When life gives you lemons; make lemonade… or use them to do the cleaning!!
I’ve sorted through everything and managed to store everything away, so I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself!! So much so, I’ve treated myself to this fabulous piece of design for our hall way…
I saw it in Country Living Magazine before Christmas and knew I just had to have one. This beautiful fabric stags head was from The Red Door Gallery in Edinburgh(www.edinburghart.com) and cost £48. In my many conversations with the lovely people at the gallery, I’ve discovered Fudges is available in a deli called Mellis down the road from the gallery on Victoria Street (http://www.mellischeese.co.uk/ContactUsVS.asp). It’s always so exciting to hear how far and wide Fudges biscuits are stocked.
So, on to my top cleaning tips… my first is – get a cleaner!! Only kidding, if you don’t have that luxury I use natural products around the house. They are so much better than having hundreds of products cluttering up the cupboard under the sink, and they double up as ingredients! The best are lemon juice and vinegar, there’s not much they won’t clean. Use vinegar with newspaper for windows – dilute your vinegar with water (1 part vinegar to 4 parts water) and use a lint-free cloth to clean off grime, and then polish up with the newspaper. Don’t underestimate the uses for washing up liquid either; it’s great for getting grease out of clothes and upholstery. You can always use a little in warm water for cleaning your jewellery too; just make sure you do it in a bowl so you don’t lose your precious jewels down the plug hole!
Thank you to Ann Doig who left this great tip on our Facebook page; “add a little lavender oil to water, dip in an old cloth, wrap it around a broom handle or long pole and wipe down the back of radiators, it not only cleans but smells wonderful”. All of us at Fudges, love hearing from our “Fudgies” so please do get in touch, you can:
- ‘Like’ us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/#!/Fudgesbakery?sk=wall&filter=1),
- ‘Follow’ us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/Fudgesbakery), or even
- Email us via our website (http://www.fudges.co.uk/contact_us.php?sid=mkdf91lca00o10uqmrfhreg214)
In other news, it was BIG Harry’s christening last weekend. I was briefed to make “crowd pleasing” desserts!! So I made; raspberry, strawberry and blueberry pavlova, banoffie pie, profiteroles and a fresh fruit salad.
My profiteroles were a little deflated (think the Aga may have been a little too cool when I put the first batch in) until I piped them full of crème patisserie; I make mine by mixing whipped cream with custard. You can always add in some orange zest for a bit of a change.
My daughter Sarah (Harry’s mummy) made the cake – what do you think? She crafted the booties out of sugar paste. The top tier was a light fruit cake and the bottom tier wasVictoriasponge.
Speak again soon,
Sue xxx
Making Space
I’ve finished my clear-out but I’m still left with lots of STUFF! My plan is to store it all in practical yet beautiful ways.
Bedroom
My biggest headache in the bedroom (!) is finding a home for the spare bedding and towels; I’ve found some lovely old leather suitcases to store ours in. They can be stacked on top of wardrobes, slid under beds or used as a feature in the room. Just make sure you line them with some fragrant drawer liners to keep everything fresh.
I also have a few hat boxes – these are fab for handbags, scarves, gloves and, of course, hats. There are some gorgeous ones available from The Holding Company;
http://www.theholdingcompany.co.uk/hatboxesdeptbed_hat/?gclid=CLS3pby_r64CFVRItAod410cPQ
I did a tasting event recently for our friends at The Rural Farm Shop. It was a great day, if you’re ever in the area you really should pop in, as they have a fantastic selection of Dorsetproduce. http://www.theruralfarmshopcompany.com/
One of the best bits of the day was having the opportunity to wander across the courtyard to Bergere Home Interiors www.bergereineriors.co.uk where I purchased this; I’m going to paint it and use it to hang all my necklaces and bracelets on.
Lounge
Magazines are a great source of inspiration for both the home and recipes; I mentioned last time that I am always struggling to find a home for them, so I’m going to invest in one of these from “Store”. www.aplaceforeverything.co.uk
Kitchen
The most important room in the house!! Organising my larder is always a top priority – I have to have everything at my fingertips when I’m working on a new recipe; I’ve bought in some of these from Lakeland (the home of all those things you never even knew you needed) www.lakeland.co.uk so I can see all my herbs and spices without having to pull everything out of the cupboard.
Everyone has one of “those” drawers… full of bits and bobs. Stuff that you need, but doesn’t really have a home; tape measures, pens, pencils, takeaway menus, string, instructions to the last kitchen gadget you bought, etc. I love this… it won’t stop the clutter but it might help me shut the drawer!! Again this one is from Lakeland.
But of course, the most important storage item in ANY home is the biscuit barrel. I’m always on the lookout for a stylish design I wouldn’t mind displaying on my work top and I’ve come across these retro inspired enamel tins from Betty Twyford www.bettytwyford.com
Fudges biscuits are so delicious (lovingly made without using any artificial ingredients or preservatives), I can’t believe there would be any left once a packet has been opened but, if there are, and your biscuits for cheese have gone a little soft, you can remedy this by popping them into a warm oven for 7-8 minutes. Once you’ve allowed them to cool they should be just as they were you opened them. Of course, warm cheese straws are just ummmmmmmmmm anyway!!
Happy eating.
Speak again soon
Sue xx
“Flipping Super” Pancakes!!!
I love Shrove Tuesday but, as you know, I love any celebration of all things foodie!! Here’s my fool proof recipe for “Flipping Super” pancakes;
- 110g/4oz plain flour, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water
- 50g/2oz butter
Top tips for a perfect pancake:
1. Measure the ingredients as precisely as you can to ensure your batter reaches the right consistency, which ideally should be a bit thicker than pouring cream.
2. Use a large whisk. The larger the whisk, the more air you can whip into the batter, which will help to produce lighter, fluffier pancakes.
3. Use butter in your pan for a nicer flavour but add a little oil to prevent the butter burning.
4. Once mixed, put your batter in a jug to make it easier to pour into your pan.
5. Only flip each pancake once. This will prevent the batter overcooking and any sticking to your ceiling!
6. The first pancake is for the dog! Your first effort won’t be your best. Don’t let it worry you or put you off!
7. Pancakes are best eaten fresh but you can keep them warm in a low oven by separating each one with a sheet of greaseproof paper.
I like the classic combination of lemon juice and caster sugar, but when I was nursing I used to serve pancakes for my friends with Philadelphia Light cream cheese spread over the pancake, and then place mandarin oranges from a tin on the top of the cheese and roll up. Nutella and sliced banana is also good.
Making pancakes with savoury fillings is a great way for using up leftovers.
Fill your pancakes with chilli beef, roll and then place in an ovenproof dish and top with grated cheese. Try adding sliced chicken and stir fried veg – just wrap it all up and serve with a tomato salad.
I doubt you’ll have any left over but, if you do, add a little more fun to the day with a race in the back garden, or if you’re too full to take part why not get yourself and the family along to one of these fab events?
http://www.countryfile.com/countryside/pancake-day-events-around-uk
Speak to you again soon.
Sue x
Springing forward…
I love spring time. I love the flowers in the woodlands, I love getting out on my bike riding the lanes of the Dorset countryside, I love all the floral dresses in the shops, but most of all I love the chance to “play house” and start to indulge in new things for the home from the spring interior trends.
Before any cleaning begins, I throw open the windows and de-clutter the house – one of life’s true pleasures! Particularly after being holed up all winter. I’m a great one for eBay and car-boot sales, both are great ways to get rid of some of your unwanted items and also make a little bit of money for that beckoning summer holiday!
Here are my top tips for a satisfying clear out:
1. Set a date to do it. Stick to it… and don’t arrange anything else to do on this day.
2. Don’t try and do too much, you won’t de-clutter your entire house and clean it top to bottom in one day.
3. Do one room at a time. Complete each room before moving on to the next.
4. Do it with a friend. Especially if you are umming and aahing over clothes, friends will make the decisions for you!
5. For magazines (the bane of my life) give used copies to friends, neighbours or the doctor’s surgery, but don’t forget to rip out the articles or recipes you want and file for safe keeping. I have one box file for recipes and one for craft and house ideas.
6. Have three piles; sell, throw, give to charity.
7. If you’re struggling with what to keep; ask yourself these three questions:
Do I LOVE it?
Do I NEED it?
Is it ESSENTIAL?
Yes you love it, can use it and it is in working order = you can keep it
No = sell, throw, give to charity
No = sell, throw, give to charity
8. For items which were expensive, such as curtains or that eye wateringly expensive fur coat which was en vogue in 1995, pack them up in a box and put them somewhere safe for 12 months. If you haven’t wanted those items or even looked in the box in those 12 months; you need to sell it, throw it or give to charity!
If you are ruthless and throw anything away make sure you do it responsibly… I use this website which is a great source of info; www.recycle-more.co.uk/
After all that hard work, it’s good to relax and reward yourself. Seems only right you do this with a long sit down with a glass of something hot or cold and of course a delicious Fudges biscuit!!
Next time I’ll let you know how I got on! Catch up with you all soon.
Sue xx
Yorkshire Tea…. and biscuits (of course!)
I’ve just returned from a fabulous four day break in North Yorkshire. We visited our daughter Sarah and family to celebrate our granddaughter Izzy’s third birthday.
We had a super tea party; I find the secret to catering for kiddies is to keep it simple and make sure the adults enjoy the food as much as the little ones do! They especially loved the dips such as hummus with peppers, carrots, cucumber and breadsticks (Fudges Black Pepper Flatbreads are amazing with all dips but particularly hummus) and the cheese and courgette pickle sandwiches.
You can get some lovely pickles in the shops these days but it’s so easy to make it yourself, why not give it a go?
Crunchy Courgette Pickle
500g courgettes
3 finely chopped shallots
2 tbsp non-iodised salt
500ml cider vinegar
140g golden caster sugar
1tsp mustard powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp celery seeds
½ chilli dried and crumbled
1 tsp ground turmeric
Slice the courgettes. Put in a bowl with the shallots and sprinkle with salt. Cover with ice cold water, stir and leave for one hour. Drain the courgettes and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Add pickle ingredients to a pan and bubble for three minutes. Leave until warm, then add courgettes and stir. Ladle into sterilised jars, seal and leave for a few days in the fridge.
It’s perfect with Fudges Marmite biscuits too! http://www.fudges.co.uk/marmite-biscuits-p-75.html
We made cupcakes too… which of course Miss Izzy helped with!!
She didn’t help with this one though but loved it none the less!!
Izzy was delighted with her present. Gramps and I bought her an owl lamp for her lovely new bedroom from a charming company called White Rabbit England. The brain child of sisters Charlotte and Victoria, who set out to recreate the magical lamps they loved as children http://www.whiterabbitengland.com/prod_info.asp?prodid=138
It snowed heavily while we were up there (oddly it also snowed the day Isobel was born three years ago), so we took full advantage of the weather with Izzy’s first ever snowball fight!
Before returning home we enjoyed a wonderful meal in the beautiful surroundings of the Yorkshiredales at The Charles Bathurst Inn at Arkengarthdale www.cbinn.co.uk . Highly recommended if you’re ever close by. We had the lamb, great value too.
Catch up with you all soon.
Sue xx
The future’s bright, the future’s ORANGE!
We love all things orange here at Fudges Bakery, you can probably see that from our ORANGE logo! So it seems appropriate to seize this once a year opportunity to make my very favourite Seville orange marmalade.
Once a year, these intense bitter oranges are collected from trees inSevilleand shipped toBritain. They are particularly good for making marmalade because they are higher in pectin and so give a better set and a higher yield.
This recipe will brighten every breakfast from now until summer with its hit of zesty sunshine in a jar. I use my trusty Aga and simmer the oranges overnight in the oven (you can use a slow cooker if you want to use this method but don’t have an Aga), to soften the very thick dimpled skin.
Seville Orange Marmalade
Ingredients
1kg Seville Oranges
Juice from 2 lemons, approx 75-100mls
2kg granulated sugar
What to do now….
1) Scrub the oranges and place in large saucepan
2) Pour 2.5 litres of water over the oranges and boil for 2 hrs, or pop in the simmering oven of the aga overnight until the orange skins are soft.
3) Drain, save and measure the orange liquid and put back into preserving pan, adding more water if necessary to make up to 1.7 litres.
4) Next, cut the oranges in half, remove any pips with a fork and cut the skins into strips or use scissors.
5) Add the fruit, lemon juice and sugar to the liquid and bring slowly to the boil, stirring occasionally, making sure the sugar has dissolved.
6) Boil rapidly for 10-15 mins – test that setting point has been reached (take off the heat) by pouring a spoonful on a cold plate. As it cools, push your finger through the mixture – if it wrinkles, setting point has been reached – if not, boil for another 5 mins and re-test.
7) Allow to cool for 10 mins or so before pouring into clean sterilised jars (warm in the oven), seal and label, and of course, enjoy!! Store in a cool dark place. This will keep for 12-18 months. Mine doesn’t – it gets eaten!!!!
During these grey dark months it’s nice to plan ahead. I mentioned last time my beautiful niece Becky is organising her wedding reception at our home in Leigh for September; she visited us this weekend so we began planning our ideas.
Sunflowers are her favourite and luckily for me, incredibly easy to grow. They are a great way to encourage children to become interested in gardening… not that there are many children that don’t relish the opportunity to get covered in dirt, particularly her three! Because sunflowers grow quickly there’s not long for them to wait for the sight of a green shoot. All you need to do is pop a sunflower seed in compost, and water and feed regularly – keep them indoors until May to make sure they don’t get bitten by the frost! It’s nice for the children to measure how much they’ve grown each week and mark it on a chart, I found this useful link, give it a try!
http://www.sunflowerchallenge.org.uk/code/fun_things_crafty_1.asp
When you move them to the garden, stake them to stop them bending over. I use hazel from the wood at Durwestonto steak mine; it looks more natural and saves on the air miles associated with imported bamboo. Coppicing is a way of managing woodlands for conservation. Every year, the Dorset Coppice Group in Dorsethas an open day (Beanpole Day) where you can find out more about the age old tradition and get involved. The next one is on the 12th April.
It’s amazing what you can find in the woods!
For more information visit; www.dorsetcoppicegroup.co.uk
I use willow and hazel in all sorts of crafts. Becky was quite taken with my “Willow Men” (see below) and would like to have some to decorate the church and garden at the wedding.
If you’re interested in learning more about these ancient crafts, there are lots of great courses out there to choose from, I’m thinking about booking Becky on one here; www.highwayfarm.co.uk/artcourses
We’re off up toYorkshireat the end of the week for a few days to catch up with the grandchildren – Izzy is going to be 3 years old!! A party is planned so I don’t think there will be a lot of rest for Granny and Grampy Fudge but much fun is guaranteed! Catch up with you all soon.
Sue x
A New Year begins at the Bakery!
WOW! It seems ages since my last Fudge’s family blog; where to start? So much has happened at home and here at the bakery, which is probably why I’ve not settled down to write this blog sooner…
The bakery had an amazingly busy Christmas, all the changes we made during 2011 to improve our facilities proved worthwhile and the festive period was confirmed to have been a huge success. It was like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate factory, with all our bakers working like trojans (or oompa-loompas!) to make sure our customers got all the biscuits, Florentines, wafers and straws they wanted.
At home – the Fudge’s family Christmas was just brilliant! The builders left the day the family arrived for Christmas – not a lot of time to get things ship shape.
My lovely friend Christine arrived presents in hand, but instead of a sit down and a jolly good natter, I hiked her up the stairs to help make beds (and have another natter). Now that’s what I call a friend!! For the first time in six months I felt I had a home and not a building site. I could turn the music up loud and run around the house naked!! Okay maybe not with a house full of guests, but it so was nice to feel the house was our own at long last.
My grandson, ‘Big’ Harry, weighed the same as our turkey, a whopping 15½ pounds. We sat them together on the table when the turkey was all dressed up and ready for the oven and took photos (we’ll embarrass him with the evidence in a few years time!) Don’t worry; we made sure the right one went in the oven! This year I cooked the turkey overnight in the Aga’s simmering oven. The result was amazingly juicy and created with so little fuss it meant I could concentrate on the rest of the meal and entertaining my guests.
“Stuff the neck of the turkey with a mixture of breadcrumbs, sausage meat, herbs, onions and cranberries. Pop an orange and onion in the cavity and cover the whole turkey with smoked bacon. Seal inside a roasting bag to help keep in the flavour and juices!! Ta dah!!”
As always it was a very relaxed day, the grandchildren were impeccably behaved. Isobel, 2 ¾, helped me make mince pies for Father Christmas, it was such a joy. A lot of licking the spoon went on, but she did a brilliant job. We made enough to offer everyone a morsel and had four left over for Father Christmas. It was very special to watch her put her stocking (made by her mummy, Sarah) by the fireplace and carefully place her carrot for Rudolf and the four mince pies together on the plate. It’s memories such as these I’ll always treasure.
Well, now that I’m lucky enough to have a new kitchen and garden room I’m catching up on entertaining. We hosted New Year’s Eve and had friends over for supper. My favourite starter is Leslie Walters’ recipe for ‘Salted and Black Pepper Pears’, roasted in the oven. I served them on a bed of mixed herb lettuce with Woolsery Goat’s Cheese Fiesta Feta (you can use Greek) which I marinated in olive oil along with bruised sage leaves and garlic cloves (another Leslie recipe). I served them with Fudges Cheese and Black Pepper Flatbreads. Delicious and so simple.
All attention is now on Easter at the bakery; we’ve already started to make our yummy, spicy, buttery Easter Biscuits. These traditionally over-sized biscuits were originated (as all good food does) in the West Country and given to guests on Easter Sunday. Make sure you start looking out for them in store or online. We are very excited to have lots of our customers making big orders already!
Our Florentines, chocolate-dipped biscuits and flapjacks make a great alternative gift for your friends and family at Easter. All are crafted by hand, with extra special care to make sure they are properly coated in as much Belgian chocolate as possible!
Plans are coming together for the year ahead; keep up to date with all our news, information and chances to win goodies by signing up for our newsletter. Or for a lovely journal that’s packed with great ideas of places to visit and things to see and do with your family and friends, delivered direct to your inbox, just visit our website. Why not curl up by the fire, with a cup of steaming hot chocolate and dunk your favourite Fudges biscuit into it? I like Milk Choc Chip, mmmmm – very naughty, but gorgeous! Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter too.
I always like to have to have a project on the go and it’s the garden that is the priority as we near spring. My Niece Becky is getting married in our local church and has asked to have the reception at our house. Just the thing to keep me busy, I have until September to make the garden beautiful. She has requested “Sunflowers everywhere”. I’ll keep you updated with progress and share all the news from Fudges Bakery and family again soon!
Sue x
Retro sales, running and renovating!
Well, as usual, we haven’t been resting on our laurels…
The Retro Vintage and Craft sale was a huge success. I have to admit not having organised anything like this before made me very nervous. In fact, I didn’t sleep a wink – what if no one came!
But they did in their droves! We made an amazing £1,300 to share between our Church Fabric Fund and Help for Heroes. It was a very social event with folks staying and enjoying homemade soup and cakes, and enormous amounts of coffee and tea were consumed. Now everyone is asking if I intend to do it again next year – we’ll see!!
Then of course we had the Great South Run last weekend. A 10 mile run around the streets ofPortsmouthand Southsea with 24,000 other folks, all raising money for good causes.
As usual we got there late. Everyone was trying to drive intoPortsmouthat the same time – hence we crawled for 4 miles. Never mind, we found a parking space and walked a couple of miles to the starting line. Had time for a quick photo and off they went – leaving me holding the coats and feeling a bit miffed that I couldn’t do it this year because of my knee.
The Fudge family performed brilliantly – and competitively – running in record times (for them) and raising £2,200 for St Margaret’s Hospice in Yeovil.
We are hoping to have a Bicnic at the hospice this week and hand over our big fat cheque.
Enough of the fun, we have been at work too (honest!) and have launched our amazing online party packs – you name the party and we have a special pack of biscuits to feed your guests.
I’ve also been busy compiling my very first pickling and preserving booklet – it’s got some of my favourite recipes and tips, with room to put your favourites too. It will be launching on the website soon!
We have some amazing gifts too – just in time for Christmas – which could very well help you solve those difficult gift decisions. There is something for the most discerning of folks.
Do have a look on the website, www.fudges.co.uk – we’ve teamed up with Downton Abbey and there are wonderful prizes to be won!
Well the ‘build’ at home goes on and although I don’t really believe the builders they tell me all will be finished by the end of the month. But there’s so much left to do!! I tried to strip wallpaper but fused all the lights up stairs so Graham and I felt like Wee Willie Winkie with candles and torches when going to bed. It’s all looking great though and we are so pleased with the quality of work. I say, if you want a job done well then feed them tea and biscuits – the favourites seem to be the Hazelnut and Milk Chocolate.
We are talking Valentine’s now and we have some great ideas to spoil your ‘lovey dovey’ one. All involve chocolate – well there’s a surprise!
I’m off home now to fuse a few more lights and take some biscuits back for the ‘boys’ so hopefully we’ll catch up again next week.
Oh yes, don’t forget we will be at Taste of Christmas in London from the 2nd – 4th December.
Come and see us, we’d love to meet you.
Have a good week!
Sue x
And now for autumn!
Well, I’m back and I’m not going to bore you with a whole host of excuses as to where I’ve been. Suffice to say I’m here now and I haven’t been on holiday!
I can’t believe we are into autumn and I’m hastily picking elderberries, blackberries and sloes before the birds get to them. As I haven’t had a lot of time to make any preserves, I’m freezing the berries down until I can spare a few minutes. I hate to waste anything.
Talking of waste, as you all well know we are building an extension at home and, in preparation for major disruption in my kitchen, I’ve been sorting my cupboards and am embarrassed to say I had tins at the back with a best before date of 2004! Hence my need to have a larder so that ‘I can see everything and everything has a place’ – that is definitely going to be my motto from now onwards. I keep losing things, as our old backdoor has been demolished and we’ve taken to using the ‘posh’ front door and now I’m forever losing my keys. The cats have their very own backdoor cat flap and plank to walk up into it, as well as a very convenient litter tray (builders sand!!!) just outside. I hate to think what the builders say to them when we are not there!
Oh yes, there has been the small issue of the well – which the builders found when digging the footings for the glass link – right outside our backdoor. They don’t seem to be bothered by it but ‘MOAT’ does come to mind. Goodness knows what they are going to do with it and I definitely don’t want to look at it like some bright sparks have been suggesting to me – you know the helpful comments like ‘why don’t you stick some glass over it’ and ‘you won’t have far to fetch the water!!!!’ Hmmmmmm.
This is an insect house which I’ve put on my wish list for my new garden! I saw it at the National Gardening Show a couple of weeks ago – easy peasy to make. I do hope the guys at the bakery haven’t got rid of all the broken pallets!
On the subject of the National Gardening Show, I just had to show you all this pic of the giant vegetable class – I’ve never seen anything like it!!!
I’ve taken to visiting quite a few Retro Fairs just recently – this is important for research of course!! My plans are coming together for the Retro and Craft Fair I’m organising in aid of our lovely church and Help for Heroes in October, and I’ve had great fun with friends checking them all out. I went to one over the weekend and found the most amazing mink coat – it’s hardly been worn and is so glamorous… I managed to get it for £40 – what a bargain. I do hope it snows! I also found a beautiful turquoise pressed glass dish and it will be absolutely perfect filled with soaps and lovely things for my new family bathroom. Ooohhhh it’s all coming together. I sure you can feel the excitement is mounting!
Number two grandchild is on its way – or rather should have been last Friday! Poor Sarah, she’s very bored now and we are all on tenterhooks. Little Izzy is wondering if she really will have a new brother or sister and she told her nursery key worker that ‘mummy will probably have the baby on the carpet’ and daddy is pretty laid back by it all. Oh happy days!!
The Fudge family team are all gearing up for the Great South Run at the end of October – minus me I hasten to add. I’m pretty miffed about it. I had ‘the op’ on my knee three weeks ago and there is no way I’m going to be able to run this year so will have to make do with being the proverbial coat holder and main cheer leader. Oh well, next year maybe.
We are all gearing up to host the British Confectioners Association AGM at the weekend (these folks are the top confectioners in the country and they are bringing their wives) It’s a pretty important thing for us to get it right. So there will be a whole host of events we’ve organised to keep everyone happy, including go karting (they are all pretty competitive), dancing, eating and a visit to our bakery and the ladies will be doing a cooking course at Minterne House and wine tasting too, then a wobble around the gardens! (Must remember to tell the ladies to bring walking shoes.) We have had to organise the whole weekend with military precision so we hope nothing goes wrong – not for the want of trying anyway.
Have just come back from the Sturminster Cheese Festival here inDorset. It’s an amazing little show with wonderful food and local beer and cider. It is really well attended and our little stand was buzzing from the word go. Local crafts and the Morris men along with food demos all make up a really fun family day. Needless to say we sold out each day and left exhausted to boot!
Two more shows to go this year – one at Parnham House in Beaminster on 15th /16th October and the Taste of Christmas at Excel in Docklands 2/4th Dec. Both promise to be excellent days out with celebrity chefs, demonstrations and fun to be had by all – including us. Put these dates in your diary.
Oh yes, nearly forgot, we will be at the Virgin Wine Tasting event in London(Horticultural Halls) on 9th Oct. See you there I hope!
All for now and catch up very soon.
Sue x
I’m back!
‘Where has she been?’ I hear you say, but quite honestly ‘I’ve been everywhere man, I’ve been everywhere… ’
Now, that man in uniform was actually a helicopter pilot on the Dawn to Dusk challenge collecting products that have won 3 gold stars at this year’s Great Taste Awards from all over the country. Well, it was all very exciting as our Cheddar Wafers won the coveted award. The whole bakery emptied out to watch the two helicopters land in our car park (no biscuits were burnt!!!) Watch the video for yourselves here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dwoUO6ka6I
The biscuits were then taken with other award-winning foods to a special place where they were to cook a wonderful meal for invited guests.
Fudges has won eight gold stars this year in total – wow!!
Six of us Fudges had a wonderful (and well deserved) rest in Portugal. Reading became top priority, as was cooling off in the pool and of course soaking up the vino (… or was that the sun?!) A fine time was had by all, arriving back at Bristol refreshed and looking as if we had had a holiday!!
While we were away, my lovely friends stoically spread the Fudges word at our local village Food Festival at Leigh. The gorgeous Valentine Warner opened the show and I’m led to believe my friends made sure the dashing Valentine visited the stand, made him eat Florentines and pose for photos – they tell me he enjoyed every minute. I believe them – the photos were all a bit shaky though!!! What does that tell you?
There was hardly time to put the cases down, so as soon as the washing was dry we were packing them again and off up to the International Cheese Festival at Nantwich. This is a two-day event held in what is said to be the largest temporary building (tent!!) in Europe. It was HUGE!!!! I have never seen so many cheeses (over 3000) and they came from all over the world.
It was a wonderful event. We had no idea what to expect, and as we were one of the sponsors we were well looked after. The first day was spent chatting to cheese purveyors and cheese makers, having lunch (of course) which was fantastic with over 800 people sat down. I had never seen anything quite like it. James Martin and his dog Fudge were there as was Gino D’Acampo, both cooking – they were extremely popular, very approachable and great fun. One of the best things about this show was the amount of pairing we could do with the cheese and, of course, our biscuits.
Once the show was over, Graham and I drove to North Yorkshire to see the girls and Steve drove the van back toDorset. We spent a lovely few sunny days (it usually rains I’m told) exploringRichmond and the Dales. It is so lovely up there and the locals are very friendly. So many places to walk and take a bicnic, enjoying far reaching views across Wensleydale and Swaledale.
One of the reasons we went further north was to support our youngest daughter (you know the fit one). She was taking part in the Ironman challenge in Bolton. Well she did it, bless her, and made us so proud and emotional watching her run up the final stretch on the big screen with everyone cheering – I’ve got a lump just thinking about it. She did it in 11hrs 23mins and just missed out on qualifying for Ironman in Hawaii. But wow, what a thing to do.
The next challenge was on Friday when we installed our Bicnic Bench at Lickey Hills in Birmingham. Up we went with the car laden with biscuits, a rug or two and flasks – it was a fantastic day and the bench looks fab!
The scaffolding went up the other day – the lorry arrived with one man and his dog just as I was leaving to come to the bakery – not sure how the dog will help!!! Hope the cats don’t see him.
The knee is no better so a little operation next week will have me running again in no time. I’m frustrated because the rest of the family are already in training for the Great South Run. I jolly well will do it even if I walk round on crutches. Just you wait and see!! More about that next week.
Have a great week!
Sue x
