Gove served Honest Crust Act letter
On Friday 12 October, Real Bread Campaign supporter Robin van Creveld handed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, the Campaign’s letter calling for better loaf labelling and marketing legislation.
Robin says that the Secretary of State seemed somewhat taken aback at receiving the letter but that he “folded it carefully and placed it close to his heart.”
Reflecting on the meeting, Robin said: “While I was on ‘best’ behaviour, I did grill him about key environmental, nutritional and public health issues, like [asking] how the government is going to help the UK population to voluntarily reduce meat and dairy consumption.” Gove’s response? “He dodged that one by saying the government is about to launch a new sustainable food strategy, which will address the issue.”
However, Gove: “did say he was in favour of taxing food producers who rely on single-use plastic. He was less in favour of taxing companies who produce and promote unhealthy food.”
The Real Bread Campaign, which emailed the letter to Mr. Gove at Defra on 9 October, will be following up for an answer.
Community cooking
Mr. Gove was visiting a session of Man With A Pan, an initiative of Robin’s Community Chef social enterprise in Lewes, East Sussex. These cookery courses are for men who are carers, bereaved, isolated and in need. Over the five weeks, participants learn a full range of cookery skills and a range of easy-to-make dishes, as well as picking up healthy eating tips. At each session, the men cook a meal to eat together, and another to take home.
Robin is better known in Real Bread Campaign circles for Lewes Bread Club and workshops, including sharing knowledge of both bread making and how people can set up their own community bakeries.
Published Wednesday 24 October 2018
Real Bread Campaign: The Real Bread Campaign finds and shares ways to make bread better for us, better for our communities and better for the planet. Whether your interest is local food, community-focussed small enterprises, honest labelling, therapeutic baking, or simply tasty toast, everyone is invited to become a Campaign supporter.
