The Rumors of Bad English Food are Greatly Exaggerated!

Food Festival in York - Amazing!

Food Festival in York – Amazing!

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Reputations have a long shelf-life.  As I prepared to come to England people warned me that the food is not that good and encouraged to go to France for food. Well, the foodies came to town this week and set up camp in the city centre.  This weekend is the end of The York Food Festival. IMG_0481

The photos speak for themselves.  I’m no photographer but I think I got enough for you to see there is no danger of bad “vittles” in these parts.  York leads the country in organic, sustainable agriculture.  Many of the people in the booths grew what they sell or at least know the people who grew what is in the booth.

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As one man explained to me (yes, I’m still talking to people) that when the hoof & mouth epidemic broke years ago people cast about to find what else they could do to sustain the farms. The products you see in these photos are the results of that tragedy.

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The smells of roasting meat in the air people walking about with their children and their dogs amidst tents and booths looks a little like the Grove in Oxford might this weekend. No marching bands but the street musicians do what they can to keep the party going.

Nowhere in Britain is far from the sea. Scotland is as far from York as Kentucky is Memphis.

Nowhere in Britain is far from the sea. Scotland is as far from York as Kentucky is Memphis.

This young man told me that the fish in front of him was swimming of the coast of Scotland last Wednesday.

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One cannot live simply by bread.  No danger of that in York this weekend.

One cannot live simply by bread. No danger of that in York this weekend.

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James’ company supplies people who sign up for fresh vegetables to be delivered in season. This sounds very similar to what Woodson Farms of Oxford, Mississippi delivered at Saint John’s this past growing season.

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A few flowers for the table and off you go with amazing food. All that was lacking was an Alka Seltzer booth in the middle. I'm just saying. JWS

A few flowers for the table and off you go with amazing food. All that was lacking was an Alka Seltzer booth in the middle. I’m just saying. JWS

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York has had a market in the centre of the old city or at least a thousand years. Saturday today as then was market day and everybody comes to town.  You can find most things there.

Take a look at those figs! Adam could have made a three piece suit  with leaves from that plant!

Fruits and vegetables and flowers to military surplus from all over Europe – lots of desert  camouflage and interesting gear. There was way cool stuff in that booth. Image

Fish from Whitby on the North Sea to poultry and homegrown meats – sustainable agriculture is very much a commitment of Yorkshire. We will be a while catching up.  

The New Gate Market is in the middle of the old city and remember a gate is not an entrance even though that is written on the arch over the road, no a gate (gata is the word in Norwegian for road)  is a road – a bar is a gate.

People watching is fun, although you are not supposed to acknowledge anyone, walk on the left side of the sidewalk and above all things never ever speak to anyone.  It’s just not done. So being from the South and all, bless my heart, I forget and am polite except that here  Southern manners are impolite.  It’s really a little confusing (and annoying).

You can look at the meats but only speak if you intend to buy something. I’m kidding (a little).