This July 5-6 saw 200 delegates come together at the 13^th Annual Skills for Chefs Conference at the University of Sheffield. California Prunes were delighted to be involved, taking part in the exhibition for the second year running, providing samples for the annual ‘Skills for Chefs Culinary Competition’, as well as providing a selection of California prune breads produced by Artisan Baker, Peter Cook, of Price & Sons, Ludlow which were served at the Gala Dinner. Price & Sons recently received the accolade of being listed in the top ten small bakeries in the UK by the Sunday Times (3 July, 2010)

The conference provides the opportunity for leading chef’s to share their skills and knowledge alongside an exhibition designed to bring together food professionals from across the industry. California Prunes were present throughout the conference with a stand and provided all delegates with a copy of ‘The Food Professional’s Guide to California Prunes’ as well as product samples including prune puree, plum concentrate, prune powder and plum kernel oil. A number of well renowned chefs demonstrated over the 2 days, including Atul Kochhar, Mark Hix and Giorgio Locatelli.

The Key note address at the event by Catherine Gazzoli of Slow Food UK encouraged chefs to embrace the philosophy of cooking using food that respects the environment, human health and animal welfare. California Prunes have great synergy here, with a commitment to a sustainable industry that begins in the orchard and an industry developed Integrated Prune Farming Practice as well as the final product which provides a number of dietary benefits. As the relationship between eating and health, particularly the focus on conditions such as obesity continues, California Prunes believe strongly in continuing to increase awareness and understanding of the health benefits of prunes.

The two day event culminated in the conference gala dinner where Martin Carabott from The Gleneagles Resort was announced winner of the Skills for Chefs culinary competition. California prunes were included in the competition, in which chefs had to create an innovative dish using a designated set of ingredients. The winning dish was slow cooked Blythburgh pork fillet, California prunes and Armagnac jus. Guests to the dinner were also served with a selection of California prune breads produced by Artisan baker, Price & Sons of Ludlow.

California Prunes have an affinity with many other foods, both savory and sweet, making them the ideal recipe ingredient. Having developed a range of prune derived ingredients for the food professional, California prunes hope to continue to meet demand for pure and functional ingredients and to provide inspiration for food developers.

For recipe inspiration at home, please check out our recipe pages

Martin Carrabott's winning dish of Blythburgh pork fillet, California prunes and Armagnac jus

Artisan Baker, Peter Cook of Price & Sons, Ludlow

We are delighted to announce that we are once again, supporting the fundraising efforts of the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) The charity offers a fantastic support network to new parents across the UK by providing parenting classes, regional groups and events for both parents and children, including the Cheeky Monkeys Tea Parties. Healthy eating is particularly pertinent for pregnant women, new parents and babies, and as California Prunes offer so many health benefits the relationship between the California Prune Board and NCT is an important one.

In 2009, NCT received more than 350 party registrations from all over the UK and raised over £30,000 for the NCT Early Days helpline. This year the focus of the appeal is to raise funds for the development of its Postnatal Line, a helpline to ensure that all new parents have easy access to information and support during the transition to parenthood. “The NCT are delighted to be working with California Prunes on what we are sure will be our most successful Cheeky Monkeys Tea Party campaign to date. With their support we are confident of hitting our target for the development of the NCT’s postnatal help line.” Allan Sutherland, Fundraising Operations Manager

NCT Cheeky Monkeys Tea Parties are held across the UK every year between May and September and provide a great opportunity for families and friends to get together and raise money to aid the vital work of the NCT. The parties are lots of fun and can include fancy dress raffles, sponsored toddles, arts and crafts, story-time, music sessions and games. As well as an opportunity to have a fun-filled afternoon, the events also raise money for the NCT so they can keep on providing support and information to all expectant and new parents through pregnancy, birth and early parenthood.

“The California Prune Board is very proud to support the National Childbirth Trust again this year. Its work to support new parents is vital and the Cheeky Monkey Tea Parties are a fantastic way to raise money for such a valuable cause. With healthy eating top of the agenda for pregnant women and new mothers our relationship is a worthy one and we look forward to sampling quality California Prunes with this year’s party-goers.” Esther Ritson-Elliott, California Prune Board, European Marketing Manager.

So far nearly 90 parties have been registered to take place this year and the attendees all have the opportunity to sample California Prunes as part of their afternoon tea. Parents and children of any age will enjoy the natural sweet taste of California Prunes and can benefit from their nutritional goodness at any time of day. Amanda Hamilton, Nutritionist, TV presenter and Founder of BabyToo BootCamp, says; “As a working mother of two young children, I know how busy life can get. When time is short it can be easy to snack on processed, high-fat treats, so stock your cupboards with healthy foods such as California Prunes. They’ll leave you feeling fuller for longer and are a great way of maintaining digestive health and boosting energy levels.”

The National Childbirth Trust is a registered charity, number 801395.

For more information about NCT please visit the website

As “Official Snackfood” of England Netball, California Prunes is very much aware of the hard work that goes on week in, week out, year in, year out by the volunteers who give up their time to support the game and its players. The Goalden Globes is the national award scheme that recognises their contribution  These awards are the pinnacle of the association’s recognition of voluntary effort and excellence. This year regional winners will be entered into a prize draw to win a spa day for 2 courtesy of our good selves, after all, hard work deserves a little pampering!

The award categories are…

Coach Award
Grassroots Coach Award
Inclusive Netball Volunteer Award
Mary Bulloch Administrator Award
Muriel McNally Award
Netball Teacher Award
Officials Award
Outstanding Netball Club Award
Rose Award
Young Netball Volunteer Award

Nominations are also sought for the England Netball Long Service Award.

The deadline for nominations has now been extended to 10am on Tuesday 6 April

For further details on the awards and nomination forms please visit the England Netball website here

If you are a Netball fan then why not tune into the Netball podcasts to find out all the latest news and gossip – check it out here

The California Prune Board would like to congratulate Sport Relief on raising a total of £31.6m with lots more to come in !! The money raised really will help to transform the lives of those in desperate need both across the UK and in the world’s poorest countries.

We were delighted to be involved in the weekends activities and Esther Ritson-Elliott, California Prune Board, European Marketing Manager had great fun taking part in the Sport Relief Mile in London on Sunday. California Prunes were sampled in the Sport Relief goody bags, which were given to 110,000 adults and 60,000 kids who participated – we hope they enjoyed their tasty, sweet snack!

Still to come we have the winners of the school competition which will be announced on 7th May. Schools and kids across the country are being invited to particpate in the fundraising efforts by entering a Sport Relief competition and California Prunes are providing the numerous prizes for the winners. The competitions are centered round the work of Sport Relief and explore how the money the charity raises can benefit children in the UK and across the globe. Children of all ages can take part and each winning class will receive activity or sports equipment for their school.

So far the response to the competitions has been terrific with over 500 class entries so far. Keep it up!

For more information on Sport Relief visit the website here to view pictures of the Sport Relief miles click here

California Prunes are the “Official Snackfood” of England Netball and we are excited to announce that nominations for England Netball’s Goalden Globe Awards 2010 are now open. The awards are a chance for netballers to thank the volunteer force who give up their time to support the game and its players.

Each England Netball Region will choose a Regional winner for each of the categories, and these winners will then be put forward as nominees for the National Goalden Globe Awards which take place on 18 September at The Athena in Leicester.

The closing date for nominations is Wednesday 31 March, 2010

For further details and nomination forms please visit the England Netball website HERE

Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday falls on 16 February this year. Traditionally pancakes are eaten with lemon and sugar but many other sweet and savoury fillings can be used.  If you are looking for inspiration then why not try The California Prune Board recipe for Pancakes with Prune filling.

To make the batter:
125 g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 small eggs
3 dcl milk
butter or oil for frying

Make a well in the flour in a mixing bowl. Add salt, eggs and half the milk.  Stir until smooth, then add remaining milk and beat until batter is bubbly.  Set aside until filling and sauce have been prepared.  Fry eight pancakes in usual way in a little heated butter or oil.

To make the filling:

100 g California Pitted Prunes, chopped

1 – 2 tbs rum

60 g unsalted butter

1 1/2 dl (100 g) finely chopped walnuts

60 g vanilla sugar (or caster sugar and a few drops of vanilla essence

3 tbs cream

Soak chopped prunes in rum for 15-20 minutes. Soften butter in a small bowl. Stir in walnuts, sugar and cream.  Mix well, and then add rum-steeped prunes.

To make the chocolate sauce:

100 g plain (or cooking) chocolate

3 tbs cold water

2 tsp potato flour

2 dl milk

2 tsp caster sugar

Grated zest of 1 tangerine (or 1 tsp dried bitter orange peel)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Break up chocolate into small cubes and put into a small saucepan with water.  Melt chocolate over a low heat, stirring from time to time.  Add a little of the milk to potato flour and blend until smooth.  Pour the flour mixture into the chocolate with sugar and rest of milk.  Bring to boil slowly and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Take off heat and stir in cream and cinnamon.

Keep cooked pancakes warm then place a little filling in centre of each.  Roll up pancakes, placing them in a warmed dish.  Heat chocolate sauce carefully.  Pour sauce over pancakes and serve at once.

Fad celebrity diets such as the Detoxing diet, currently being followed by celebrities like Megan Fox, may be a fast fix but are restrictive and difficult to stick to. Inevitably, we return to our old eating habits and the weight creeps back on. If you are looking to start a healthy eating regime that may contribute to long term weight loss, then try incorporating quality California Prunes as part of a balanced diet.

Why California Prunes?

Prunes contain only naturally occurring sugars, so you can reach for the prunes guilt-free when you need a sugar fix as they are virtually fat-free and contain only 20 calories

Prunes are high in fibre which can help to maintain a healthy digestive system and keep you feeling fuller longer so you are less likely to reach for the biscuit tin – perfect when watching your weight

Just three California Prunes equates to one portion of the recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables

Like all fruits, California Prunes provide high levels of antioxidants and the vital nutrients potassium, copper and vitamin K

California prunes provide potassium, copper and vitamin K and are naturally low in fat and salt.

Amanda Hamilton, Nutritionalist, TV presenter and Founder of BabyToo BootCamp, says; “We all know that being physically active is as important to our health as our diet. Make sure your body is fuelled for exercise by snacking on high fibre foods such as California Prunes. They’ll leave you feeling fuller for longer and the fibre they contain can help maintain digestive health. Their naturally occurring sugars could also help boost energy levels.”

California Prunes have long been recognised by chefs and cooks as a high quality, versatile ingredient. Low in fat they make a great substitute for butter or oil when cooking. Blend some prunes with water to make a prune puree which adds moisture without adding calories.

California Prunes have long been recognised by chefs and cooks as a high quality,  great tasting ingredient. Unlike so many other calorific ingredients,  California Prunes are low in fat and calories and  make a great addition to both sweet and savory dishes. Nigella Lawson famously names prunes as “squashed teddy bear noses” and they feature in her delicious recipe for Chocolate Christmas Cake. With only 20 days until Christmas why not try some of our recipes for the Christmas season including:

• California Prune and Mint Stuffed Shoulder of Lamb
• Orange and California Prune Stuffing
• California Prune and Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding

For full details of these Christmas recipes and more, please visit the recipe page http://californiaprunes.co.uk/recipes.asp We hope you enjoy them as much as we do and look forward to reading your comments!

California Prunes are low in fat and as well as being a versatile ingredient, can also be used as a substitute for butter or oil when cooking.  Just blend some prunes with water to make a puree, which will add moisture without adding calories. Try adding prune puree to homemade burgers or muffins for a sweet and juicy low fat treat!

The California Prunes team were lucky enough to attend and support The Goalden Globe Awards this year, which celebrate the work of England Netball’s many volunteers. The sport relies heavily on its volunteers and the event recognised and thanked more people than ever before for their time and commitment.

In true award ceremony style the 228 guests were welcomed into glamorous surroundings via a Hollywood Boulevard style walkway. A cocktail reception and dinner were enjoyed before the all important awards got underway. As well as awarding volunteers from various regions, who had been nominated by their clubs, the event also celebrated the work of 17 volunteers who received awards for their long service of over 25 years.

Newcastle Town Netball Club - winners of the NextGen Award

Young Volunteer Award nominee, Faye Jackson won the evening’s prize draw, and is now the lucky owner of a  Virgin Holiday Voucher worth £1,500, which we donated to the event. We hope she has a relaxing break somewhere hot and sunny – California perhaps?!

Faye Jackson receiving holiday voucher prize, donated by California Prunes

Once the awards were complete the evening was rounded off by plenty of music and dancing, finishing in the early hours of the morning. Congratulations to the winners and all of the nominees and hope to see you next year!

On Saturday, 30th May 2009 around a thousand women gathered in the beautiful surroundings of Blenheim Palace, to raise vital funds for Breast Cancer. The Ribbon Walks, sponsored by Woman&Home magazine are in their fifth year and last year alone raised over a million pounds! This year the California Prune Board was there to give the participants an added boost, in the form of tasty, quality California Prunes. It was a wonderful sunny day and perfect for spreading the message of California. The prunes were handed out to almost 1000 participants and according to the Ribbon Walk team were happily received by the charitable ladies taking part: “the prunes went down a real treat on Saturday” Says Lucy Thompson; Ribbon Walk Officer. The California Prune Board will also be present at the Ribbon Walks taking place at Scone Palace, Harewood House and Petworth House this month.