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As part of the central weekend of celebrations for the Jubilee, London’s historic Piccadilly will play host to the Piccadilly Big Jubilee Lunch Street Sarty.
Members of the public can register for a free place at the table, to bring their lunch to, on www.piccadillybigjubileelunch.org. The event will stretch the length of Piccadilly – from Piccadilly Circus to the top of St James’s Street. Attendees can either bring their own lunch or purchase from the stalls and shops along Piccadilly, to eat at the trestle tables.
We are also proud to announce that our friends at Start and the Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) have announced details of their collaboration to host a Big Jubilee Lunch in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, hailing it one of the UK’s biggest street parties! This event, also on Sunday 3rd June, is set to commemorate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee by welcoming up to 8,000 local residents and visitors. It will feature a huge table running the full length of the Old Royal Navy College, seating up to 800 people at any one time.
Guests can bring their own picnics, or select from an eclectic range of global and local food stalls, selling both hot and cold dishes complemented by specialist beers from the Meantime Brewing. A fun day out is guaranteed for all ages with a variety of activities, including live entertainment by local and community performers, drop-in workshops, food and craft stalls and a big screen.
The day will also see the opening of Start Imagining’s From Tip to Ship exhibition in the Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre, featuring the 6 winning designs from a nationwide children’s competition. It will culminate in the passing of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.
Joey Tabone, Director of Start, says “We love to create opportunities to entertain people and inspire them to discover and try all sorts of sustainable living ideas, which is why we are delighted to be working with the ORNC and The Big Lunch to create this fantastic event.”
Councillor Chris Roberts, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, added “We’re proud to support the Big Jubilee Lunch as it is offers our local community a great way to come together and enjoy a fun day out.”
Find out more information on Greenwich’s Big Jubilee Lunch with Start and the ORNC here.
Don’t forget it’s not too late to start organising your own Big Lunch! Request your free starter pack here.
With one month to go till the fourth annual Big Lunch on Sunday 3rd June it’s not too late to get your FREE pack and organise your Big Lunch. A Big Lunch can be anything from a few neighbours sitting down for some sarnies in the sun to a full blown street party with a bouncy castle, BBQ and dancing in the street!
A Big Lunch can take place anywhere. In previous years, lunches have been held in local parks, churches, schools, community centres and even fire stations. So if the road closure application deadline has passed at your council, why not ask a local school if you can use the playground over the weekend or organise an impromptu Big Lunch picnic in the park.
Don’t be afraid to get out and about to see what people can offer for your Big Lunch. Local cafes, shops and businesses may be able to lend you things such as tables and chairs, donate food and drink and even donate prizes for a raffle. You’ll be amazed at how generous local people are if you just ask!
You can also connect with other organisers for tips, support and to share ideas on our Facebook page and Twitter.
This year, we’ve teamed up with Big Dance and 5-a-day Fitness who have produced The Big Jubilee Dance exclusively for this year’s event. It takes you, your friends and your neighbours through a journey of music and dance through the six decades of the Queen’s reign. It’s a fun and simple dance routine, perfect to get everyone up off their feet and learning on the day of your Big Jubilee Lunch! Get further information and watch the film here
On the day – top tips:
• Try to make sure that your entertainment, games and activities are suitable for all ages. There are tons of ideas on the website.
• If you have music, make sure it’s varied, not too loud and doesn’t go on too late!
• Set a time for lunch – it really helps to get the party started
• Take photos and most importantly, have fun!
Click here for more ideas for the day
We always love to hear what’s happening at Big Lunches taking place across the UK so please tell us about your event at yourstories@thebiglunch.com. We would love to see your photos too!
If you need some last minute tips or have any questions please email info@thebiglunch.com or call 0845 850 81 81 to speak to one of the team.
Last weekend the brand new Big Lunch Trail was launched at the Eden Project in Cornwall. For the next five weeks visitors can follow a treasure hunt across the site to find the 7 Big Lunch exhibits dotted around, which represent 7 key elements to holding your own Big Lunch in their community.
Once all the clues have been found, and the 7 elements have been revealed, treasure hunters can then exchange their trail card for a packet of Big Lunch speedy salad seeds; Perfecting for growing their own Big Lunch at home!
Simply collect your Trail card and Big Lunch pencil at the ticking desks and get hunting!
If you fancy treating yourself to a trip down to eden this month, there’s never been a better time to use the 2 for 1 voucher in your Big Lunch starter pack and take in a bit of the Cornish sun! Visit the famous biomes, spot the plants and veg of the month or simply sit back and relax at one of the storytelling sessions.
Visit the Eden Project website to find out how to get here and start planning your adventure.
Since our last update on Big Lunch launches, we have visited Salisbury Churches Community Action Group down in the South West, where they are hosting their own ‘Big Jubilee weekend’ for the local residents. Jon Langford, Associate Leader at St. Paul’s Church and key organiser of Salisbury’s Big Jubilee Weekend says ‘The whole purpose of the weekend is to provide our church members with the chance to put their faith into action and serve local residents .We want the whole weekend to be an opportunity to help build relations hips with our neighbours’. Read more
We then ventured further into the South West and joined star players from Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United who will be setting their differences aside this June to enjoy a Big Jubilee Lunch together. Though they may be more used to tough tackles on the pitch than sitting down to tea, the players enjoyed a friendly fixture at Ashburton’s Exeter Inn. Looking to lead by example, Simon Walton and Robbie Williams from Plymouth Argyle swapped the penalty spot for party snacks along with rival plates from Torbay as they encouraged supporters to follow suit. With just two months to go until the Big Jubilee Lunch on Sunday 3rd June, the football stars have an “if we can do it, you can do it too” message for rival fans.
Last Friday was an extremely exciting day for us in Northern Ireland as the Mayor of Armagh City and District, Councillor Freda Donnelly welcomed our Big Jubilee Patron The Duchess of Cornwall to the Palace Demesne Big Jubilee Lunch. The Duchess of Cornwall joined the festivities in The Big Jubilee Lunch marquee, meeting ‘Saints and Scholars’ including local volunteers, fundraisers and charity workers, school children from Saints and Scholars Integrated Primary School and local Big Lunch champions. Read more
And finally, today we popped over to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home for a canine jubilee celebration! As a partner organisation of The Big Lunch, we want to get people holding big Lunches to help raise awareness and money for Battersea dogs and cats home.
As we all know, the Queen loves Corgi’s, and it looks like the the nation are loving them too! Read more
If you are planning to use your Big Lunch as a fundraiser have a look at our Charities page for more ideas and information on our supporting organisations.
Everyone can be Kings and Queens in your community with these fabulously royal Jubilee crowns!
What you need:
To decorate:
Instructions:
The best thing about these crowns is you can make and decorate yours however you like, so hunt out some sparkly things and get making!
We would love to see how your Jubilee crown turns out so please get in touch and share your photos by emailing yourjubileestories@thebiglunch.com
Mayor of Armagh City and District, Councillor Freda Donnelly welcomed The Duchess of Cornwall to the Palace Demesne Big Jubilee Lunch today, one of the first events to celebrate their award of Lord Mayoralty status as part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee honours.
The Duchess of Cornwall has recently become Patron of this year’s Big Jubilee Lunch, part of our annual campaign encouraging neighbours to get together to improve community spirit through food, friendship and fun.
Mayor Freda Donnelly said: “Armagh City and District will now be only the fourth city in Ireland, after Belfast, Dublin and Cork to have a lord mayor and we are delighted to host a Big Jubilee Lunch to celebrate with our local ‘Saints and Scholars’ including volunteers, fundraisers and charity workers, school children, lifelong learners and representatives of organisations honoured with Freedom of the City.
“It is appropriate at this time of Apple Blossom, one of the key events in our annual programme, to showcase the beautiful apple blossom and Armagh Bramley Apple, which recently received the international “Protected Food Name” status as the central theme of our Big Jubilee Lunch.”
Archbishop Robinson, re-enacted by Ralph Adams, one of the council’s Living History Characters greeted The Duchess of Cornwall and explained his vision for Armagh in the 18th Century as a city to rival Dublin both architecturally and as a seat of learning. The Duchess of Cornwall then joined the festivities in The Big Jubilee Lunch marquee, meeting ‘Saints and Scholars’ including local volunteers, fundraisers and charity workers, school children from Saints and Scholars Integrated Primary School and local Big Lunch champions.
Peter Stewart, Director of Campiagns and Communications at the Eden Project said: “We are thrilled and proud that The Duchess of Cornwall honoured Armagh with a visit today, in the beautiful setting of the Palace Demesne, and it was thrilling for the local ‘Saints & Scholars’ to be treated so warmly by her in their home town.
“It is a huge boost to our ambition to encourage people in Northern Ireland to have lunch with their neighbours in a simple act of community.”
Find out more about the Jubilee celebrations taking place this year.
We’d love to hear what you’ve got planned for The Big Lunch 2012. Get in touch: yourstories@thebiglunch.com
Playing games at your Big Lunch is a perfect way to break the ice and get to know your neighbours a bit better. Kids will love the chance to play, and you might even get some of the grumpier grown-ups involved too!
We have just updated all of our fabulous ideas pages on the Big Lunch website; including some great new street party games and activity ideas to entertain your Big Lunch on the day.
Here’s an example of a great street party game to get the conversation flowing that everyone can join in on:
Community Treasure Hunt
Create a list of questions and give the list to all the Big Lunchers. Everyone has to try and find someone who fits the bill for each question. You only need a couple to get the conversation started. Here are a few ideas:
• Who has lived in the street the longest?
• Who’s the oldest resident? Who’s the youngest?
• Who was born the furthest away?
The winner is whoever has answers for the most questions by the end of lunch. You could even offer a prize to has learn the most about their neighbours in the shortest amount of time!
Get planning your Big Lunch entertainment now by taking a look at all our activities ideas. Or if you know of any great street party games or activities get in touch by emailing trudi.holden@thebiglunch.com
Social media networking has created a new world which is more open and connected than ever before, where friends, relatives and strangers all over the world can be reached within seconds. But what about the people who live just down the street?
A recent YouGov survey found that over 50% of UK adults would describe the community spirit in their neighbourhood as weak or non-existent. However, almost half of the people questioned, would like to become more involved but struggle to find the necessary time.
This is why the team at Streetlife has launched a local social network. We thought you Big Lunchers might be interested in joining Streetlife as it removes the awkwardness of knocking on doors and makes it easier for neighbours to talk to one another and exchange information or advice. Neighbours in Wandsworth, London, where the site first launched, say that they are now better informed about public services, events and local news with the result that 68% feel more connected to their local communities now.
The local social network is now available across the nation, but it all depends on people like you getting involved. Find out more and join your local community online at streetlife.com.
Love Food Hate Waste is actively supporting The Big Lunch this year with an aim to help us all have an amazing party but without any of the waste.
Did you know we waste over 7 million tonnes and £12 billion worth of good food and drink every year in the UK just from our homes, let alone what we waste when we’re eating out at picnics, BBQs or even restaurants.
But with a little planning, together with a few cool boxes and supply of freezer packs, it’s easy to be well equipped for keeping food safe, fresh & tasty for longer making sure we make the most of the food we buy.
Get the storage right and your food will keep for much longer. We waste around half the salad we buy – salad should always go in the fridge to keep it fresher for longer but next time if its looking a bit floppy and wilted put them in a bowl of water with a couple of ice-cubes and they will become nice and crisp again.
Around the equivalent of 2 million loaves of bread are chucked away each day by us – always keep bread in the bread bin or freezer (never the fridge). Fruit and veg is one of the top wasted food types – for example over 4 million apples are wasted a day – always keep them in the fridge (except bananas, whole pineapple, potatoes and onions) and preferably in their original packaging and keep things like sliced meats and cheese in an air-tight container in the fridge once opened. Keep an eye on pack instructions too for more information.
If you have bought anything approaching its ‘use by’ date pop it in the freezer as this acts like a pause button until the day before when you can defrost it overnight in the fridge to use the next day.
And finally strawberries and grapes make great novelty ice cubes for children and adults alike. Wash and place individually in ice cube tray. Freeze. Use instead of ice cubes in water, lemonade, etc.. and munch them when the glass is empty!
My top party recipe of the week is definitely Mini Falafel with Yoghurt and Cucumber Dip
The Big Lunch is also developing an exciting partnership with Zero Waste Scotland and its Regional Parnership Managers in Scotland. Zero Waste Scotland have some great ideas and inspiration for keeping waste to a minimum while you enjoy an afternoon of lunching with your community. We will be looking at ways that Zero Waste volunteers can hold their own lunches to promote their work and thank their volunteers.
For more hints, tips and recipe ideas go to The Big Lunch recipes section where you can find more from Love Food Hate Waste.
From Emma Marsh, Head of Love Food Hate Waste
Sweeten up your Big Lunch this June with this scrummy Fudge recipe from Big Lunch supporters Douwe Egberts. A perfect to street party recipe you can cut up and share with your neighbours…if you can bear to part with it!
Ingredients:
150g toasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
100g glacé cherries, roughly chopped
450g light brown sugar
450g granulated sugar
250ml double cream
2 tbsp golden syrup
6 tsp Douwe Egberts Instant coffee (Pure Indulgence), diluted with 2 tbsp hot water
Method:
1. Line an 8 inch /4cm deep baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Place the sugars, cream and golden syrup in a pan over a moderate heat and stir until sugars are dissolved.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minut
4. Remove from the heat and pour into a food mixer along with the coffee.
5. Beat the mixture for 10-15 mins until the fudge loses its gloss and goes grainy around the edges.
6. Mix in the cherries and nuts and pour into the lined tin.
7. After 1 hour of cooling, score the fudge with a knife to create squares. When the fudge is set, snap into squares.
We have selected some of the yummiest street party recipes to inspire you on our new Big Lunch ideas pages, dips and drinks to hot and cold food to share.
Satisfy your sweet tooth by checking out the rest of our delicious sweet things recipes shared by our sponsors, Big Lunch team members and Big Lunchers like you!
Big Jubilee Lunch 2012, an Eden Project
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