One of my first involvements in the Cambridge food scene when we came back here was to set up Cambridgefoodies and get involved in the Eat Cambridge 2016 festival.
Since then the foodie festival has gone from strength to strength and Eat Cambridge is a firm fixture in the calendar. Heidi White, voted our local food hero, organises it and selects a brilliant line up of talks and events. The centre of Cambridge always hosts the Main Event. This is an excellent show house of local producers, brewers, specialists and retailers such as:
Biscotti di Debora ; BrewBoard ; British Herb Kitchen ; Burwash Larder ; Cambridgeshire Wine School and not forgetting Hot Numbers ; Hum-Closen ; Pinkster Gin ; The Cambridge Distillery and Three By One
Back to 2016
However, back to planning my suggestion of a Cambridge focused debate on the art and science of food as part of one of the fun of the fringe events.
It was more of a panel discussion than a debate – think BBC Radio 4’s Kitchen Cabinet, but in the rather grander surroundings of the famous Cambridge Union – and covered a range of hot topics relating to food and science. We talked about molecular gastronomy – has its influence been over exaggerated; genetic modification of food – do we need it. The art of creating recipe ideas, respect for seasonal food, how to use all your senses when talking, and thinking about food and not least what is 3D food.
It was inspiring to sit in the famous Chair, structure the discussion, and take comments and questions from the audience.
The panel members who so kindly participated were
Dr Vaiva Kalnikaitė, Dovetailed
Tim Hayward, Fitzbillies
Dr Marie-Ann Ha, Anglia Ruskin University
Alex Rushmer, was Hole in the Wall – now Vanderlyle
Ben Aveling, Radmore Farm Shop
Joe Kennedy, BlackBar Brewery
Read more about the debate and the whole of the Eat Cambridge events from the perspective of local food blogger Pina on her site One Two Culinary Stew .
The discussion was also recorded live by the team from Cambridge 105 radio. You can listen here.