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Leamington Letters #51: Our festival of food and drink

13/9/2013

17 Comments

 
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Photo Credit: Coventry Evening Telegraph
The sixth Leamington Food and Drink Festival filled the Pump Room Gardens last weekend. Thirty thousand visitors enjoyed the offerings of more than 180 exhibitors, of which none was Strada, Carluccio's, Prezzo, Wagamama, Pizza Hut or Pizza Express.

They couldn't be bothered, because they don't need to bother.

The event showcased local food makers and suppliers, local beer companies, local cider makers, local delicatessens, and local bars and restaurants, including Wilde's, and a whole lot more. Specialist cheese-makers, butchers, bakers, pie-makers, chocolatiers, artisans of every variety and trade were showing off their wares and having a good time.

The timing of the festival might be regarded as significant. The Not Dark Yet blog last week which discussed the unfortunate demise of Âime Sœur attracted a great deal of attention, with comments on the blog, Facebook and Twitter posts and emails, and in person. I have seldom been stopped in the street so many times - often by complete strangers. 

All decried the circumstances which lead to the closure. All condemned the influence which chain operations appear to hold over the leaders of our community.

So where were the chains during this great weekend, full of happy people eating good food, drinking good wine (on the Wilde's stand, obviously) and listening to good music from The Swaps and The Pips?

Well, they sure as hell weren't at the Festival.

Probably because decisions about participation are not made by the Leamington outlets, but by computers and managers in some tower block in London, or maybe even New York.

And Leamington Spa, for them, is merely a line on a spreadsheet.

This is the essence of the problem I raised last week. And this is why I have, for the first time, returned to the same subject in successive weeks.

We are discussing important issues about the future.

It is about the character and culture of our town. It is about whether Leamington becomes yet another faceless small town, full of the same neon fascias and the same faceless activities and operations; or remains a centre of interest and excellence with a plethora of independent bars, restaurants and shops.

Right now, the independents are losing and losing out.

But the Food and Drink Festival showed that not all is lost.

And, personally, I am delighted that the Stradas and Wagawamas et al did not turn up.

They would have ruined the fun with their microwaving by numbers food and their corporate wine lists and their demands for preferential treatment. 

Ollie and I, manning the Wilde's stand, met lots of new friends, lots of old friends, and dispensed hundreds of glasses of wine, ranging from a Cinsault rosé when the sun was out to a second growth Saint Julien, Chateau Gruaud Larose 2002. (It was drinking very well, thank you.) We even got photographed and interviewed by the Coventry Evening Telegraph.

It was a great weekend, which I thoroughly enjoyed, despite having spent Friday and the first couple of hours of Saturday as 'father of the bride' at the wedding of daughter Cassidy and Mike. 

The buzz, the business, the good spirits of our neighbour exhibitors, the smiles of the people who passed and often paused by our stand kept us going.

And the chains? Good riddance!

How was the wedding? you ask. It was fantastic. Pictures will be available when the happy couple return from honeymoon. But meantime, couldn't resist posting this - of Maximilian the pageboy. Cool - or what?

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Today from the everysmith vault: the iPod shuffle facility chanced upon the Dead's Cambodian Refugee Benefit gig in 1980, and I'm sticking with it.
17 Comments
Allan
13/9/2013 03:19:20

Liking this campaign. And liking the combination of personal and political. Important that this moves on from individual rants to a serious debate about the nature of town planning. Any response from the masters of the Leamington universe?

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Max
18/9/2013 03:54:48

Not a campaign. At least not yet. But if someone wants to take up the banner, I'm with them. And no, no response.

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CJ
13/9/2013 03:21:09

1980. Underrated year, and indeed, decade, perhaps in comparison with late 70s. A great show - enjoy.

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Jon
16/9/2013 03:59:49

There is also a great short benefit for Muscular Dystrophy that year. Hysterical intro when lovely middle class lady from the charity tries to remember and pronounce the names of the band!

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Max
18/9/2013 03:55:29

Yeh, I'd forgotten that show. Just listened. Excellent.

Richard
13/9/2013 04:33:06

If you can get 180 exhibitors without the chains, maybe your independent economy in Leamington is stronger than you suggested last week. Sounds like a good weekend. And love the picture - the pageboy one I mean.

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Max
18/9/2013 03:56:36

True. There are still some left and they are characterised by enthusiasm and commitment to events such as this. I will pass on your comment to Max!

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Sean
13/9/2013 04:53:01

So sad to have missed it. Your blog made me homesick for my erstwhile stomping ground! Sounds wonderful, as does the wedding. Good riddance indeed. Your point about being a line on a spreadsheet is the saddest indictment of all. The irony of course is that those people making money on dividends paid out by Strada et al will most likely celebrate their investment windfall at a wonderful, INDEPENDENT restaurant, and would not be seen dead frequenting the awful, mass market, corporate hellholes they willingly foist on other, less discerning (and less affluent) souls.

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Max
18/9/2013 03:58:23

It was a good, if exhausting, three days. Look forward to seeing you, soon, Sean. What is about Strada, I wonder, that makes us single them out?

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Jack
13/9/2013 05:23:06

When's the demo? Can we march from the Town Hall to Wilde's?

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Max
18/9/2013 03:59:19

Nothing scheduled (see above). And although it would be standard practice to go the ther way, I approve of your suggestion.

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David
13/9/2013 13:04:35

If this is a campaign, then I'm with you. I am convinced that independent operations can fight back. But they need to organise. Are you up for this? I'm not from your town, but it seems that you have some momentum going and you can utilise this locally for a start. Good luck.

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Max
18/9/2013 04:00:33

As I said, I'm too old for this kind of activity. But any movement would have my support, time, and what energy I have remaining.

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Local Retailer
13/9/2013 13:23:12

I'm up for it. Fed up with being either ignored or patronised.

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Max
18/9/2013 04:01:42

Ignored until one makes a fuss. And then patronised. Agree.

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Local Retailer
20/9/2013 09:56:48

You should see the Courier today - Friday. They have started the Chandos Street business all over again. Bastards.

Max
15/9/2013 05:39:37

Curiously, we have a new phenomenon in this saga. Pizza Hut has closed. In its place is Bill's. Now Bill's was a wonderful independent operation in Lewes, East Sussex. And then Bill sold out. And there are now lots of Bill's around the country - with more coming. So an exemplar of the independent operator is now a chain. Ah well!

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     Max Smith

    European writer, radical, restaurateur and Red Sox fan. 70-something husband, father, step-father. and grandfather. Resident in Warwick, England.

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