14 Things you can do

It’s easy for everyone to take part in British Food Fortnight, whether in your community, online, or simply in your own home. Even the smallest thing makes a big difference.

Here are some ideas…one for each day of the Fortnight:

1.When you are shopping make a special effort to seek out British food. Pause when you select your food from the supermarket aisle. Look at the label. Does it tell you where the food has come from? Does it provide a description of who produced it? And if it is imported, is there a British equivalent in-season?

2.Enter our competition. Keep an eye on the Love British Food social media channels for some fantastic chances to win and encourage everyone who is organising a British Food Fortnight activity to enter our competition. Our annual search is on to find the best celebration of food in their communities.

3.Shop in local butchers, greengrocers, farm shops and markets that source locally and will be able to tell you a little about the person who produced the food you are buying.

4.Join in online by photographing your favourite British Food and posting on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, tagging #LoveBritishFood. #BritishFoodisGreat

5.Seek out food in season:  enjoy, for example, the English plum, marrow and squashes, all of which are in-season during British Food Fortnight. For more information about seasonal eating, see our What’s in Season advice.

6.When you are next in the pub, team up a local beer with a local speciality for an authentic experience that reflects the character of the area where you live. Ask the pub staff to point you to local food on their menu and uncover a world of good pub grub.

7.Explore food from different regions of Britain as a fun way of experiencing Britain’s food culture and heritage. Organisations like the National Trust make a special point of serving quality regionally distinct produce from local producers and find a B&B that sources local food. See our What’s Happening pages to find out foodie events worth visiting in different areas during British Food Fortnight.

8.Ask your children’s school if they will consider running a British Food Fortnight menu in the school restaurant and food education activities in class. School meals can have a special British Food Fortnight section on the menu, a daily special or a whole themed menu for the Fortnight. Teachers can organise food-related educational activities in class during the Fortnight such as inviting producers to come into class to talk to children, cooking classes or create a school recipe book. We have lots of resources on our Teacher Zone pages and case studies of how other schools have taken part in previous years. Hundreds of schools take part every year and children love it! 

9.Cook a British Food Fortnight meal for friends and family. Enjoy sharing the comfort of old favourites like Shepherd’s Pie or Apple Crumble with your loved ones. Or if you are having a curry or Italian meal, make a point of sourcing British ingredients. Consider inviting friends round for a British Food Fortnight feast or make a special effort to get the family sitting around the table together.

10.Pick your own. What is better, healthier and more fun than being able to enjoy fresh fruit selected and picked by yourself? Rummage in the hedgerows for blackberries or visit a fruit and vegetable farm and then get pickling, jamming and freezing.

11.Grow your own. Eating food you have grown yourself, even if it is just herbs in a pot,  is immensely satisfying. Potatoes, herbs and carrots are easy to grow and you do not need much space to do so. Some can even be grown in hanging baskets and on windowsills!

12.Attend your local Harvest Festival. British Food Fortnight takes place at the time of Harvest Festival and do not need to be a regular church-goer, or have a particular faith, to take part in the celebration.

13.Food and sport go hand in hand so pick your favourite sporting event (although sport has been hit hard in 2020) and invite your friends around for a British foodie feast while you cheer on your favourite team. You could even theme your lunch or supper with foods from the area where the sporting occasion is taking place or the region that your sporting hero hails from.

14.Celebrate British Food Fortnight by inviting friends for an autumnal harvest feast. Decorate the table with autumn leaves, berries and gourds and serve up warming favourites like pumpkin soup, local breads and speciality cheeses.