What is “Slow Food” and what are the main goals of the slow food movement?
We are honoured to be part of one of the Slow Food International presidiums, but what does it really mean to be a Slow Food?
The Slow food movement believes that every person has the right to good, clean and fair food, no matter who they are or where they live.
Slow Food International was founded in 1989 as a grassroots organisation and has grown to be a global movement. They work to protect local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of fast living and work to revive public passion and interest in the food we eat, where it comes from and how all of our choices affect the planet and people.
What is a slow food?
To be considered a “Slow Food”, makers must do all of these things:
Make good quality, flavoursome and healthy food.
Be clean in their methods, using production that does not harm the environment.
Be fair, providing accessible prices for consumers and fair conditions and pay for producers and workers.
What are the slow food presidia?
There are many different types of Slow Food Presidia, from cheese to sweets but all of these presidia and their members translate the slow food philosophy into everyday practise. They make great tasting food whilst respecting soil, water, the individual biodiversity of microflora and the cultural importance of wisdom and skills.
They also have a positive effect on their local area and the community! On average small-scale producers emit 30% less carbon emissions than industrial producers. To achieve this can be hard work in the fast moving modern world, but the efforts are so worth it.
What are some slow food cheeses?
The presidia that we are really proud to be a part of is the Artisan Somerset Cheddar presidium which protects the status of Artisan Somerset Cheddar and ensures that the standards of this heritage cheese are met according to the slow food manifesto. Our Pitchfork Cheddar is one of only three true Artisan Somerset Cheddars because it is made with care and attention to Slow Food Principles. Without the presidium and the members of the Artisan Somerset Cheddar presidium then this cheese could have gone extinct after World war two, which was when the process of cheddar making became industrialised on a mass scale and traditional skills were at risk of being lost forever.
The Slow Food movement is so important, not just to small-batch producers like us, but to people and cultures everywhere. Don’t lose your slow foods… cook them!
To buy Pitchfork Cheddar visit our online shop.
