Despite the fact that my typical view on soup is that it is a snack, not a proper meal, there are a great deal of soup extraordinaires on the market doing their best to prove me wrong. One such company is Tideford Organics, an independent organics company based in Devon. Tidefords makes and sells soups, sauces and even puddings – all products are gluten free, low fat, low salt and totally organic, with veggie and vegan options.
To celebrate (or perhaps commiserate?) the fact that winter is coming, Tideford has teamed up with some of he UK’s top celeb chefs to launch a range of organic soups, and Team TB was invited to check it out. The launch took place at Hix Soho, in the basement to be precise. This is a fab venue for any sort of food-related event, with an impressively extensive alcohol collection, even more impressive hipster beards on the bar staff and a dark and gloomy but still stylish décor. There was some rather delicious champagne on offer and some delicious canapés, including haddock croquettes, celeriac wrapped in duck breast and an especially delicious mix of mushrooms on delicate pastry.
Then came the soups – sadly not available to taste (although this may have been a little difficult!) they were attractively displayed in a pyramid in the centre of the room, along with helpful leaflets detailing the ingredients. There are some delicious winter flavours on offer, including winter beetroot with curly kale, sweet potato with chia seed and quinoa, and red lentil with apricot and chilli. Not only are these tasty combinations, they are also excellent for anyone planning a post-Summer (or pre-Christmas?) detox.
The celebrity chef soups were designed by Aldo Zilli, Mitch Tonks and the launch venue’s own Mark Hix. Zilli’s Tuscan bean soup was a delicious rich red colour, perfect for cold winter days. Tonks’s offering was West Country Haddock Chowder, which looked delicious, with some rather tasty looking chunks of fish and vegetable. Hix’s celeriac and apple soup looked the most appetising to me, and looks set to be a best seller for winter.
All in all, a great event with some delicious-looking soups which are both healthy and exciting. Thanks to the lovely people of Tidefords for the invitation – my only complaint was that we didn’t get to try any – although Tidefords had request forms for those who were interested, so hoping to sample them very soon!