Food is a hot topic with more and more people considering where their food comes from and educating children about exactly where food comes from – not just the supermarket!

A short break in Suffolk is an ideal choice for food lovers. From visiting local farms and vineyards to tasting delicious, homely meals in award-winning pubs and restaurants, a food-themed short break will tickle and tantalise the taste buds. To whet your appetite, we’ve compiled a list of ten surprising food facts from Suffolk.

1. Pork Production
It’s estimated that an incredible 20% of the UK’s outdoor reared pork originates from Suffolk and very good it tastes too! Many people followed the highs and lows of one of the county’s most famous pig farmers, Jimmy, and you can visit Jimmy’s Farm to see traditional farming in action.

2. Royal Sausages
With a history of sausage making dating back to the 1880s and some famous royal consumers – including the Queen – one Suffolk town is the King producer of Sausages. Newmarket is home to Musk’s and Powter’s, two world-renowned producers.

3. Award-winning beers
The brewery Adnams is synonymous with Suffolk creating a range of real ales and eclectic wines, served in pubs around the country. Always coming up with new beers and ales look out for their latest edition ‘East Green’ – the first carbon neutral beer from the coast.

4. English vineyards
Suffolk is a great producer of wines and there are also some very beautiful vineyards to explore. The ancient estate of Wyken is a great example with its patchwork fields and woodlands making the perfect home for award-winning wines.

5. Local produce sold locally
Surrounded by rich farmland and with a wealth of talented producers including farmers, fruit growers and honey producers, Suffolk is alive with markets and farm shops. Rick Stein is a great advocate for the region and its great local foods.

6. Hot stuff
It’s not just traditional fruit and vegetables that can be grown in the fertile soil in Suffolk. Turning up the heat, some adventurous producers have been growing chillis!

7. And wild too
Raring and providing great produce is what Suffolk farmers love to do – and if you get a chance to attend a class then you’ll be inspired by their incredible passion and enthusiasm. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the Wild Meat Company that prepares game, rabbit, hare and venison while also running butchery classes.

8. A great Suffolk tradition
The heritage coast of Suffolk is truly stunning and here you can sample some of the great British favourite fish and chips. What could be better than eating freshly caught fish while overlooking the sea.

9. The perfect dessert
The perfect follow-up to fish and chips has to be ice cream. Using local, organic produce award-winning Suffolk ice creams and sorbets can be sampled in the region, at anytime of year.

10. And an even sweeter ending
Satisfy your sweet tooth with something truly delicious from nature’s larder. Freshly pressed apple juice, jams and honey are all specialities in Suffolk that can be enjoyed at local farmer’s markets.

To get your food-inspired short break off to the best start then you’ll need to stay somewhere that relishes local Suffolk food and superb cooking. One hotel from the varied ‘place to stay’ menu is Bedford Lodge Hotel in Newmarket, which has an award-winning restaurant with all sorts of delights to eat and drink, of course.

Lindsay Chapman is the author of this article. Suffolk is a great producer of wines and there are also some very beautiful vineyards to explore.To find out more visit http://www.bedfordlodgehotel.co.uk or call 01635 663175.

MAP to a Unique Party

Make it Memorable – Select a theme and carry the theme through the entire event – from the invite to the décor and party favors.

Activity – Planned activities encourage interaction among guests and give them something to talk about. Remember, you don’t have to force everyone to participate. Always offer a fun opt-out or accessible alternative activity.

Personalize It – People love things that are made just for them. Personalize at least one aspect of your party – a cocktail, napkins, favors – all can be easily customized and leave a lasting impression on your guests.

Need help getting organized before the big shindig. Simply printout the party prep countdown below.

Countdown to a Chic Party

Timing Activity Complete (y/n)

4 Weeks before Choose Theme
Create Guest List
Design/Choose invite
Plan Menu
Plan Activities, Entertainment, Music
Plan favor
3 Weeks before Send invites
Shop for game, activity materials
Order/Make favors
2 Weeks before Purchase non-perishable decorations
Make party playlist for MP3 player
1 Week before Develop grocery shopping list based on RSVPs
3 Days before Grocery/Liquor shop
1 Day before Purchase perishable decorations
Clean and decorate home
Prep Food

Keisha Wright, creator of chicpartyplans.com,is a former Teen Trendspotter and Experiential Marketer. She has worked with Teen People, Nickelodeon & MTV, helping them to launch immersive events and promotional campaigns using her trademark MAP to a chic party.More information visit – www.chicpartyplans.com/party_planning_tools.php

The creators of Chic Party Plans want you to consider the site your “one stop shop for chic.” While other party planning sites supply things, ChicPartyPlans.com supplies ideas. Other sites will provide you the martini glass while ChicPartyPlans.com provides you with three gorgeous and tasty cocktail recipes to fill the glass. If you want plates, cups, and napkins tied to a theme, this is not the site for you. If you want big ideas that leave a lasting impression, go to ChicPartyPlans.com!

In addition to featuring themed plans ChicPartyPlans.com gives free party planning advice. For example, download their signature “MAP to a Memorable Experience” and “Countdown to a Chic Party.” There is also a “Free Chic Theme of the Month.”

All of the party planning themes on this site have been tested by the creators and are guaranteed to make a lasting impression.

Keisha Wright, creator of chicpartyplans.com, is a former youth Trendspotter and Experiential Marketer. She has worked with Teen People, Nickelodeon & MTV, helping them to launch immersive. She invites readers to check out the free theme of the month . More information visit – http://www.chicpartyplans.com/themes_downloads.php

One of the first and most important things to consider in deciding on a holiday destination is how to get there. Flying leaves behind a huge carbon footprint so it is worth thinking about travelling somewhere closer to home or somewhere where journeying by another means of transport is still feasible. A train or ferry journey, for example, can actually be a fun part of the holiday with excellent services available in and around Europe. If flying is the best option for the destination in mind, consider offsetting the carbon from the trip.

In terms of the destination itself, sustainable tourism is very important. Respecting an area’s culture and heritage should be part of any trip, as well as having consideration for the availability of local resources such as water and energy. Overall a holiday should not leave a negative impact on the visited area, leaving it for locals and future tourists to enjoy. Tourism plays a vital role in economies the world over, but it is of great importance, nevertheless, to respect the area to be visited rather than destroying its charm or having an unnecessarily negative environmental impact.

By: Hayley Jones

Hayley Jones is the Web Marketing Director for www.uk-energy-saving.com. For more information on the subject in this article visit their Green Tourism page at www.uk-energy-saving.com/green_tourism.html.