Central England Co-op shoppers can take in the tastes of the Commonwealth as the Games get underway

The excitement is building as the Commonwealth Games gets underway this week and Central England Co-op (CEC) has some great Commonwealth country-themed meal ideas to help customers cheer on the athletes from the comfort of their own home.

The Commonwealth Games is taking place across Birmingham over the next fortnight and CEC has food stores a stone’s throw from many of the venues being used for the Games.

It has compiled some delicious recipes from countries taking part which can be cooked using ingredients widely available in its 260 plus stores.

Australia is always one of the most successful participants in the Commonwealth Games and hosted the previous event on the Gold Coast in 2018.

People can support the Aussies by tackling the traditional Australian bake Lamingtons, which is a delicious cake filled with cream and jam, coated in a chocolate icing and rolled in coconut.

Canada will be bringing a strong team to Birmingham and CEC stores have all the ingredients needed to make and tuck into the Canadian comfort food of Poutine – a delicious dish of chips, gravy and cheese curds.

Shoppers can also pick up the ingredients for a Kiwi burger to mark New Zealand’s involvement in the Games.

The Kiwi burger is a type of burger totally unique to New Zealand, consisting of normal beef burger ingredients but with the addition of beetroot, pineapple and eggs.

Kenya are always amongst the medals, particularly in the long-distance running events and will no doubt be topping the podium at the Alexander Stadium during the Games.

Githeri is a simple yet nourishing dish of beans and corn that originated with the Kikuyu tribe in Kenya and may be a good dinner option while enjoying the Athletics.

CEC will of course be right behind the England team during the Games but will also be giving its support to the Malawi athletes after the launch of its Our Malawi Partnership initiative earlier this month (details at https://malawi.centralengland.coop/).

A popular recipe to try could be Mtedza, or Malawi Peanut Balls and it’s a simple biscuit recipe that is absolutely delicious.

There are some fantastic Malawian products now available in all CEC stores as part of Our Malawi Partnership, including macadamia nuts and butters from NutCellars, Kilombero Rice from JTS and various nut products from Liberation Foods – all sourced from the African country.

Keep an eye on www.centralengland.coop throughout the Commonwealth Games for more deals and details of the recipes mentioned.