Onion Harvest - Stourgarden

The harvest will be celebrated by British Food Fortnight this year

Running between 21 September and 6 October, the patriotic promotion of British food - British Food Fortnight -willthis year include a challenge to find the community organising the most imaginative harvest celebration; a call to the young to create a new harvest anthem; and a ‘Celebration of the Harvest’ in Westminster Abbey, the first harvest service to be held there since 1966.

There will also be hundreds of patriotic food promotions in shops, pubs and restaurants and foodie events around the country.

Communities across the country will compete to organise the most imaginative harvest celebration during British Food Fortnight, including events such as harvest suppers; swap-shops of home-produced food; harvest services on the farm; home-brew-offs; and tractor rides through cider orchards.

Raymond Blanc and Alan Titchmarsh are joining DEFRA secretary of state Owen Paterson and Tesco chief executive Philip Clark, to judge the competition which is being run in association with The Daily Telegraph.

As well as the competitions, there will also be BritishFood Fortnight menus and promotions in shops, pubs and restaurants and food festivals in more than half the English counties. Everyone is invited to join in the harvest celebrations by sharing their photos and activities on social media with the hashtag #bringhometheharvest