Saturday 30 August 2014

CHARITIES & VOLUNTEER'S: WHO'D BE A TRUSTEE?



When: Tuesday 16th September 2014
Where: Kingsgate Conference Centre, 2 Staplee Way, Parnwell, Peterborough PE1 4YT
Time: 6.30pm - 8.00pm

A free seminar for charity trustees and community groups, exploring how to be a confident trustee.

Roythornes panel of experienced professionals will highlight key roles and responsibilities of trustees and volunteers and give guidance on how to fulfil those responsibilities and provide maximum benefit to their charities and community groups.

Around the Trustees' table
Julie Robinson, Partner, Roythornes

  • An interactive case study

Duties, dilemmas and disputes: a guide for trustees
Nadine Wealands, Private Client team, Roythornes
  • duties of a trustee and trustee responsibilities
  • the dos and don'ts of being a trustee

Being a trustee
Sandra Currie, Chief Executive, Kidney Research UK

As well as being Chief Executive of Kidney Research UK, Sandra is ex officio Trustee of the Rental Association and a former trustee of the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
  • hear from a top UK charity about how they work with trustees
  • the challenges faced and how issues are managed
  • lessons learned and what you should consider when you are a trustee
You can reserve your place at what promises to be an informative event in one of the following easy ways:

Email: carolynlake@roythornes.co.uk

Please register by Tuesday 9th September.

Friday 29 August 2014

EVENTS AT UNCLE HENRY'S THIS SEPTEMBER


What: Uncle Henry's 8th Birthday Sausage, Beer & Jazz Festival
When: Saturday 13th September
Cost: FREE!
Time: 11am-5pm

Uncle Henry's Farm Shop, Butchery & Cafe are celebrating their 8th Birthday with a sausage, beer and jazz festival and everyone is invited. Enjoy live music from local Jazz band "Deep South" alongside the outside bar and BBQ. Live cookery demonstrations will also be provided by Ladies in Pigs.

What: British Food Fortnight
When: Saturday 20th September - Sunday 5th October

Uncle Henry's will be supporting British Food Fortnight by highlighting our fantastic range of British produce in the shop and the cafe.


GREAT GAINSBOROUGH BAKE OFF - WITH TRADE STALLS


Bakers from all over Lincolnshire are getting ready for this year’s Great Gainsborough Bake Off on Saturday 18 October, at the Old Hall Lawn, 10am to 4pm.

Select Lincolnshire members are being invited to take a trade stall at the Fair, to sell and display their products.

Amateur bakers can show off their baking talent by taking part in the Great Gainsborough Bake Off.

All they need to do is enter any of the three categories listed below, and bring their cake to the Gainsborough Town Partnership stall at the Food Fayre before 2pm. Winners will be announced live at 3pm!

Book your stall now
The event is taking place on the lawn of the fabulous Gainsborough Old Hall, where the annual and very popular CAMRA Gainsborough Beer Festival is taking place and so we are sure of a great day. The Great Gainsborough Bake Off is also taking place which attract great attention from local bakers  - you may wish to enter the competition yourself?

Stalls only cost £20 including VAT. If you would like to know more information or book a stall, just email Samantha.Mellows@Lincs-Chamber.co.uk, and booking details will be sent to you.

The three categories are:
  • The Signature Bake - bring along your signature baked dish to be in with a chance of winning a prize. 
  • The Technical Challenge - master the art of the perfect Victoria sponge. Make your sponge to any recipe you wish and be in with the chance of winning a prize. 
  • The Kids’ Challenge - open to anyone under the the age of 13. Bring along your entry to be in with a chance of winning a prize.

LJ FAIRBURN TO CLIMB MT. KILIMANJARO

Image Credit: The Poultry Site

Select Lincolnshire member, LJ Fairburn has taken on one of their greatest challenges; a climb to the summit of Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro.

What are egg suppliers doing climbing mountains, you may ask? The team is aiming to raise an awe inspiring £35,000 in sponsorship for "Food for Good", a campaign set up by the food and hospitality sectors to support Farm Africa. The campaign has already raised over £750,000 for Farm Africa, a charity working to end hunger in eastern Africa by helping smallholder farmers there to grow more food for their families.

 Mr Daniel Fairburn, Managing Director of LJ Fairburn, expressed his excitement about the adventure, "Challenges don't come much bigger than climbing Kilimanjaro. We're doing it because we recognise that hunger is one of the most pressing problems facing the world today. As someone involved in food production, I understand the importance of sustainable food supply. And that means helping to build an Africa that can feed itself. So I'm especially proud that LJ Fairburn is doing it's bit to help the food industry raise funds for 'Food for Good' which is doing so much to support Farm Africa and its amazing work to end hunger." [Quote taken from The Poultry Site]

Daniel and his team will fly out to Tanzania at the end of this month.

To read more about this exciting venture, click here.

Thursday 28 August 2014

FOOD & GIFT FAIR 2014 – DISCOUNTED STALL FOR SELECT MEMBERS



Every year the Food & Gift Fair at the LincolnshireShowground attracts thousands of visitors looking to stock up their kitchen cupboards with festive treats – not to mention buy presents for friends and family.  

Select Lincolnshire for Food members can take advantage of discounted stall bookings
You can save £25 on your stall booking as a Select Lincolnshire for Food members, reducing the cost from £205 to £180.

Book now – first come, first served
To receive the stall booking paperwork please email SMundy@lincolnshireshowground.co.uk.

Making 2014 even better
The event organisers have made a few changes this year. Members of the public will enter and exit the Fair through the Exhibition Hall, and not through the entrance marquee as in previous years.  In addition, the members preview evening wine reception will be held in the cookery demonstration area in the Exhibition Hall, to avoid the bottleneck which builds up in the Epic Centre.  Please note however, that the Show desk will remain in the Epic Centre as in previous years.

Plans are in place to offer members of the public a varied timetable of demonstrations in the cookery demo area this year.

Call out for cookery demos
If you would like to take part on cookery demonstrations during the Fair please email SMundy@lincolnshireshowground.co.uk asap.

Monday 18 August 2014

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: SELECT MEMBER MEETINGS



The next Select Member Meeting will be on:

Tuesday 18th November - 10.30am-12.30pm - Springfield's Events Centre, Spalding


Are you passionate about food and drink in Lincolnshire? 
If the answer is yes, join fellow Select Lincolnshire for Food members and local businesses to network and hear updates from a topical speaker.

This month’s speaker slot welcomes Ed Lamb, G-STEP
G-STEP is a funded European Regional Development project which enables businesses to access, analyse, manipulate and interpret Earth Observation and Geographic Information Science data obtained from ground based, aerial and satellite sources to develop innovative solutions to enhance competitiveness.

Book your place now at the Member Meeting 
To book your place at the Member Meeting please email Natasha Clegg or call 01522 523333.

Could you sponsor a member meeting?
We're always looking for event sponsors and key note speakers. So if it's of interest to you please contact
Natasha.Clegg.

Join us for food and farming updates
We are keen to engage with members and local businesses to hear your views on what’s important to your business and local area. To find out more about upcoming events email the Business Development Manager for Select Lincolnshire for Food Gillian Richardson.

Friday 15 August 2014

PREVENTING WASTE IN THE HOSPITALITY AND FOOD SERVICE SECTOR


Environmental health Practitioners (EHP's) can access free advice on how to help hospitality and food service businesses tackle food waste by watching four screencasts produced by WRAP.

Featuring WRAP experts, the screencasts will enable EHP's to provide businesses with advice on saving money by reducing waste and also signpost them to relevant guidance. The screencast series will:

  • give an overview of waste in the hospitality and food service (HaFS) sector;
  • identify food waste prevention opportunities within a business
  • provide advice to help businesses prevent food waste and realise the associated cost savings and
  • introduce WRAP's business support including tools and guidance available under WRAP's Hospitality and Food Service Agreement.

To view the screencasts, click here.

Thursday 14 August 2014

ORGANIC SEPTEMBER

Image Credit: Walmart

What are you doing in Organic September?

Tell us what you are doing and we will promote your event. Are you providing Organic Harvest Hampers? Do you use organic produce in your menus? We will be promoting organic produce and events through September via news, web site and social media.

Send your submission for content or events to Gillian.richardson@lincs-chamber.co.uk


JOB OPPORTUNITY AT REDHILL FARM FREE RANGE PORK


Redhill Farm Free Range Pork Ltd is recruiting!

Lincolnshire Producer of the Year, Redhill Farm Free Range Pork is a national award-winning farmer and producer of free range pork on a Freedom Food accredited farm near Gainsborough where good farming practices are at the heart of the business.

Redhill Farm is now firmly established as one of the UK's leading Free Range Pork producers achieving national awards for every product  it farms, produces and sells. Clients include Jamie Oliver, Lord's Cricket Ground, TV Chef James Martin and the 5*Star Goring Hotel in Belgravia. However, the majority of the business remains local, selling in person to customers at Lincolnshire Farmers' Markets where the company is known as 'the stall with the queue!'

The job opportunities:

Having finished the new production and retail building project on the farm, Redhill Farm are now ready for 2 new employees to join the small friendly team at such an exciting time.

They are seeking a Full time Skilled Butcher and a Full time Assistant or Trainee Butcher.

  • 40 hours per week, Mon-Sat some variable hours, pay above minimum wage for skilled position

Main Duties:
Predominantly Pork butchery, but we also produce our own lamb and beef for sale at the farm shop. Main duties include preparing cuts to high standards, dry curing bacon, sausage making, serving customers in the Farm shop or attending Lincolnshire Farmers' Markets & Food events.

Skills/Requirements:
Applicants need to demonstrate enthusiasm, commitment and a good work ethic, and be honest and reliable. Driving licence required. We are looking for someone with good communication skills with a pleasant, outgoing personality.

To apply send CV and covering letter saying why you want to work for Redhill Farm to: employment@redhillfarm.com or Phone 01427 628270 for more details.

COULD YOU BE A LOCATION FOR A NEW TV SHOW?

Image Credit: Frederick Dennstedt

The Midlands Film Friendly Partnership is looking for locations for a new TV Show. Could you have something to offer?

A Japanese TV company is looking for suggestions for their show “Secret Places”.

The theme of the programme is “unknown treasures” and the idea is to film beautiful and fascinating places around the world that are usually not open to the public and may not ever have been filmed before. The proposed period for filming is sometime between mid-August to mid-October with a crew of around 5-7 people.

They are currently looking at exciting places such as secret tombs, archives of museums and galleries, hidden rooms in palaces etc. so I am wondering if you have any similar locations you could suggest. Could be anything from a castle to an interesting stately home; they are definitely open to suggestions as long as there is something ‘secret and special’ about them! The programme is a family entertainment programme, centred on a Japanese reporter, who will try to explore various secret locations. Therefore, ideally, they would really like to film the reporter entering a space that is not usually open to the public. The space would be:

  • Fascinating architecturally and/or contain objects that are rare or valuable
  • Not easily accessible to the public
  • Preferably have not been filmed before (or within the last decade or so)
  • Ideally has a locked door which can be opened by a key

Suggestions will be fine with links to websites where possible, pictures would be a bonus at this stage.

If you are interested in this unique opportunity, get in touch with Stephen Badham by emailing stephen.badham@creativeengland.co.uk or phone 07980 671 928

JOIN THE CONVERSATION #MYTOURISMJOB


The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport has launched a mini twitter initiative – which you can join to help promote Select Lincolnshire and your business.

What’s on offer? 
The UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport is asking people working in the tourism and hospitality sector to tweet pictures of the industry through their own eyes - showing the inspiring views and workplaces that make the industry such a great place to work in

As well as promoting your business and industry, it is also hoped that the campaign will develop ideas and opportunities for people looking to join the sector.

What to do 
Take an inspiring picture of your work place and tweet it to @DCMS using the hashtag #MyTourismJob

What happens next?
All tweets will be published. Then the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport will pick the best tweets and pictures and publish them on a pinterest board, which they’ll share throughout the week to people all over the world.

See some of the tweets so far by clicking here.

MEET THE PRODUCER EVENT


Come to Uncle Henry's this Saturday to meet Chapman's Seafoods Ltd from Grimsby! They will be promoting their own handmade fishcakes alongside other items and providing tasters to customers.

The Chapman family have been involved in the seafish industry in Grimsby for over fifty years. Over which time they have amassed invaluable knowledge especially with regards to recognizing and sourcing the best fish available.

Like many Grimsby housewives, the late Mavis Chapman had her own recipe for fishcakes using the fish that husband Terry would fetch from work. Now her son, Kevin has taken this recipe to produce a traditional fishcake, and using his mum's principal of incorporating only the finest ingredients, he manufactures a range of fishcakes.

Based in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Kevin has the pick of the fish from local producers and the pick of the crop of Maris Piper potatoes from local growers.  

So come down to Uncle Henry's this Saturday 16th August, 11am-3pm and meet the producer!

Wednesday 13 August 2014

MYSTERY SHOPPING UPDATE

Image Credit: http://www.callmanagement.ie/

During the past year we have been listening to your feedback about your member benefits.

The mystery shopping was a strong point of discussion and we have been looking at ways to incorporate some of the suggestions made by you.

In the next couple of weeks, we will let you know what your suggestions were. These suggested changes will be important as they will also directly affect the Select Lincolnshire Awards.

This will all be detaileed with the opportunity for you to comment.

Look out for the email from Gillian.Richardson@lincs-chamber.co.uk


LINCOLNSHIRE DAY 2014

Lincolnshire Day 2013


Book your place in one of the city's busiest areas and show what Lincolnshire has to be proud of!

The opportunity to sell to the Lincoln public in a vibrant and active area on 1st October to celebrate Lincolnshire Day.

Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to have a FREE stall and be a part of an excellent showcase of great Lincolnshire food.

Email Gillian at Gillian.Richardson@lincs-chamber.co.uk to register your interest as places are limited.

Tuesday 12 August 2014

2014 EMPLOYMENT LAW SUMMIT



2014 Employment Law Summit

When: Wednesday 17th September
Where: Urban Hotel, Grantham, NG31 7XT
Time: 8.30am-11.00am

Join like-minded professionals for the Employment Law event of 2014.

Aimed at anyone with responsibility for HR, the 2014 Employment Law Summit will equip you with the knowledge you need to make your responsibilities easier to manage.

With expert speakers from Roythornes Solicitors you will hear what has been happening on the 'front line' and be given detailed guidance on the way forward.


Flexible Working

With new flexible working rules now in place we look at some of the practical issues relating to the changes.

  • What are the new rights and to whom do they apply?
  • How to handle requests, how to decide and how to communicate your decision
  • When you can say 'no'
  • Appeals and claims
  • ACAS Guidelines
  • Avoiding discrimination claims 
  • Developing your policies

Tribunal reform

The last year has seen dramatic reforms to the Employment Tribunal process, with a greater emphasis on conciliation and the introduction of application fees. We look at the changes and how they are affecting employers.

  • A review of the new procedures
  • How has the introduction of fees affected the number of applications?
  • Practical issues for employers

Employment Law update

Our usual round up of the legislation on the horizon and a quick review of what's happened since the last Summit.

  • A review of the changes that have happened this busy year
  • What's coming in the next six months and what you should be doing about it?
  • What challenges will employers face in 2015 and beyond?

There is no charge for this event so why not use it as an opportunity to bring your whole HR team up to date?

Aimed at anyone with responsibility for HR, our free seminar is a great way to get you and your team up to date with Employment Law issues.

You can reserve your place at what promises to be an informative event in one of the following ways:

Register by email: markdodds@roythornes.co.uk


Please register by Wednesday 10th September.

MEMBER EXPERIENCE: GAINSBOROUGH OLD HALL

Image credit: John Spooner
Select Lincolnshire regular, Sadie Hirst, recently sent us another of her wonderful recipes. This time however it came with a story about another Select Lincolnshire member. We enjoyed her story so much we have decided to introduce a new feature to the blog about your experiences with Select Members. Here is Sadie's experience of Gainsborough Old Hall, complete with a recipe of course.

I wanted to share with you a wonderful day out I had last week with a class of Year Three children from Horncastle Community Primary School. Under the attentive eye of Mrs Deas and a band of helpers including myself, we all set off to Gainsborough Old Hall, which is a Medieval Manor House that dates back to around 1460.

I’m ashamed to admit that I have never visited before, which is my loss. For someone who is interested in English food history especially in Lincolnshire, the kitchens are the best I have ever seen. So often you visit these sorts of places and although interesting, they are removed and you are left feeling it is all too remote to visualise people living and working in these environments.

Not so with Gainsborough Old Hall. To begin with it only took us an hour to get there by school bus from Horncastle, so I suppose you could do it a bit quicker in a car. On arrival we were greeted by three guides, all impressively clad in period costume. The outside of the Hall is surrounded by beautifully kept lawns and gardens and the Hall itself is of a Timber frame construction. The Guides led us through to the Great Hall which has the most stunning arched ceiling which was made of oak.

What really brought it to life for the children straight away was being able to dress themselves up in Tudor outfits. We had our very own King Henry V111. The real one had visited the Hall in 1541 with his then very young bride Kathryn Howard. Good job she didn’t know what the future held for her. They stopped en route to their pilgrimage to York, astonishingly they brought along 7000 people in their group and the guide advised us that more people joined them on the way. Goodness knows where they all stayed, that’s more than the population of Horncastle.

Once the children had a chance to get their costumes on, to get us all in the mood, they tried their hand at some traditional dancing accompanied by some authentic music. We were then taken on a tour of the Hall. The most impressive area for me was of course the kitchens. What made it stand out and be so realistic was the attention to detail on the props and equipment. The children had a go at preparing a medieval banquet albeit with “pretend” food, but it gave them a real opportunity to think about all of the work it took to prepare a meal without the aid of our kitchen gadgets, electric ovens and mixers, all of the things we take for granted in our modern way of life. They also tried out a butter churn, which in reality would have taken 6 back breaking hours to churn butter. We had a look at a model of cake made out of marzipan and covered in gold leaf. It would have been called Marchpane then. It was said that if you ate the gold leaf it would give you blue blood inferring that you would be akin to royalty.

There is actually an historical interpretation and living history society called “Lord Burgh’s Retinue”, named after the Burgh family who built the Hall. They have a website if you would like more information www.lordburghsretinue.co.uk They specialise in bringing to life history from the period 1460 – 1496.

After thoroughly exploring the kitchens, the children had a chance to re-enact their own Banquet with King Henry VIII and Kathryn Howard at the top table, along with serving staff, court jesters, soldiers and medieval music. The King really got into character, and could be heard bellowing “off with their heads” on several occasions when the entertainment and food fell short!

We all then enjoyed our own less formal picnic lunch in the grounds on what was the hottest day of the year.

After our picnic the afternoon was spent exploring the rest of the hall including climbing the spiral staircase up to the Tower, which rewarded us with fine views of the surrounding countryside.

After thanking the staff of Gainsborough Old Hall for making us all so welcome, we all boarded the bus a bit weary and hot, but having had a really interesting day. To top the day off wonderfully, The Red Arrows were out practising and we were all rewarded with our very own display, which seemed to run along the bus journey as far as Lincoln, much to the delight of everyone.

The best support we can give organisations like this is to go and visit them and do our bit to preserve these local treasures for the future. If you are looking for a fun, educational and interesting day out for all members of your family this Summer holidays, then I really do recommend a trip there. For details of opening times etc visit www.gainsborougholdhall.com

To find Sadie's recipe, please click here.

Do you have a tale to tell about one of our members? Tell us about your experiences and we will publish it here! Send your stories to charlotte.goy@lincs-chamber.co.uk

GAINSBOROUGH OLD HALL INSPIRED RECIPE

Image Credit: Alpha

Sadie Hirst is an award winning artisan baker and member of the prestigious British Society of Baking. Sadie is passionate about preserving our English Baking heritage and local Lincolnshire recipes. This recipe was inspired by her recent visit to Gainsborough Old Hall. You can find her story about it here.

Here is a very simple recipe, adapted from one of the Lord Burgh’s recipe pamphlets. It would be easy enough to do with the kids and it tastes delicious too.

Honey Toast with Nuts

  • First of all lightly toast four slices of “doorstop” white bread. By doorstop I mean hand cut thick white proper bread.
  • Butter your bread lightly.
  • Slather some good Lincolnshire Honey on top.
  • Sprinkle some ground ginger and cinnamon to your taste.
  • Sprinkle either Pinenuts or walnuts on top of the honey , the original recipe uses pinenuts.
  • Pop it under a medium grill, but keep a keen eye on it or the nuts and honey will burn. It is a good idea to put some baking parchment or foil at the bottom of your grill pan to save you trying to get molten honey off later when washing up.
  • Cut into quarters and serve straight away. This is lovely as a brunch dish or supper dish.
Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Email Loryn Good with the full method, ingredients and a few nice pictures to be included!

Friday 8 August 2014

ROCKABILITY & BURLESQUE NIGHT


When: Friday 17th October
Venue: The Poachers Country Hotel

Live Rock 'n' Roll with The Houndogs, Homage to Dita - Dita Von Teese Tribute and a set 2 course meal & live music.

The cost is £25 per person. To book call 01205 290310.


Thursday 7 August 2014

THE QUINTESSENTIAL ENGLISH AFTERNOON TEA IN THE SUNSHINE

Image Credit: Benson Kua


Sadie Hirst is an award winning artisan baker and member of the prestigious British Society of Baking. Sadie is passionate about preserving our English Baking heritage and local Lincolnshire recipes. This week she is offering up an old favourite for an afternoon tea; summer scones.


As we have been enjoying such a wonderful spell of good weather, I thought we might partake in a spot of dainty refinement this month with my recipe for making traditional scones.

The quintessential English ritual that is Afternoon Tea is thought to have been invented by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford in the early 1800’s. She was inclined to get a bit peckish mid to late afternoon, she described it as “having that sinking feeling”. When it got to around 3pm she just couldn’t wait until the customary 8 or 9pm for Dinner, so got into the habit of ordering tea, bread, butter and cakes to be served in her room. This was seen to be a splendid idea and it soon caught on, very soon it was deemed respectable enough for all fashionable society to indulge in Afternoon Tea.

This evolved into the “At Home”, which if you were the hostess involved receiving invited guests at your home and serving them with tea, cakes and sandwiches. Sometimes there would be entertainment, but mainly it was an opportunity to gossip. It was seen as the height of bad manners if you were invited and didn’t turn up. In etiquette ridden Victorian England the potential social pitfalls and need to try and outdo one another must have been a minefield to navigate. With this being a new social arena, the rules of engagement must have been very confusing, even the name wasn’t simple. The upper classes would have served a “Low” or “Afternoon tea” at around 3 to 4 pm just before it was fashionable to promenade in Hyde Park. The middle or lower classes would have eaten a more robust “High tea” at around 5pm in place of a late dinner. The names derive from how high your table was that you ate from – high tea being served at a proper dinner table.

A traditional afternoon tea consists of a selection of small finger size sandwiches to start, such as smoked salmon with lemon and black pepper, egg and cress and thinly sliced cucumber with cream cheese, all crusts removed please!

The second course is where your scones come in; scones are at their best freshly eaten on the day they are made, as they don’t keep very well. If serving with cream and jam you will need to let them cool down sufficiently in order for everything not to melt in a runny mess.

The final course would be a selection of gorgeous cakes .If you are going all out for the Victorian Afternoon Tea then a Victoria Sandwich is the way to go and if made well takes some beating. I’m a bit of a purest when it comes to a Victoria Sandwich, just a top quality homemade jam in the centre and a sprinkle of caster sugar on top; a good one doesn’t need anything else really.

In keeping with the Victorian theme you could perhaps go for having your own tea party next Wednesday 6th August to celebrate the Birthday of Lincolnshire’s world famous Poet Laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

He was born in the Rectory at Somersby on the Wolds in 1809 .Two of his most famous poems “The Miller’s Daughter” and “The Brook” are said to be connected to Stockwith Water Mill, which is a 17th Century Water Mill situated near Hagworthingham. The Millers Daughter is of special significance as it was this poem that first brought Tennyson to the attention of Queen Victoria, who later made him Poet Laureate after Wordsworth died. The Brook was inspired by the stream that starts in Holywell Wood on a hill above Somersby and meanders its way down past the Mill. He was so captivated by the sight and the sound of it that “The Brook” is forever immortalised in his poem.

I think it is remarkable that this man who grew up in a little rural hamlet in the Wolds went on to be the most notable poet of the Victorian era. There is actually a Tennyson Trail you can follow around the Wolds that takes in lots of local places of interest that are connected to him and his poetry. Local tourist information centres can give you information about it or search on the internet. www.lincstothepast.com is a really interesting website. We are so fortunate to have a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in our county. I think that living here we sometimes just need reminding of what’s on our doorstep.

Sadie’s Summer Scones

Equipment – You will need a baking tray lined with baking parchment, a large mixing bowl, a broad bladed knife, 2 inch metal cutter, a pastry brush, measuring spoons, measuring jug, fork, rolling pin, scales, oven preheated to 220c

Ingredients

I use Bicarbonate of Soda and Cream of Tartar, rather than baking powder or self-raising flour, it gives a much better rise, but you must make sure that these are fresh for the best results.
  • 8oz/225g Plain Flour
  • 1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 1 ½ oz /40g Block Stork Margarine (cut into small cubes)
  • 1 oz/ 25g Caster Sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • ¼ pint/150ml buttermilk (you may need more depending on your flour)
  • Extra buttermilk for glazing
Method
  1. Put the lined tray into the oven to heat up as your oven is preheating
  2. Sieve together the flour, bicarb and cream of tartar
  3. Rub in the margarine until mixture resembles breadcrumbs
  4. Stir in the sugar, salt and buttermilk
  5. Work together with the broad bladed knife until the mixture is soft but not overly sticky. If you need to add a little bit more buttermilk do so, but only a little bit at a time.
  6. When you are happy with your dough, sprinkle your hands with some flour and your work top and put the dough there, very lightly knead it to bring it together and make it smooth. Do not overwork the dough, it is the exact opposite of bread, handle it as little as possible.
  7. Roll out to ¾ inch thick, don’t be tempted to do them any shallower as you won’t get a good rise.
  8. I use a 2” metal cutter, try not to twist the cutter as you cut them out as that distorts how they rise.
  9. Glaze carefully with your left over buttermilk, try not to get it down the sides as again it stops them rising so well.
  10. Take out your preheated tray, pop your scones on, I put mine on quite close together. Put straight in the oven just above the centre tray. Bake for 7 to ten minutes, cool on a wire rack.
  11. When cool enough, spread with jam and top with whipped cream, or the other way around, I’m not getting into that debate! Serve as part of a Summer Afternoon tea or on their own with a lovely pot of Ceylon.

Wednesday 6 August 2014

CHARITY CHEESE HITS LINCOLNSHIRE CO-OP SHELVES





How often do you get to eat cheese and call it an act of charity? Now that Lincolnshire Co-op is stocking Skegness supplier Lymn Bank Farm’s Just Jane cheese, you can!

A percentage of profits raised by sales of the mature cheddar are donated by Lymn Bank Farm to the Just Jane to Fly Again fund, which aims to return a historic Avro Lancaster bomber to the Lincolnshire skies.

The NX611 has a colourful history dating back to 1945 and a project to restore the plane to an airworthy condition has been ongoing since 1992. Farmers Fred and Harold Panton bought the bomber and opened the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in East Kirkby as a memorial to their older brother, a pilot who was shot down in WWII.

Nicknamed Just Jane for the colourful wartime cartoon painted on its side, the aircraft needs millions of pounds of work before it can lift off once more.

Company director at Lymn Bank Farm and daughter of the founders, Helen and Steve, Gemma Grinstead, says that the family’s interest in the project is down to her brother.

“It’s a cause very close to my brother’s heart,” she said. “When we were in the Young Farmers we visited the centre and when he saw the Avro Lancaster, Matt just fell in love with it.”

In the period between September 2012 and September 2013, Lymn Bank Farm raised over £1,500 for the Just Jane restoration fund. Gemma says they’ll be handing over another cheque this September, which they hope will be even bigger.

The farm makes more than 20 varieties of cheese and chutney, all of them made with love and craftsmanship. As well as using milk from a nearby farm, the Grinsteads also try to source their other ingredients as locally as possible.

“Just Jane is a mature cheddar, it’s quite creamy and really strong,” Gemma said, “I love eating it at home on toast with Worcestershire sauce.”

Just Jane is available in Lincolnshire Co-op food stores now, where you can buy a 200g truckle from the chilled cabinets or have a piece cut to order at one of the Society’s deli counters.

The cheese is part of Lincolnshire Co-op’s Love Local range which comprises a range of products including bread, meat, beer, crisps, cheese and conserves made by local producers.


Also new to Lincolnshire Co-op this summer is a selection of products from Grasmere Farm near Market Deeping. Its Scotch Eggs are available in all food stores now and will be joined soon by Pork Crackles, whilst Haslet is available at all 13 deli counters.

Lincolnshire Co-op food stores are also stocking two additional ales brewed locally in Wainfleet by Batemans Brewery – flavoured offerings Orange Barley and Mocha Amaretto.

Complementing the classic Batemans beer range, these Bohemian Brews are produced in smaller batches using the same imagination, energy and passion afforded to all Batemans tipples.

Tuesday 5 August 2014

ANGELS DESSERTS FUN BIRTHDAY AFTERNOONS


Are you looking for something different for that Birthday treat or your Hen party or just wanting to be a group of friends having a nice afternoon doing something different and catching up?

Well Angels Desserts has the answer. They are holding cake decorating parties, that last about 2 hours at the bakery. There are lots of treats throughout the part to give it an extra special feel. Guests will be greeted with a warm welcome which will include a glass of bubbly on arrival. A generous selection of hand crafted afternoon tea refreshments will also be served. At the end of the party guests will receive a handbook containing templates and recipes so the new skills can be practised at home. There will also be a certificate and a discount voucher.

The parties are open to over 18's only and require a minimum of 10 guests at each party. The price is £35 per person, and includes all refreshments, cupcakes and toppings. A non refundable deposit of £20 is required per person at the time of booking. Parties are usually held on a Saturday afternoon, but Tuesday/Friday afternoons and early evening could be arranged.

To book, call 01522 500294 or email info@angelsdesserts.co.uk


Monday 4 August 2014

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: TATTERSHALL CASTLE

Image Credit: Ryan Lea

A unique 15th century red-brick castle rising dramatically above the Lincolnshire countryside.

Discover 800 years of the castle's history from palatial dwelling to cattle shed; romantic ruin to restoration.

Explore all six floors of this imposing building from basement to battlements, climb all 149 steps of its spiral staircase and marvel at the views of the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside from the roof. Make sure you view the magnificent fireplaces and follow the stained glass window timeline.

Audio guides are free to take and will transform your visit, painting a picture with words and music, sending you back in time 500 years. They have children's versions as well as adults so the whole family can learn together about this unique building.

After you have climbed to the top why not return to the Guardhouse for a nice cup of tea and a wrapped cake. Relax in the lovely seating area; sit in front of the fire and take a rest from all those steps. Once you've finished your refreshments you can peruse the second-hand bookshop.

They have lots of fantastic events for the whole family across the year ranging from Easter Egg trails and medieval re-enactments to outdoor theatre and the ever popular Christmas Market. Tattershall Castle is open 7 days a week during the main season, from 11am-5pm.

Find out more on their website.

Sunday 3 August 2014

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: PERCY'S

A quintessentially British drink with a twist!

Percy's, the 4.5% abv flavoursome blend of natural fruit juice, tea and the finest English vodka, producing an alcoholic iced tea drink full of unique character. A drink with Percynalitea.

Perfect to bring an air of sophistication to any occasion; whether a night out, a picnic or BBQ, simply relaxing, watching the tennis or even holding a 'tea party' with a difference. You choose - straight from the bottle or served in a tall slender glass.

Percy's Vodka Iced Teas are free from artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and sweeteners. Blended and bottles by hand in small batches in Lincolnshire.


Saturday 2 August 2014

APPLE DAY AT GUNBY HALL

Image Credit: Olle Svensson
Gunby Hall are offering stalls to food and drink sellers at their Apple Day celebration on the 5th October.

Apple Day is a celebration of all things "apple" at Gunby with apple displays and identification activities. The house, gardens and tea-room will all be open.  There will be stalls with apple related goods such as plants and cider as well as craft and food stalls.

There is no fee to take part, but a donation is expected based on sales at the end of the day. Set up starts from 9am and finish is at 5pm.

Gunby Hall expects 400-800 visitors depending on the weather.

For more information, please contact Astrid Gatenby at Astrid.Gatenby@nationaltrust.org.uk.



Friday 1 August 2014

AMBITIOUS PLANS SETS OUT FOR COUNTY'S FOOD INDUSTRY

Image Credit: David Wright

The food and farming sector in Greater Lincolnshire will double its contribution to the economy by 2030 by investing in skills, knowledge and production capacity.
That’s the ambitious target set out in a new plan for the region’s agri-food sector which has now been published by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

You read all about it on the Greater Lincolnshire LEP website.


MOTOWN NIGHT


Date: Friday 3rd October
Venue: The Poacher's Country Hotel

Motown night with the Motellas. Set 2 course meal & live music, plus accommodation deals.

The cost of this event is £30 per person. To find out more visit www.poachershotel.co.uk or call 01205 290310

CHINA BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES


CBBC and UKTI are dedicated to identifying the latest Business Opportunities for British companies across various sectors. We have identified a number of opportunities which could be of interest to you and your sector. 

For more information on each opportunity please click on the associated hyperlink:

Agriculture, Food and Drink

BAKERY MANAGER WANTED


Modens Bakery is looking for a Bakery Manager!

Established, artisan bakery in the Lincolnshire Wolds under new ownership.

We need a proactive, experienced, motivational Baker with a passion for artisan breads and NPD to manage our existing range plus develop future products.

Fantastic opportunity for the right person to join our team, perhaps take a step up to a management position, and help drive the future of this business.

To apply please send a covering letter telling us about yourself and your CV to Simon@modens.co.uk

Modens Lincolnshire Plum Bread Co, Vale Industrial Estate, Spilsby, Lincolnshire.

Closing date: 4th August