After its triumphant debut at Greenbelt 2018, we’re greedily anticipating the return of The Table, our food demo venue, to Greenbelt this summer. Fondly nick-named ‘The Shark’ last year, the gaping, jaw-like invite of the beautiful saddle-span tent in which we host the programme is back once again.
So what have we got planned this year? Expect more laughter, warmth, stories – and, yes, food preparation – in this mouth-watering festival venue. Added to which, this year we’re offering you the chance to taste a mouthful of the delicious food that’s created in each session, for those of you who are about to gnaw your own arms off want to do more than just smell, watch and listen.
With daily sessions on Palestinian cuisine and the stories of struggle that underpin it (with Phoebe Rison, Yasmin Khan and Sami Awad), to Amal-curated chefs Saima Khan (who’s cooked for little-known technology enthusiast Bill Gates, no less) and Philip Juma.
This year we’re also thrilled to have author of the Foragers Cookbook, Miles Irving with us. Miles will lead a couple of daily foraging walks and on the Saturday and Monday he’ll return to the Table to show you how to cook up what you’ve foraged.
After the dates didn’t quite work out for her last year (she had to cook for the Manchester City team at short notice over our weekend, as you do), Anjula Devi will be with us this summer, offering two sessions showcasing her wonderful Indian fairtrade cuisine.
Featured in the Observer’s list of top radical organisations of 2018, Migrateful will be with us to showcase their cooking class work with refugees and asylum seekers, complete with top Lebanese chef and Afghani musical accompaniment.
The wonderful Jack Monroe will return for one session, serving up her unique combination of passionate pragmatism and love for great food with a concern for how millions using food banks up and down the country can access that.
We’ll also have some surprise guest chef appearances from artists on the main music bill and we’re delighted to welcome The Real Junk Food Project, who run the cafe in the Christian Aid venue, and work daily miracles with food that supermarkets discard.