Seasonal, healthy cooking skills showcased at inaugural Stew Fest

Cheap, healthy, sustainable and delicious. We all love stew, and it’s great for our health, our pocket and the planet.

In October and November we joined twelve community groups across Derry City and Strabane to cook together and talk about how traditional dishes are a great way to learn more about the local, seasonal vegetables growing on our doorsteps at the inaugural Acorn Farm Stew Fest.

We also considered how cooking a one-pot dish in its own gravy is a great way to make sure we’re getting all of the goodness from our ingredients.

“Seasonal vegetables thrive when we need them the most,” says Jacqueline Cartin from Pure Nutrition who cooked for four groups, “they fight through the frost to provide us with all the nutrition and health benefits we need during the colder weather.”

More than 100 participants attended a Stew Fest session. 97% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they had learned new skills to help them grow, cook or eat healthily and 93% said they were more likely to take action on their own carbon footprint.

All five of our cooks put together brilliant recipes for Stew Fest, covering everything from a Manchester hash to a Filipino pork adobo, which we’ve made available on the Acorn Farm website for you to try at home.