Food and Travel web conference: Exploring local flavours (hosted by Tripbod and Waitrose Food Illustrated)

On Thursday 18 March at 1pm GMT, Tripbod and Waitrose Food Illustrated will be hosting a web conference with the theme of Food and Travel.

Exploring the local cuisine adds a wonderfully evocative and memorable flavour to your travels. Meal times (and snack times) are important pockets of experience along your journey and they can be some of the most enjoyable moments of your trip. Finding a good local spot to eat can be tricky but when successful, it is hugely rewarding; you step into exciting new atmospheres, situations and discover what the local culture is really all about.

Tune in and take part in our LIVE discussion

Join us and an expert panel of inspiring speakers discussing the relationship between travel and food, in the UK and further afield. Listen in and post questions LIVE, which the speakers will respond to during the discussion.

Register: Email [email protected] to register for free for the live discussion.

We will be running the conference using an online conferencing programme and will email you login information before it starts. The web conference will start at 1pm GMT on Thursday 18th March 2010.

Twitter: Send us questions before and during the event by including #travelandfood

The Panel of Experts

The conversation will be lead by Sally Broom, founder of Tripbod, with a panel of expert speakers. The conference will be hosted from Rheged in Penrith, Cumbria, which is part of Westmorland Limited, a company that promotes Cumbrian culture, food and produce, and Waitrose Food Illustrated HQ. Sally will be asking the experts to discuss how travellers and industry alike feel food and travel influence one another, positively or otherwise.

Sally Broom, Founder of Tripbod

Tripbod.com connects travellers, online, to trusted local experts (‘Tripbods’) to help visitors get under the surface when they travel.

Founder Sally Broom has noticed the increasing prevalence of food-related advice being provided by their global community of Tripbods in response to customer queries: “It appears that food and drink is fast becoming integral to the feeling of having made a real connection with a destination. It is no longer enough just to see a new place, we want to taste it too.” Sally runs Tripbod.com from her home in Cumbria where farming and tourism are central to the regional economy, making her a passionate advocate of local travel and local food. Go to www.tripbod.com to find out more.

Liz Edwards, Chief Editor of Waitrose Food Illustrated

Liz knows all about the wonder of exploring the local food when you travel. Her writing and editorials inspire the small moments of delight when eating like a local. She demonstrates that food is fundamental to a different culture; it is a product of the local culture.

This is taken from a piece she wrote about Copenhagen: “Stop at one of the many pølser (hot dog) stands dotting the city and one of these small wonders of Danish thoughtfulness and design can be yours for about a quid. A nation that designs its snacks as brilliantly as its state monuments is one that’s not just concerned with cool for cool’s sake; it’s one that’s not afraid to have fun” (from www.waitrose.com).

Andy Lynes, Food Writer

Andy is a renowned food writer and gourmet and he has written extensively about local food and travel for the Independent  (full biog on www.andylynes.com). He has written about local food culture from Bordeaux to Baltimore, and everything in between.

Among his many articles, he wrote about an escape from the functional architecture of Cologne in the Chocolate Museum, atmospheric brauhaus (brew houses) and Currywurst stands: “there’s a reason why the Currywurst Sepp stand on Ehrenstrasse attracts a crowd, even in the middle of the afternoon. That gloopy crime against gastronomy is, whisper it, totally delicious” (from the Independent).

Since this blog was first posted, two more panellists have been announced:

• Katie Keegan, Ethical Business Woman in Cumbria
• Rose Thomas, The Travel Foundation in Tobago
• Catherine Gazzoli, CEO of Slow Food UK