The Tideswell School of Food was buzzing today with foodies and local producers attending the launch of the Derbyshire Food and Drink Guide.  Look out for a copy of the guide in tourist information centres, food outlets, supermarkets etc across the county.  The team from Visit Peak District attended, as did local MP Patrick McLoughlin (who’ll be coming back to do a cookery course during Parliament’s summer recess!).  Our local Tideswell producers were out in force to show of their wares, with the Litton Larder team at work in the Commercial Kitchen. Here are some pictures of the day.

Here’s Steve Vardy, Head of School, in full demonstration mode:

The Litton Larder team, who produce the most delicious Sticky Toffee Pud and use locally grown fruit and veg for jams and pickles.

Here’s Carol from Tindall’s showing off her Fidgety Pie and Pork Pies (both from traditional Derbyshire recipes).

David Thornton, deputy CEO of Visit Peak District, introducing the day:

Zane Barnes from University of Nottingham, our Brewmaster for the day, explaining the nano-brewery process: 

Waiting patiently for the tour of the School of Food:

It’s taken a while to get organised but we’ve now completed the assembly of the Nano-Brewery at Tideswell School of Food. Thanks to loads of help from Zane Barnes from Nottingham University School of Brewing Science, and some welding and cutting from local fabricators Elliott and Wragg, we have a working 9gal brewery. We will use this to run half day courses for visitors in groups of 3-5 who want to spend half a day putting the kit together and making a proper brew from malt, hops, yeast and water. We won’t sell the beer, just the courses- the beer is just a welcome by-product that will get sent on when its fermented. Another test brew planned tomorrow-courses can be booked at www.tideswellschooloffood.co.uk . Local brewing enthusiasts please get in touch and we’ll get a community brewing initiative going. Any brewers that want to help with running courses? We’d be happy to hear from you!