December Recipe: Tear and Share Stollen Ring

I am going to encourage those of you who have never used yeast, or made bread, to give this recipe a go as Stollen is such a traditional Christmas ingredient, although obviously not originating in the UK.  A tip is to make sure that the milk you add is only lukewarm, too hot and you will kill the yeast and your dough won’t rise.  I put mine to prove in my airing cupboard, but anywhere warm and free of draughts is suitable, so not near a window or open door!  You can of course make your own marzipan too but that might be a step too far, although actually it is quite an easy process. Continue reading “December Recipe: Tear and Share Stollen Ring”

Reasons to Christmas Shop in Ledbury …

We are very proud of our independent shops in Ledbury. Our town’s attractions have been recognised by none other than the Guardian in its feature on 10 great places to go Christmas shopping in Europe! They say, “There may be more obvious places for a festive UK shopping spree – Bath, with its Georgian backdrop and artisan quarter; Brighton for its fun vibe; Manchester and London for the sheer choice – but little Ledbury in Herefordshire is a picturesque, stress-free option. With its stilted 17th-century Market House, timber-framed buildings, great independent shops and arty vibe, the market town has bags of atmosphere. Plus it’s in a particularly lovely part of the country, should a winter walk beckon.” Continue reading “Reasons to Christmas Shop in Ledbury …”

Castle Fruit Farm Harvest 2017 – Part 2

Putting away the plum conveyor belt for another year

Harvest is half way through ! The plums have all been picked and packed and sold, the conveyor was put into storage and a cheer went up from Mr B and Damian our packhouse manager. It has been a good year but as you may have noticed Autumn came early. The chill was in the morning air by August 8th and this hastened all fruit into ripeness. Clive and the teams worked long hard hours to get the plums in and now the apples are following fast and earlier than usual. The packhouse worked hard to pack and despatch 147 tons of plums. Continue reading “Castle Fruit Farm Harvest 2017 – Part 2”