FreeFrom Food Awards – the winners – and our new film – Made with Passion

Last Wednesday, the 20th, was ‘the night’ – the 12th presentation of the FreeFrom Food Awards. And here are the crowds gathering in the Dorchester Library at the Royal College of Physicians, to find out who was going to get the honour of housing Marble Mo for the next year….

As many of you will already know, it turned out to be Booja Booja. The product that actually won Marble Mo was their amazing Wonder Box of truffles – but they did not really win just for the Wonder box – filled with Toffee strudel, Rhubarb and vanilla fool, Cherry cognac, Fine champagne and Honeycomb caramel truffles though it was…. They won for their 20 year commitment to freefrom and to the highest ethical and gastronomic standards. Where would we have been all these years if we had not always known that, no matter how bad things got, there would always be a mouth-watering BoojaBooja ice cream or truffle to cheer us up.

But, of course, they were not the only worthy winners. Check in to the award site here to see who else carried off gold – and then check in here to see where you can buy them. Of course, had you been at the party you could have tried all of them at our amazing winner’s buffet….

All of the winners from gluten and milk free muesli, protein shakes and coconut kefir to vegan tikka masala, gluten and milk free haddock and cod goujons, gluten-free vegan pizzas and gluten, wheat, milk and egg free white rolls – to gluten-free and vegan chocolate gateaux and cheesecakes, Cornetto lookalikes and those amazing truffles. Here are Ruth of WhatAllergy? and Karen of Safer Eating checking out the gf, vegan chocolate gateau, the Plamil milk chocolate hearts and Retrocorn‘s amazing Rhubarb and Custard Popcorn!

But while guests were indulging themselves at the buffet, gluten-free-beer expert Sue Cane (of Sue’s Coeliac diary) and I were on a mission. As some of you may know, Sue’s day job is as a film camera woman. And since I had stupidly forgotten to book the lovely Media Wisdom who have done our awards videos for us for the last five years in time, I twisted Sue’s arm and persuaded her into an experimental venture. A short film, not about the awards, but about the passion that drives the winners of the awards.

So, may I present to you – Made with Passion…….

Sartorial footnote:
Just in case anyone is wondering about my earrings – they started life as Christmas tree decorations but I think work so much better as earrings!
And…. After last year’s amazing blouse…..

this year’s top was a Roland Klein from my good friend Prudence of the Ice Follies….

Feline footnote:
Boris….

Much of the ambient food for the buffet was stored in  the basement of the house. And on Tuesday morning I collected it all up to load up and deliver down to the Royal College. But what I had not noticed was that Boris, curious as ever, had followed me into the store room to see what was going on. I duly delivered the goods, Tuesday moved into Wednesday (which was extremely busy), and Wednesday into Thursday (also extremely busy editing ‘Made with Passion’) and in due course into Friday.  By which time I had finally noticed that I did not seem to have seen Boris for some time.

This is not entirely unusual as the cat food is always out for them to eat when they want and Boris, in particular, tends to hole up in some remote corner of the house to get in his 22 hours of shut eye a day. And we had been out a lot so I might not have seen him around. But by Friday morning I was starting to get slightly concerned so thought I should institute a search.

And yes, you are right…..  Poor Boris had indeed be locked in the store room since Tuesday!!! Mind you, he did need to lose a bit of weight and is now looking distinctly more svelte….