The best meal I have ever had, beating even the twelve part antipasto in a
Slow Food restaurant in Italy! It was exemplary, in terms of using high
quality local produce, identifying the origin on the menu and - really
importantly - the staff introduced each dish as it arrived, so that we knew
which vegetables had come from the garden and how the dish was prepared.

Jane

I thought that we could try to re-invigorate the group and organise a meeting for the new year. It doesn't seem realistic (at least for me) to read something and meet before Christmas.

Tamara has suggested a book which sounds ideal for us:
Jay Rayner, The Man Who Ate the World: In Search of the Perfect Dinner

Let's set the date for Wednesday 20 January
7.30 pm at my house (37 Hayfield Rd, Oxford OX2 6TX)
I'll provide nibbles if others don't object to bringing a drink?

If this date turns out to be inconvenient for too many people I'll change it.

With Terre Madre day a month away, the Oxon Convivium jumped the gun, and twenty Slow Food members enjoyed the talents of Andrew Hill, chef at The Half Moon, Cuxham, a thatched 17^th Century gastro pub near Watlington, Oxon.

The efforts of Eilidh Ferguson, Andrew's partner for the last 8 years, in sourcing nearly all the produce from sustainable and local growers within 10 miles, shows just what can be done.  Post aperitif, Bob Nielson, the head viniculteur at local Brightwell Vineyard, gave a history and appreciation of his local wines, to set off  the whole evening perfectly.

From the initial service, the guests were quietly astonished, and as the meal progressed slowly with the rising volume of discussion and good comments heard so positively, all knew this was a special occasion.