Friday, July 18, 2014

Save the date and join in with this year's Foodival

13th & 14th September 2014

Food donations from 1pm Saturday 13th September 
at Mushkil Aasaan on Upper Tooting Road 
or at the BATCA Fun Day on Broadwater Road, Tooting

Foodival celebration from 12noon - 5pm Sunday 14th September
26b Tooting High Street (by Broadway Studios) SW17 0RG

What's happening at Foodival this year?

Now in its seventh year, we want you to help break the record set last year of feeding over 300 people in one day, using locally grown food, cooked by local people.

Foodival takes place 13th and 14th September. We're aiming to explore and celebrate the range of food that can be grown in the city and the diverse cultures found in Tooting, giving local people a chance to meet, learn from each other and have some fun.

“Last year’s Foodival was a huge success. We want to build on that, so we’re inviting everyone from Tooting and the surrounding area to get involved - be it growing, cooking or simply coming together on the day to celebrate tasty local dishes with very few food miles. We’re always amazed by the amount of produce that people are growing in even the smallest space. People have been adding some wonderful pictures to our map to show what's growing in Tooting” says Dave Mauger, Foodival’s event director.

Strawberries, tomatoes, herbs and more growing on a balcony near Greyhound Lane
A chilli rainforest on Moring Road
Cucumber on Chillerton Road

A Festival across two days and three locations

From 1pm on Saturday, 13th September, anyone can drop off food they’ve grown at Mushkil Aasaan on Upper Tooting Road or at the BATCA Fun Day on Broadwater Road, Tooting. This will then be distributed to local cooks, signed up to the Top Tooting Cook competition and local restaurants to be transformed into delicious dishes overnight. 

On Sunday, 14th September, from 12noon - 5pm at Samaj Hall, everyone is invited to Foodival 2014 to celebrate Tooting’s diverse culture together over food grown and cooked by the community. Local restaurants will be serving up taster dishes throughout the day, and the winner of the Top Tooting Cook competition will be announced.  There will be plenty to entertain people, young and old - cooking demonstrations, music, theatre, stalls and games - all with a sustainable local slant.

Join in the fun!

Transition Town Tooting are asking people to get involved in a number of ways:
  • If you like cooking, sign up to enter the Top Tooting Cook competition - the aim is to create a tasty dish with really low food miles, using either your own grown food or produce donated from the gardens of Tooting.  There will be some fabulous local prizes to be won. 
  • If you like eating, come along to Samaj Hall on Sunday 14th September from 11am and join in the fun of Tooting Foodival 2014. You could just make it a record breaker!
  • If you want to get involved as a volunteer, or you would like a stall or you're a restaurant or chef who'd like to cook, please contact us at foodivalttt@gmail.com 
More details will be announced on this blog over the coming weeks. It's only 8 weeks away! Stay tuned to find out which restaurants and entertainers will be involved.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

What's growing in Tooting?

Last year, people from all across Tooting donated food for Foodival. It was wonderful to see the variety of food grown and meet all the people who grow in their allotments, gardens, back yards and balconies.

This year, we're asking, "What are you growing for Foodival?" and we're inviting you to add it to this map. We want to show everyone just how much is being grown in Tooting and celebrate every grower and growing space, no matter how big or small.

So, whatever you're growing - indoors or outdoors - be it chillies on your windowsill, rosemary in a pot, or runner beans in an allotment - go to the map and add a red marker to where you are. Then simply add what you're growing in the marker title.

If you're a community growing project or a school, shop or office that's growing food, add a green marker and tell us a bit about who you are.

Together, we can show just how many people are growing food in Tooting!

Take a look and add to the map.