The full Natural Food Kitchen demonstration programme, which is to include live sessions by top chefs and leading nutrition experts, has been confirmed for this year’s Natural & Organic Products Europe trade show, taking place at Olympia, London, over 3-4 April.
Among this year’s multi award-winning line-up are leading farmers’ market pioneer and local food champion Henrietta Green and Aldo Zilli; who is widely credited as the first ever vegetarian chef with a genuinely fusion approach to cooking. A great supporter of healthy, organic and sustainable food, Zilli is well-known for his TV appearances and recently opened Zilli Green, an innovative new vegetarian restaurant, in London’s Soho.
"I am delighted to be involved in The Natural Food Kitchen," says Zilli. "I love the fact that healthy and organic foods are available and the fact that the show proves that natural food doesn’t have to be dull but can be interesting and delicious. I am proud to be showcasing my new organic range of baby food, Baby Zilli here and look forward to hearing the feedback about it from visitors to the show."
Returning for 2011 are nutritional experts Christine Bailey and Dale Pinnock – who’ll be creating recipes from his new book ’Medicinal Cookery: how you can benefit from natures edible pharmacy’. Plus, Barny Haughton from renowned Bristol restaurant and cookery school Bordeaux Quay, who helped launch the show’s Organic Kitchen back in 2007.
"There is a difference between belief and practice in how we engage with food. Most people in the UK think organic food is a good thing – for all the reasons – health, biodiversity, soil, food culture, community, blah blah. But in practice they do little or nothing about it. This is the dismal truth and we should stop being polite about it," Haughton explains. "The real practitioners – many of whom will be represented at and visiting Natural & Organic Products Europe – this small but extraordinary army of farmers, producers, retailers, chefs, families, activists, campaigners along with a few schools and the odd politician – those who know the difference between where we are heading and where we might go if only there was the will and a commonly understood message – need to realise the movements power to transform the way ordinary people think about, feel about and engage with food and living."
Haughton continues: "Natural & Organic Products Europe, like the Organic Food Festival and dozens of smaller events on the UK whose platform is about sustainable living and a better future for humanity, is the opportunity for such transformation. Otherwise it’s just another trade show where we all leave feeling good about each other but still a very small church indeed. If I thought that this was true of Natural & Organic Products Europe I wouldn’t have bothered signing up. My hope is that what we hear, say, learn, taste and question during these two short days will give us something to take away and pass on to others beyond the church gate, each in their own way. My way is food. We are already living in the future and we need to show others how to come and join us."
Also appearing in the Natural Food Kitchen, and making their debut at the show in the process, are: Geetie Singh, founder of, and Sara Berg, head chef at, The Duke of Cambridge organic pub; Jason Vale – aka ’The Juice Master’, whose bestselling books have now sold over 2 million copies around the world; and gourmet living food chef Jeni Cook – who’ll be expounding the amazing benefits of raw and living foods.
