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Showing posts with the label Rude Health

Abergavenny Food Festival: Sunday line up revealed...

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We've wet your appetite with the line up for Saturday's Rude Health Rants, now for the eagerly anticipated Sunday line up.  Taking place at Abergavenny Food Festival on Sunday at 1-2.30pm in The Castle area, come along to be shocked, inspired and entertained by celebrated chefs, passionate producers and fearsome food writers, as they voice their foodie passions...

Abergavenny Food Festival: Saturday's Ranters Revealed...

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The Rude Health Rants have returned for the 5th year running, exclusively to Abergavenny Food Festival. On Saturday 21st from 1 - 2pm and 3 - 4pm and Sunday 22nd from 1 - 2.30pm in The Castle area,  ranters will step up to the mic for a bit of free therapy in the form of a rant, about any food related issue on their minds.  Come along to witness, heckle and if you've got a burning rant - participate! Here's our line-up for Saturday, pretty darn good if we do say so ourselves: Watch previous years Rude Health Rants - including ones by Reggae-Reggae Sauce creator Levi Roots, author of Everybody Everday Alex Mackay, master Chocolatier Marc Demarquette and Guy Watson from Riverford Organic at  www.rudehealth.com/rants.

Ode to Thins

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The Rude Health Thins are great for dunking in hummus, slathering with peanut butter or snaffling bare naked, straight from the pack. But the fun doesn't have to stop there. At Rude Health HQ the Thins have provided an accompaniment to numerous lunches and it's fair to say, we're hooked. Paired with chunks of soft avocado,  smoked makerel pate, leftover curries and hearty soups or just when you need a little something extra. To show just how versatile these tasty little Thins can be, I decided to share with you my top five Thins-inspired recipes... 1. Thins with Goats Cheese & Piccalilli Veg, No Nuts, Wheat Free, Gluten Free 60 mins plus overnight prep. Ingredients 1 Cauliflower, cut into small florets 2 Courgettes, diced 1 Carrot, diced 1 handful of small silver-skinned onions, peeled and halved 1 handful of Green beans, cut into short lengths (adjust veg quantities to your liking) 2 handfuls of Sea salt 3 heaped tablespoons flour 1 tbsp turmeric 1 tbsp ground cumin 1...

Pillage and Porridge

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We’ve had a busy April at Rude Health, with all sorts of exciting things under-way, and I’ve even been lucky enough to get away for not just one, but two holidays. Over the long Easter weekend I escaped up to Northumberland, to spend time with rest of the Poples and to fill our lungs with the fresh country air. We spent the weekend trekking along Hadrian’s Wall and catching up over well-earned feasts. Up on the Wall (cue Game Of Thrones reference) the views were incredible, with nothing around us but wildlife and unusually for April - snow! It didn’t feel like spring was anywhere in sight. Unsurprisingly, we later found out that it was the coldest Easter on record. We also paid a visit to the archaeological site of an ancient Roman military post, called Vindolanda.  At this ancient Roman town, so much has been uncovered that you can walk through the streets, into the old pubs and even set foot into a Pre-Hadrianic bathhouse. There was also a spectacular museum displaying their find...

The Organic Journey

Last month I visited Biofach, the world's biggest organic food and wellness fair, in Nuremburg. It's my favourite trade show as I get to meet many old friends and suppliers and find new sources of inspiration from people who more often than not understand the value of growing and producing sustainable good energy food. Every year I go and every year I evolve my understanding of how to source, make and sell the right food, food that sustains us and sustains the planet. And I use this information to inform and guide decisions we make at Rude Health. My first train of thought is all about the value of organic and the meaning of organic: when we started the business it was relatively easy to create an organic food business in the UK, because consumers would pay a premium for what was seen as a worthwhile kite mark. Now, in the UK, they will not. In fact there's been a backlash against organic, and many retailers will actively select foods that are not organic, particularly if t...

Eyes & Ears: Episode 1

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I spend my days here at Rude Health supporting our smaller independent shops.  I basically do all the fun stuff, which includes roaming around London tracking down the next best deli and health store, sampling our delicious foods, as well as spying on other foods. Whilst the others are glued to their desks, I have become what I like to call our ‘eyes and ears’. As Londoners we tend to stick to our own areas and local favourite cafés and shops. I get to go to every neighbourhood discovering the best independent shops & cafés that London has to offer.   It seems only fair I share them with you too. So go on, check them out. Variety is the spice of life after all. MinkiesDeli First on my list is this very cool little deli in Kensal Rise. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner so there’s no excuse not to visit. The fact that they serve Rude Health porridge and granola is proof of their impeccable taste.  They also make beautiful hampers that you can put together y...

How to make Oatmeal Porridge...

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Not all porridge is created equal. Yes oatmeal does take a little more time and effort than porridge flakes, but it's worth it. Once you've tasted the comforting, rich, oaty smoothness, and felt the generous, sustaining energy from a bowl of well-made oatmeal , you'll be hooked.  Why does it take longer to prepare? Because oatmeal is not a flaked grain. Unlike the steamed and rolled quick oat flakes - a late 19th Century invention - oatmeal is the oat groat (grain) cut into 3 (pinhead) or crushed (coarse/medium/fine grades). The Oatmeal has a blend of organic steel cut pinhead and medium oatmeal. Cooked with water and sea salt, oatmeal porridge is the original oat porridge and with a little help from traditional methods and some practice  it's easy and quick to make. 1. I begin in the time honoured way with an evening ritual, for which you'll need  oatmeal , water, kettle, a bowl and a measuring cup - this one is 100ml. Here I'm making enough for Max (7), me an...

Resolutely 'Unresolutely'.

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I made one resolution this year. Not to make any resolutions. It worked well last year - I didn't default, fail or kick myself in December for under-achieving. In fact I raised a glass at New Year to the 'un-resolution' and vowed to continue in this steam and impart my wisdom on others. I question the logic behind setting yourself up for something you didn't have the motivation to do at any other time in the year? My theory is might as well give it 100% throughout the year and anything else is a bonus. It occurred to me, as we sat down as a team to taste all the new products we want to launch this year, that the same attitude applies here at Rude Health. When we're researching and developing new foods we're always considering the longevity of the product: Can we source the ingredients sustainably and build long lasting relationships with suppliers? Is it naturally tasty and nutritionally varied enough to make you want to eat it again the next day? And does it gi...

Oats and Porridge. The Real Deal.

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Strength, endurance, energy, beauty and perceptiveness . All are qualities attributed to the oat. The last two might be pushing it ever so slightly, the first three are bang on. What has the oat got that other grains have not? Why are we, in the UK, eating porridge on a scale not seen since the introduction of Corn Flakes and sliced bread? Take a handful of oats... Let's start with the smell Inviting, sweet and friendly, like an old pal. Then there's the taste Porridge is warming, comforting and familiar. Reason enough to love it. Moving on to strength, energy and endurance . Oats are rich in B vitamins, calcium, iron and magnesium. They provide slow release energy which means you'll feel fuller for longer and you won't be climbing the walls by 11am on a sugar crash. They are high in fibre, so keep you regular. You know what we are saying. Finally  Apparently oats can also boost your sex life.     soak overnight in water... Getting the most from your oats To maximise ...

Chocolate & Oats - The Love Affair Continues...

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You're in rude health when...you kick off the working week with a whisky, chocolate and oat fuelled oatstravaganza.  We knew it.  Oats and chocolate are a match made in heaven. So how could we resist a chance to prove it? Especially with Valentine’s Day bearing down on us. We couldn't.  Which is why we found ourselves surrounded by chocolate & oat lovers in the Chelsea chocolate boudoir of  Marc DeMarquette , renowned chocolatier, ranter and World Porridge Championship Partner-in-crime, on Monday. We started as we meant to go on, taking oats and chocolate to places they've never been before. Marc handed out steaming oat milk hot chocolates injected (literally) with a dose of Old Pulteney whisky and topped with cream.  The night then went something like this: Porridge demo and taste using our Daily Oats. Nick ranting about only using Halen Mon Finer Flake Sea Salt in his porridge. Oatmeal porridge demo and taste. Nick ranting about how he was robbed at th...