Category Archive: Occasion

1. We’ve won a business award…and here’s why it matters

   3rd August 2022 5:39 pm Leave a Comment

   

   We scrub up well, don’t we?!

   This is a picture of us, Anne-Marie and Richard, just last week, collecting our Welsh Women’s Awards 2022 trophy for Food Entrepreneur of the Year, and to say that we’re chuffed to win this fantastic business award is an understatement.

   You see, we don’t think that having a trophy on a shelf (or even a blog about a trophy on a shelf) will make people buy more jam. Neither will it make our jam, chutney, or preserves taste one little bit better. No, the win for us isn’t having something else to dust. Winning a business award is far more valuable than you might think.

   Business awards – what are they?

   Over 1,000 organisations in the UK offer business awards. These are accolades offered to organisations and individuals who have developed outstanding initiative in their sectors. Many companies who offer business awards also offer the chance to go to glamorous award ceremonies, meaning the company makes money on the sale of tickets, and the award winners get a blinkin’ good night on the town! And, let’s face it, if you’re in a business like ours, where we’re either covered in soil from picking our fresh produce for our Farm Shop or covered in ingredients from the jam kitchen, putting on a posh frock is an enjoyable novelty!

   Why do we love our business award?

   Beyond the gorgeous meal and bubbly that we got to enjoy at the ceremony, this business award means the world to a small business like Farmers Food at Home. We started with a small batch of jams and preserves, and now we’re winning awards! But we’re especially thrilled because we were nominated for our business award. This means that one of our customers took the time to contact the company and recommend that we receive an award for the hard work, effort, and quality control that we put into every aspect of our small business. Being nominated for an award from our customers means we’ve done more than just provide food. Just like the wonderful reviews we receive and the media coverage we’ve had over the pandemic, being endorsed by real people who can see the blood, sweat, and tears behind what we’re offering as a small, rural business is priceless us.

   Why the process of the business award matters

   Business awards aren’t easily won. We’re not trying to blow our own trumpet here, but the process of vouching for your nomination is rigorous. Each detail of our business, from hygiene to profits, goals, dreams, and business plans, is scrutinised to ensure that the nominee deserves to be considered by the judges.

   While this process is onerous and may seem like just a lot of hassle, it’s actually a fantastic process for small businesses to go through. We’ve been running our company for quite a few years now, and like most people who have persevered through a pandemic, you can get tied up in the here and now of ordering jam jars and feeding the chickens and working out how to add that great image of the cake you just baked onto your Instagram reels. Phew!

   The process of verifying your nomination gives businesses the opportunity to take a step back and evaluate the successes of your business, the weak spots that need attention, and give focus to where your business has been and where it’s going next. Having the opportunity to reconsider your goals a few years into your business can be invaluable as a tool to help you grow, learn, and succeed in a new economic climate.

   Why our business award means a better service for our customers

   The in-depth investigation into our business, and the subsequent winning of an award because of it, isn’t just a ‘yay’ moment for us. It means that our customers can be sure that the products that they’re buying, and the service they receive from Farmers Food at Home, really is the best!

   And that chance to step back and look at where we’re going only means that we can offer an even better service moving forward. As we write this, an extension is being added to the Jam Kitchen so that we can offer an even bigger range of our award-winning products for the winter to come…so watch this space!

2. 6 Jubilee recipe ideas fit for the Queen!

   16th May 2022 12:49 pm Leave a Comment

   

   The Queen’s Jubilee is fast approaching, and, for many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Queen Elizabeth II is the first monarch to ever reach her Platinum Jubilee, meaning she’s been ruling Brittania for a whopping 70 years. If that’s not worth a bit of cake, we don’t know what is. So, if you’re planning a street party or gathering, or even if you’re not, here are 6 Jubilee recipe ideas to mark this special occasion and our remarkable Queen.

   1. Scones with jam and cream.

   This is at the top of our list of Jubilee recipe ideas, not only because it is quintessentially British, but because apparently, the Queen LOVES a scone! At around 3 pm every day, the Queen enjoys an afternoon tea complete with her favourite cakes…we daren’t ask if she likes jam or cream first! However way round you like it, we’ve got the perfect strawberry jam, made from our fresh crop grown at The Paddock Farm, that we think even the Queen would enjoy.

   2. Cucumber sandwiches

   If you’re running with the British afternoon tea theme, then come and pick up some of our freshly grown cucumbers. We grow these beauties in our on-site polytunnels, and you’ll never have tasted anything so fresh! Slice them thinly for your sandwiches, which you can make with bread from our shop, made by our local artisan bread company, Dough. Alternatively, add some strong cheddar to your sandwich and some cucumber slices to your gin. Cheers!

   3. Victoria Sponge

   Our Queen wasn’t the first to enjoy a bit of cake in the afternoon. Her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, loved a jam sponge so much that it was named after her! The Royal Victoria Sponge, as its name should be, was enjoyed by the famous monarch with her traditional English afternoon tea. We love our Victoria sponge with a generous layer of rich, tart raspberry jam in the middle. Come and grab your jars from The Paddock Farm Shop, and while you’re here, grab some fresh eggs from our hens, too! We also stock Freee flour for our gluten intolerant customers – cake should be for everyone!

   4. Sausage rolls

   Despite the fact that we think of sausage rolls as the ultimate British snack, it was, in fact, the French who began wrapping meat in pastry. Hot sausage rolls became a thing in the UK in the 1800s, and now, a British party wouldn’t be the same without a tray of mini pork goodness. Not only do we provide sausages from Carn Edward meats, but we also bake our own sausage rolls, available in our shop on selected days. Why not put our a jar of Beetroot and Apple chutney to give your guests an extra treat with their snack?

   5. Eton Mess traybake

   The traditional pudding of the cricketers of Harrow, you cannot get more British than a good old Eton mess. However, if you’re trying to serve it up at a party, this traybake variety, with a layer of firm sponge underneath, makes it easier to dish up and eat. Pop into the farm shop for a selection of our fresh British berries, such as our delicious, plump strawberries which are grown on-site, to sprinkle over the top. A colourful, creamy winner!

   6. Bramble cocktail

   You’ll need something refreshing to help wash down all that delicious food, and what’s more fitting for a British celebration than a Bramble? The last of our Jubilee recipe ideas is sure to be a hit! Mix 4cl of gin with lemon juice and sugar syrup, and finish off with 1.5cl of berry liqueur, preferably blackberry. Garnish with fresh raspberries from our grower’s garden at The Paddock for a fantastic fresh drink for your Jubilee party guests.

3. Anne-Marie’s Favourite Easter Recipes

   17th March 2021 9:06 am Leave a Comment

   The sun is shining, the daffodils are springing from every hedgerow, the lambs are prancing through fertile green fields and Easter is nearly upon us!  For this blog, I wanted to share my favourite Easter recipes with you for your family feast.  None of us knows what the next few weeks and months will bring in terms of who we’ll be able to have around our dinner table, but that’s no excuse to just pop a pizza in the oven.  With my favourite Easter recipes, you’ll be able to create a delicious meal for your family without slaving in the kitchen for hours, and you’ll be able to get most of the ingredients right here from us at The Paddock Farm Shop.  Take a peek at our social media pages for our opening times or message us for the ingredients you need for your easter recipes.

   One of the best traditional Easter recipes:
   Lamb dinner

   

   As I said, you can have all the joy of a delicious Easter dinner but without having to go to too much effort, and with this one-pan Easter lamb recipe, it’s almost as easy as the pizza option but will seem as though you’ve been working for hours!

   The trick with this recipe is to make small incisions into the lamb joint and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before you begin to marinate the meat in the oregano, lemon zest, rosemary and oil.  Then all you have to do is to add the other ingredients to the pan and place the lamb on top!  45 minutes of roasting at 200C and make sure you’ve saved some of that wine for pouring on the lamb, as well as the stock.  Then you have 45 minutes of additional roasting at 200C – just enough time to lay the table and prep some additional veg like vibrant fresh carrots if you want, and voila – your one pan lamb is ready to serve!

   Ingredients:

   1.6k bone-in leg of lamb

   50ml olive oil

   3 oregano sprigs

   4 rosemary sprigs

   1 lemon, zested

   1 garlic bulb, separate cloves

   1kg potatoes, skins on, cut into wedges

   3 fennel bulbs, cut into quarters lengthwise

   250ml white wine

   250ml chicken stock

   Goes well with: a large helping of our delicious apple-based Mint Jelly.

   Easter recipes for a sumptuous fish supper:
   Salmon and Spring Veg Stew

   

   Starting with a suitably Welsh leek, onion and thyme combination, frying it gently over low heat for 6 minutes before adding some beautiful early Pembrokeshire potatoes and boiling the mixture in white wine creates a perfect, zesty base for one of the most sumptuous Easter recipes.  When the potatoes are tender, add the cream and mustard to the pan before adding the thick salmon fillets and pressing them gently into the vegetables.  Cover and cook for 6 minutes, allowing the fish to steam in the beautiful fresh sauce.  Then add the peas and cook uncovered for a further 3 minutes and add some seasoning before serving.  This fish dish is a  delicious alternative to more traditional Easter recipes.

   Ingredients:

   1 finely chopped onion

   1 thinly sliced leek

   2 chopped fresh thyme leaves

   500g Pembrokeshire earlies, halved

   100ml dry white wine

   250ml fish stock (veg will also do)

   100ml single cream

   1 tsp dijon mustard

   4 salmon fillets

   150g frozen peas

   Goes well with: some fresh chunky bread to dip in the rich creamy sauce – we stock local suppliers Dough’s fantastic baked goods.

   Easter recipes for the little bunnies in your life:
   Vegan Carrot Cake

   

   It’s not just the bunnies who love our freshly grown carrots, and in this recipe, you get all the goodness and all the sweetness for half the hassle with this one-bowl cake recipe – gorgeous!

   Just mix the oil, sugar and vanilla in the bowl.  Stir in the almond milk and let it all dissolve.  Separately, sift the flour, baking powder, spices and salt and combine with the wet mixture before stirring in those gorgeous vibrant carrots and some walnuts.  Honestly, that’s it!  Pour into two 8” round cake tins and bake for 25 minutes at 180C, allowing you some time to make whatever topping or filling you’d like – I suggest a twist on the usual with a lemon drizzle frosting and a whipped oat cream filling, with a few extra walnuts on top for good measure.

   Ingredients:

   300g / 4 medium carrots

   125 ml vegetable oil

   175g light brown sugar

   2 tsp vanilla essence

   300ml almond milk

   375g plain flour

   2 tsp baking powder

   1tsp each of ground ginger, cinnamon & nutmeg

   ½ tsp salt

   70g chopped walnuts

   Goes well with: some lovely fresh lemons for your drizzle topping, adding even more Vitamin C to our fresh carrots!  A great way to get your kids to eat veggies as well as chocolate this Easter!

   Child-friendly Easter Recipes:
   Easter Egg Nest Cupcakes

   

   There’s nothing like ending Easter Sunday with a cup of tea and a little slice of sugary loveliness, and if it helps to keep the kids entertained with some family baking, too, then everyone’s a winner with our Easter recipes suitable for all ages!

   Beat the softened butter and the caster sugar together until smooth, and then add the 2 large eggs, mixing thoroughly.  Add the vanilla before carefully folding in the self-raising flour and adding the salt.  Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes at 180C – for a little twist to thrill the kids, why not add a little food colouring for some colourful cakes?

   Then make the buttercream: whisk the remaining butter with the icing sugar and a little drop of vanilla and a splash of milk and then spoon the mixture over the cooled cupcakes, using a fork to rough up the top to look like a nest.  Then add some mini eggs and a few chocolate sprinkles for effect and there you have some delicious Easter Egg Nest Cupcakes to round off your delectable Easter meal!

   Ingredients:

   110g softened butter

   110g caster sugar

   2 large eggs

   ½ tsp vanilla extract

   110g self-raising flour

   For the buttercream:

   110g softened butter

   300g icing sugar

   1 tsp vanilla extract

   3 tbsp milk

   Goes well with: a nice cup of Chandler tea –  well, you wouldn’t be able to fit anything else in now!

   For more recipe ideas, nutritional and growing information, industry news, farm shop updates and more, visit our social media page and give us a follow.  Happy Easter everyone!

   Anne-Marie x

   

4. For the Love of Food

   12th February 2021 4:02 pm Leave a Comment

   As Valentine’s Day approaches and we all prepare to woo our loved one with a romantic ‘night in’ and our attempt at home-cooked, restaurant-quality meals (thanks, Covid), we examine why food seems to be the universal language of love.

   Whatever you’re planning as your Valentine’s celebration this weekend, we can guarantee that it will involve food.  Whether you buy your beloved their favourite chocolates, make their favourite dinner for two, or surprise them with our fantastic breakfast in bed package, it’s typical for us to celebrate special occasions with food.  Think about it = it’s someone’s birthday? Bake a cake.  It’s Easter time?  Chocolate eggs.  Christmas?  Well, we really do go overboard with our foodie festivities at Christmas…bring on the sprouts!

   

   How did food become more than just fuel?

   The use of food during celebrations is a well-used tradition.  The idea of ‘breaking bread together’ goes as far back as the time that the Bible was written and indicates that people were sharing food to denote an occasion, whether it was a celebration, ritual, or tradition.

   It’s thought that, unlike spoken language or writings, food has always been a universal necessity, therefore it was an easy way of showing respect to people who didn’t share your methods of communication to provide them with food.

   After all, in by-gone centuries where food was not as readily available as it is now, having enough food to share was a sign of abundance that was beyond sustenance.  Sharing food became more than just a sign of respect to your guests.  It also denoted someone’s success and power – look at all this food I have because I am a successful person who can provide for my family.

   It can even be argued that the providing of food is due to in-built animal instincts.  Taking your partner to a posh restaurant on a first date isn’t necessarily the same as a caveman hunting and killing a Mammoth to feed a family, but the basic psychology about providing and sustaining basic human needs is the same.  

   We don’t think that ordering a Domino’s or cooking up some quick scrambled eggs has quite the same effect today, but it does show the power of food on our social behaviour. 

   Love sweet love

   

   It is interesting to note that we turn to sweet things when we choose food for celebrations.  Our jams are a good example of this and are often bought as fillings for birthday cakes or elaborate anniversary puddings.  Perhaps this is an evolution in the use of food – cakes, sweets, and puddings aren’t necessary for the survival of the human race (although a fair few of us have bought an extra tin of Quality Street to get us through Lockdown 3), but they are something special, a nice addition to our array of required sustenance.  Could it be that because these are treats rather than fundamental foodstuff that we choose them as our celebratory options?

   We know from the (slightly cheesy but we’re not telling you not to) tradition of buying chocolates that food is used as a romantic tool.  From the dopamine hit we get from eating our favourite food – and the aphrodisiac effects of certain food types – to the time, money, or effort someone has spent on that lovely meal for us, our love of food also helps us demonstrate our love, too.

   

   Whatever lovely dish you’re serving up to your dishy love this Valentine’s Day, don’t forget that we have all the fresh ingredients for a 3-course feast and a nice bottle of fizz available in The Paddock Farm Shop – visit us or call now to get all the ingredients for your romantic night in!