The New Year kicks off with 365 days of celebration of one of the world's oldest foods. The United Nations has declared 2013 to be the International Year of Quinoa, underlining its importance as the so-called 'golden grain' of the Incas. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), "quinoa is the only plant food that contains all the essential amino acids, vitamins and trace elements and is also gluten-free".
Says James Livingstone-Wallace, whose new brand of Peruvian quinoa, Quinola, is grown by a farming co-operative in the foothills of the Andes: "Since its foundation in 1945 the UN has decided to promote two foods on an international basis via its 'International Year of' scheme, namely potato and rice.
"With 2013 being declared the International Year of Quinoa, it is clear that quinoa is destined to become a global staple and no longer a niche superfood. Its exceptional and unique nutritional benefits have made quinoa worthy of international recognition. And in case you didn't know, the potato originated in Peru, too!"
For more press information and samples, please contact Claire Bowman at Positive PR on email: claire@positivepr.co.uk or call: 01935 389497.  To find out more about Quinola please visit www.quinola.com.  
Quinola is available in red, pearl and black varieties from delicatessens, Fortnum & Masons, Planet Organic, Selfridges, Traidcraft and by mail order.

Notes to editors:
Quinola works directly with the smallholders of Cabaña in the foothills of the Andes, north of Lake Titicaca, and employs people with learning difficulties to package it in recycled cardboard in France.

Text attributed to Food4Media.com  

Real Bread Maker Week is Britain’s biggest annual celebration of Real Bread and its makers.

This year, as well as raising awareness for Real Bread, we knead your help raising cash.

The Real Bread Campaign has great new plans to help people who, for one reason or another, have a tougher time than most of us enjoy the social, therapeutic and employment opportunities Real Bread making offers, but we need the dough to do it!

Celebrating Real Bread

Here are three ways you can kick the industrial loaf habit:
■On your high street: look for The Real Bread Loaf Mark at a local Real Bread bakery
■At the ends of your sleeves: learn to bake yourself or teach the kids how to make Real Bread by hand
■In the back of your kitchen cupboard: dust off that unloved bread machine to bake Real Bread, or pass it on to someone who will
 
For more information visit: www.sustainweb.org/realbread/about_us/

National Mills Weekend is the annual festival of our milling heritage and provides you with a fantastic opportunity to visit mills, many of which are not usually open to the public.

In 2013 it will take place on the 11th and 12th May and we hope even more mills than in previous years will open their
 doors and welcome visitors. Until the advent of the steam engine, wind and watermills provided the only source of power for many different processes - from making flour, paper, cloth to hammering metal and extracting oils. You  can explore mills that produced, or still produce these products, some restored to working order, some derelict, some still working commercially.

There are special events over the weekend hosted by many of the mills, lots for kids to do and get involved with - fun for all the family.

Why not make a day of it?  Search for mills open in your area: www.nationalmillsweekend.co.uk   To find the mills open in your area, search for your county in our Windmills and Watermills pages. Given the number of mills open, we have divided the mills by their type - Windmills or Watermills.

We are grateful to the mill owners for opening their mills to the public and for providing us with information on their opening hours.

 For more information visit www.vegsoc.org

British Food Fortnight is part of Love British Food 2013 - for more information visit: www.lovebritishfood.co.uk

Organised by Cask Marque, the award for pubs serving great cask ale.

For more information visit: www.nationalcaskaleweek.co.uk; Tel: 01206 752212 or email: info@cask-marque.co.uk
Twitter: @caskaleweek
Facebook: /National Cask Ale Week

For more details visit: www.chocolateweek.co.uk