Tandridge Buzz

Tandridge District residents are throwing away one-third of the food they buy at a cost of around £600 a year.

That was the shocking message delivered by celeb chef Richard Fox at the Edenbridge & Oxted Show last week as he showed people how to make their food go further as part of the Love Food Hate Waste campaign with funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Overall the UK throws away 8.3m tonnes of food a year, most of which could have been eaten. Fox showed Show goers how to put left overs in the fridge to good use.

“It is all about using up every day ingredients and leftovers to make delicious dishes,” he said.

“One of the keys is to buy locally as it cuts down food miles. It is all about being environmentally friendly and saving money as well.”

He added: “People are always interested in making food go further and saving money. The fact of the matter is that one third of the food we buy gets thrown away and the average household throws away £600 worth of food a year.”

Fox said the “huge difference” between local produce and supermarket produce was flavour. “If you have fruit and veg that is grown by a local farmer with a passion for provenance and flavour then that will be reflected in the food you eat.”

Fox starred in the Channel 4 series Risky Business alongside former Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrisey two years ago. The pair brewed a beer and ran a pub — the Punch Bowl at Marton Cum Grafton in North Yorkshire — in the series.

A second TV series — Men Brewing Badly on ITV — saw the pair take a truck load of their beer over to South Africa for the World Cup.

The first Chinese built car to be available in Britain was unveiled at the Edenbridge & Oxted Show last weekend.

The Show president launched the 4-wheel drive pick-up truck from the Great Wall motor company — called the Steed — on behalf of dealership Kinghams of Croydon at its stand.

“It is fabulous to be the first —its good for any business to have a first,” said Keith Kingham.

“We put our hands up early on and we are the first dealership to be signed up.”

The 2-litre diesel engine pick-up truck is retailing at a price of £13,995 plus VAT. Kingham described it as “stonking” value.

“I can see lots of builders and farmers who need a pick up truck but also need four doors and need to carry four or five people being interested in this.”

TV chef Richard Fox is set to start at this year’s Edenbridge & Oxted Show, which takes place on Sunday 28 and Monday 29 August.

Fox, who recently launched the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Love Food Hate Waste campaign, starred in the Channel 4 series Risky Business alongside former Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrisey. The pair brewed a beer and ran a pub — the Punch Bowl at Marton Cum Grafton in North Yorkshire — in the series.

A second TV series — Men Brewing Badly on ITV — saw the pair take a truck load of their beer over to South Africa for the World Cup.

Fox, who has run several pubs and restaurants in the past, will be giving half-hour demonstrations followed by a Q&A session with visitors. Children will also have the opportunity to play and learn as they create recipes from scratch. As part of the process they will discover where the food comes from and how to create delicious dishes with just a few simple ingredients.

Quality British produce is at the heart of the show with a highlight being the Grand Parade of Cattle in the main ring on Bank Holiday Monday at 3.50pm — the largest display of cattle in the south east.

Other highlights from the action-packed weekend include a sheep shearing show, gardening roadshow, Food Hall, the Crafts Marquee and the Antiques and Collectables Marquee.

The two day Show, located in Ray Lane, Lingfield, will also feature vintage and classic cars, cheese making demonstration and a whole host of animals from llamas, bats, cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats around the showground and baby farm animals in the Children’s Animal Ark.

There are over 1,500 horses, ponies and donkeys from Thelwells to Shires taking part in over 100 different classes ranging from gymkhana classes to Horse of the Year Show qualifiers on the Sunday.

For the active there is also clay pigeon shooting, archery, gun dog displays and fly fishing tutorials.

“It’s really important to see the animals live and in their own environment,” said Show chairman Paul Turney.

“You can get really close to the animals and learn so much about them from the commentators in the ring. It is a great day out for all the family.”

Admission rates are just £15 for adults, £10 for senior citizens and students and £5 for children 5–15 years old.  Under-fives are free. A Family Ticket for two adults and up to three children offers amazing value for a full day of entertainment at just £35. Car parking is free.

Reduced price advance tickets are also available from several local stores. Visit www.edenbridge-show.co.uk for more details.

A special bus service will run from Lingfield Station to the Showground on both days from 9am-12.30pm, returning to Lingfield Station from 2-5.30pm.  This service is free to all local residents and visitors travelling by train.

The Edenbridge & Oxted Show has been hailed as a “fantastic success” after early estimates suggested that around 45,000 visited the agricultural fair over the bank holiday weekend.

The Show, based at Ray Lane in Lingfield, boasted an Antiques and Collectables tent and a cheese making demonstration for the first time but the cattle and the horses stole the show.

“The show has been a fantastic success this year and we expected over 30,000 people but I think we have probably had in excess of 45,000 people,” said Edenbridge & Oxted Show vice-chairman Paul Turney.

“We are the third biggest exhibitor of cattle and we have 750 head of cattle here. Some of the Highlands and Longhorns just can’t be seen anywhere else.”

Turney said the show was important to help educate visitors. “They just can’t get so close and be with the animals live as they are in their own environment anywhere else as they can here.

“They can see cattle, sheep, goats, llamas, ducks, rabbits all in their own environment and you can get right up close with the cattle and the stockman and be with them like they are on a farm.”

One of the other highlights saw three local packs of hounds chase a fox on a horse as part of a hunting demonstration in the main ring while the sheep shearing and dancing demonstration also proved a hit with visitors.

Pictures from the show

Did you visit the Show at the weekend? Let us know what you thought and what your favourite parts were by posting a comment below.

Around 30,000 people attended the Edenbridge & Oxted Show at the weekend.
Tandridge Buzz was there to capture the mood.

There will be a full video report from the event later in the week.

Llama egg and spoon racing, a cheese making tutorial, chance to present the weather on TV, fly fishing, or simply watch the animal processions and see some big vegetables — it must be time for the Edenbridge and Oxted Show.

The annual country fair, located on Ray Lane in Lingfield, will take place this bank holiday weekend on Sunday 29 and Monday 30 August and promises something for all the family and pets.

This year the show boasts its very own cinema — the Nomadic Picturehouse, which will be showing national film archive footage of past local country events.

There is also an Antiques and Collectable Marquee for the first time.

One of the stars of the show is set to to be Champion Cheesemaker Bob Kitching, who recently taught BBC presenter Matt Baker how to make cheese on Countryfile. He will be showing visitors how to make cheese.

In the main ring there will be displays including the Cheshire Dog Display Team and the largest turnout of horse-drawn coaches and four in hand carriages in the country. On Monday the Show will host a Horse of the Year Show qualifying competition.

Visitors can even get help with their gardens with top tips on offer from experts at the Gardening Roadshow.

“Every member of the family will find something unusual to see and do,” said Show spokesman Victoria Henley. “Come and see the new breed of sheep, featured on the national news, which don’t need to be shorn in one of the largest livestock sections to be found at an agricultural show.

“Watch Falconry displays, the farriers at work, a Ferret road show, gun dog displays; listen to the Oatlands Pipe Band and a Jazz band, enjoy locally-produced British fare in the Food Hall and bag a bargain at over 300 shops.

“Specially for the children there will be fairground rides, a carousel, a pets’ corner, baby farm animals and a crèche.”

Reduced price advance tickets are available in local outlets around the area — see www.edenbridge-show.co.uk for details.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at the reduced rate of £12.50 for adults, £8 for senior citizens. Parking is free and there is also a free bus service from Lingfield Station at 930am and half hourly until 1230pm, returning from the Showground at 2pm and half hourly until 530pm.