We stumbled across this mouthwatering blog from Helen Graves in Peckham who wrote about her Big Lunch that she hosted for the first time this year.
Before the event Helen and her friends did a 13 hour cook off and it certainly was worth it as the food looks absolutely delicious, we might event say it is up to Gordon Ramsey standards! Our personal favourite is most certainly the coffee and walnut cake!
Click the image to visit the blog and read more. I wonder what will be on the menu next year!
Big Lunchers from all over the UK have submitted hundreds of photos of their street parties to The Big Lunch group on Flickr.
Here’s a slideshow of some of our favourites. Check them out!
Don’t forget we also have over 1000 photos uploaded to our Facebook group too. Enjoy!
The Travelling Pantry would like to invite Big Lunchers to request a free project development workshop. The workshops are suitable for everyone and aim to stimulate new local projects and will be helpful to any groups starting to develop new initiatives or widen the scope of existing ones. All the workshops focus on projects which involve learning, sharing and making, exactly like The Big Lunch! If you enjoyed being connected with your neighbours through your Big Lunch and would like to create a project that gives you an excuse to get together during the year in light and fun ways, visit http://www.socialspaces.org/ for more information and to request a free workshop.
1. Inspiration Exploring new projects and case studies.
2. Idea Generation Co-design methods to help develop ideas from within the community.
3. Strategic mapping Methods to analyse your local social network to help develop your project idea with individuals and organisations.
4. Social Media An introduction into how to engage, connect and communicate using social media.
5. New meeting hosting methodologies Looking at new formats to encourage productive and enjoyable events or meetings.
6. Community building strategies Asset-based community development, including inventories to reveal existing capacities in the community, such as skills, spaces and materials.
Workshops are currently being scheduled for October and November, so if you are interested or want to find out more, visit the Social Spaces website.
Want to see photos of street parties in the days of yore? Strange clothes, funny expressions, and kids caught on camera who’ll be granddads now? Believe it or not though, some of them look very Big Lunch-ish, with trestle tables, bunting, Union Jacks…
We’ve been having a look at Historypin, a website created by our friends We Are What We Do. It’s a kind of digital time machine that lets you see and share old photos which are pinned onto a Google Map and onto modern Street View scenes. It’s quite strange and amazing being able to compare how the world used to look to how it does today.
Together, we’ve found some great old snaps of street parties past and have put them next to some of this year’s Big Lunch photos in a special Big Lunch gallery for you to view.
It’s really heart warming to see people from different generations and walks of life partying together in their streets through the ages, right from 1887 to The Big Lunch 2010. You guys are helping create a new annual tradition!
If you have any photos of street parties, old and new, why not add some of your own?
Check your attic. Ask your Nan. Quiz the old dear next door.
Can you guys believe its nearly 2 weeks since The Big Lunch?
It’s great to see memories from the big day. One film that recently made it to us was from the Pope Road guys down in Bromley, Kent.
This is the second year the Pope Road crew have hosted an event, and every year it seems to get bigger and better! They hosted their annual tug of war, but you will have to watch the film to see who won!
If you guys have any films you would like to share then please send us a YouTube link to thebiglunch@cakegroup.com.
Well here we are folks, it’s time to announce the winner of The Big Lunch Poetry Competition.
After lots of deliberation and discussion we’ve chosen the following winners for their fantastic and unique poems.
The Big Lunch
Got a big lunch later today
Just brainstorming what to say
I think I’ll start with ’hey’
Maybe throw in a ‘ you ok?’
Mixed with a beaming smile
Sharing tip top champers, pour her a glass
Spread back slowly on the grass
Life perfect for a while.
Small talk curled up by a picnic basket
Planned the all important question, just gotta ask it
The words cling to the back of my mind
So I reach for more wine
Say to myself, get some Dutch courage
To finally encourage me to
Say I love you
Pull on a semi casual suit
New hair – do to boot
Want to look my best for the big day
Do everything to make sure it goes the way
I planned
Picnic basket in hand
And here s the crunch
Small meal, but what a big lunch
The Big Lunch
Lets all go to The Big Lunch
Sandwiches to eat and crisps crunch
And meeting folks, that’s what we’ll do
There might even be a BBQ
Musicians play for your delectation
It’s celebrated across the nation
And fun and games we’ll have a ball
Big Lunch is open to us all
Sausages and burgers flip and turn
I’ll cook one for you, won’t let it burn
But if veggie eating is more your style
Well cater for you and make you smile
There will be a Lunch quite near to you
Much closer than Rome or Timbuktu
Have a chat and have lots of fun
We’ll even try to book the sun
But even if it’s rainy out
Well don’t despair and don’t you doubt
Let’s all get together and party down
Don’t let the weather make us frown
Let’s play some games and run and shout
That’s what the Lunch is all about
The more the merrier is what we say
So come along and don’t delay
Our community to be brought together
Those folks at Eden, well their so clever
Good company spirit, friendship and food
We cater for all, just party on dude!!
So everybody across our Nation
There’s a Big Lunch near to your location
Its Big Lunch time, I’m so excited
Come along friends your all invited
Well done Mathew and David, for their hard and creative efforts! A set of complimentary family tickets to The Eden Project are on their way to you both.
Enjoy!
It’s been brilliant hearing all the fantastic stories about your Big Lunches through Twitter and Facebook.
We’ve created a short survey to capture your views on The Big Lunch in one place. Whether you hosted an event, attended an event or even if you didn’t, but are interested in getting involved in next year we want to hear from you.
If you have a spare 10 – 15 minutes then visit our questionnaire and answer a few questions about the big day, it would be greatly appreciated.
We look forward to hearing more of your great stories!
Hot off the press! We have some exciting Sharp’s Big Lunch Beer Challenge news!
Due to the popularity around the country and your feedback, we know that home brewers of the UK do not like to rush these things and would like more time to get their entries in. We understand that all good things come to those who wait so all budding brewers now have until the 31st December 2010 to brew up a dream draught.
The Big Lunch Beer Challenge is about finding the rising stars in UK home brewing so we are inviting you to brew a special beer (of not more than 5.5% ABV) and send in six bottles to the Sharp’s judging panel.
The prize for the winner will be to work with Sharp’s Head Brewer, Stuart Howe, at the brewery in Rock, Cornwall to brew a commercial batch of the winning beer.
Cheers to that!
It’s been brilliant to see so many of you sharing your photos and special moments with the Big Lunch community and beyond.
We were lucky enough to go along to a few big lunches dotted around the country on Sunday.
Here are some edited highlights from the day. We hope you enjoy this short film and if you have done your own filming, we’d love to hear about it!
You can see all our films on our Youtube Channel . We hope you enjoy this short film and if you have done your own filming, we’d love to see it!
Today The Big Lunch has inspired an estimated one million people to participate in a lunch with their neighbours across the UK – a fantastic turn out and a big thank you to everyone who took part and organised their very own Big Lunch.
The Big Lunch team has been up and down the UK today taking a peak at some of the lunches set up by people like you – we’ve been to Glasgow, London, Manchester, Cardiff, Newcastle, Deal, Birmingham, Norwich, Truro and Oxford. Today we have seen the Mayor of London Boris Johnson turn up along with actress Barbara Windsor to participate in a lunch in North London, we’ve seen piano playing in the middle of the road, a local choir singing, numerous cake baking contests, fancy dress costumes, tai-chi displays, tug of wars and street games and face painting. Lunchers have been sitting down for feasts spanning many different cuisines, with all ages and types of people coming together with renewed community spirit.
Lots of you have been letting us know how your lunch is going and uploading pictures via Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #TBL2010 which is fantastic. If you’d like to share your photos from the day you can add them to our “The Big Lunch Photo Album 2010″ group on Facebook or you can add them to our Flickr group.
Upload your photos!
Picture the scene next week; after the final game has been played, the last drop has been drunk, the last song has been sung and the tables and chairs have been packed away for another year…You’ve had a fantastic Big Lunch…you’ve enjoyed the company of friends and neighbours, many neighbours now friends, but now you want to share the great moments with the rest of your community and beyond…
We’ve been running various social media platforms over the last few months, each having the ability to upload photos and share with your network of friends. Here are some how- to’s and a few ideas and incentives for sharing them with the rest of the UK to promote the spirit of the Big Lunch.
A simple way to share your Big Lunch photos is by creating a photo album on your own profile (click on ‘Profile’, then your ‘Photos’ tab, then ‘Create a Photo Album’). This will allow you to upload many of your photos in one go instead of just one at a time. Once you’ve done this, join THIS Facebook group and once again click the ‘Photos’ tab. You’ll see a box in the top corner saying ‘add group photos’. Click it and it will give you the opportunity to simply tick which or all of your photos you’d like to share with the Big Lunch community. Don’t forget to label your photos with the location and tag your friends and neighbours too! We’ll be running competitions for the best photos so make sure you get your photos uploaded and keep your eyes peeled for the prizes we’ll be giving out.
One competition we’re very excited about is the ‘Best Dish’ photo competition in association with Food Network UK. Simply upload a photo of a delicious dish that you’re planning to serve at your Big Lunch along with your name, the name of the recipe, your Big Lunch location, and the text ‘Food Network UK Best Dish competition’ in the description eg. Toni Rudd – Special Paella – Big Lunch Whiteladies Road Bristol – Food Network UK Best Dish competition. The best looking dish will receive a £200 donation to a local charity for your community! Please upload your photo to the wall of the Big Lunch Facebook page to qualify.
If you’re into tweeting, you can also let us, and other Big Lunchers know how your Lunch is going as it happens or after the event. Simply use the tag #TBL2010 with all your quotes, ideas, photos, videos, surprises, so we can share the excitement virtually! We’ll be running some fun hashtag competitions here too on the day so keep your eyes open for any possible candidates for these and you can add to your tweet!
Those judged as the best by the Big Lunch team will win a family ticket to the Eden Project!
If you’ve not uploaded a photo via Twitter before, we recommend Twitpic
You can also share your photos with us through our Flickr group or upload to your own Flickr page and tag them with ‘The Big Lunch 2010’.
One of our fantastic bloggers has kindly been filming her Big Lunch preparations.
Visit her blog to check out all the latest goings on at Helen Grave’s Big Lunch in Peckham.
Feeling inspired? Let us know how your plans are getting on?
The Big Lunch is almost upon us!
Take a look at Tony’s latest videos for all the know how on what to do at your own Big lunch this weekend.
The Big Lunch – How to… Part 5
The Big Lunch – How to… Part 6
Enjoy!
Designed to be simple to set up and easy to use, Zoinetworks forums provide online space which everyone in your community can access. So you can be sure to keep in touch following your Big Lunch and help the community spirit to grow and thrive in the future.
Your forum is a great way to share news, plan more get-togethers and get to know your neighbours better. It’s this kind of support network that sustained people in the close knit local communities that flourished in cities, towns and villages throughout the length and breadth of the UK in the not too distant past. The Big Lunch seeks to re-ignite that community spirit. Your Zoinetworks forum will help you to keep the flame of mutual care and concern burning on into the future.
To get your free forum send an email with the reference ‘The Big Lunch’ to see how a Zoinetworks forum looks visit zoinetworks.com
The Big Lunch and WCAFI (World Clean Air Forest Initiative) have teamed up to plant a free tree in one of 8 developing countries for every Big Lunch organiser. Where you plant the tree is up to you.
With your help WCAFI wants to Clean the Air by fighting climate change, deforestation and pollution as well as helping local people in developing countries build sustainable livelihoods. The Big Lunch is proud to support WCAFI so register here to show your support for the campaign and add your free tree with this special code for Big Lunchers: BigTree010
A couple of weeks ago we told you about a Big Lunch taking place in the Balearics. We have since found out that Lunches are springing up all over the world!
The Mosman Home Gardeners’ in Sydney Australia are doing us proud by getting everyone involved to bring one home grown ingredient to The Big Lunch table. Hazel, originally from Strathaven in Scotland wrote in to tell us that she’s organising an event for her and her team working at a medical centre on a remote site in the desert in Abu Dahbi. No need to worry about rain there! They’ve also caught on in Amsterdam, where a Big Lunch is planned in Binnengasthuisstraat on Sunday.
Wherever you may be, we hope that you have a fantastic Big Lunch. We want to hear all about it so please send your stories and photos to info@thebiglunch.com
Big Lunchers, this is where we'll bring you the latest news and ideas from the team to make your Big Lunch a big success. It's also a space where you can share comments, recipes, tips, photos, videos and memories. Just click below each story to add a comment.
