We got excited about National Doughnut Week (who wouldn’t be?), we are celebrating National Vegetarian Week (go veggies!), and we are prepping for Cesar Salad Day (really? Yeah, it’s a day). This whole National [insert food] week has us thinking – is it all just one big marketing ploy? Do all these foods really need their own week? We set out to investigate!

First things first; if you want to start your own National Food Day/Week, you better hop to it – there isn’t much space left. In fact, many weeks are double booked. Take for example 8-14 October 2012 – the quadruple booked curry, chocolate, cocktail, egg week! My goodness!

Rubicon National Mango Week: 24 - 30 May

We began our investigation with the most obvious of national food week corporate affiliations - Rubicon National Mango Week. Rubicon launched National Mango week in 2008 and they've found a reason to celebrate each year - record sales! According to Adrian Troy, Head of Marketing at AG Barr:

"Rubicon traditionally experiences a huge sales peak leading up to and following National Mango Week, when awareness of the brand is especially high. Retailers should take advantage and make sure they have a plentiful supply of Rubicon Mango drinks to meet the increased demand."

But not everyone is happy about Rubicon National Mango Week. Modest Mango isn't too pleased about Rubicon budging in and claiming the mangoes! We found a slightly humorous open letter to Rubicon that claims modestmango.com invented Mango Week.

The verdict: Mangoes are awesome. Whether blended in a smoothie, diced in a tangy Thai curry, or served up fresh, we LOVE mangoes. Will we be rushing to the market to stock up on Rubicon? Probably not.

Tesco and National Vegetarian Week: 21 - 27 May

Let us make things clear. We love meat. We really do. It would almost be bad business if we didn't. But just because we signed meat on as our partner in crime, does that mean we have to abandon the beloved vegetable? No!

If you read our blog post on National Vegetarian Week, you would know that broccoli with a sprinkle of Parmesan is one of our favouite snacks. We are not the only one trying to get in on veggie week. As part of Tesco's "Real Food" campaign, National Vegetarian Week fits in quite nicely. Especially to promote veg friendly brands available at Tesco such as Quorn, a meatless meat product.

The verdict: We support National Vegetarian Week. So what if brands like Tesco ride the veggie wave? At the end of the day it's all about reminding us that fresh food does a body good. It also makes people like Lisa Simpson feel bad.

Cadbury and National Chocolate Week: 8 - 14 October

If we are going to support any food week, it's going to be the week of 8 - 14 October. Get ready for a week filled with sweets, booze, protein and spice because that week is officially National Chocolate Week, London Cocktail Week, National British Egg Week, and National Curry Week. And you better believe that brands associated with chocolate, cocktails, eggs and curry are making the most of it - including us! How could we miss out on curry week?

The worlds biggest confectionery company, Cadbury, takes advantage of National Chocolate Week by promoting Cadbury World in Birmingham. But it's not the marketing opportunity I find most interesting (really, it would just be silly if Cadbury didn't celebrate National Chocolate Week). It's the history of chocolate in the UK that is fascinating. According to www.chocolateweek.co.uk George Cadbury and others,

"created an immensely wealthy industry producing cocoa and chocolate (to drink) as an alternative to the demon alcohol (gin in particular)."

Who would have thought chocolate would work as a substitute for gin?!

The verdict: I find it a bit silly that chocolate, cocktails, eggs, and curry all found their way to the same week. But, hey, they're all wonderful things and we are going to celebrate!

Free Food Friday 25 May edition

We want to know what you think about National [insert food] Week. Is there a food week you love to celebrate? Or is there a food that NEEDS to be celebrated? Tell us what you think about national food weeks and you could win free food from hungryhouse. Comment on this post to enter.

5 winners will be selected and rewarded a £15 hungryhouse voucher.

4pm update: We have 5 Free Food Friday winners! Check your comment to see if you won. See you next week for another round of Free Food Friday.

chrysostomos "It really seems like they're just marketing ploys. I feel cynical thinking that but what else is a person supposed to think when these food weeks are aggressively promoted by the food producers in question? Then again it'd be a little weird having vegetarians sponsoring Meat Feast Friday (although not as weird as the president of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie association being a vegetarian). I'll console myself with National Cheesecake Week."

Simon McDonald "I think a national "empty your cupboards" week would be good, to encourage people to go through their kitchen and catch things before they go too far out of date. It could be combined with suggestions of how long certain foods are safe to eat after their "best before" date, and use one of these sites where you enter your available ingredients and it tells you what you can make with them :)[/quote]

Gary "I suggest, nay, I insist, that there be Chicken Satay Day!
HAPPY CHICKEN SATAY DAY EVERYONE!"

Tom "Wake me up when it's national houmous, smoked salmon and artichoke heart week please :)"

Shoma "I love the idea of National food Week. I feel, more restaurants and supermarkets should be a part of such schemes and they be promoted. Most of the times, the consumer is not aware of such a themed week. Moreover, the consumer has the tendency to ask the question, 'So what? What's in it for me?' If such themed weeks are coupled with special deals in restaurants and supermarkets and tasting/sampling sessions, it would prompt the consumer to try out the themed food. I was quite excited about the Rubicon Mango week but I did not find any particular promotion or availability of mangoes in my local supermarket. There are so many species of mangoes, especially the Indian Alphonso mango which is still very hard to procure in the UK. I would have loved to see the Alphonso mango being made available in supermarkets in UK to commemorate the Mango Week."