Colston Bassett Store

Stunning Cushions, Stylish Gifts and Christmas Greetings

2011-12-02T22:52:00.006Z

I can't believe that by the time you read this blog there will be less than a month to go before Christmas. Judging by the comments made by our customers we are less prepared than ever for this Festive weekend. Abnormally mild weather has lulled us into feeling we couldn't possibly have reached November yet (all the leaves aren't off the trees for a start) and the uncertainty of the economy makes us want to stick our heads in the sand and hope it will all go away.

Well, we have much at the Store to put you in the right mood. I have been very careful with my buying and you will find many gifts that are good value and better than you can find on the High Street. These Christmas decorations are a delight, hand beaded and almost good enough to eat! Our jewellery is constantly changing so that you will always find something new. Look in the glass cabinets...many of our pieces are delicate and with vintage appeal this season. Our scarves start at £8.95 and are woven in India from Fair Trade sources and we also have silk mix weaves from the U.K. which are a snip at £20.00.

These little dogs and cats have been flying off the shelf. The attention to detail makes them so appealing and they make a great gift for teachers, workmates, schoolmates ...and everyone else! And we are determined to make you laugh, so major on the crazy humour of Simon Drew (his calendars are fantastic!), the recognisable quips from Spring Chicken and the 'oh, so true' captions on our notepads and handbag mirrrors. All these smaller items make good stocking fillers and smaller presents. Our Chocolates are unusual and different : Peter Rabbit Jellies, crates of liqueurs, Neideregger marzipan, sloe gin truffles....I'd be surprised if you weren't tempted.

I've been eyeing up these cushions at trade fairs for a while. I even bought one for my son a few years back and when I noticed how well it had worn I decided to share this secret with you all. These cushions are 45cm. square, hand chain stitched in Kashmir with beautifully dyed wool and backed with strong canvas. They are the perfect combination of expert Indian craftsmanship and Western design and the 'Paul Smith' stripes, spots and Miro/Klimt abstracts fit seamlessly into any modern interior. So before you part with all your cash at M&S or John Lewis come and see what we have to offer. We have easy parking and a free cup of coffee waiting for you if you spend £50.00 in the Store.

Last but not least we will be making up our fresh hampers again this year concentrating on excellent local produce with Colston Basset Stilton, Mrs. King's Pork Pie and local ale combos. So place your orders for collection during Christmas week. And don't forget that we are opening on Saturday evening on 3rd.,10th. and 17th. December with a special Christmas menu. We would like to thank all of you who have supported us this year in difficult economic times. It has meant a lot to us to have such loyalty and encouragement and Martin, myself and the staff at the Store and Garden Cafe wish you all health and happiness in 2012.

See you soon

Jan

In the Pink, Pizza Nights and Turkeytime

2011-11-03T00:00:00.005Z

We have had a great time raising money for the Faxitron Machine at the Breast Care Centre at the City Hospital (see the October blog).

Staff turned up in bright pink t shirts with flowers in their hair and even bunny ears. The cake counter was awash with pink cakes and a special menu with pink drinks both alcoholic and non were available throughout the weekend. We even had carrot and beetroot salad as a pink accompaniment to our savoury dishes. The Fundraising group in the Village took over the front table in the shop with christmas cards and tags and scarves for sale and raised £300+ over the three days.

We didn't expect our customers to participate so wholeheartedly but several turned up well turned out. Brian's spectacular mock leather pink number was his daughter's vintage jacket from New Look in the 80's. What style! The Pink raffle was a terrific success and alone raised £647.00. Thank you all so much for supporting us. The prize winning numbers are up in the Store.

Over the past two weeks we have been trying out a Pizza Night on a FRIDAY evening, starting with families on an early sitting from 6.00 to 6.30pm just right for meeting Dad (or Mum) from work or bringing back kids from After School Clubs and then on into the evening with the last bookings at 8.30pm. The pizza base is stone baked but the emphasis is on the quality of the toppings using ingredients from our famous deli counter. From simple Margherita to spicy Diavolo or Milano, these pizzas are hard to beat and the idea seems to appeal to a lot of you. From now on, we will be running these evenings every week. It's on your doorstep...come and try us! An enjoyable way to kickstart the weekend.

Our usual Saturday Evening openings with seasonal menu are 12th., 26th. Nov. and 3rd., 10th & 17th. December. So don't forget these dates..a 3 course menu for £23.50 leading up to Christmas is a great deal. (tel. 01949 823717)

This is the fourth year we will be taking orders for Chris Hortor's Turkeys. WHY? Because they are simply the best. Fantastic hot with all the trimmings, still succulent served cold with salad and chutney and if there's any left ( a big IF!) perfect in a turkey pie with a flaky pastry top. I can't think of better value. Ring 01949 81321 to place your order.

Almost daily we are receiving deliveries of gifts suitable for Christmas. There are exciting ideas for everyone in the family and your friends and where ever possible we have chosen items that are well priced but look fantastic. Come and buy early while we have the best selection. (More about some of our pressies in December)

I am finishing as I started this month with a big thank you. This time to all of you who responded to my request for unwanted handbags to be sent to Eastern Europe for women and youngsters who are homeless. We have just received a letter and card from the Baptist Church in Scunthorpe who have filled your bags with toiletries and little gifts and taken them to Bucharest. Many of these women are sheltering in sewers, the prospect of which is almost unimaginable. There will be another delivery before Christmas so do continue to drop off any bags you may have at the Store.

Less than 8 weeks to Christmas! So make your purchasing easy. Forget the trek into Nottingham and the car parking fees. You won't beat shopping in the country!

See you soon

Jan

SLOE GIN, FAXITRON FEVER AND A NEW LOOK

2011-10-03T10:18:00.005+01:00

I am writing to you outside on October 1st. enjoying the balmy breeze and golden light that has been absent for most of the summer. What a wonderful late burst of warmth to cheer us up.

The hedgerows are stuffed with ripening fruit and, now that the leaves are turning, the colours are spectacular. Ruby reds with acid yellow, purple with burnt orange. It is a feast for the eye as well as the appetite. Last week I went sloe picking with my daughter-in-law hot off the East Coast line from London and we struck lucky with a perfect day. The bushes are just dripping with sloes that have that amazing bloom over their indigo skin. Armed with giant kilner jars from Wilkinson we collected 6kg. of sloes and finished off with a memorable lunch at the Chequers in Woolsthorpe. Tracking down a reliable recipe has been tricky but we are going for:

a proportion of 200g. caster sugar to each 500gm of sloes filling the kilner jars 3/4 full and topping up with gin. Shake every day for a week until the sugar has dissolved and then once a week for 8 - 10 weeks. Strain through a fine mesh and bottle in smart jars. Any other recipes or tips?

October is Breast Awareness Month and the whole village is involved in helping to raise money for a Faxitron machine at the Breast Care Centre at the City Hospital. This is a heat seeking machine which can identify abnormal cells during surgery and give our surgeons more accuracy in leaving a healthy margin when removing the cancer. It costs £45,000 and we are half way there! Colston Bassett Store and Garden Cafe are having a PINK WEEKEND on Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd. and Sunday 23rd. October. The theme will be pink with all the staff in pink (including Martin), pink cakes and pink drinks. White wine and Cassis is a winner! There will be a bucket collection and a raffle with a Day Spa at Eden Hall and Set Lunch at World Service as two of the top prizes and cards, tags and gifts for sale in the Store in aid of the fund. Do come and support us. There aren't many people who haven't been touched by cancer be it themselves or a relative or friend so give generously. You never know it may help someone close to you. Other fundraising events in the village are:

Friday 7th. October 12.30 Vale of Belvoir Charity Lunch with Ann Davies of the BBC as guest speaker (tickets Gilly Cross 01949 81532)

Sat. 19th. November 7.30pm A Musical Extravaganza presented by the Variety Club of Colston Bassett (tickets Bunty Fletcher 01949 81594)

I want to scotch rumours that have been going around that the Store has been sold. We have indeed had the property and business up for sale and have been in negotiations with Ian and Nicola Hartland of Mrs. King's Pork Pies for several months. However sufficient finance could not be raised by them and because there is global financial uncertainty at the moment we have taken the business off the market for the time being. So don't despair that you won't be able to enjoy Martin's freshly made scones any more or come and browse round the cards and gifts in the Store. You will and lots more besides! We are busy making changes to the layout of the Store and have started by bringing the cards which were in the hallway into the main part of the shop and moving the wines onto the dresser. Come and see what we've done. It's fresh and different.

Finally, by popular demand we will be OPEN ON SUNDAY again as from 2nd. October 10.30 till 4.30 (last orders in the cafe at 4.10pm.) Do come and support us.

See you soon

Jan

World Famous Producers, a Bit o' Sour Dough and Python Skin

2011-09-03T10:14:00.009+01:00

This is the time of year when Food Producers everywhere are selecting their best ranges to be judged at various shows throughout the country and the East Midlands is starting to make its presence felt!

This year we were delighted that Sara Barton form Brewsters Brewery had decided to re-introduce her bottled Pale Ale and Porter onto the retail market after concentrating on cask beer for a couple of years. We had missed these beverages and so had our customers. This is a local brewery that was started up by Sara in Stathern in the Vale and has now had to move to bigger premises in Grantham. Last month they won the Gold medal for their Pale Ale at the International Beer Challenge which surely means that we are selling at the Store the Best Pale Ale in the World!

Chris from Shirevale Creamery in Cropwell Bishop also scooped several awards for her Cheese at the Nantwich Show in Cheshire. Her White Stilton won a gold and was particularly acclaimed because it has 25% less salt in it than other white stiltons. (Watch out for this one on our Cheese counter). Her White Stilton with Mango and Ginger which we also sell landed Gold and Silver medals. Well done to both of these talented ladies for giving us great products to retail.

We have a growing number afficionados who come to the Store on Fridays and Saturdays to buy bread from Hambleton Bakery. This is a far cry from the steambaked pap one can buy in supermarkets and is mainly baked from a sourdough culture. As one of our customers says: 'It's bread with guts!' and has great lasting quality. If this is a bit much for some of you, they also bake a flavoursome Crusty White and delicious Muffins, Olive Breads and Focaccia. And we have added their fruit and almond tarts and treacle tarts to our cafe menu at the weekend. This is saying a lot because normally we would not entertain selling anything on our Garden Cafe counter that wasn't baked on the premises.

Moving onto something completely different. Have you ladies clocked the interest in Python skin this Autumn/Winter? This snake's distinctive pattern seems to be printed on everything this season from sweaters, to tights to dresses. But if you hanker after the real thing then head for the Store where Bags of Style have a fabulous selection of Vintage handbags in this striking skin which will instantly update your wardrobe.

Finally, as the kids go back to school and you prepare for Autumn let me remind you of the excellent classes and groups in Colston Bassett that are ready to welcome you back after the summer:

W.I. Meetings on 1st. Wednesday of each month Sue Makin, President on 01949 81269

The Wiverton Souper Bowl Homemade soup tea/coffee and homemade biscuits 12.20 - 2.00pm

1st. Thursday of each month Tai Chi, Lisa Brindley 10.00 - 11.00 01949 860013

Thursdays Yoga Roger & Angela Tuck 7.30 - 9.00 01159 335719

And further afield the Toot Hill Comprehensive School Evening classes in Bingham are entering their third year with a whole new programme to tempt you. Brochures available at the Store.

The Garden Cafe will be open on the following evenings:

Saturdays, 17th September, 1st October and 15th October.

We hope you've had a great summer and look forward to seeing you soon.

Jan

Fruity Dressings, Vintage Trios and Bags of Style

2011-08-02T08:22:00.012+01:00

I know I shouldn't keep going on about the weather but this is the third year in a row that we have had a wonderful hot Spring followed by a lack lustre Summer. Ever optimistic I am reaching out for a balmy, sunny August. And with it, lots of interesting salads.

Do you know about our red Oakleaf lettuce which we serve in Garden Cafe and sell in the Store? Hearty and full of flavour, the leaves bring a punch of colour to our salads and customers have remarked on how well the lettuce keeps unlike a lot of the bags of washed mixtures you can buy. The Roquefort, Walnut and Pear Salad and the Sundried Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Salad we have on the menu at the moment are a great hit with you all. But watch out for those calories when it comes to the dressing you use. Lulled by the feeling that we are being super healthy we often forget how fattening that olive oil can be. Suzanne's Fruity Dressing solve all that because they don't contain oil and are a refreshing change. Choose from Raspberry and Rosemary, Strawberry and Mint or Blackberry, Cardamom and Chilli..you'll love them!

To update you on our Saturday Supper Evenings: we are fully booked on 6TH. AUGUST, but have places on 20TH. AUGUST and 3RD. SEPTEMBER. Thank you all for your glowing reports on Trip Advisor which put us at around 3rd. or 4th. place in the Nottinghamshire Restaurant Listings.

We have been picking fresh strawberries from Wymeswold to create delicious cream teas for you and hope that the crop will last for a couple more weeks. The fruit has been absolutely fantastic this year and the earlier sunshine has brought out the sweetness in the berries. Served with a cuppa in our vintage china in the Cafe you can dream yourself into a different era! We love the delicacy of the bone china and the intricate designs some of which are handpainted. In the Store at the moment we are selling Trios (a cup, saucer and plate) which we have collected. They make brilliant presents for friends and are definitely not available on the High Street! Why not treat yourself to one and have your own Vintage Tea at home? Displayed alongside them are Carol Webb's vintage silk squares. Remember Jacqmar and Richard Allen? Or are you not owning up to that one!

Our new range of Gift Bags have brought a bright and cheerful impact to our Gift area. Flowers, spots, stripes, butterflies. Large, medium and dinky small, these bags are strongly made and will endure well after the initial present giving. We will be getting in more Room Diffusers, soaps and Candles this month so look out for them. The packaging and the scents are a delight. Also on our big table we have a mini sale of end of line items so come and see what we've got.

Following our appeal to you to bring in your unwanted handbags, we have sent two big bin liners to Scunthorpe for dispatch to Eastern Europe. Can those of you who haven't responded yet please scour the back of your wardrobe. I was convinced I hadn't much to give but found that there were five handbags in my cupboard that hadn't seen the light of day for at least three years. So be brave and purge yourself!

See you soon.
Jan

Prizewinning Pork Pies, Summer Tealights and the Bag Lady!

2011-07-02T09:16:00.005+01:00

I am writing this in 30 deg. but by the time you read it we could be wondering where the summer's gone. Such is the nature of our Yo-Yo weather! It has been great to be able to live al fresco and enjoy a few balmy evenings, though.

We were delighted to hear that Mrs Kings Pork Pies won 1st., 2nd. and 3rd. Prize in the Best Melton Pork Pie category at the British Pie awards last month. Their pies are truly scrummy and we have been selling them in the Store and on our Ploughman's Platter in Garden Cafe for several years now. Tremendous care goes into handraising them and no short cuts are taken so that even the jelly poured between the meat and the pastry case is reduced from pork bones and not bought in. Go easy on yourself and serve up salads with pork pie and other deli. Delicious!

Dates for evening opening in the Cafe are: JULY 23rd., AUG 6th. and 20th.

While we are on the subject of local producers: we also stock Heart of Gold rapeseed oil which is grown in Croxton Kerrial within view of Belvoir Castle. It ticks all the boxes for healthy lifestyle and has half the saturated fat of olive oil. Another great advantage is that it has a higher flashpoint than most other oils and so is good for cooking. Why not give it a try? It's featured in Nottinghamshire Today (June edition)

Just down the road are Belvoir Fruit Farms whose quality needs no introduction especially the Elderflower Cordial. We are seeing more and more use of it in Summer Cocktails and I noticed in the Sunday Times' "Going Up" section this week that 'The Twinkle' is a new concoction using Vodka with Elderflower Cordial, topped up with Champagne. "The vintage cocktail that packs a pretty punch".. sounds good to me!

The Longest Day has passed (21st. June) and from now on our days will become shorter. It has been staying light until nearly 10 pm. so as the light fades more each week extend your time outside with the glow of our range of Tealights. Our coloured triple ones in red and purple look terrific hanging from tree branches and the bigger single clear ones give a warm glow to an evening table.

Our latest delivery of jewellery has injected a feeling of Summer into the Store with necklaces and bracelets sporting pale turquoise, pink and aqua beads in multi strands and chunky ropes. Just right for the Holidays and, as always, very good value. Customers have been bringing their tops and dresses in to match them up with the perfect necklace. A good piece of jewellery can just add the finishing touch.

If you are having a clear out of your wardrobe, can I ask you to think of us? We are helping Paul and Diane Clark from the Baptist Church in Scunthorpe to collect leather and plastic handbags. They take them out several times a year to Eastern Europe and give them to homeless women and children so that they can keep their few personal possessions with them. Many children who have been raised in Orphanages are tipped out onto the streets once they are 16 or 17 years often with no where to live. Many find themselves living underground in the sewers where it is difficult to keep anything dry. The story is a horrifying one..so please bring your old bags into the Store and help us to help the Bag Lady!

See you soon

Jan

Seasonal Fruit, Summer Salads and Fathers Day

2011-06-07T08:14:00.002+01:00

After such an amazing, hot Spring we are looking forward to picking our strawberries, gooseberries and raspberries earlier than usual. We go to the Pick-your-Own site at Wymeswold so look out for our Strawberry Cream Sponges on the Cake Counter and the Gooseberry Fools and Raspberry Meringues on the Cafe menu.

However, not all of of us can welcome June with such joy and enthusiasm. Many of us are Hay Fever sufferers for whom this is month is pure Hell and who may have had their allergy season extended several weeks already by the the increasing cultivation of Oil Seed Rape in the area. Some of you find relief by eating spoonfuls of local honey as an antidote and we have concentrated on stocking Honey in the Store from producers in the Vale whose bees will have feasted on pollen which you could be allergic to. Why not give it a try? It may help and, even if it doesn't, its rather yummy in a Pooh Bear kind of way!

We are introducing two new Salads on to our Lunchtime menu which are both light and refreshing for you to enjoy in the Summer months ahead. One includes cherry vine tomatoes, mozarella, frisee lettuce and pine nuts and the other (pictured here) is a lovely combination of chicory, walnuts, Roquefort and sliced Pear with toasted slices of Hambleton Focaccia. We have been using these ingredients in Starters for our Evening menu and they have struck a chord with our diners. Talking of which we are open on June 11th. and 25th. so book now! In between we are hosting a Colston Bassett W.I. supper. Why not discuss a special gathering of your own with us?

Father's Day is on Sunday 19th. June and a lot of our everyday products are perfect to put together as a special treat for your Dad! Chutneys, great cheeses and wine are things we really excel at. We also have some cheeky aprons and tea towels which might raise a laugh? And naughty coasters and bottle stoppers! Also just in is a great range of toiletries which includes GIANT dispensers of handwash, soap and handcream targeted at the Gardener. At £12.50 each these are just the job for Fathers Day, nicely packaged but practical too. What more could you ask for?

See you this month.

Jan

Asparagus, Summer Wines and the Essential Scarf

2011-04-30T15:36:00.003+01:00

No wonder they call ASPARAGUS the King of Vegetables. We all yearn for its coming and it is truly seasonal with only a few precious weeks of harvesting.

Nothing compares with English grown and Abbey Parks in Lincolnshire provide the very best, thriving on those light sandy soils we wouldn't mind a few inches of in the Vale! To accompany the Noble Spear we have a ready made hollandaise sauce from Ouse Valley Products which is hard to beat and takes all the hassle out of this simple dish. If you ever tire of eating them this way, then asparagus lends itself to risottos, quiches and the most delicious soup. We have had fresh garlic and sorrel leaves, Jersey Royal potatoes and bunches of Chantenay carrots in our vegetable display this week. It is so exciting to be told by our grower what is coming up next and to plan our menu in Garden Cafe accordingly.

May carries on where April left off with two more Public Holidays and we thought we would help you enjoy your extra days at home with a BERRY BROTHERS WINE OFFER this month. This Company has a Royal Warrant so it's sort of topical(!) and they are the oldest wine merchants in the country (300 years). One of two of our customers share the same surname so Berry's House Red, White or Rose has a special ring for them! We will be offering a case of 12 of their House Wines (any combination) for £75.49 which is cheaper than buying it direct from Berry's. This brings the price down from 6.99 to 6.29 a bottle for three wines which are consistently good and enjoyable. Order by email or on the phone (01949 81321) or come in and taste them first. Please allow a few days for delivery.

This season it is the SCARF that is the essential accessory in your wardrobe. We have every combination with spots, florals and stripes; long skinnies, floaty chiffons and the must have cowboy neckerchief! Don't just wear your scarf round your neck. They can be tied round waists, handbags and, especially stylish, woven through your hair. If you are nervous about investing in Summer Brights this is the way to go and will update your outfit instantly! Some delectable necklaces are also filtering through: chunky ropes of baubles to go with all the exuberant prints or delicate strings of sequins and opalescent beading to complement those sheers and fine knits. Seek us out!

See you soon.

Jan

Celebrations All Month Long!

2011-03-30T11:53:00.004+01:00

Has Mother's Day been and gone? Well, actually No. Everything is so late this year and April has become a very busy month. We kick off with Mother's Day on Sunday 3rd. followed by Easter on the weekend of the 22nd. and THE WEDDING to round off the month on Friday 29th. April. Can't wait to see the dress!

Our Mother's Day cards are flying out but we also have some great chocolate ideas, delicate stationery, fun gifts and pots of minature daffodils. You can also trawl the Store with one of our hessian bags and choose your own selection of goodies. So pop in this weekend and make someone very happy!

With such unseasonally warm weather recently, I wanted to remind you of our fabulous selection of cheeses and charcuterie for alfresco dining in the days ahead. In particular, our Italian and Sicilian suppliers bring us some top notch produce which will knock spots off anything you can buy on your supermarket run. The Parma Ham and Wild Boar Proscuitto is cut wafer thin and so a little goes a long way. We have Mortadella and Porchetta Toscana in at the moment. Big meats which are big on flavour! And our fontina cheese is unusual and hard to come by. I'm trying it cubed in a creamy risotto tonight! Let me know of any ideas you may have.

I couldn't resist staging this photo. When our children were young we used to hide eggs of all sizes in the garden and invite friends round for an annual Easter Egg hunt. Most were discovered but one or two turned up in the flower beds months later or were snaffled by the dog! These foil chickens come in two sizes and are so colourful and our bags of easter eggs are all different flavours. And don't forget Vera's free range eggs for breakfast. There's nothing nicer than a softly boiled egg with soldiers.

We will be having fun with our cakes over the Easter weekend and the counter will be laden with confections to welcome you back after Lent. If you want to order Hambleton bread, muffins or tea cakes specially, please make sure you get your order in by 12th. April. Our Evening openings for the month are on Saturday 16th. and 30th. April.

Looking forward to seeing you during this festive month.

Jan

Hellebores, Homemade Scones and Mother's Day

2011-03-08T21:52:00.009Z

Well, being slow to get round to the blog this month has at least meant that I can enthuse about the two brilliantly sunny days we have just had rather than grumble about the gloom of recent weeks!

These little chaps like nothing more than the warmth of the sun's rays on their petals to make them open out and delight us with their golden stamens. The bulbs in the garden at the Store seem to have weathered our severe winter temperatures pretty well and your can enjoy the snowdrops under the trees from the Garden Cafe window and see the tulips and daffodils peeping up along the path as you make your way to the front door. The evenings are drawing out and this has encouraged you to visit us later. At the end of the month the clocks will go forward and Garden Cafe will stay open longer. Before we know it, you will be asking us to put out the tables and chairs on the terrace!

Those of you who visit us regularly will know that all our food is made from scratch on the premises. Our scones are made every day and receive many compliments and our cakes, such as Carrot and Walnut Slice and Lemon Drizzle, are firm favourites with you. The teacakes from Hambleton Bakery which are toasted and slathered with butter have also been a great hit. We are now thinking about offering some of these items for you to take away. Last weekend we packaged slices of Victoria Sandwich and Indulgent Chocolate cake for you to buy and whenever we make our French Onion Tarts, they fly out. At the moment we will be selling these items on a Saturday to catch you in weekend mode. But if you want to keep your husband sweet when you return home after a girlie lunch in the week, I'm sure we could oblige!

Our Ploughman's Platter is a perfect example of the synergy between the Store and the Cafe and seems to be popular in winter as well as summer. We have the opportunity to use some of our wonderful local cheeses including the unparalled Colston Bassett Stilton, Sparkenhoe Red Leicester from Market Bosworth and Lincolnshire Poacher. At the weekends Hambleton's Olive Bread becomes the accompaniment for a selection of our Continental cheeses. Have you tried the Mountain Fontina or subtle Reypenear Goat Gouda? All kept in mint condition by Sue on the Deli counter. Do you think that salad boxes containing quality ham or cheese and our lovely mixed leaves together with Martin's honey and mustard dressing would hit the spot? Let us know what you think and share any ideas you have.

Our Saturday Evening openings continue to go well. The next dates are 19th. MARCH, 2nd. APRIL (Mother's Day weekend), 16th. APRIL and 30th. APRIL. We are hoping to welcome you in somewhat kinder weather as the year progresses!

Brian Robinson is returning again this year with his fabulous selection of Hellebores for sale at the Store. He will be here NEXT SATURDAY 12th. March from 11.00am until about 1.00pm. Last year I bought a gorgeous double white one which has settled in beautifully despite the raw winter and has three flowers on it. Also to die for are the dark nearly black ones! Fill the gaps in your garden with these stalwart beauties but, be warned, come early to avoid disappointment!

Finally we mustn't forget Mother's Day, late this year, on April 2nd. Why not choose some jams and goodies from the Store, pack them into our hessian or wicker containers and we will decorate them with ribbons and flowers for you.

It's always the thought that counts!

See you soon

Jan

Beautiful but Deadly!

2011-02-03T11:37:00.007Z

Happy New Year to all of you. Let's hope that 2011 will be kinder to us all.

The weather in December created an absolutely magical landscape, trees glistening with frost and everything cloaked in powdery snow. But, as you will have read in the Press, the reality for retailers, especially rural ones, was deadly! Snowfalls in the first week of December meant that many of our customers could not get to us and, panicked by the loss of time, resorted to shopping in town centres or on the internet. Our gift sales were badly hit. Then the second snowfall in the week leading up to Christmas Eve meant that our cheese, charcuterie and food sales took a nosedive as well. These lost sales are unrecoverable. So we are starting a new year at a disadvantage. However, we have some loyal customers and are asking even more of you to support us in the coming months. We are registered on Trip Advisor so do please post your comments about us. Your views will help to reach a wider audience and raise our profile. Favourably, I hope!

Mary Portas is always saying that we have lost the spirit of Retail in this country and that we are left with bland product and disinterested service. Not so in Colston Bassett Store. We love to tell you what is new and to remind you of staunch favourites on our deli counter. The atmosphere in our Store is one of vitality and individuality and armed with all the latest forecasting on the fashion front, we can guide you to the best gifts for you and your friends.

I noticed the slogan on the Ocado home delivery van as it travelled through our village the other day: 'Cheaper than you think!.' I would urge you to look at some of our prices. By weight our cheeses, bacon, sausages and delicatessen stand up pretty well. And the quality is usually superior and often from local producers. If we are positioned between you and the local supermarket, you may find that with increasing petrol prices, it's cheaper to come to us for your interim shopping! And far more pleasurable.

Need I remind you that Valentine's Day is approaching fast on February 14th.? Our display is awash with reds and pinks. We have chocolate bars gilded with edible gold, giant lollipop hearts, unusual carved stone heart paperweights, glittery keyrings..and, of course, the classic box of chocolates. Valentine cards are selling fast and we have some good ones!

You will know that we have become a nation of wine drinkers. And this has had an effect on the nibbles we have with a glass of the noble grape! The packet of peanuts is no longer appropriate. Instead we are dipping into olives of every sort. Particularly the mixed ones and those stuffed with garlic or sundried tomato, for example. Last year £66 million worth of olives was sold and they are much better for us than saltier crisps and nuts. We have always been amazed at how many children are partial to olives when they come to the Store. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat and vitamin E, so this has to be good news.

Our Saturday evening openings are going from strength to strength and our next dates are on FEBRUARY 19th., MARCH 5th., MARCH 19th. and APRIL 2nd. Customers continue to enjoy the food and love the ambience.

We also had a booking for a private party this month...an Investors Club! Do you belong to a group or have an event to celebrate? Then invest in us! Garden Cafe makes a fabulous venue for a booking of 20+ guests.

The A46 dualling is moving on apace but many of our customers have become confused by the opening and shutting of roads off this main route over the past months. We are about to move into the most intrusive phase yet so FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED! As from this month ALL the roads leading directly to Kinoulton, Owthorpe and Colston Bassett will be closed for 14 MONTHS. You can access us quite easily by turning off at the Cropwell Bishop/ Stragglethorpe roundabout, driving down to Cropwell Bishop and taking the first turning right which will bring you back to the Lime Kiln Crossroads where you turn left into the Village. We will be petitioning for adequate signage from Balfour Beatty to guide you to us.

Many of you plan your walking around a lunch or well deserved pot of tea at Garden Cafe. We were amused when a group tied their beautiful dogs to our apple tree in our garden last Saturday while they enjoyed refreshments in our cafe. Much admired by passing customers, the dogs were enjoying the attention. Eventually boredom set in and the flat coat retriever decided enough was enough and proceeded to chew through the terrier's lead to break up the party. He certainly succeeded!

It's little things like that which make you all remember us and come again.

See you soon.

Jan

Winter Wonderland, Christmas Hampers and Problem Presents

2010-11-28T17:01:00.006Z

Little did I know when I decorated Garden Cafe for Christmas this week that on Saturday morning we would wake to a landscape cloaked in powdery snow and lit up by brilliant sunshine. Many of you have taken advantage of the crisp bright weather to walk the paths around the Village and to end up in the Cafe for a warming cup of coffee and one of our toasted tea cakes. Thank you all for venturing out to us and especially to the County Council for gritting the main road through the village so that you could get to us safely.

We still have two tables for four free on the evening of Saturday 4th. December should you wish to come and sample Martin's new Lamb Shank recipe. My White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Verrine with Hazelnut biscuits is worth a try too! The Cafe is decked with twinkly lights, frosty allium heads and pink baubles and looks lovely in the candlelight.

We are running out of space in the Store for all our Christmas goodies. We have baskets and hessian bags that you can fill with our jams and chutneys and make an instant present. The Sloe Gin is back in! And our chocolates are a bit different from those you can buy in the Supermarket. For the first time we are able to offer a 'Vale of Belvoir' Hamper...well, almost. It contains a Belvoir Cordial, a wedge of our own unbeatable Stilton, a Mrs King's Pork Pie, 1/2lb. jar of Hickling Honey, Sophie and Boo's delicious chutney or marmalade and a decorated Christmas Cake from The Mixing Bowl. At £25 this makes a cracking gift for a family. Order now on 01949 81321 to collect Christmas Week.

Another local supplier, Brewsters, have re-introduced their Pale Ale and Porter in bottled form in time for the festive season and we are busy working on a Lad's Hamper as we speak!

Many of you say that you always find unusual things to buy in the Store and that we are particularly good at solving that awkward present for you. We have our Tootal Vintage scarves again this year for men, fun bottle stoppers and Simon Drew puzzle books. For the older person there are miniature pots of Fallot mustard, marmalade and chutney. And for that 9 year old granddaughter (going on 19) there has just been a delivery of fabulous appliqued and stitched purses, keyrings and compact mirrors which are really irresistible. If you want to be unique, then The Jewel Box's vintage jewellery display will get your heart racing!

Less than four weeks to Christmas and counting. Don't forget to order your Turkey from us. For those of you who missed out on our Wine Tasting, come and see our new range of well priced wines. Visit us first and find something different to wow your friends. It only remains to wish you a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year from all us at the Store. We'll be back with the Blog in February. Meanwhile, stay well and warm.

Jan

Christmas Turkey, Girls and Boys Night Out and the Sound of Laughter

2010-11-02T15:55:00.010Z

The light is fast fading at 5.00pm as I write to you on the first Sunday that the clocks go back heralding our descent into Winter slumber! We have had some glorious sunshine this week and the trees and hedges have shimmered with their brilliant autumn colours before all the leaves are lost and the landscape looks wintery indeed. This week we will be reverting to winter hours in the cafe and closing at 3.30pm (last orders 3.15pm) on Tuesday to Thursday. We have found in the past that once the evenings draw in our customers are not keen to venture out in the dark or in poor weather. However on Fridays and Saturdays when our hours will be normal (closing at 4.30pm) we will be serving Hambleton Toasted Teacakes with butter along with our scones and selection of cakes. We have been asked by many of you to have teacakes on the Cafe menu but have not found any which we felt were special enough. Plump with dried fruit and infused with spices, these are really yummy and not too sweet.

Now that we are motoring rapidly towards Christmas, I must remind you of Chris Hortor's Turkeys which we have been buying every year as a family for nearly a quarter of a century! They are truly fantastic. Succulent and full of flavour, the meat is as good eaten cold as straight from the oven. We will be taking orders for them from now onwards and they will be ready for collection from the Store on Christmas Eve before 12.00 noon (cash or cheques only please). We will also be able to supply free range streaky bacon and chipolata sausages from Redhill Farm to accompany them. All these animals and birds have led happy lives before gracing our table and that is something to celebrate.

We want to make your Christmas purchasing fun this year and have laid on a 'Girls and Boys Night Out' for you on Thursday, 18th. November starting at 7.00pm when there will be a wine tasting to introduce a new wine supplier, Hallgarten, a long established importer with a particular emphasis on the restaurant trade, in fact a winner of numerous awards in this category. Our son Dan buys many quality wines from them for the table at World Service, and Phil Brodie from Hallgarten will be on hand at our tasting to introduce you to at least ten new wines we will be offering in the Store. You won't find these in the supermarkets! To clear the palate you will be able to sample a range of breads from Hambleton Bakery - an offshoot of the prestigious Hambleton Hall. Some of you may not be aware that we stock these fabulous slow release yeast breads on a Friday and Saturday in the Store and they have quite a following especially from those customers who find them more digestible than the normal quick rising doughs. Tickets priced £7.50 to cover up to ten wines on taste are available at the Store. The advantage of picking them up before the event is that you can waltz straight in!

We will also be decking out the Store with our full range of Christmas stock so you will have first pick of everything on the night. Faux suede bags, sari silk scarves, beautifully packaged jams and chutneys, unusual and well priced jewellery, fun purses and stunning soaps and candles...we hope you will find something for everybody and solve those peculiarly awkward presents.

If I could have a pound for every customer who has laughed at our humorous greeting cards in the hallway of the Store, I would be rich indeed! The quirky humour of Simon Drew, Matt, Spike Milligan and Spring Chicken has had many of you sharing a laugh and a moment of happiness. And it makes the staff smile when they hear you! Look out for calendars, coasters, playing cards and tea towels with some of the funniest phrases on them. They'll make good gifts for a whole variety of people.

Our Saturday evening openings at the Cafe are filling up fast so we are adding SATURDAY, 11th. DECEMBER to the list. Do book. We'd love to see you.

On a completely different note. Do you know about TROT (Toll Rides Off-Road) Trust. There is a new toll ride providing just under four miles of off-road paths for horse riders which links in with bridleways around Kinoulton. You can join for £65 a year which is £1.25 a week. That has to be good value and keeps you safer on a horse than riding on narrow lanes, particularly in poor light or bad weather. (contact Catherine Ellis on 07976 154952)

And finally, I am asking for your involvement once again as our loyal customers. The Daily Telegraph along with Mary Portas (Queen of Shops) is running a competition for the Best Small Independent Shop. It is split up into different categories and the ones which apply to us are BEST FOR FOOD and BEST CORNER SHOP/VILLAGE SHOP. We are very keen to take part in this because we feel that our trade is constantly being eroded as customers book online for home deliveries and supermarkets start to cater for every aspect of our retail needs. We have tried here to turn our corner shop into a destination store where customers can buy not only food, but greeting cards, gifts, wine and hopefully enjoy the experience of stepping over our threshold. To end up savouring an excellent cup of coffee in our Cafe looking out across our garden to the fields beyond takes some beating. If you agree with this, PLEASE VOTE FOR US by visting telegraph.co.uk/shopawards.

See you all on 18th. November

Jan

Easy Cooking, Vintage Handbags and Too Many Apples!

2010-10-10T18:25:00.005+01:00

Well, no Indian Summer for us this year. Instead some rather miserable, dull, wet days with the odd afternoon of golden light. Many customers are already suffering with the usual coughs and colds and the doom and gloom of economic warnings from the Government do not help one's feeling of optimism!

We do have, however, a glut of apples at the Store and, try as we might, we cannot make use of them all. They are called Keswick and fluff up in a similar way to a Bramley although they don't keep as well. We have baskets of windfalls in the Store and are asking customers to take some and make a donation to our Water Aid tin. I have been lent The Brogdale Apple & Pear Recipe Book (ISBN 1 873953 21 6) by a friend and there are some unusual ideas to try out. Our Scandinavian Apple Charlotte derives from this book and combines smooth apple puree and a crispy light breadcrumb topping.

If you're feeling out of sorts or short on time, try the Gustosecco range that has just come in. The porcini risotto is dead easy and makes a base for adding other ingredients if you want to. We were very impressed with the Pear and Cherry Compote. Delicious with yoghurt or creme fraiche. The Seggiano risottos are also worth trying and the jar they are in acts as a measuring jug as well so what could be simpler than that?! Lots of you are great fans of our Clarkes frozen meals already but for those of you who have yet to be converted these are excellent. They are homemade on the premises at Clarkes, have no nasty additives that leave an unpleasant aftertaste and are not far off what you can make yourself. Chicken in Stilton and Celery Sauce is my favourite, while Sue ferrets away Lamb Casserole with Minted Dumpling on a regular basis. We send 20 of these meals to my Mum in Surrey every month and she says that no supermarket meal compares. She loves the fish pie!

We are gradually changing our Saturday evening menu to Autumn favourites and are open on 9th. and 23rd. October. More and more people are getting to know about our evening dates, so do book early.

Our stock for the Store is coming in fast now and we have lots of new things to tempt you. Apart from packs of Christmas cards displayed on one of our card fixtures, there will not be a Santa in sight until November! Instead feast your eyes on lovely padded vintage print coat hangers and toilet bags. Or scented sachets in muslin and calico. Or giant bags of lavender bath salts.....

For those of you who have just invested in a 'must -have' winter coat or jacket, you have to see the new classic Vintage handbags Jan from Bags of Style has just delivered. In beautiful crocodile or snakeskin, they are the perfect ladylike shape and most are under £100. What's more, you're not likely to meet someone coming round the corner carrying one the same as yours!

Finally, I want to ask for your help. Eighteen months ago, the Parish Council published a Traffic Report outlining the concern the residents of Colston Bassett had for the safety of our motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and horseriders and this was presented to the Highways Department. As our customers, you will know that there are several blind bends and narrowing of the road as you travel through the village. One of the sections of the Report asked residents to fill in an Incident Report if they had had a near miss or accident or any concern while passing through. Two particular areas where minor accidents occur are on Church Gate where the road and pavement are very narrow. These incidents are not serious enough to report to the Police BUT they are happening frequently and we are trying to collect evidence. Have you experienced anything that concerned you? If so, please fill in one of our Incident Reports kept at the Store Counter and help us to make some changes.

See you soon.

Jan

p.s. The fungus I mentioned last month is called Chicken in the Wood and is edible!!

Misty Moisty Mornings, Deli Platters and Things To Do

2010-09-07T14:56:00.008+01:00

How dramatic the mornings have been this week with the fields and woods shrouded in mist and the sun struggling to break through. All that abundance of blossom earlier in the year has now produced bumper crops of fruit, both cultivated and wild and we are all into jam and preserving mode. The birds, too, are already laying into the rowan berries and the hedgerow blackberries.

What do you think of this beauty? Anyone know its name? As I approached the fungus, it looked like a carved wooden sculpture of a bird with its wings outstretched. It was growing on the stump of a newly felled tree on the footpath to St. Mary's Church and its perfect form was breathtaking. I think it may be a good season for fungi with customers reporting frequent sightings of field mushrooms in damp grass and different fungi clustered in the crevices of dead wood. All that wet weather in August and the sudden warmth this month must have created ideal conditions.

In the Garden Cafe, our crab and smoked salmon salads have been a hit. We have also re-designed our deli platter on a huge white dinner plate. Served with mixed Italian olives, Sour Dough bread and Seggiano virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar it may include Toscana Porchetta, Mortadella, Serrano or Parma ham, Wild Boar Prosciutto, Milano, Napoli or Finnochiona Salamis. Quite a feast! Our Saturday Evenings are really taking off now and September 25th. is already fully booked. We are receiving such encouraging feedback from you all and one couple have been four times! We thought we had better give you all our dates until the end of the year as many of you have asked for more notice. so here they are:

OCTOBER 9TH & 23RD.

NOVEMBER 6TH., 20TH. & 27TH.

DECEMBER 4TH. & 18TH.

Call me mean but you cannot resist the tempting range of toiletries that are displayed on the dresser before you walk into the Cafe. Alongside our lovely Nesti soaps we now have another Italian range with dry oils and room diffusers. The packaging is all hand finished and the scents are divine. These ranges are unusual and so they make interesting and 'talked about' gifts for friends and family. Watch as we get more stock in for the run up to Christmas...I am always looking for something that will surprise you!

This month I thought we would step outside the shop and tell you a little about what is happening in Colston Bassett and nearby. We have an excellent Village Hall which is clean and warm and even has a sprung floor. So it makes the perfect venue for exercise classes of all descriptions. There's Total Body Workout with Katherine Gordon on Tuesdays 7.30 til 8.30pm, Tai-Chi with Lisa (01949 860013) from 10.00 til 11.00 on Thursday mornings and Yoga with Angela & Roger Tuck (01159 335719) on Thursday evening 7.30 til 9.00pm. Further afield, Toot Hill Academy have an exciting new range of evening classes including Jewellery Making, Italian Cookery and Latin Dancing on Tuesdays and Thursdays 7.00 til 9.00pm(01949 863044) So now the kids are back to school and the summer is over, sign up for a new challenge and say hello to Autumn!

When you next come into Colston Bassett you will be greeted by our new Boundary Signs. These have been funded by the Local Improvement Scheme run by the County Council and depict some of the landmarks of the Village. They are different at each end of Colston and we hope you will feel welcomed by them. At the same time we will be unveiling a new Village sign which will be erected outside the village hall. It has historical images which display the amazing pedigree of Colston Bassett and allude to the long reign of the Basset family from Norman times onward. Look out for it...it is unique!

See you soon

Jan

Award Winning Producers, Summer Scents and Nectarine Tart

2010-08-05T14:32:00.010+01:00

Where are you all? We seem to have been abandoned since the start of the school holidays while you pack your bags and head off for a change of scene. It is fabulous to have some consistent warm and sunny weather... a real Summer at last. Don't forget that both our Store and Cafe are fully air conditioned and, in July, gave some welcome respite to those of you who dined with us.

We had an enjoyable time picking fruit for our desserts and cream teas last month and now have a freezer full of redcurrants, blackcurrants and gooseberries ready for the winter months when we could do with a pick-me-up and a splash of colour. The year goes steadily by and today we baked our first Nectarine Tart of the season heralding the arrival of peaches, plums and all the late summer produce. This tart is very popular and a slice goes well with a cappuchino in the afternoon.

Our Evening openings are catching on. July 31st. was fully booked with a waiting list and we are already half full for both Saturday 14th. and 21st. August. You seem to love the menu and the cafe space creates a great ambiance. So do come and try us out. Dishes include Crab and Avocado Cocktail to start, followed by Lamb Rump with a Port and Redcurrant Sauce and Raspberry and Lavender Tart to finish. We would like to think that we could get enough support from you to open every Saturday night and to achieve this goal we will be closing the Store and Cafe on Sundays from Sunday 5th. September. Apologies to everyone especially our regulars who love to visit us and enjoy reading the Sunday papers with an espresso and a buttered scone. We hope you will manage to come on Saturdays instead and recover from shopping in Town or accompanied by friends staying for the weekend.

We are going to blow the trumpet on behalf of two of our suppliers! Vera Oxby who, as you know, provides us with all our eggs both for sale in the Store and to use in our baking and Brunches, has just won the Runner Up Prize in the Small Farm Category of the Wilkinson Environment Awards for Nottinghamshire 2010. Her conscientious approach to her animal husbandry extends to the maintenance of the woodland and pond margins of her farm and was duly recognised by the judges. Vera works tirelessly to give us the freshest eggs and throughly deserves this award.

In the same month, Shirevale Creamery in Cropwell Bishop won Silver and Bronze Medals at the Nantwich Show for their Traditional White Stilton which we stock on our cheese counter. Shirevale was set up by some of the employees when the Millway Dairy closed in Harby ten years ago and it is satisfying to see them succeed at this prestigious show. There has also been a spawning of another small producer set up by two of our ex employees, Ally Harper and Annette Shelton, called Youdessertit. Some of you may have enjoyed the exquisite cupcakes we sometimes had in the Cafe while Annette worked for us. Now she supplies these through the new company along with such delights as White Chocolate Cheesecake, Fruit Bundts and Blackberry and Coconut Slices.

Look on the website www.youdessertit.co.uk and be tempted. You may have a function coming up when you would like them to cater for you!

The long balmy summer evenings have enabled us to sit outside and enjoy all the fragrances of our summer gardens and plants such as honeysuckle and roses smell especially heady in the last hours of daylight. We have just received some wonderful candles at the Store which conjure up all these smells. True Grace candles include scents such as Meadow, Seashore and Soothing while Archipelago Botanics have mixtures of Sweet Basil with Rosemary or Rose and Bergamot, to name a few. They are both made of natural Soya Wax which is much more pleasant to burn and not harmful. They are selling fast . Come and have a sniff and extend your Summer into Autumn.

See you soon

Jan

Elderflower Cocktails, Strawberry Scones and Summer Abundance

2010-07-07T23:33:00.008+01:00

Don't give a thought to the fact that the longest day is past and that bit by bit the evenings are drawing in. Instead enjoy the moment in this most prolific and exuberant of months... JULY! After such miserable and chilly weather we have finally been able to enjoy three weeks with hardly a shower and more significantly without a breath of wind! It makes the Brits a different race of people. We see it all the time in the Store. Customers are cheerful, talkative

and happy to hang around.

I mentioned in June that the blossom this year had been amazing and no more so than these elderflower blooms the size of dinner plates! Belvoir Fruit Farms at the foot of our famous Castle makes the Elderflower Presse and Cordial that flies off the shelves in the Store and is a firm favourite in Garden Cafe. They grow a lot of the elderflowers themselves but enough have to be collected to last the year and so they advertise for pickers to scour the hedgrows and bring the blooms to their bottling plant in June and July. So you see, we are still hunter-gatherers, after all. World Service Restaurant includes it in their cocktail Sangria Bianca because its intense flavour and aroma summons up all things summery and Belvoir Fruit have their own Cocktail which we would like to share with you:

White Flower Martini

15ml. Elderflower Cordial
35ml. Vodka
15ml. Limoncello
50ml. Lychee juice

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with floating rose petal

For something simpler : 2 x 25ml shots Bombay Sapphire or Absolut Gin and 2 shots Elderflower Cordial shaken with ice and served in a cocktail glass with a lime and sugar rim and a wedge.

We have been less than enamoured with the quality and type of soft fruit available to us from our fruit wholesalers over the years. The supermarkets dictate the variety that will stand well on their shelves and it is not always the one that has the best texture, flavour and aroma. So this year we have decided to pick our own strawberries for you at Wymeswold (just off the A46) and the best variety they have is Symphony which conjures up all those memories of scent, hot afternoons and red stained cheeks and makes you realise what we have been missing. Our customers with noses in the air like Bisto kids follow the scent around the Store and have been snapping up our fruit punnets like hungry blackbirds! In the Garden Cafe we will be offering a strawberry scone with cream and a pot of tea for £5.95 in the afternoon during July.

To update you on our Evening openings at the Cafe:

Next evening Saturday 10th JULY A few tables left. We'd love to see you. And then Saturday 31st. JULY. Our summer menu is in full swing and the Crab Cocktail is proving a winner!

Can I also remind you that the Cafe on Friday 9th. July is closed for a wedding and that in the middle of the month there will be a couple of days when we will not be offering a full lunch time menu due to staff holidays. Best to ring first and apologies for any inconvenience.

Sophie Allsopp who's Mum is a very supportive customer of ours has set up a new local business making jams, chutneys and Jellies in Flawborough. It is called Sophie & Boo (who is the pet Jack Russell). The packaging is fabulous. And so is the product. We are already getting rave comments like "the marmalade is the best I've tasted apart from my own!" and "so much fruit in the raspberry jam and the colour is so clear". Sophie is adding to the range all the time and is intent on maintaining the quality by producing in small batches. We think this range has a great future.

Finally, we are still keen to buy any good quality surplus fruit and vegetables from you and would like to thank the customer from Owthorpe who brought us blackcurrants and redcurrants today. There must be more of you out there!

Speak to you soon

Jan

Queen Anne's Lace, Blush Wines and the Longest Day

2010-06-01T23:13:00.005+01:00

I have been told that trees love a cold winter when they can sink dormant under a blanket of snow and ice and then spring back to life with energy and new growth. Have you noticed this year how the blossoms are spectacular? Our apple trees are covered in flowers, the horse chestnuts around the village are bowed down with their pyramid spikes and the cow parsley on the footpath from St. Mary's Church is blowsy with white sprays.

Its other name is Queen Anne's Lace which is much nicer and so romantic. The froth and delicacy of its structure conjures up for me weddings and lightness of spirit and sets the tone for the month of June.

The Asparagus this year from Abbey Parks in Boston has been very,very good. The spears have been succulent and plump and we would expect to have deliveries until the longest day which is the 21st. of this month. We have also been roasting seasonal rhubarb to accompany our Lemon Posset on the cafe menu. Try cutting up the stems into centimetre cubes (the really red rhubarb is the best because it holds it colour) and put them into a roasting pan...not too crowded. Chop up 2-3 pieces of stem ginger in syrup into tiny bits and sprinkle over the rhubarb with some unrefined caster sugar. Lastly some zest from an orange and lay a vanilla pod across the fruit. Cover with foil tightly and bake for 15 - 20 minutes in a hot oven. Some flavour combinations are just made in heaven and rhubarb and ginger is one of them! Serve with ice cream.

We have a great range of Rose Wines in the off licence ranging from the rich ruby colours of the New World vineyards to the gentle dusky pink of the Provencal grapes. If you really want to treat yourself, try the Sancerre Rose!

They all have a distinct flavour and smell and come into their own on a still summer evening. We will have our bottle chiller on at the weekends so we can chill any wine for you in a matter of minutes. Take advantage of the long evenings while you can and savour these special wines with a few seasonal berries in your own garden.

Our seasonal summer menu was received well when we opened our cafe in the evening at the end of May. Cod with a herb crust and the proscuitto wrapped asparagus were particularly popular. We have several more dates lined up for you on a Saturday: 4th. June, 26th. June and 10th. July.

Just want to give you notice that the cafe will not be open in the daytime on Friday 9th. July. Jayne Blakeman who used to work for us is getting married and has chosen to have her family wedding reception in the Garden Cafe. Our first catering for a Wedding. It will be so exciting and we are hoping for fine weather and a happy day.

Let's not forget Dad! Father's Day is on June 20th. and we have some unusual gifts to tempt you. Fun things like jokey coasters and chocolate playing cards. Or baskets that hold a trio of jams or chutneys. Choose from the wide range on our shelves...has he got a sweet tooth or is he a savoury man?! Then there are our speciality beers. Dorothy Goodbody usually gets a laugh! Buy six assorted and present them in a neat carrier. And finally we have something really special and unique. Carol Webb from the Jewel Box has brought us some fantastic cufflinks and vintage Tootal scarves. The patterns on them are so beautiful and a customer told me that they were featured in the Guardian or Observer last weekend so come and see them. At £24.00 I suspect they are an investment!

I can't believe that the next time I write to you we will be over half way through the year. We are going to be looking to freeze some seasonal fruit. So if you have a glut of gooseberries, currants or raspberries in good condition, come and see us and we'll strike a deal!

See you soon

Jan

Asparagus, Wilted Greens and Alfresco Living

2010-04-29T09:15:00.010+01:00

I feel alive! What about you? This weather has been so fantastic. When we get brilliant sunshine in April or May and hardly a breeze in the air, you couldn't wish to be anywhere else on this planet but HERE! Who else has enjoyed a glass of chilled white wine or prosecco on returning home from work these past few days? Or rushed out into the garden to tidy up after the winter, assess the damage from snow and frost and get in the first vegetable seeds?

Customers to Garden Cafe have sat out on the patio for the first time in the last fortnight basking like lizards in the sun while they enjoy an alfresco lunch or tea and a slice of Victoria Sandwich. Just to remind you that all our cakes are made on the premises or by Annette (those stunning muffins) or Sue (you love those bakewell tarts and sticky toffee puds). The flour used is organic, the sugar unrefined and the eggs from Vera's free range hens in Kinoulton.

We know you come back again and again to savour these and it so gratifying to have our regulars visiting in sun and in rain... you can even tell the day of the week when some of you walk through the door!

Come and see us while our front garden is at its very best. We have narcissi taking over from daffodils, blue and white anemones, parrot tulips and polyanthus. Richard has even managed to get stripes on our lawn.. well sort of!

Later in the year, it is harder to get such a good display as the trees take up all the moisture and everything becomes very dry. If anyone knows of mid summer plants that can survive dry shade, let me know.

I am desperate to get out the May blog as soon as possible because we have a real treat for you. Arriving this Friday we will have bunches of WILD GARLIC. We tried it last year and it is truly delicious. It takes a quick wilting in olive oil in a wok or a couple of minutes in boiling water. A bit like spinach it is brilliant with poached or fried eggs or crispy bacon or pancetta. The season is very short so we would expect to have it in every Friday for maybe the next three weeks.

With such cold night temperatures the ASPARAGUS season was due to start late but we have heard that the recent warmth has brought the crop back on trend and we hope to have our first bunches this weekend. There is nothing better than simply cooked spears with melted butter or Hollandaise sauce. We are getting the latter in from Ouse Valley next week and it will be freshly made for us. When you want something a bit different then try this excellent recipe from Gordon!

Serves 4

700gms Asparagus Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to drizzle Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, 8-10 slices of Parma Ham, a block of Parmesan Reggiano for slicing good, quality Balsamic Vinegar

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Snap off the coarser part of each stalk and blanch the rest of the spears in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh in a bowl of iced water and drain again. (This keeps them brilliantly green and stops them from overcooking). Heat a griddle pan until hot (I think you could do this on the bar-b-que as well). Toss the asparagus gently in a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper until coated evenly. In several batches, griddle the spears for 1 - 2 minutes on each side until they have seared stripes. Pile the griddled asparagus on to a platter and arrange the Parma Ham slices round it. Shave the parmesan over the asparagus with a vegetable peeler, drizzle with the balsamic and tuck in. Needless to say, all these ingredients are available at the Store!

There's not a week goes by that we don't have new deliveries of jewellery and gifts to tempt you. A lot of you will be familiar with our Nesti Danti soaps from Italy. All the scents are irresistible so it's very hard to choose. However, at £4.25 for a bath size, they are a snip and make lovely presents. Many of you have asked for notecards and gift bags and we have got charming ones in from Roger la Borde, bright and summery. We find it hard to keep our greeting card section stocked up and many of you have said how good our selection is. Thank you! We are always looking for something new and some of our customers come armed with their birthday calenders and stock up for next few months!

Within these paragraphs, I have mentioned some of the people who help to make Colston Bassett Store what it is. It is a fine balance to keep up the standards and we couldn't do it without dedicated staff who all share our enthusiasm and commitment. Sue who keeps our cheese counter pristine, the front of house cafe staff who always welcome you, the weekend sixth formers who keep us entertained (and up to date!)

Come and pay us another visit soon

Jan

PS. The Garden Cafe will be taking bookings for the evening of Saturday May 22nd. We'd love to see you.

Chicken or Egg?

2010-03-28T18:47:00.000+01:00

We have rushed to get the April blog out in time for Easter. Let's hope we have a lovely weekend with all thoughts of frosts and dreary days long gone. Putting the clocks forward always puts a spring in our steps and we will be extending the cafe hours on Tuesday to Friday to 4.30pm (last orders 4.10pm) from 6th. April. Mothers Day was a stunning day and we put our first table and chairs out to welcome the sun. Brian came with some irresistble hellebores including a primrose yellow one and you were all very smitten! Fully booked for most of the day, we apologise to customers who had to be turned away.

Evening openings for the month are planned for Friday 2nd. April, which falls on the Easter weekend, depending on takeup. Also Friday 16th. April. Do book now. We are also being asked whether Garden Cafe is available to book as a whole. We have done this once or twice before and would be happy to discuss options. It makes a lovely venue. We are traditionally closed on Easter Sunday.

No sooner is Mothers Day over, then we turn our thoughts to Easter. The Store is looking very Spring-like with sherbet colours, unusual Easter eggs and bright foil chickens. Why not buy some of Vera's eggs, hard boil them and decorate with edible food colouring? Or have an Easter Egg hunt in the garden? Our kids used to love this....and so did the dog!

We are now looking forward to getting the first Spring vegetables and fruit into the Store. Before we know it we will have asparagus and rhubarb and new sprouting broccoli. We'll keep you posted.

Bev Beattie is returning by popular demand. This time she is holding a workshop called Knit and Embellish Books on Monday 19th. April 9.30 until 3.30pm. It is designed to allow you to experiment with lots of interesting yarns and to produce several samples. These are then decorated with buttons and stitchery and stuck onto Indian paper notebooks. More ideas for presents? The course will cost £45.00 including lunch and all refreshments. Materials will be extra so that you can buy as little or as much as you want. Book now with a deposit of £20.00.

All I need to do now is wish all our customers a very happy Easter. Now that Lent is over, come and indulge yourself with us!

See you soon

Jan

Birdsong, Muffins and Hellebores

2010-03-04T13:10:00.007Z

I am writing to you in glorious sunshine. What a tonic! Our resident robin at the Store sings from morning to night, the rooks are squabbling over nest sites in the village and here are the first of the species crocus visible from the Cafe windows.

Brunch continues to be a great success. We seem to have hit the spot with your weekend requirements. Martin is now making herby sausage and bacon patties served with scrambled eggs and mushrooms or vine tomatoes. Yum! And we have found that little creamy French Onion Tarts go well with a couple of slices of grilled Free Range Bacon. Its very hectic in the kitchen so do remember to book your table.

The weekend of March. 13th & 14th. is Mothers Day weekend and Nettie is working on some extra special muffins with hand made flower decorations. Have you tried her Rosewater and Pistachio ones, or Orange Curd, or Apple Crumble? We can't keep up with her inspirational cooking. We don't usually take table bookings for tea and cakes but Mothers Day is different. Book to avoid disappointment.

An extra treat on Sunday 14th. March is our annual Hellebore Sale. Perfect for Mothers Day. Brian Robinson will have a stand outside the Cafe from 11.00 until 1.00 pm. He grows all the plants himself with his wife Sharon and there are some gorgeous colours...pure white, speckled and blotchy pinks and dark burgundys. They get snapped up, so come early. This hellebore is growing in the cafe garden and we bought it from Brian two years ago. Its not the most hospitable of locations but it struggles along delighting us with its delicate blooms

Eight students had a ball at our Knit and Felt Workshop! Bev Beattie brought a fantastic range of yarns and got everyone knitting furiously. The afternoon was spent mastering knitted flowers which are felted onto the body of the bag and everyone went home full of enthusiasm and brimming with ideas. Several of the students have been back to show us all the finished product. We have now decided to encourage knitters to get together at a Knit & Natter session

every Wednesday morning in the Cafe 10.30 until 11.45 (unless staying for lunch). Come and share ideas and show us what you've done. The purchase of a cappuchino or a pot of tea will oil the vocal cords!

Also from this month onwards we will be stocking some of the yarns used in the making of the bags. Many of you have said how hard it is to find good fibres and we could have sold the balls of yarn used to advertise the course last month ten times over! You will find them in the glass cabinet in the off-licence (no connection, of course!)

Our next Workshop is on Monday 19th. April when you can try your hand at Needle Felting and Embellishment. More in the April Blog and in the Store.

Whoever forecast the colours for Spring/Summer 2010 must have known that we would be emerging from one of the hardest winters for decades. Soft lavenders, shell pinks, sorbet lemon and lime are all shades that have been selling well in the Store and the delicacy of the jewellery and laciness of the new Spring scarves have struck a cord with you all. We are now adding stronger accents of turquoise and magenta...dare you not to be tempted by the new woven straw handbags in ice cream stripes!

See you soon.

Hearts, Brunch and Knitting

2010-02-01T17:50:00.005Z

Can we really be into February already? I think hibernating in the deep snow for half of last month didn't help but where does the time go?

Our Brunch celebration for Farmhouse Breakfast Week was a huge success and was extended to the second weekend as well. Top favourite was Hambleton Muffin with saffron butter, Vera's scrambled eggs and smoked salmon from the Scottish Summer Isles. All these ingredients are available in the Store as are the sausages and bacon that are used in some of the other choices on the menu. The close runner up was Kedgeree using undyed smoked haddock, the sweetest of shallots, parsley, basmati rice and hard boiled eggs. Customers commented on how creamy the consistency was.

Because Brunch seems to be more in tune with a late start on Sunday or a visit to Garden Cafe after a busy Saturday morning we are replacing our usual lunchtime menu with Brunch at the weekends for a while to see how it goes.

Service will be 11.00am until 3.00pm. and it is advisable to book.

Don't forget Valentine's Day on Sunday, 14th. February. We have Cards, Chocolates, Beaded Hearts and lots more with a heart theme. Garden cafe will be celebrating with cakes and Nettie's muffins decorated with hearts on Saturday and we are opening the cafe in the evening for the first time this year on 13th. February. Come and start the evening with a glass of pink fizz!

Our next evening opening is on Friday 26th. February. Bookings are being taken now.

It's going to be a busy few days with our Knit and Felt Workshop on Monday, 15th. February. See our January blog for more details. There are a few places left so come and join an enthusiastic bunch of knitters and have a great time.

Pancake Day is on Tuesday February 16th. and Sue Peadon who helps in our kitchen has promised fluffy American pancakes with blueberries on the lunch menu. Indulgent and yummy, the memories of enjoying them will help you through the next few weeks of abstinence!

Just a couple of seasonal links: Holme Pierrepont Hall opens on February 1st. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 2.00-5.00pm Sunday teas. The snowdrops are worth as visit. (0115933 2371)

There is also a stunning display of snowdrops and spring flowering plants at Hodsock Priory (www.snowdrops.co.uk) A bit of a journey to get to but you'll love it. They have carpets of bulbs and a fire to warm yourself by in the wood.

Comforting food in the cafe.

Who said February was boring...!

Speak to you soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-01-11T20:12:00.002Z

As I write this blog the thaw is starting to melt the snow and ice and bring Colston Bassett Store back in touch with the World again. Actually we managed to stay open all last week thanks to our courageous manageress Sue Middlemore who got into work despite everything. We re-opened Garden Cafe on Saturday 9th. Jan and were very busy. I think you were all ready for a change of scene and a good cup of coffee! Good to see you all.

Our evening opening on Fridays and Saturdays has gone well up to Christmas. Comments about the food have been very positive and you all seem to like the menu and the ambiance. Because of the weather and the time of year, we are only opening on selected nights over the next few weeks and currently have reservations on Saturday 23rd. January. Why not book a table and come and join us?

Just a couple of things to tell you this month:

FARMHOUSE BREAKFAST WEEK

Farmhouse Breakfast Week is from 24th. to 30th. January and celebrates the practice of eating a good hearty breakfast to kickstart the day. We will be serving BRUNCH in Garden Cafe on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th. January with Bucks Fizz, smoked salmon from the Summer Isles and Vera's scrambled eggs on Hambleton muffins and salt beef sandwiches with mustard mayo and pickled cucumbers to name some of the dishes to tempt you on this special menu. Please book a table to avoid disappointment.

KNIT AND FELT BAGS WORKSHOP MONDAY 15th. FEBRUARY 9.30 - 3.30pm

In our bid to make Colston Bassett Store more than just a shop we are always seeking to come up with new ways of persuading you to step across the threshold! On Monday 15th. February we are holding our first Workshop. There has been a big revival of pastimes like knitting and crochet recently just at the time when local authorities have stopped running their non-vocational adult education classes. So we are very excited to be able to offer KNIT AND FELT BAGS with Bev Beattie who's newly published book has been very well received and who has a range of yarns to die for! The day will start off with knitting the bag itself and then move on to mastering the handles and embellishments to the bag. This is knitting with a twist and is open to both beginners and experienced knitters.

The fee for the Workshop is £55.00 and this includes a £15 voucher towards materials and refreshments throughout the day a with a soup lunch. We are lucky to have Bev living in West Bridgford so should you get the bug (and we are sure you will) she is nearby for advice and yarn purchasing after the course!

Numbers are limited for the Workshop so book as soon as possible. We are asking for a deposit of £20.00 to secure a place. Either pop into the store or book over the phone (01949 810321) sending a cheque to Colston Bassett Store Church Gate, Colston Bassett Notts NG12 3FE

If we get enough interest we may hold a Knit and Natter weekly get together in the Cafe on Wednesdays from 10.00 until 11.30!

Got any other ideas for day workshops? Let us know.

See you soon

Jan

Festive Spirit

2009-12-08T08:28:00.009Z

We have a rule at the Store that no christmas cards go out on sale until October and decorations aren't put up until the beginning of December. That way we try to keep Christmas special and still full of magic.

Our shelves are bulging with Pannetone, sloe gin truffles, Lubeck marzipan and other indulgent treats for the festive season. We have little wicker baskets or hessian bags to house three jams or chutneys of your choice for £12.75. These make excellent gifts for all sorts of people, especially neighbours, grandparents and work colleagues. We can make up trays of goodies for you to your own specification including a bottle of wine, cheese biscuits, condiments, chocolates, preserves etc. One of the most popular gifts for the sweet tooth is a hessian carrier with a bottle of dessert wine and a finger box of chocs.

Don't forget your Baby Stilton. We also have a lovely selection of other individual cheeses: the famous Mont d'Or which is only available in the winter months, Chaource, Gres de Vosges, Black Bomber to name a few.

Make Christmas easier by having in a good selection of salamis, parma ham and wild boar prosciutto. These make a simple starter with crisp salad or pick up nibbles if you have friends round.

Our Garden Cafe is now open on Friday and Saturday nights from 6.30 until 10.00 (last bookings at 8.15) Customers are enjoying the food and the ambiance with chilled out jazz. Our slowed cooked beef is full of flavour and the Lamb with Madiera sauce is sweet and succulent. Starters include roasted tomato soup or pea, mint and goats cheese tartlet and the desserts can be apple charlotte (fruit from our own trees!) ginger pudding or creme brulee. Everything is homemade and the price is fixed at 2 courses for £16.50 and three for £20. Our shop is also open on these evenings and Maria will have a range of wines for you to taste before you buy. Make a date with us in the New Year.

The gifts in the Store look gorgeous. We have recycled lanterns, boxes and table mats for the planet conscious, diamante and pearls for the glamorous, teapots, fruit bowls and storage jars for the homebird. Then there are stunning hairbands , bracelets and purses for the nine year old (going on 19!) and funny coasters, Simon Drew calenders and puzzle books for the men in your life... open every day from 15th. Dec., come and see for yourself. We make a much more civilised destination than Nottingham in the weeks leading up to Christmas and you'll find present ideas that will delight your friends and family.

Fast tracking to 2010 I want to tell you about a workshop we are holding in Garden Cafe on Monday 15th. February. Bev Beattie will be showing you how to make knit and felt bags.

As you can see from the photo, the yarns are fabulous and the colours irresistible. There is a huge interest in knitting at the moment and Bev's new book is an inspiration. This a new departure for us but as there are no daytime classes for adults who want to enjoy learning something creative anymore we may come up with a programme of events. More in 2010....

It just leaves me to thank you all for your support in what has been a very difficult year in retailing. Our lovely customers who make us laugh and are so enthusiastic often brighten up a slow day.

Below are our opening times during the festive period:

Shop:

Christmas Eve close at 1.00 (don't forget to pick up your turkey!)

Reopen: Tuesday 29th. Dec 10.00am

New Years Eve. close 1.00pm

Reopen: Tuesday 5th. Jan 10.00am

Cafe:

Christmas Eve closed (unless you're an oven ready turkey!)

Reopen: Tuesday 29th. Dec.10.30am

New Years Eve. close 1.00pm drinks and cakes only

Reopen Friday 8th. Jan 10.30 - 4.30 (daytime only)

Bookings available Evening Sat. 9th. Jan

Wishing you a happy Christmas and a sparkling New Year from all of us at Colston Bassett Store and Garden Cafe

Festive Spirit

2009-12-08T08:28:00.001Z

Make Christmas easier by having in a good selection of salamis, parma ham and wild boar prosciutto. These make a simple starter with crisp salad or pick up nibbles if you have friends round.

(photo of baubles and ivy)

Fast tracking to 2010 I want to tell you about a workshop we are holding in Garden Cafe on Monday 15th. February. Bev Beattie will be showing you how to make knit and felt bags.(photo of wool)

It just leaves me to thank you all for your support in what has been a very difficult year in retailing. Our lovely customers who make us laugh and are so enthusiastic often brighten up a slow day.

Below are our opening times during the festive period:

Shop: Cafe:

Christmas Eve close at 1.00 (don't forget to pick up your turkey!) Christmas Eve closed (unless you're an oven ready turkey!)

Reopen: Tuesday 29th. Dec 10.00am Reopen: Tuesday 29th. Dec.10.30am

New Years Eve. close 1.00pm New Years Eve. close 1.00pm drinks and cakes only

Reopen: Tuesday 5th. Jan 10.00am Reopen Friday 8th. Jan 10.30 - 4.30 (daytime only)

Bookings available Evening Sat. 9th. Jan

Wishing you a happy Christmas and a sparkling New Year from all of us at Colston Bassett Store and Garden Cafe

Misty, Moisty Mornings

2009-11-15T10:07:00.008Z

More than our fair share of autumn sunshine has given us fog in the mornings after temperatures have dropped sharply at night. Aside from the potential hazard to motorists you have to admit that the rising mists over the past couple of days have been atmospheric and quite magical. They set us firmly in the month of November and we have loads to tell you!

Our Garden Café will be open on Fridays and Saturdays from November 20^th. Bookings are being taken from 6.30 until 8.15pm. and we can’t wait to share with you our Autumn menu, which will include heart warming dishes such as Roasted Tomato soup, slow cooked Beef and Apple Charlotte. These are the kind of home cooked dishes that are absent from many a restaurant menu these days but which reflect our interest in seasonality, local produce and ingredients from our Deli.

At the same time the Store will be open (except for the Deli counter) and Maria O’Reilly will be giving customers an opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ in the Off Licence. We have some cracking wines and our first tastings will concentrate on wines from £5.99…. mellow reds, crisp whites and incentives for buying a mixed case!

In the daytime we often have diners nipping out between courses to shop and try on jewellery! We are wondering whether this will happen in the evening… I can’t think of any other restaurant where you would have the chance to shop as well… will this prove to be a unique feature of Colston Bassett Store!!

Since the clocks went back at the end of October we have had to shorten our café daytime hours closing at 3.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as we did last year. With the nights drawing in rapidly, customers seem to prefer not to travel out to us once it gets dark. However, at present we stay open until 4.30pm on a Friday to kick start the weekend!

We are pleased again to be taking orders for Chris Hortor’s turkeys this Christmas. As many of you will know, we have been enjoying Chris’ birds for nearly twenty years and have found them to be succulent and full of flavour. They are also ethically reared in deep straw and, as you can see from the photo taken last week, are happy and shaping up nicely!

Phone us on 01949 81321 to place an order. Collection on Christmas Eve until 1.00pm from the Store. We can also provide free range Streaky Bacon and Chipolata Sausages from Redhill Farm as accompaniments.

We have finally got a source of honey to replace the honey from David MacClaren which has been so sadly missed. Our new supplier is Tom Ryder who has hives on his roof in the Park, Nottingham! The honey is dark, runny and simply fantastic. Bees are having a hard time, weakened by pesticides and disease and the cold Springs and wet Summers we have been experiencing have made this worse. We will enjoy Tom’s current season of honey while it lasts…

I am just including a shot of the giftware that is hitting the Store on a continuous basis as we motor up to Christmas. Lots of ideas for presents and stocking fillers for every age group! Don’t drag into Town with all the attendant parking problems… COME TO US!! You won’t be disappointed!

Jan Lindsay

The Joys Of An Indian Summer

2009-10-17T11:19:00.010+01:00

We have had more customers enjoying the sunshine on our terrace in the past few weeks than during the whole of the Summer! The stillness and that beautiful golden light you get at this time of year have really cheered us all up.

The bumper harvest continues and we have picked and stored the apples from the shop garden and from our Bramley tree at home and are now using them on our glazed fruit tarts in the cafe. The shop apples get used first because they do not keep as well but we were still cooking the Bramleys in January this year! We are now very happy with our supply of vegetables and are thinking of offering you a chance to place a veg order for the weekend on line. The order would need to be with us by Wednesday and picked up between 12noon and 5.00pm on Friday. Would this be something you may be interested in? Email us if you want more information on info@colstonbassettstore.com

Nothing marks the frantic pace of the calendar more than the return of Mont d'Or at the end of September. This unctuous cow's milk cheese comes from the French/Swiss border and is only made in the Autumn when the herd come down from the high summer pasture. It is formed in a spruce bark casing which gives it a resinous tang and its texture under the crust is mild and creamy. We stock the individual ones weighing 480gm which are fun to share at a dinner party. Try slitting open the crust, moistening with a bit of white wine and baking for a few minutes in a hot oven to warm through. We also stock the cutting Mont d'Or which means you can have as big or as small slice as you like.

There is a new exhibition of work by Steve Boylan in the cafe until end of November and all the works are for sale from £100. These paintings are mixed media and acrylic, predominantly monochrome with flashes of pink and are naive in style. Beautifully framed, they have a sense of Cornwall about them featuring seascapes, boats and cliff side cottages and impart a feeling of calm. Steve's work has been exhibited in galleries in Rutland, Leicestershire and Cornwall and is very collectable.

Now that the nights are drawing in you might be interested in keeping yourself fit and flexible through the winter! Stepping outside the Store for a moment, I would like to make you aware of the evening classes we have in the Village Hall at Colston Bassett. The Hall has exceptional facilities with a sprung wooden floor, effective central heating and dimmed lighting.

Monday 7pm to 8pm Yoga with Lisa Brindley

Tuesday 7.30pm to 8.30pm Total Body Work Out with Catherine Gordon (starting October 27th.)

Thursday 10am to 11am Tai Chi with Lisa Brindley

Thursday 7.30 to 9.00pm Yoga with Roger & Angela Tuck

Something for everyone!

Finally don't forget Girls Night Out on Wednesday 11th. November at 7.30pm. Our Charity this year is in aid of Sckin, who are trying to make us all aware of the increasing incidence and danger of skin cancer in this country. Tickets are £5.00 which includes a glass of Prosecco. All proceeds to Sckin. Come and enjoy...and spend! Its all for a good cause.

Jan Lindsay

Season of Mellow Fruitfulness

2009-09-15T07:42:00.007+01:00

Sorry I am late with the September blog but at least it has enabled me to share my love of this wonderful Indian Summer weather with you all. What a fantastic few days we have had...golden sunshine, the leaves turning on the trees and that indescribable stillness that only comes at this time of year. Harvest festivals and scarecrow fairs celebrate an abundance of crops. It has been a bumper year for fruits of all types: blackberries, damsons, apples and plums to name a few. Next year we would love to negotiate with you a price for any surplus you may have which we can then freeze and use in crumbles, flans and desserts in our cafe!

Unfortunately, the lack of sunshine in the earlier summer has left me with a lot of unripened tomatoes and I would like to share with you a Jamie Oliver recipe which has transformed this green fruit into a great salsa:

3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1/2 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

2 green tomatoes, finely chopped

1 red tomato, de-seeded and finely chopped

1 small bunch of parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

6 tbsp. olive oil

Put all the ingredients into a bowl with a good pinch of sea salt and mix.

Use immediately to get maximum freshness!

The recipe is an accompaniment to foil wrapped sweet potato and cajun chicken. Brilliant combination of flavours and ingredients we often have in the Store at the weekend. Ring and check (01949 81321)

Well, guys, switch off now! This is about the Autumn/Winter 2009 Collections. Lots of black, shoulder pads, leather and knee high boots! Not for the faint hearted, but the fashion savvy can cherry pick and so can we!

Instore already are some great accessories... jewelled insect brooches, snake diamante bracelets and faux pearls (courtesy of Carol Webb from the Jewel Box who has a showcase with us). The structured handbag is back with us and Jan Worth from Bags of Style has delivered some great skin bags which will not be 'on the High Street'. Talking of which: put a date in your diary for 'Girls' Night Out' on Wednesday, 11th. November. For those of you have not been initiated by baptism of fire, this our annual Charity evening where our customers by ticketed entrance only can, with Prosecco in hand, peruse some fantastic merchandise. All our stallholders are unique in what they have to offer. So this a chance to wow friends with Christmas presents or do a bit of secret personal shopping for yourself. Either way 10% goes to charity. More next month...

Enjoy that glimpse of sunshine while you can.

Jan

A Disappointing Summer

2009-08-09T17:36:00.013+01:00

Since writing our July blog, Garden Cafe has been more a refuge from torrential rain for our customers than a chill-out space on the terrace. Let us cheer you up with the sun drenched landscapes on view in the Cafe until mid September. Painted by Bob Evens, an established Nottingham artist, they are all for sale at very good prices. We are still taking advantage of the last of the summer berries on our cakes and desserts, but watch out for peaches, nectarines and plums on our open fruit flans.

Some of you may be aware of the plan for an intensive pig farm to be set up in Colston Bassett. As residents we obviously have concerns about its impact on the village. At the Store we have always tried to stock organic or free range meat from known sources. Our bacon and sausages come from Redhill Farm near Gainsborough where the pigs are completely free range. Our eggs from Vera Oxby in Kinoulton are also free range and are used in all our cakes and quiches in the Cafe as well as sold in the Store. We also buy a small selection of organic meat and free range chickens from Stephen Morris in Loughborough which comes into the Store on Wednesday. Specific orders from customers need to be placed the weekend before. The demand for cheap food in the U.K. has resulted in animals being often reared in unacceptable conditions and prone to the diseases that intensive agriculture brings. The chickens at the Store may cost more than those in the supermarket but I would rather eat them less often and enjoy their superior flavour and texture. Why not try one?

Cards and jewellery are the star performers in our gift area. We are constantly bringing in new ranges and work hard to keep the prices accessible. Snap them up when you see them as we don't keep much stock. There is an 80's revival on trend for the Autumn and we hope to accessorize it with chunky pieces and plenty of bling! Children's party invitation and no present? Just arrived...beaded hearts, flower key rings, decorated hairbands. They might get you out of trouble!

Before you make the journey into West Bridgford or Nottingham, why not come and visit us. We may well have what you're looking for and save you time and petrol! As one customer said: "Where else can I buy a pack of free range sausages, a beautiful soap from Italy and a crystal necklace!"

See you soon.

Summer's here!

2009-07-03T21:12:00.004+01:00

We have been wanting to keep you up-to-date with news from the Store and Cafe for ages and have finally set up this blog which we will be refreshing on a monthly basis. It will keep you in touch with all the seasonal foods coming in to the Store, help you take advantage of any offers and alert you to specials on the Cafe menu board.

July is one of the most exciting months in the calendar for vegetables and fruit and the store is full of locally grown strawberries, gooseberries, carrots and summer cabbage. We use a supplier who works with nearby small holdings and farms with the result that there is little time wasted between gathering the produce and selling it to you. This is an issue for supermarkets who despite their best efforts are simply not able to replicate this quest for freshness and low food miles. Enjoy it!

Those of you who have visited our Cafe will know that there is a synergy between the food we stock in the Store and the ingredients used next door. Expect to be offered Cornish Crab salads, creamy baked cheesecake with raspberries and scones with Southwell strawberries. We are busy planning our Autumn menu when we hope to also be open on some evenings.

Not everyone who pops in to the Store is a food shopper. Our greeting card selection is very comprehensive with some great humorous cards that have customers in stitches in the hallway. More recently we have introduced homewares and jewellery. Come over in the next couple of weeks and scoop up a new range of summer handbags at excellent prices. Fancy something in shocking pink and black? We have it!

See you soon.