one cracking picnic...

...does not mean we'll have one every Wednesday!!! (contrary to the rumourmongers)


A colourful bunch don't you think!. As a thank you to Crayley who has looked after out books (and put up with me!) for the past year or so and to Lotto our placement student from Harper Adams University College we all got together in our garden for a picnic/send off last night.. Perfect weather, if in fact not just a little too hot, a very relaxed evening with hardly a word about work!

We'll miss both girls a great deal

Crayley had a mountain to climb when she got here (after a bit of a disastrous, all be it short lived predesesor) but managed to pull everything together always with a smile and a real enthusiasm for everything Scotch Egg, this despite anouncing on her first day that she didn't actually like Scotch Eggs... maybe not a full convert but most deffinately a Jumble Queeen. We must also thank Mike, her partner, as an all round professional tradesman he has built our shop and meeting room, repaired electical and plumbing problems and run all sorts of errands Thank you Crayley for creating a nice smooth transfer of the reins to Kieron who started on Monday, good luck to him..

As for Charlotte (aka Lotto) what can we say, our first placement student a great ambassador for the college, she has turned her hand to all manner of things here, from packing in the chiller in the depths of winter, to manning the phones (her own pet hate!), to taking over the whole order processing system when Aimee went off on maternity leave, to fronting the market stalls and a main support at events, festivals and shows - never complaining despite some rediculous hours (especially after attending college balls!) A succesful eventer away from work Lotto is driven to succed and will undoubtably fly in whatever she chooses to do... She'll continue to help for a while at events and shows through the summer returning to Uni in September.

I'm writnig this the morning after and there is most deffinately a somewhat slow motion feel around the place... think I'll break out the cake, usually works!!

artistic rumblings....

Well the Hay-on-Wye food and drink festival lived up to expectations, a lovely town, lovely weather and lovely people... what more can you ask? Didn't get the chance to find out who the artists were but these mobiles looked really great, and they've got me thinking of a 'heath robinson' version of making scotch eggs for the eggshed shop

Meanwhile we were stretching things again with Penny returning to Moseley farmers' market, think it was September 08 last time we let her loose in the city streets, as usual a well supported event although on the way back she got stuck for a while in what can only be described as a cloud burst... torrential rain, thunder and lightening... really localised as wall to wall sunshine with me and Lotto who covered Cirencester farmers' market ( no celebrity excitement reported this week, sorry)

A pleasant day, just what she needed, after the dramas on Friday, when returning to collect the van after Cheltenham farmers' market she was involved in the discovery of a body, a poor chap looked as if he had died by the public toilets and Lotto called the emergency services, we are very proud of her, a lot of people would have walked by not wanting to get involved but with telephone guidance she checked for vital signs, only to confirm he was already dead, and waited for the experts to come and take over.

Sunday finds us back in the eggshed, nice to get a few moments when things are a bit quieter, getting on top of things, with Crayley moving on our new book keeper Kieron starts tomorrow, although I'd better get off reasonably smartly as we're having a leaving party for Crayley and Lotto at home on Wednesday, a picnic is planned so the least I can do is cut the grass!

PS anyone else stay up to watch the boss at Glastonbury on the telly last night- awesome!

well no one else could reach!

Last weekend found us at the second ever Cheltenham food & drink festival, this time out in the throng rather than as usual in the food hall... surrounded by fantastic food with Bison burgers and sausages on our left and delicious Asian noodles on our right it was a real challenge not to be constantly eating.

Lotto and I set up on Thursday and with the help of a handy ladder we spotted were able to lay claim to the whole tent!!

Along with our unrivalled Scotch eggs we brought along the pick and mix Jumble ball counter with Chilli, Leon and Baz fighting it out with the Scrumpy, Mac and Vegetabularian recipes to the delight of all concerned.

Sold in mixed dozens they are quite simply savoury sweets to munch on straight away, but take them home and thread them on a skewer to make stylish kebabs for the BBQ, add them to a chunky tomato sauce and you've got the makings of one of the worlds favourite suppers...

Now we've tried them out at a couple of events I think we can safely say they have huge potential, will be packing some up soon, promise...

This weekends outing is to Hay-on-Wye, one day only on Saturday the 27th another first for us but everyone tells me it is a great day out - see you there!

Addictive or what?

Sometimes it would appear that we only make one scotch egg - the Black Watch!

We've got to the point of adding a health warning for customers at markets: 'Warning this Scotch egg is extremely addictive!!!' People will travel miles for one of these beauties, who can forget Andrew Webb, the man responsible for getting this blog off the starting blocks, and his true devotion... and as if to confirm it's status the Black Watch was a finalist in the Heart of England Diamond Awards last month

Here's an early starter, sent in by Charlotte A (I know, we really do seem to attract Charlottes to this business!) of Alex her 5 year old developing a mature pallet already..

so - 'How and Where do you enjoy yours?'

2003-2009

Penny & I celebrated our Sixth birthday today at the Teme Valley market, it was as usual a bustling market with loads of friends both new and old taking advantage of a rare moment of generosity with Penny handing out samples galore! A lovely surprise too, when Beth (see not everyone of our team is called Charlotte) turned up to say hello. Beth was a major part of the team in 2005/6 working her socks off helping us to establish ourselves at the markets and shows just about burning herself out trying to keep up with the dogged slog that Penny and I put in... looking great and introducing us to her Fiancee.

The Times- weekend

From grand cru beers to hand-mined salt, no food is too humble for the gourmet treatment. But has our snobbery gone too far? asks Simon Beckett of the Times.

" In France, Italy or Spain , where traditional rustic cuisine is rightly celebrated, no one is accused of snobbery by buying Serrano ham or Parmesan cheese, why should it be different here? The simple fact is good food made with top quality ingredients might cost more but it tastes better. What is sad isn't that we are rediscovering that, it's the fact that we ever forgot."

An interesting thought provoking article about us brits and our attitude to food, although our experience over the past few years tells me that enormous number of us really do appreciate proper values and quality produce.... many thanks all of you for your support

NB Next weeknd on Sunday June 14th we'll celebrate our SIXTH birthday at the Teme Valley market, where it all started, hope to see you there

Events up date

Lotto took the opportunity to introduce our stall in Shrewsbury today, a first visit for us, invited along to share a stall with our friend Alex of the Farm Deli at Dobbies it was a lovely day and thank you for all the kind comments, will have to go to more new places soon...

In just a fortnight we'll be back in the lovely Montpellier Gardens in Cheltenham for what they promise will be a food lovers weekend to remember:

This year we'll be on the right (stand S13) as you enter the grounds (in spitting distance of the cider bar!!) a change from the Food Hall but giving us a chance to catch you both on the way in and the way out... good plan!

Good news ... got the confirmation today we'll be on stand C2 at the Cardiff International food Festival in July (been on the waiting list as I was a tad latesending out my application form...oops!)

PS don't forget to get The Times tomorrow, should be agood article about Cheltenham Farmers' market for you to enjoy...

yesterday and tomorrow

This morning has been a bit of fun as, Richard arrived on behalf of The Times to take some photo's for this Saturdays (June 6th)Weekend Magazine, fingers cross the powers that be like his work and the article gets in, Penny certainly enjoyed a taste of her former life...

a favourite picture from one of the AGA shoots back in 2005

Looking to the future

Maybe its the summer kicking in, (although the forecast is for a cooler spell - shame!) but we are getting busier so we have room for another pair of hands, Charlotte has placed this advert in the local schools today:

"We are looking for 2 Part Time Kitchen Assistants to work Monday and Tuesday between 9.30am and 2.30pm, in our Bishops Frome production kitchen. Previous experience not required as full training will be given. You will need to have a willing and personable approach to work, and the ability to work well as part of a team. Pay rate dependent on age and experience.

Please telephone Neil Chambers for more details and an application form by Friday 12th June 2009

The Handmade Scotch Egg Company Limited, The Egg Shed, Hop Pocket, Bishops Frome, Herefordshire, WR6 5BT. Tel: 01885 490520, email : info@handmadescotcheggs.co.uk"

if you live in the area why not give us a call, we are able to be reasonably flexible over the actual hours.

PS: we'll be recruiting for weekender's again soon when Lotto finishes her placement with us at the end of June.