Slow Food At Southbank Centre

As of tomorrow lunchtime - an wonderfully apt time to start - London's first slow food market will be installed outside the Royal Festival Hall and thus commences the Festival of Food long weekend on the South Bank.

As well as opportunities to buy fresh, sustainable and traditionally prepared food there's also a plethora of foodie fun things too: cooking demonstrations, cookery book signings, talks on chickens and truffles, music to slow down to, the obligatory burlesque session over afternoon tea plus loadsa things to keep the kids busy in the busy bee tent. And yes, that reminds us. There will also be bees.

Saturday is Bee Day. Haven't you always wondered how to make a honeycomb? Watch 'bees in action', learn about beekeeping and how to cook with honey. Most excitingly of all, did you know that the Southbank Centre has a beehive on its roof? Meet the Honourable Company of Hive Workers who look after this colony of potentially the most cultured bees in the world.

Download the full programme from the Southbank Centre website. Forget that packed lunch for the rest of the week and try something new and yummy, savouring it slowly, at this alluringly scrummy sounding Festival of Food.

The Festival of Food runs from Thursday to Sunday, between noon and 9pm and there's no admission fee.

Image by Dean Nicholas