Breakfast down on the farm
Jan 22 2010 by Katharine Capocci, The Journal
WE'RE down on the farm for Farmhouse Breakfast Week, where local produce is on the menu, as KATHARINE CAPOCCI discovers.
AS we all know by now, breakfast is the most important meal of the day – and there’s nothing quite like a hearty, wholesome breakfast to start the day off on the right nutritious footing.
As well as providing you with the energy to get through the day and the well-documented health benefits, eating breakfast could also help to boost the local economy too.
Too many of us skip breakfast, though, as recent research suggests that as many as one-third of adults miss breakfast during the week, with almost half of those aged between 16 and 25 missing breakfast at least twice a week.
Farmhouse Breakfast Week runs from January 24-30 and we’re all being encouraged to tuck in and do our bit to support local food producers and suppliers.
Here in the region, the North East England Food and Drink Group (NEEFDG), is leading calls for better awareness of the ‘breakfast benefits’ and is championing Farmhouse Breakfast Week as the perfect opportunity for the public, schools, producers and local businesses to support each other and reap the rewards of breakfast.
Sir Donald Curry, who lives and farms with his wife Rhoda at Barrasford near Hexham, Northumberland, is chairman of the NEEFDG’s new strategic board, which aims to build sustainability and growth in the region’s food and drink sector.
Sir Donald farms 440 acres of arable and lowland grass, and is a leading Government adviser on farming and food.
He explains: "Farmhouse Breakfast Week is a great opportunity for people to sample local breakfast produce and get into the habit of prioritising the most important meal of the day.
"It is terrible that so many people currently miss breakfast, and I encourage everyone to engage with Farmhouse Breakfast Week and help redress the situation.
"The initiative has the potential to benefit producers and manufacturers across the region, while providing an opportunity for schools to educate children on the importance of eating a healthy breakfast.
"Farmhouse Breakfast Week should also open the eyes of the region’s general public to some of the great breakfast ingredients that can be found in this part of the world.
"The North East already produces some of the best breakfast food and drink in the UK and it is hugely important that we try to support the region’s producers.
