FAST food may dominate the high street but a growing movement is gathering momentum to stand against it – slowly, of course.

The Slow Food movement was founded in 1986 by Carlo Petrini in Italy, in opposition to a McDonalds opening in Rome near the Spanish Steps.

The attempt to block the fast food giant from opening failed but it spawned a movement which now has some 100,000 members in groups in 132 countries, all striving to preserve traditional and regional food while promoting sustainability.

And Slow Food Solent is one of those groups.

Although the group was formed some time ago it has remained dormant until now.

Nicola Batchelor took over running Slow Food Solent at the beginning of the year and it is holding its inaugural event tonight.

Everyone is welcome to the event which offers a locally-produced menu and open kitchen at award-winning Greens in Wickham.

“We’re a local group that aims to promote good, clean and fair foods for everyone,” says Nicola.

“We are passionate about encouraging people to reconnect with the producers who grow their food and to enjoy health, nutritious and delicious foods.”

Although Slow Food doesn’t only promote local food, with the accent on knowing the producer, maintaining local dishes, tractability and seasonality, it’s natural that food that has been grown, reared and caught locally is high on the agenda.

“Local food is very important to me,” says Nicola. “I buy as much locally as I possibly can – I get a veg box and visit farmers’ markets and farm shops.”

Nicola says that although Slow Food members share an interest in food, different people have their own reasons for getting involved.

This includes an interest in sustainable farming, promoting regional dishes, knowing that their food has been produced in a good, fair way and standing up against the ever-increasing pace of modern life and large corporations which often offer identical restaurants and dishes across the globe.

Slow Food Solent is keen to recruit new members and is planning further events in May and June.

If you like to take your time to enjoy what you’re eating and think that good food is worth slowing down for, Slow Food Solent could be for you!

■ For more information about Slow Food Solent, visit http://sites.google.com/site/slowfoodsolent/ or email slowfoodsolent@hotmail.co.uk.