown in Swindon threw open its doors to 55 children from Ferndale Community School as part of British Food Fortnight.
The Bear Pub in Surrey featured a cheese tasting session in celebration of British Food Fortnight. “The take-up for this master class has been quicker than anything we have done before” Julian Clayton, Pub Manager of The Bear.

Dunham Massey in Altrincham provided sampling of local culinary delights. Tasting sessions took place in the restaurant and shop, with Dunham venison and local vegetable followed by Dunham pudding and even Dunham beer on the menu.

Wimbledon Village Pubs promoted the best of British food during the British Food Fortnight. The Crooked Billet, Dog and Fox and Firestables all ran a special menu.

The George Hotel’s (Lichfield) traditional carvery restaurant changes every day, but during the Fortnight it featured British inspired seasonal dishes such as Beef Steak braised in traditional Real Ale with Parsnip Mash and Roast Carrots, Chicken and Wild Mushroom Wellington and Slow Roasted Belly of Packington Pork with Bubble and Squeak. British Food Fortnight restaurant diners also had the chance to enter a competition to win an overnight stay with dinner for two at The George.

Deliciosa Delicatessen and Restaurant near Wigan held classes at a number of Ashton schools to promote British Food Fortnight. Jonathan visited a number of schools, including St. Thomas’ Primary School, Cansfield High School, Bryn St. Peter’s Primary School and RL Hughes Primary School.

Tregenna Castle, St. Ives sent its executive chef, John Perry, to work with three schools for British Food Fortnight. He taught them how to prepare and cook locally-sourced plaice and mackerel and demonstrated cookery art, carving melons and tomatoes.

Hartlebury County Museum Café launched a new autumn menu that featured an array of local ingredients from pears, watercress and Stilton Soup to harvest hotpot. Visitors were also given the chance to learn about food and cooking from the past, as well as enjoy a variety of homemade cakes.

Allotment holders in Claygate had their knives and forks at the ready during British Food Fortnight. Members harvested a cornucopia of crops and took them to Claygate’s Griffin Pub, where Chef Danny Wilson turned it into lunch for 36. The selection included beetroot, pumpkin, peppers, leef beet, potato, tomato, onion shallots and much more.

The Imperial Hotel’s head chefin Llandudno, Joanne Williams, teamed up with aspiring young chefs at Ysgol San Sior and Ysgol John Bright.  She gave the students a cookery demonstration and lessons in bread-making. 

The Big Bang Restaurant in Oxford held a competition to find the definitive recipe for a traditional British sausage, which was then served in the restaurant.

The Hundred’s House Hotel’s annual Seasonal Hog Roast kick off the Norton hotel’s British Food Fortnight activities.  The pig was dressed with herbs from the hotel’s garden before being spit-roasted and served during a three-course meal.  Over the course of the two weeks the the pub’s accredited chef, Stuart Phillips, cooked some of the best food to be found in Shropshire.  Celebrations culminated in a six-course Perfect Shropshire menu which included Bings Heath smoked eels, Wenlock Edge chorizo, Ludlow venison, Muckleton old spot pork and Moyden’s cheeses. 

Chefs at The Royal Crescent Hotel, Ston Easton Park and Homewood Park in Hinton Charterhouse were among 25 von Essen Hotels that dreamt up mouth-watering menus featuring the finest local ingredients that the country has to offer for British Food Fortnight.

The Hemlock Stone pub in Wollaton near Nottingham teamed up with local suppliers to create a British menu featuring classic British favourites such as steak and kidney pudding and jam roly poly.  A wine and local sausage festival ran during the two weeks and another British institution, afternoon cream tea, was honoured daily.  The pub’s car park hosted a Farmers’ Market where local breakfast sandwiches were available all morning.

Bernard Matthews Food Service created a special turkey recipe – Free range British Turkey Medallions with a Red Wine Jus - in celebration of British Food Fortnight.

The kitchen of the Mare and Foal Pub in Yeotford near Crediton was filled with primary school pupils as they prepared a healthy home-cooked meal for 39 classmates.  Karen Duxbury-Watkinson taught seven Year 6 youngsters all about healthy eating, including cooking, food hygiene and finances.  The children then designed their own two-course menu, which they prepared and served to their teachers and classmates at the pub.

For more examples, download our guide ‘British Food: Retail and Catering Case Studies.