Taxidermy, Melton Mowbray Pie and ladies in beer: olive’s Cool List 2012
From tweed and taxidermy to gin and homegrown produce there is a distinctly vintage, British feel to olive magazine’s cool list 2012. The annual assessment of what’s hot in the foodie world by the nation’s coolest food title has revealed the six trends sweeping the country. olive cast the net countrywide to identify the latest fashions in food and highlight the best restaurants, bars, companies and individuals at the cutting edge of the UK food scene in its May 2012 edition, on sale now.
The magazine picks out six key trends currently gripping the UK:
- Tweed and taxidermy
“Wall-mounted antlers, dusty framed paintings and inanimate furry friends are no longer just the currency of the crumbling countryside pile – they’re the hottest thing since sliced sourdough on the bar and restaurant scene.”
- Ladies in beer
“Thanks to craft breweries such as BrewDog and pubs such as Bristol’s Beerd we’re loving artisan brews now. This might explain why more women are enjoying the drink, as well as making it.”
- Gin
“As in Hogarth’s day, gin is in, thanks to a new generation of bartenders and boutique distillers recapturing our love of a drink so British, the most popular style, London dry, is named after the capital.”
- Diversity
“Our appetite for diversity has never been stronger.” Brazilian, Korean and Peruvian food are among the latest to tickle the nation’s curious palate and olive’s highlights include Korean Ban Di Bul in Manchester and recent opening Viva Brazil in Glasgow.
- Informal dining
“Looks like big grins are the new stiff upper lips, as the movement towards exciting, flexible, fun ways of dining gathers momentum.”
Highlighted venues include London’s Brunswick House Café, Vauxhall and Cinnamon Soho as well as Dock Street Market, Leeds.
- Homegrown products
“There’s been no escaping the recent interest in food provenance and heritage – which might explain why Defra has noticed more producers than ever applying for protected status.” On the list are Cumberland sausages, blue and white stiltons and also Birmingham balti looking to join Melton Mowbray Pie in gaining protected status.
According to Christine Hayes, editor of olive: “Cool Britannia is back this Jubilee/Olympic year with Britishness very ‘in’ on the food scene. We’ve seen evidence of this fashion all over the UK, and picked out more than 60 places worth celebrating. With trends such as taxidermy, homegrown produce and artisan breweries it seems to be the case that home is where the heat is.”
olive was the first to spot the renaissance of the scotch egg two years ago and identified Birmingham as the nation’s foodiest city last year, so its pronouncements are eagerly anticipated. May’s British special olive, featuring the cool list, is on sale now, priced at £3.60.
-Ends-
For more information and a PDF copy of the feature please contact Toby Hicks, 020-8433-3807 toby.hicks@immediate.co.uk
About olive magazine
olive is the stylish, monthly magazine for food lovers with an emphasis on offering great value. It has 91,284 readers according to the last Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) figures.