food/drink
ETHICAL
EDIBLES
The plight of our bees
pic: PARSNIPSHIP
UNDERGROUND STREET FEAST
Madeleine Keenan finds out about the launch
of Street Food Cardiff’s new underground and
independent food court.
WHAT’S one thing better than a selection of
delicious street food? A selection of delicious
street food in a jazzed up abandoned warehouse!
You can fill up your belly and collect a whole tonne
of cool points as Street Food Cardiff launches
their new underground dinner hall this month.
Every weekend for three months The Depot,
an old Victorian industrial warehouse, will be
home to this new delicious venture. All kitted
up with canteen tables, craft ales, cocktails and
micro-food stalls the 100-year-old building will
be looking less like the tram maintenance shop it
once was, and more like a foodies dream.
Street Food Cardiff – an independent collective
of street food artisans –have joined up with
Something Creative (the minds behind the
annual Art Car Boutique) to provide a varied
selection of tasty traders lined up.
There will be Thai food courtesy of the Bangkok
THREE WINE MEN
Cafe, gourmet hotdogs from Hautedogs, artisan
wood-fired pizzas from Ffwrness and Doughboys,
Mexican marvels from El Salsa, vegetarian options
from The Parsnipship and Milgi's, a burger bar
by Chucks, finger-licking fried chicken from Dirty
Bird Fried Chicken, street meats from Charcuterie
and locally roasted coffee from Welsh Coffee Co.
It won’t be the same every weekend, however, as
there will be a revolving menu, different trader
and guest chefs.
With the aims of ‘making Cardiff taste better’,
the underground dinner hall will be shaking up
the chain-saturated food scene of Cardiff’s city
centre and the bay, making The Depot’s position
between the two feel very important.
Street Food Cardiff at The Depot Launch,
The Depot, Riverside, Cardiff, Sat 4 Oct.
Info: www.streetfoodcardiff.com
Olly Smith, Oz Clarke and Tim Atkin have joined
together to create Three Wine Men – a wine-tasting
and buying tour that runs across the country.
They will be gracing us with their presence and
sommelier skills in Cardiff, bringing with them new
and different wine and food retailers. With over 600
different wines to try from, it is a great event for
real wine connoisseur and wine virgins alike. With
master classes and on the spot discussions with the
‘three men’ themselves, this is a delightful event to
spend a few hours learning and trying something
new.
Three Wine Men, The Parc Hotel, Cardiff,
Sat 11 + Sun 12 Oct. Tickets: £5-£25.
Info: www.threewinemen.co.uk
BUZZ 34
ALBERT Einstein painted a depressing picture
when he stated, “If the bee disappears off the
surface of the globe then man will only have four
years left.”
For millennia, honey has been relished as the
eternal golden nectar. We have assumed that its
deliciousness will remain part of our futures but
now scientists have issued warnings that the bee
that we have taken for granted could become
extinct if nothing is done to improve its fragile
existence.
The Help Save The Bees campaign warns: “There
are about 250 species of bee in the UK and only
25 of these are native British bumblebees – half
of what we had in the 1950s. Three have already
become extinct and five are currently under serious
threat and two more precariously close.”
This is happening throughout Europe and the USA,
but why? Agricultural practices have changed and
insects have been poisoned out of their natural
habitats as the result of intense chemical warfare.
Now, with our futures hanging in the balance, we
realise that this damage has to be rectified. But the
methods used can often be even more damaging
to our indigenous creatures.
Commercial growers of rapeseed and some
fruit, for example, are so anxious to have their
produce pollinated that they are importing southern
European species that have been bred in captivity.
At present some 100,000 nests are established in
this country and often our own indigenous bees are
overwhelmed by the new invader.
Apart from the bees, why is honey so special?
Of course, it’s a natural food that’s chock full of
essential vitamins and minerals. It contains natural
antioxidants that help in the fight against major
diseases and was even used in past wars as an
effective antiseptic. It’s energising and, because
of its anti-aging properties, a valuable ingredient
within the cosmetic industry.
So how can we save our bees for future
generations? Never use insecticides. If it’s possible
plant a few native plant species to encourage and
feed remaining bees – mint, daisies, strawberries,
lavender, salvia, asters, sunflowers, and verbena
are all plants that bees adore.
Also try buying a little local
honey, for something so
intensely valuable and
important should
be cherished as a
golden nectar that
is so precious.
pic: BOGDAN SUDITU
words RUTH JOSEPH
www.ruthjoseph.co.uk
www.veggischmooze.blogspot.com