MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Penguin News Update

Headlines:
Sky-high tea party aids Forces charity; Culinary contest launched; Autocar teams up with Land Rover.

Sky-high tea party aids Forces charity

A LUCKY group of people from Mount Pleasant and Stanley enjoyed a tea party with a difference last week after successfully bidding for seats on board the RAF's VC10 in SSAFA Forces Help's Big Brew Up charity auction. Pictured aboard the VC10 are passengers Lisa Kelly who works in the Hive, Colin Smith from NAAFI, Sue Lumsden from Sodexho, Sgt Ian Cradock and Captain Laura Evans of Media Operations, along with Falklands residents Sandra Henry, Anya Cofre, and Leone, Kevin and Natasha Reynolds, with their flight crew, Sqn Ldr John Shields, Flight Lt Ollie North, Sqn Ldr Rob Ashurst and Flight Lt Jamie Sheppard. Picture: MPC Photo Section (Full story page 3.)

Culinary contest launched

THE co-authors of a new coffee-table cook book are launching a competition to find a recipe using local ingredients for inclusion in their stunning publication. Alex Olmedo of the Falklands Brasserie and Julie Bellhouse of Studio 52 are in the final stages of production of their book Natural Ingredients, Taste of the Falklands, and want to get the community involved through the competition. The book, which is being released to coincide with the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands' liberation, is about contemporary cuisine in the Islands - "modern, fresh, healthy and easy to make" - and this is the theme Alex and Julie wish to see in entries. They are seeking entrants who can come up with a recipe for a main meal (to feed four people) which makes the best use of fresh Falklands ingredients. "The whole idea is to make the best use of local produce," Julie said. "Part of the aim of the book is to highlight and show the Falklands as it is today, promoting organic and fresh ingredients as well as what you can see in the Islands." Alex continued, "The book's emphasis is on the beautiful nature of the Falklands, both in the landscape and the food, which is so important when we promote the Falklands to the whole world." He said that in the Falklands we take for granted the fresh meat and other products that are available. "We have beautiful ingredients and the use of them has really developed very quickly. Even just fifteen years ago mutton and potatoes dominated our diets but now that's changing and this is what we want to show in the book." Entries for the competition are now being accepted (see page 7 for details). Alex explained, "We've set a budget of £15 for ingredients, which doesn't include the main ingredient of the dish. "We want people to buy local products and our competition sponsor, Seafish Chandlery, will have vouchers for the 16 short listed participants to the value of £15 for the purchase of their ingredients." The final competition takes place on November 1. Participants will be asked to have their ingredients prepared in advance; on the day, in the kitchens of the Community School's Home Economics suite, they will be required to put the meal together and dish it up within an hour. Alex had a piece of advice for the cooks: "Don't overcomplicate the meal. We don't have time nowadays to cook all day; we need health and convenience so make sure it's easy to put together." The winner will see his or her recipe published in Natural Ingredients, Taste of the Falklands, "...with photography and a mention," Alex said.

Autocar teams up with Land Rover

THE rugged scenery of the Falklands is to provide the perfect backdrop for a top motoring magazine photo shoot. The shoot is to be the finale to a major supplement given away with the magazine, Autocar, which tells the story of the new Land Rover Freelander from conception to production. Autocar news editor, Dan Stevens, will be part of the team which arrives in the Falklands tomorrow (Saturday). The two new Freelanders which will feature in the shoot are expected to arrive from Montevideo the following day. Dan says Autocarchose the Falklands for "all the obvious reasons". "It's a very, very long way away, which appeals and it's wild and rugged (which works with the Land Rover theme.)" He added that the trip is part of an Autocartradition of taking cars to "odd" places. "Years ago we drove a Ferrari to the Sahara and camped with local nomads, and last year we took a Rolls Royce Phantom to Namibia. It's just something we do." The team will spend a week driving the cars off-road, but is also interested in "what makes the Islands tick" so they will be meeting the Governor and residents. Getting the cars here has been a challenge, Dan said. "They left Gaydon in Warwickshire, where Land Rover is based, on September 2, and arrived in Montevideo on the 25th. They will arrive at Stanley on Sunday morning - we'll be there to see them arrive." Two other people from Autocarare coming to the Falklands, Steve Cropley who is one of the world's most senior and influential motoring journalists, and well-travelled photographer Stan Papior. Two Land Rover representatives will also visit - technician Mark Styles "in case the cars break" and Land Rover Experience Instructor Doug Dale, who, Dan says, is the "off-road expert". The visit has been organised in conjunction with the Falkland Islands Tourist Board and the Falkland Islands Company Ltd, the official Land Rover dealer. Founded in 1895, Autocaris the world's oldest car magazine. The Freelander supplement will be included in the November 1 issue.