Want to improve your health and wellbeing? Don’t like using pharmaceuticals but unsure how to use natural remedies for home treatable ailments for yourself and family? Then this workshop is for you. Led by medical herbalist Lara Beans this day long session will give you the skills and confidence to make effective home remedies from kitchen herbs, spices and plants from your garden. Fee: £65 including a free organic lunch Regretfully the kitchen is not wheelchair accessible.

4.30pm sharp to 7pm Run in support of the Real Bread Campaign’s Lessons in Loaf initiative, this workshop is designed for primary school teachers who will then teach their pupils how to bake Real Bread. Hosted by Sainsbury's at their test kitchen, you will learn how to make a basic Real Bread dough using just flour, water, fresh yeast and a little salt, which can be used for simple rolls, loaves and flatbreads. You will also use it to make bases for pizzas that you will get to eat as a light supper. Spaces are available for just twelve teachers and, in order to ensure this workshop helps to get as many kids as possible baking Real Bread, limited to one teacher per school. How to apply Simply complete the application form and return it, along with your refundable deposit cheque (see form for details), to reach the Campaign office by 1 May at the latest. Places will go to the first twelve eligible teachers from whom we receive deposit cheques. Find full details and the application form at: http://bit.ly/n8eVac

Ximena from Growing Communities has been growing to sell from different sites over the past couple of years. Hearing about how she found her customer base, how she has coordinated growing bespoke crops for them as well as the problems she has overcome along the way will stand you in good stead to find your own market near your site.

Learn how to make great Breton bread from a true Breton!Handmade, small batch, organic and wholesome. You will make a 500g loaf and a selection of bread rolls. While the dough proves, we make Breton butter biscuits - delicious! Maximum 6 per class - £30 pp

Hands on introduction course to sourdough bread making. Learn how to mix, kneed and perfectly shape your bread to create your very own loaf. Have a go at shapping bread rolls too and learn how the dough should feel when it's ready to go to the owen. Take home everything you bake on the day ready to impress your family and friends with your new skill. You will take home part of our own Sourdough Starter and we will also show you how to start your own. Cost: £85 Time: 10-2.30pm Course resources pack, use of apron, light lunch and refreshments included. To book your space, just contact us or book directly on our website.

This session for teacher and school staff will focus on ways to use your garden as a curriculum resource - a vibrant outdoor classroom. We will particularly focus on lesson planning in maths and you will have a chance to design your own session

Keeping Bees Saturday 11th May 10am-1pm Introductory talk on the basics for keeping your own bees. This will include an opportunity to wear a bee suit and view a working hive. Held at Sutton Ecology Centre in Carshalton and costs just £25.

Hands on introduction course to bread making. Learn how to mix, kneed and perfectly shape your bread to create your very own loaf. Have a go at shaping bread rolls too and learn how the dough should feel when it's ready to go to the oven. Take home everything you bake on the day ready to impress your family and friends with your new skill. Cost: £75 Time: 10-2.30pm. Course resources pack, use of apron, light lunch and refreshments included.

Hands on introduction course to bread making. Learn how to mix, kneed and perfectly shape your bread to create your very own loaf. Have a go at shaping bread rolls too and learn how the dough should feel when it's ready to go to the oven. Take home everything you bake on the day ready to impress your family and friends with your new skill. Cost: £45 Time: 4 -6.30pm The course fee include resources pack, use of apron, refreshments.

Love the hot and spicy flavours of international cuisine? Passionate about local food and environmental sustainability? Then this is the workshop is for you. This one day master class led by whole foods chef Lou Beegan will teach you how to make a host of international seasonings from scratch using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. The workshop will cover how to make from scratch: -Jamaican jerk -Lebanese mish (middle eastern yoghurt sauce) -Tunisian harissa -Italian pesto with a kick -Take home recipe sheets and hand-outs -Tips for preserving your sauces and seasonings -Delicious organic lunch Fee: *£65 (inc a free organic lunch) *This fee is used to fund our program of free courses to vulnerable and low-income community groups Date: Saturday 11th May 2013 Time: 11am-3.30pm

20% off all Marriage's bread flours sold via our online shop at www.flour.co.uk during Real Bread Maker Week - use discount code REALBREAD13 at checkout

This is THE annual week-long national celebration of Real Bread and its makers. This year, the Real Bread Campaign is also calling on bread lovers to help us raise dough to do good! As well as local events around the UK, ways in which you can get involved and support our charity wherever you are include: **Buy a LIMITED EDITION Real Bread t-shirt. For each one sold, balconyshirts.co.uk will make a donation to us. **Enter our #realbreadcomp on Twitter for the chance to win £150 to spend at bakerybits.co.uk ** Bid in our online auction. Lots include Real Bread classes with Andrew Whitley, Tom Herbert, Aidan Chapman and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, as well as an exclusive tour of Shipton mill with its owner and literally sacks of flour from Marriage's. **Organise your own event - perhaps a bake sale or coffee morning. Find full details of all this and more at: http://bit.ly/9Sa3R0

This course is perfect for anyone who appreciates good bread. No knowledge of bread making is necessary, everyone is welcomed. The course is held in our Victorian Kitchen where everything happens around the red double oven. The course is run in a small group to ensure you get the most of your day. This course specifically focuses on more advanced bread making techniques and you will learn how to add real flavour to your bread by using different types of flour and additional ingredients. We will also focus on 'wet doughs' which are bit trickier to manage, but great addition to your bread making repertoire. Types of bread included in this course: Focaccia Wholemeal rolls with seeds Date & Walnut Bread or Olive & Rosemary Bread Tear & Share Cheese bread with Caramelised Onions Course cost: £85 Time: 10am - 2.30pm The course fee includes light lunch, refreshments, use of all equipment, apron and of course everything you make on the day.

Hands on introduction course to bread making. Learn how to mix, kneed and perfectly shape your bread to create your very own loaf. Have a go at shaping bread rolls too and learn how the dough should feel when it's ready to go to the oven. Take home everything you bake on the day ready to impress your family and friends with your new skill. Cost: £45 Time: 4-6.30pm Course resources pack, use of apron and refreshments are also included.

Get a helping hand with your growing! Plant stall 12-4pm every Sunday in May. We have plants that are hard to get started without a greenhouse, and aftercare tips. Popular favourites such as tomatoes, squash, courgettes, beans, as well as aubergines, kudu, 15 kinds of chilli pepper and lots of salad leaves! See www.organiclea.org.uk for the full list and information on how to place an order for your community project.

This is THE annual week-long national celebration of Real Bread and its makers. This year, the Real Bread Campaign is also calling on bread lovers to help us raise dough to do good! As well as local events around the UK, ways in which you can get involved and support our charity wherever you are include: **Buy a LIMITED EDITION Real Bread t-shirt. For each one sold, balconyshirts.co.uk will make a donation to us. **Enter our #realbreadcomp on Twitter for the chance to win £150 to spend at bakerybits.co.uk ** Bid in our online auction. Lots include Real Bread classes with Andrew Whitley, Tom Herbert, Aidan Chapman and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, as well as an exclusive tour of Shipton mill with its owner and literally sacks of flour from Marriage's. **Organise your own event - perhaps a bake sale or coffee morning. Find full details of all this and more at: http://bit.ly/9Sa3R0

Hands on introduction course to bread making. Learn how to mix, kneed and perfectly shape your bread to create your very own loaf. Have a go at shaping bread rolls too and learn how the dough should feel when it's ready to go to the oven. Take home everything you bake on the day ready to impress your family and friends with your new skill. Cost: £45 Time: 7-9.30pm Course resources pack, use of apron and refreshments included.

For anyone who appreciates good bread and would like to bake bread at home. The course is held in our Victorian Kitchen where everything happens around the red double oven. The course is run in a small group to ensure you get the most of your day. You will learn how to mix your dough and more importantly how to kneed it, so it rises well. By the end of the morning, your bread will be happily rising in an original Hovis bread tin, whilst you enjoy a light lunch, tasting different types of bread made earlier by us. Cost: £75 Time: 10-2.30pm The course fee includes resources pack, all bread and rolls you make on the day, light lunch and all refreshments. Follow the website link to book online or contact us directly.

During this session we will explore different ways to find volunteers in your area to work in your food growing project. We will also go through volunteer management and good practices that make volunteering an enjoyable experience for both sides.

This is THE annual week-long national celebration of Real Bread and its makers. This year, the Real Bread Campaign is also calling on bread lovers to help us raise dough to do good! As well as local events around the UK, ways in which you can get involved and support our charity wherever you are include: **Buy a LIMITED EDITION Real Bread t-shirt. For each one sold, balconyshirts.co.uk will make a donation to us. **Enter our #realbreadcomp on Twitter for the chance to win £150 to spend at bakerybits.co.uk ** Bid in our online auction. Lots include Real Bread classes with Andrew Whitley, Tom Herbert, Aidan Chapman and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, as well as an exclusive tour of Shipton mill with its owner and literally sacks of flour from Marriage's. **Organise your own event - perhaps a bake sale or coffee morning. Find full details of all this and more at: http://bit.ly/9Sa3R0

Definitely not a cake (that's our excuse for the diet conscious), but a great treats for Sunday breakfast or perfect with your coffee. Come and learn how to use yeast and bread flour to create sweet breads and enjoy eating them afterwards too. In this course we will be baking Brioche Chocolate Brioche Saffron Buns Chelsea Buns The course fee includes: 3/4 Day hands on course in a small group of 3-4 people (10 am - 2.30 pm) Course handouts with detailed descriptions of how to make sweet bread and useful resources information Use of all equipment and an apron Delicious refreshments - tea or coffee throughout the day, handmade biscuits and light lunch Everything you bake on the day wrapped and ready to take home and suitable for freezing. Course cost: £90

Hands on introduction course to bread making. Learn how to mix, kneed and perfectly shape your bread to create your very own loaf. Have a go at shaping bread rolls too and learn how the dough should feel when it's ready to go to the oven. Take home everything you bake on the day ready to impress your family and friends with your new skill. Cost: £45 Time: 7-9.30pm Course resources pack, use of apron and refreshments included.

This is THE annual week-long national celebration of Real Bread and its makers. This year, the Real Bread Campaign is also calling on bread lovers to help us raise dough to do good! As well as local events around the UK, ways in which you can get involved and support our charity wherever you are include: **Buy a LIMITED EDITION Real Bread t-shirt. For each one sold, balconyshirts.co.uk will make a donation to us. **Enter our #realbreadcomp on Twitter for the chance to win £150 to spend at bakerybits.co.uk ** Bid in our online auction. Lots include Real Bread classes with Andrew Whitley, Tom Herbert, Aidan Chapman and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, as well as an exclusive tour of Shipton mill with its owner and literally sacks of flour from Marriage's. **Organise your own event - perhaps a bake sale or coffee morning. Find full details of all this and more at: http://bit.ly/9Sa3R0

To celebrate Real Bread Week, we are having a bread, wine and cheese night! Join local Bread Angel and farm baker, Gaye from the Sticky Mitts Kitchen, for a talk about her involvement with the Real Bread Campaign. This event will be fun, friendly and interactive. You will have the opportunity to taste a selection of bread accompanied by cheese and a glass or two of wine. We are making a nominal charge of £5 per head to cover costs.

Learn something new and practical today ! Learn how to bake bread using natural yeast from our sourdough starter. Get your hands floury as you practice your kneading and bread shaping. Learn how to recognize when you have added just the right amount of water into your dough and how best to shape your rolls. You do all the hard work, but help is at hand from our trusty Rangemaster cooker to perfectly bake your creations. Cost £85 Time: 10-2.30pm Course fee includes resources information pack, light lunch,refreshments and our own sourdough starter.

Hands on introduction course to bread making. Learn how to mix, kneed and perfectly shape your bread to create your very own loaf. Have a go at shaping bread rolls too and learn how the dough should feel when it's ready to go to the oven. Take home everything you bake on the day ready to impress your family and friends with your new skill. Cost: £45 Time: 7pm-9.30pm Course resources pack, use of apron and refreshments included.

Now in it's second year, #BreadChat is a Twitter discussion hour for bakers of yeasted, artisanal breads. #BreadChat takes place the 3rd Wednesday of each month. The next #BreadChat is Wednesday, May 15, 8:00-9:00pm UK time. For start and end time in your timezone, please visit the #BreadChat page: http://www.amateurbakers.org/p/breadchat.html

This is THE annual week-long national celebration of Real Bread and its makers. This year, the Real Bread Campaign is also calling on bread lovers to help us raise dough to do good! As well as local events around the UK, ways in which you can get involved and support our charity wherever you are include: **Buy a LIMITED EDITION Real Bread t-shirt. For each one sold, balconyshirts.co.uk will make a donation to us. **Enter our #realbreadcomp on Twitter for the chance to win £150 to spend at bakerybits.co.uk ** Bid in our online auction. Lots include Real Bread classes with Andrew Whitley, Tom Herbert, Aidan Chapman and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, as well as an exclusive tour of Shipton mill with its owner and literally sacks of flour from Marriage's. **Organise your own event - perhaps a bake sale or coffee morning. Find full details of all this and more at: http://bit.ly/9Sa3R0

In this hands on course we teach how to bake sourdough bread so that you leave the class with an intuitive understanding of what it is, how it works and how to do it at home, answering questions such as: how do I make and keep a sourdough starter? How do I bake sourdough bread in my busy life? How is sourdough bread different and more healthy? During the day you learn how to bake 100% rye sourdough bread, learn how to bake pain au levain, learn how to bake Swedish cracker bread and learn how to bake sourdough scones. Lunch, tea and coffee are provided and you will have plenty of bread to take home as well as your very own starter. The class numbers are limited so you learn in a cosy environment.

This is THE annual week-long national celebration of Real Bread and its makers. This year, the Real Bread Campaign is also calling on bread lovers to help us raise dough to do good! As well as local events around the UK, ways in which you can get involved and support our charity wherever you are include: **Buy a LIMITED EDITION Real Bread t-shirt. For each one sold, balconyshirts.co.uk will make a donation to us. **Enter our #realbreadcomp on Twitter for the chance to win £150 to spend at bakerybits.co.uk ** Bid in our online auction. Lots include Real Bread classes with Andrew Whitley, Tom Herbert, Aidan Chapman and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, as well as an exclusive tour of Shipton mill with its owner and literally sacks of flour from Marriage's. **Organise your own event - perhaps a bake sale or coffee morning. Find full details of all this and more at: http://bit.ly/9Sa3R0

Learn to bake your own bread! Bread making is a great stress reliever and gives you an amazing sense of accomplishment – plus the end results are far healthier than shop-bought! Get started with this fundamentals class, in which you’ll: *Make white farmhouse & wholemeal soda breads *Learn variations on these basic themes *Understand yeasted and non-yeasted bread baking *Use proper kneading techniques *Demystify flours and make your own buttermilk! *Take home what you bake plus recipes & variations *Get tips on best equipment for home baking *All materials and packaging included

Learn something new and practical today ! Get your hands floury as you practice your kneading and bread shaping. Learn how to recognize when you have added just the right amount of water into your dough and how best to shape your rolls. You do all the hard work, but help is at hand from our trusty Rangemaster cooker to perfectly bake your creations. Cost £75, Time 10-2.30pm. Course fee includes resources information pack, light lunch, refreshments and of course everything you bake on the day.

Hands on introduction course to bread making. Learn how to mix, kneed and perfectly shape your bread to create your very own loaf. Have a go at shaping bread rolls too and learn how the dough should feel when it's ready to go to the oven. Take home everything you bake on the day ready to impress your family and friends with your new skill. Cost: £75 Time: 7-9.30pm Course resources pack, use of apron and refreshments included.

To finish Real Bread Maker Week, New Friends Table secret dinner in London will also serve a variety of home baked organic sourdough bread. It will be served with natural wine and unpasteurised cheese, bringing together the perfect trinity and culminating the week as they started it in Paris.

This session is for everyone working with children and young people in a food growing space. We will see what fruit and veg can grow within the school's calender so that children can get to harvest what they have planted. We will also talk about different way of involving children, parents and staff in your food growing space.

This is THE annual week-long national celebration of Real Bread and its makers. This year, the Real Bread Campaign is also calling on bread lovers to help us raise dough to do good! As well as local events around the UK, ways in which you can get involved and support our charity wherever you are include: **Buy a LIMITED EDITION Real Bread t-shirt. For each one sold, balconyshirts.co.uk will make a donation to us. **Enter our #realbreadcomp on Twitter for the chance to win £150 to spend at bakerybits.co.uk ** Bid in our online auction. Lots include Real Bread classes with Andrew Whitley, Tom Herbert, Aidan Chapman and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, as well as an exclusive tour of Shipton mill with its owner and literally sacks of flour from Marriage's. **Organise your own event - perhaps a bake sale or coffee morning. Find full details of all this and more at: http://bit.ly/9Sa3R0

Today is the last day of the auction to help raise dough for the Real Bread Campaign's planned therapeutic baking project. The six fantastic lots are: Bread Matters: One day Real Bread masterclass with Campaign co-founder and author of Bread Matters, Andrew Whitley. Hobbs House Bakery: One day Real Bread masterclass with Fabulous Baker Brother Tom Herbert at Hobbs House Bakery’s new cookery school. Marriage’s: Three 16kg bags of flour (Chelmer White, Wholemeal Dark Rye and Wholemeal Spelt) ideal for the enthusiastic amateur or skilled professional Real Bread baker. The Phoenix Bakery: One day Real Bread masterclass with regular River Cottage tutor Aidan Chapman at his own bakery. The School of Artisan Food: One day Real Bread masterclass with How to Bake Bread author Emmanuel Hadjiandreou. Shipton Mill: ‘Meet the Miller'. An unique personal tour of Shipton Mill with owner John Lister to see stone flour milling in action. Find links to each of the lots, which include full details, at http://bit.ly/ZA6KXg

Renowned for his hives on the roof of both Tate Modern and Tate Britain and Fortnum & Masons, Steve Benbow, founder of the London Honey Company, will welcome us on a behind the scenes Food Safari visit. His urban bees produce delicious honey which he sells from his unit at Maltby Street market, other farmers markets and even Harrods, Harvey Nicholls and Fortnum & Masons. Steve tells us that the bees in each location produce very distinctive honey and on this tour you will get to taste the honey and learn why. You will hear Steve’s personal story from photo-journalist to urban beekeeper and author of The Urban Beekeeper. You will learn about the renewed interest in beekeeping and the challenges posed by disease, insecticides and pesticides. And you will discover how Steve turns the honey comb into bottled honey. During the afternoon you will also taste the London Honey Company’s honey and enjoy some delicious food, including from some of the neighbouring artisan producers.

In London, urban wild food expert, Nick Saltmarsh, will take you on a guided foray around the wild and less wild parts of Stoke Newington, North London. We’ll discover the abundance wild greens, nuts and fruits growing on your doorstep – from nettles and wild garlic, to blackberries and wild apples. In October, we will even find some wild mushrooms in the city You will pick up tips about how you can cook or preserve them at home and try some delicious wild food snacks to whet your appetite for foraging in the city. This is a great introduction to foraging in the city or the country. You’ll gain confidence to identify wild food and know where to pick it safely and legally. Children over 9 welcome

Suitable for all experience levels, learn how to bake your own delicious sourdough bread at this relaxed and friendly hands-on course. Sourdough is regarded as the ultimate in artisan bread and is also the best method to use when baking with rye. It is made with naturally occurring wild yeasts and bacteria, which have been grown in a starter culture; a mixture of fermented flour and water. This creates bread with great flavour and also makes it healthy and easy to digest. On the day you\'ll bake a variety of international sourdough breads including classic French Country Levain, loaves filled with fruit and nuts, a dark rye and some bagels. You\'ll be shown how to make and maintain your own sourdough starter; gain confidence in how to work and shape your dough and the secrets of using time and temperature to adapt the process to suit your life. The one day course is from 10.00 - 16.30 and costs £95 including lunch. You take all your bread home with you along with some sourdough starter and comprehensive notes and recipes to get you going. There is a 10% discount for Real Bread Campaign members.

Using the world famous Skip garden and attached poly tunnels we will be looking at ways to get the most from your organic growing plot (big or small). This session will include understanding intercropping, succession and catch cropping, and choosing the right vegetable varieties. We will also look at what you need to do to feed the extra growth by looking at comfrey feeds, wormeries and composting.

Mama Roberta, our Brazilian mama, is bringing the flavours of São Paulo's 'nova cozinha brasileira' to London for our first supperclub cooking class experience! Roberta will take you on a culinary tour of Brazil, demonstrating and teaching dishes that she grew up cooking in her home. 'Stranded in São Paulo' promises to be an evening of interactive cooking, dining and mingling. . You will be welcomed with a black bean amuse bouche and complimentary freshly made caipirinhas. We will begin our tour with dishes from the north east, followed by a feast of feijoada, the Brazilian national dish, and a delicious dessert. You can get involved in the cooking process and will be provided with take-home recipe cards so you can recreate your Brazilian experience at home. Caipirinhas and other drinks will be available to complement your meal. Born and raised in Rio, Brazil, Mama Roberta moved to London in 2003 with her husband and is a full-time mum to her 8 year old son. Mama Roberta lives a healthy lifestyle with hobbies including yoga and running. She originally learned to cook from her mum who taught her that "your body is a temple" that carries you through life. Therefore, an important component of living healthy is to eat healthy. She enjoys cooking for her family, friends, and community. To learn more about Mama Roberta and Cooking with Mama, visit us at www.cookingwithmama.org. Tickets are £26 each, to book: http://goo.gl/3pYXP

Time: 10am- 5pm The festival includes Cooking demonstrations including Denise Phillips, Rachel Davies, and Silvia Nacamulli, a social action strand with guest speakers including Tristram Stuart. Talks from Hester Abrahms of jewish book week. We'll have garden stalls from JVN, Falafel Feast, Bean About Town and we'll also be supported by Divine and have some chocolate to give away! We are also grateful for the support of the Ethical Superstore and Vegware.

11-4pm Cost £30 Booking essential ( NO ONE TURNED AWAY FOR LUCK OF FUNDS ) Flour, water, yeast and salt. The magic ingredients for a good loaf of nutritious bread. This session is for those of you who want to learn the very basics of bread baking or who need a little help with your confidence as bakers or some reassurance for what you’re already doing. We will be baking a wholewheat organic loaf (or spelt if you have intolerance). While we wait for the dough to rise we will experiment with different doughs, we’ll have tell bread stories and talk about our Bakers' Collective. By the end of the workshop you will receive your own handmade loaf, some other treats and basic recipes from the Hornbeam Bakers’ Collective to carry on your baking journey. Please book in advance – email hornbeambakers@gmail.com (with the relevant course in the email subject).

RAW is one of the most exciting, and certainly the largest, collection of fine, natural, organic and biodynamic wine artisans ever to come together in the capital. Sample hundreds of different wines from more than 150 growers during this 2 day event.

Mama Bentley returns to teach her finest selection of country preserves, showing you how to make jam, chutney and cordial in one marathon session.

In this hands on course we teach how to bake sourdough bread so that you leave the class with an intuitive understanding of what it is, how it works and how to do it at home, answering questions such as: how do I make and keep a sourdough starter? How do I bake sourdough bread in my busy life? How is sourdough bread different and more healthy? During the day you learn how to bake 100% rye sourdough bread, learn how to bake pain au levain, learn how to bake Swedish cracker bread and learn how to bake sourdough scones. Lunch, tea and coffee are provided and you will have plenty of bread to take home as well as your very own starter. The class numbers are limited so you learn in a cosy environment.

Get a helping hand with your growing! Plant stall 12-4pm every Sunday in May. We have popular favourites like tomatoes, 15 kinds of chilli pepper, lots of salad leaves and much more! See www.organiclea.org.uk for the full list and information on how to place an order for your community project.

Successful salad grower Ida Fabrizo will give a guided tour of her leafy beds. Seeing first hand and helping out on site is the best way to learn how to produce enough salads to sell from your own food-growing space.

Food growing is possible almost everywhere, but when faced with small spaces and containers some specific techniques will really help you to make the most of what you have. We will explore topics including maintaining fertility of your soil or compost, plant care and suitable species that will thrive in these conditions.

ASPARAGASM #8 - 'Rites of May' 5-course vegan and gluten-free fine dining event TICKETS: £35 includes 5 courses and welcome 'Maiden's Blush' cocktails courtesy of Pernod Absinthe or a mocktail for the non-libatious. BOOKING: Online at www.asparagasm.com GROUP BOOKINGS: For special rates call Kate Tel 07947 309066 or email tips@asparagasm.com for a booking form. If you didn't realise by now Asparagasm loves asparagus. It is to Asparagasm what fennel was to Dionysus. These bright, verdant tickling sticks literally bristle with dynamic pleasure; the intricate filigree of its tip one of nature's finest works - and now it's in season, well so are we! In an indulgent celebration of this most versatile of vegetables, Asparagasm presents the 'Rites of May' on Thursday 23rd May at studio Gi in Hackney. Chef Fredrik Bolin explores its dishy flavours in a 5-course vegan and gluten-free journey following welcome ‘Maiden’s Blush’ cocktails courtesy of Pernod Absinthe. We've creative and irreverent folk art fun with special guests Lemonade & Laughing Gas and the Morris-sey Dancers, live music from the extraordinary Yeti Love and vegan real ale samplings from our guest supplier of the month, Stroud Brewery. Featuring an exclusive menu of mock & cock-tails, vegan-method wine and beer - Running Duck from Stellar Vineyard and hand-crafted lager from Freedom Brewery - as well as biodynamic champagne and organic British bubbles will also be served. Hey-ho! Here we go! xXx Asparagasm MENU White asparagus soup with toasted almonds Smoked and pickled asparagus with lemon and truffle emulsion Green and white asparagus terrine with salsa verde and pea shoots Grilled English asparagus with chick pea chips and smoked tomato BBQ sauce. Lemon sorbet with asparagus crisp and cassonade. About Fred Bolin Disappearing Dining Club co-founder and Head Chef Fredrik Bolin is formerly of Michelin-starred Erik’s, Paul & Norbert (Stockholm), Zefferano & Glasshouse (London), and Ulrika’s (New York).

The original Happy Mondays are on course to headline a 5,000 capacity outdoor gig in the heart of Bristol next May as they take centre stage at VegfestUK Bristol’s tenth birthday party on Saturday May 25th 2013, along with support from 808 State and The Farm, plus a DJ slot from Peter Hook (New Order/Joy Division). And with Caravan Palace headlining Friday, with support from Kitten and the Hip and The Boxettes, and The Abyssinians heading up the reggae sunsplash on Sunday with Macka B, Bristol is in for a musical as well as foodie treat as VegfestUK Bristol comes of age and goes into double figures as one of the longest established and most successful independent food and music events in Bristol. Around 25,000 visitors are expected over the three day festival, many of them from out of town, and many of them experiencing the delights of 100% plant based food for the first time too – VegfestUK Bristol is the world’s biggest veggie event and there are no animal products permitted at the event. During the daytime (11am – 6pm Saturday and Sunday) visitors can expect a feast of different cuisine from across the globe, along with 125 stalls crammed with goodies including food, bodycare, clothes, fashion and accessories, and campaigns merchandise as well as information in abundance about the benefits of the plant based lifestyle, along with recipes, nutritional information, cookery demos, talks, a cinema and a host of entertainment including comedy hours, live music and performance. Admission is only £2 adults and £1 kids/claimants/OAP’s during the daytime up to 6pm (pay on gate). Then in the evenings the Main Stage takes over proceedings and some of the biggest headliners to ever grace an outdoor stage in Bristol take centre point and crank up the PA for some fantastic sessions on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening. Admission to the Friday and Saturday evening events is by advance ticket only – there are no tickets available on the gate. Tickets for Friday (Caravan Palace) are priced £15 + fees, and for Saturday (Happy Mondays, 808 State, The Farm, Peter Hook) its £25 + fees. Sunday (The Abyssinians, Macka B) admission is £5 after 6pm, pay on gate. Tickets available from www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk and from www.theticketsellers.co.uk. And with an after-hours parties on Saturday too, it looks like Bristol and veggies in particular will be spending most of the weekend eating and dancing – a great way to celebrate 10 years as this event enters its second decade, having been established in 2003 as an annual event in the heart of Bristol. For more information about VegfestUK Bristol, see www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk. VegfestUK has two other shows in 2013 – one in Brighton (March 16th 17th) and one in London (October 5th 6th) – see www.vegfest.co.uk for information. The event is sponsored by Redwood Foods, Fry’s Distribution, Goodlife, Nakd, Bute Island, Yaoh, Eco Vegan Shoes, Sunseed Organics, Ethical Investors, The Vegan Society and Kara Dairy Free, along with media partners Excellart, Veggie Vision, Foods for Life, Resurgence Magazine and Vegetarian Living.

Permaculture (An Introduction) Sunday 26th May 10.30am-1.30pm Permaculture uses design principles to develop integrated systems that provide for our needs of food, shelter, energy and community in ways that are healthy and efficient. Actively learn about the principles and see examples of Permaculture designs. Held at Carshalton Community Allotment and costs just £25.

An introduction to bread making the Italian way with some colourful breads for summer. Have fun mastering simple doughs made in the traditional way. Panini alla Mascarpone studded with sumptious Green Olives (which also will double as a burger bun!); Black Pepper Grissini and a Sfinciuni (a portable picnic in itself) stuffed with Roast Peppers, Courgetttes, Basil and Buffalo Mozzarella; or just make a simple everyday loaf. This workshop is for beginners and home bread makers who would like to extend their repertoire. A chance to learn basic bread-making and shaping techniques; the roles flour, water, yeast and salt play in the foundation of a good dough. How to use less commercial yeast to make great, more flavourful and healthy bread and to make dough that you can store for days in the fridge ready to be plucked out at your leisure to bake.

Get a helping hand with your growing and help us celebrate our first fully certified organic produce! Open day 12-4pm includes a special presentation by Iain Tolhurst, who has been a practising organic vegetable producer for over 37 years, one of the original pioneers of the organic movement in the UK. Also a plant stall, site tour, seasonal horticultural activities and a freshly cooked vegetarian lunch (for a donation). All welcome, drop in any time or stay for the day! See www.organiclea.org.uk for the full plants list and transport directions.