Stunning Cushions, Stylish Gifts and Christmas Greetings

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

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!

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