Planning your first break of the year? Then hop over and visit our lovely friends at Dorset Cereals Not only will you be spoilt for choice with their yummy selection of granola and muesli, but you can also try your luck at spinning their good old fashioned glass...
January brings a much needed calm to the farmhouse. The opportunity to slow down, recharge and prepare for the coming year. Seed catalogues are strewn across the sofa as we try to realistically pare the order to a manageable number of packets. A box of Seville...
Thank you to Marie-Claire and Michelle, the Country Living Chefs, for making us so welcome at the Christmas Fair this week. Ideal to feed a crowd, these colourful ‘pass and share platters’ make a welcome start to a lazy morning during the holiday season. Sage and...
Lisa is totally overwhelmed to receive this kind recognition at the Taste of Dorset Awards this week and would like to thank everyone for their brilliant support and messages. She says.. ‘Just over a week ago, we were contacted by the...
It’s always a joy to join Alison and the after school allotment club in Cranborne. The children are so enthusiastic about cooking the produce they have grown. For the second year running we have been involved in the RHS Big Soup Share. Chopped butternut...
Cosy up beside a log fire or wrap up warm and explore Dorset this spring. Take a gently stroll along the beach at Mudeford or admire the autumnal beauty of Kingston Lacy and Badbury Rings. All Hallows Farmhouse is located set within the glorious Cranborne Chase so...
Under the watchful eye of Chef Valentina Harris, I was delighted to join fellow judges Mary McNeal and Phillip Lowery, at the weekend. together we worked our way through some of the best ingredients and artisan goods that the the South West, Isles of Scilly and the...
It was a real treat to catch up with some familiar faces at Hampton Court Flower Show this week as well as meet some new friends. We gathered a basketful of homegrown produce and a great big box of delights from Emma of St Giles Walled Kitchen Garden and prepared a...
You will need 900g (2lbs) redcurrants, washed well and leaves removed but stalks can remain Measure the water depending on the ripeness of the fruit. If the currants are under rip then allow 300ml (1/2 pint) but if they are ripe simply add half this amount. If you...
We are so excited to receive the news from Taste of the West that following a mystery visit this April, we have been awarded GOLD for our farmhouse bed and breakfast. Feedback from the judges and Taste of the West panel: Quality of the breakfast This was as near...
After much anticipation, Wild Garlic or Ransoms are in season. We first discovered tender green shoots peeping through the last snowfall a couple of weeks ago. Now that the milder weather is here, this rampant Allium can be found in deciduous woodland and beneath...
Select a good quality marmalade or ideally make your own for this cake. Even though the Seville season has drawn to a close this year, there is no reason that you cannot make a ‘three fruit marmalade’ or even a lemon and lime variety. This is a great...
Dalemain Mansion in Cumbria is home to The World Marmalade Awards and festival which in its thirteenth year took place on the weekend of 17th and 18th March 2018. This event attracts visitors from across the globe along with a mountain of marmalade for judging. ...
To make 12 cakes using a 7.5cm (3inch) cutter you will need: 175g (6oz) Self- raising flour 85g (3oz) Butter cut into cubes 50g (2oz) Light brown soft sugar 50g (2oz) Currants 1 teaspoon mixed spice 1 medium free range egg & 1 tablespoon milk – beaten together...
We all have our favourite marmalade recipe, handed down on a scrap of paper that easily came to hand as notes were quickly scribbled. Or perhaps yours was torn from a weekly magazine the printed words now splattered with juice and sugar and the ink faded. Nothing...
It’s cold and frosty outside, the perfect weather to get you in a festive mood. Stir up some homemade mincemeat, packed full of Christmas flavours that will remind you of childhood celebrations and seasonal gatherings. Then get set and be prepared ahead of...
Just recently Lisa gave a private AGA class in a beautiful Dorset farmhouse close to Sturminster Newton. As well as teaching the lovely Jules how to prepare partridge from her shoot, they spent a cosy afternoon preparing a rich fruit cake so that it could bake slowly...
The Mulberry Room is light and airy and overlooks the walled garden and watercress beds. The decor lends itself to country living with pine furniture and quintessential English accessories. Located on the first floor of the house, this bedroom is available for...
The Orchard Room is the original master bedroom for the farmhouse. It is spacious and full of light from the sash window that overlooks the fruit trees, walled cutting garden and paddock. The decor lends itself to country living with period features and...
There are so many versions of this recipe and everyone claims that their particular favourite is the original! This adaptation was shared by a neighbour who regularly won the village produce show each year. You may like to add a teaspoon of mixed spice and a handful...
