South Bank - Slow Food Festival and Canteen

I often use the newly refurbished Festival Hall as a meeting place for my friends who come in from the City or through Waterloo. So, while waiting for them to finish their work day I enjoyed a nicley chilled sparkling elderflower cordial at the Terrace Cafe while watching the kids (and a fair few adults) play happily in the walk-through fountains with the Thames as a bright back drop. London cafe society at its best.

But before moving onto to our dinner venue, we had a wander around the Slow Food Summer Market in Southbank Centre Square (Belvedere Road) that is just outside the Canteen restaurant behind the Festival Hall.

I'm afraid I was rather ignorant about the whole thing but there were lots of enthusiastic people operating the stalls for all sorts of delicious food from pate, to burgers, to organic vegetables, to cheese, and wine, even a hog roast and numerous other tasty things who were happy to explain. Apparently, it's an Italian charitable initiative (which is now global)to encourage people to remember how to prepare and savour really good food.

It was a great way to spend an hour or so, trying out the food, chatting to the artisan stall owners and watching other people (and their kids - there were also some children's projects) trying out stuff and occasionally buying a little something.

And good to know that a key aspect of it all is responsibility to the environment - biodiversity and fairness to small producers being a key theme - and fundraising for poor communities.

We also stopped by to take a peak at the Canteen which was part of the recent refurbishment. Inside, it looks just like a very smart canteen - nice and airy with lots of space between tables. The menu looked good too. We decided to have a drink at one of the the many tables outside (where we could continue to watch people wander around the food stalls) and learned that they had just introduced the English cocktail menu.

We desperately wanted to try the great sounding rhubarb and apple bellini but apparently they hadn't quite got round to that one. So we settled for a gin and tonic with a rhubarb twist - and this was really refreshing and definitely worth repeating.

This Slow Food show is on until Sunday and it returns again in October.