Liverpool Food and Drink Festival 2010

Liverpool Life The sun beats down on another Liverpool Food and Drink Festival launch at Sefton Park. The day began earlier than usual, 10:30am (I began queuing half an hour before). Unlike last year when I received what amounted to a free breakfast, there were perhaps understandably given the times we live in, less free samples, but still loads of tasty food at relatively cheap prices.

Desperate to try something new I ended up with old favourites with new twists: sausage on a bun (infused with damson), small pizza folded over (and containing lasagne pasta – both of the major Italian food groups in one), barbecued mushroom and a kind of spinach pie (essentially a free associating tortilla). Big lunch.

The tastiest experience was the cup of earl grey tea I bought from the Brew stall. Brew is the tea shop on Bold Street and they’re employing a contraption by adagio teas called the ingenuiTEA, a pain free infuser, which also means they can offer a wide selection of tastes in the middle of a field.

I was so impressed, I bought one.

The dried tea leaves go into the “jug” to taste. Hot water is poured on top. And we wait. Douglas Adams suggested two or three minutes, but I like mine a bit stronger, so about five minutes. During the process a bit of magic happens. The dark, tinder dry tea regains a bit of its life force and the water fills with actual leaves.

It’s fascinating. Here’s a picture from above, post "pouring":



And from the side:



Once the tea has brewed, and this is the other miraculous bit, we place the “jug” on top of the cup and the tea dribbles out of the bottom into the cup/glass/flask/whatever you drink your tea from. Which is all rather more exciting than a mini-sieve or a cage on a chain or indeed a tissue paper bag. I can’t imagine wanting to make a cup of tea another way again.

I have my window open and can hear the festival continuing in the background as I type, at present what sounds like a square dance. I'm taking this break because some things are best enjoyed sparingly (plus I don't want to eat too much). I’ll be back out later for desert ...

Update Apple Tart with custard and cream (ooh) and some mocha and chocolate cake. There's only so much food a human can consume, it seems.