Sausage Mania!

Morning campers... father I have sinned.... its been too bloody long since I shared my news!!!

Well I have 2 weeks of London left!! And last week I had a wonderful time staying on a gigantic orange sofa at my friends Anna and Dave's new flat, and this week, I found hotel bingo!! Its a student halls but open for visitors through the summer - massive rooms, telephone, broadband, en suite, lovely breakfast and exactly 24 seconds walk from the office... in fact I can see the lab through the bedroom window... I considered an elongated leap from the window this morning... then reconsidered... splattered Claire down the window of our bosses office on a Tuesday morning would not be acceptable... and lets face it, the likely hood of me getting the right office would be like the pope marrying Madonna.... so it would be splattered Claire down the office of some professor... marvellous I'll stick to walking!!

On a work front we are experiencing a number of adrenaline fueled moments as I see how far this business idea can take us! We now have a range of packaged products in around 10 shops in the County, and will be launching our Internet order service next month. We have a late night opening and all day Saturday opening online for next month also - the late night opening will have wine, cheese and product tasting so lots of change!!

We currently have a wonderful new temp butcher in at the moment as our usual butcher is sunning himself in Tunisia - we heard he refused to ride a camel so will be booking him in for camel lessons on his return... Luckily, the new butcher is also called Alan - maybe in Northumberland all butchers are called Alan??? He was brought up in the village but moved out to Australia and has just returned - his energy and ability has dazzled us all - not to mention cutting quite a dashing figure in the shop! I think having a romeo serving lamb chops could be very good for business!! We don't want to let him go in a week.... and we may try not to.... watch this space!!

The herbs are still alive somehow... god knows how!! I keep spraying them with organic miracle grow and turning them brown, then having to spend hours washing them, but boy do they grow!! Next step... fruit and veg.... oh god.

The train journeys haven't improved - but I have admitted defeat and swapped my small, elegant suitcase for a big one I can hurl piles of stuff into - women are not meant to own small suitcases its wrong! Yes it may stack neatly on the luggage rack above my head on the train, but it fits exactly 1 pair of knickers and half a bottle of shampoo in and the rest ends up stuffed into bags I leave on trains and drop constantly!!! Why is it that the zip fastens on the journey out but coming back it wont go near??? It cant be all the handbags and shoes I purchase surely... well anyway, now I carry around a small house - perfect for shoes, handbags, hair dryer and kitchen sinks... and perfect for smacking commuters and tourists in the legs with outside Kings Cross....

We now have an actual bedroom and an actual bed!!! I can't quite believe I'm lying on a real mattress in a real room designed for sleeping purpose!! We have a posh new floor and paint on the walls - now just need curtains... something my husband could do with remembering... last week as the night drew in I went into the dusk to pick some herbs from our midge infested front garden and take in the evening air.... there I met a guest from our holiday cottage enjoying the night and the view.... mainly the view of my husband hopping around the bedroom in his underpants trying to remove his socks.... not even my phenomenal distraction techniques could divert them away from that one....

A thought consumes me at the moment.... can you put popping candy in a sausage??? Would it work??? Hmmmmmmmmmmm.....

The shop is doing well at the moment, despite my mother and I bashing around with the till like we know what we are doing.... weight...non-weigh...susan....cheque.... pardon????? erm... well Ive found if I randomly button press and look worried Alan comes to my rescue so I will keep this up for the immediate future! Having said that my mother is excelling herself in the shop at the moment - cutting a dash in blue hair net and white apron she can now frequently be seen in the shop holding the fort for me, she really is irreplaceable!

I'm looking forward to being there more often and being on call, although I have a feeling the staff will not relish the chance to have me around more...

Right, must be off and do some work... over and out,

Cx

Sausage Launch!

Well another few weeks have passed, I'm blog slacking!!! It has been a serious whirlwind of a fortnight, and I'm very pleased and proud to say we are now supplying several village shops, petrol stations and one very large farm shop with our sausages and black pudding!! Our packaging was a nightmare and is still problematic - serves me right for not wanting plastic coated poly trays really! Cardboard is not a great friend of sausage, it tends to want to mush, or leak or do anything other than behave really!!! Up until the night before our supply date, we had film windows full of mist, until my wonderful butcher discovered that putting a moisture removing pad inside the box sorts this!!! And then the labeling, god what a challenge! Who knew it could be so difficult!!

The new burgers are also now in the shop, we have melting middle lamb and beef burgers and new recipe beef burgers which are a good improvement on the previous ones. However, at one point last week, we had Mozzarella spelt 4 different ways in the shop!!! We have also entered into a deal with the cinema in town to advertise in their catalogue, giving us 2 free cinema tickets per week to be won in the shop - it means that once a week, we will advertise a film and time (mainly a Thursday night) and anyone spending over £10 in the shop can enter their name and number into a box to try to win the tickets - we will then pick a name out of the box and they pick their tickets up!

We also have lots of new things going on in the shop - new delicious biscuits, cakes and bread, freshly brewed coffee and salads which are going down a treat! Look out for sausage and bacon rolls in the mornings soon and more local produce, oh and homemade pease pudding, potted meats and soup!!! Phew, as you can imagine, our staff are a little shell shocked by all this change - but coping amazingly well with it all. We have turned sausage making Tuesdays into the day from hell - by Tuesday evening the back of the shop is one large sausage factory, the staff look like they've been to war and there are so many sausages hanging in the cold room we could give Walls a run for their money!!!

I often sit and think about the changes that have happened to me since April, its really quite amazing that 3 months ago I was just a scientist from London and now I'm running around the Northumberland hills flogging sausages to shops and getting excited over coffee and jam!!! I am really enjoying the challenge and have so much more lined up over the next few months, including a shop re-vamp (paint and re-organising furniture to start with).....

Also, look out for our exciting new veg boxes and beautiful range of children and baby meals developed by a local. These will be so new and exciting, we will have every baby and child in Northumbelrand wanting their mum to take them to Wark!!!

Next big thing coming up is our lamb from Roses Bower, the clock is ticking for those bouncy lambs currently enjoying the grass on the farm - this year we hope to get as many as possible into the shop rather than selling at mart.

On a different subject, I came first class to London this week - what a nice journey!! Virgin staff feed and water you and there is space to put things down without pelting an unsuspecting business man with my womanly wares!!! I had lemonade and did some work, I even had a snooze - quite obviously, I am going to need to find a sponsor who will allow me to come first class to London in future in exchange for sausages.... any offers??

Looking forward to the BBQ on the 10th Aug, I will of course be bringing our products to the party, I will work on some crazy recipes to get everyone talking!!

This week we have the seriously popular Stilton and asparagus sausage back on the market - but we have a relief butcher in for the next 2 weeks who is luckily also called Alan (this helps with my terrible name memory recall) who has some amazing recipes up his butchers apron. I am hoping we can do some crazy sausage trials this week and emerge with some flavours to tempt even the fussiest mouths!!

Right, must go in search of lunch, over and out,
Cx

It's my birthday!

Well here I am.... 29.... again :-) I count backwards after 30 right? That is until I hit 18 and then I'll count forwards again... I wouldn't want my husband to be sent to jail for indecency.....

Another crazy week at the Bower, but really rather lovely weather to ease the pain! Not sure about the midges though.... why did midges get invented? What possible purpose could a bunch of blood sucking, itch inducing little critters have on the planet.... having said that, I bet they wander round asking each other what the purpose of humans are and I think they probably have a point... watering my herbs and new tomato plants in the midge cloud is not a great task, they seem to think I taste rather amazing and I look like a child with German measles!!!

I delivered the first 2 London orders this week, still lovely and chilled in their boxes and complete with free herb gift! I'm very excited about expanding our client base, sending Northumbrian meat down to London will get our wonderful product on the market and let people see what Northumberland can do! Shopping local is a great tool, but often in built up cities its hard to find good quality produce at decent prices - I'm also saving on carbon footprint by delivering it on my way to work - although if I get more orders I may have to rethink that!!!

Chocolate and chilli sausages make a come back this week in the shop! Get them fast as I already have 3lbs reserved for London!!! We will be pitching to several shops on Thursday with the sausages, bacon and herbs, keep your fingers crossed for us!!!

I am having terrible trouble with the bread at the moment, the baker is struggling to deliver it early and the villagers are stringing me up by my Bridget Jones pants!!! I keep hoping it will sort itself out but I'm not sure how! Last week, I was all ready to scream and shout at the delivery man until I saw the pure panic in his face and then I realised that this wasn't his idea of fun either!! Short from becoming a baker myself I am going to have to get resourceful with this one, please bare with me whilst I kick my grey matter into action!!

I have managed to accumulate 2 birthday cakes today and one yesterday - that's a lot of lovely cake!!! Hopefully, the office will help me consume it later today as I feel if I eat it all myself I will not be fitting into the train seat on my return journey!

Time is running out in London for me now, only 3 weeks left!!! Then I become a full time shop owner/farmers wife... god help Northumberland!

I am determined to party tonight, and fight the urge to turn in as my 31 year old body is instructing... of course I will drink orange juice and behave sensibly.... oh there's that pig again, I wonder if he's had any luck sourcing those stickers....

Adios,
cx

long lost blog

Goodness me a whole week since my last post, how did that happen! Well I'm not sure where the weeks are going, but I do reckon we have a week thief, that is pinching time from under our noses, why do we need to sleep? I mean, don't get me wrong, sleeping is better than a large chocolate bar (well actually maybe not) but it is very good, but not having to sleep would give me another 7-8 hours up and I could move mountains then.... actually, I'd probably just get hysterically grumpy and take it out on my husband so perhaps its better I sleep after all.

I cannot believe how hot it is in London this week - we came down on Friday night, set off at 9pm after a lovely haggis dinner made by Dad and drove down the M1 playing dirty dancing and singing at the top of our voice - by the time we hit Luton I had no voice, melted chocolate all over the car and a coffee/lucozade buzz to rival any illegal high (not that I'd know obviously!). I spent ten minutes shouting "Sylvia.... yes mickey... how do you call your lover boy" out of the window, I imagine any passer by would have considered me clinically insane.... they would probably be correct in fairness....

Speaking of insane... last week was terrible! I stayed in the usual hostel, and was just getting used to telling everyone what a find it was, when I went to bed after a few glasses of wine on the Monday night, and heard a lady crying in the room next door. I didn't think too much of it, I'm not terribly sympathetic so I left her.... then at midnight she started wailing, and at 1am she started smashing things.... I actually thought I was going to die! I also convinced myself she was on the corridor, preventing me from making my escape, so I waited for her to stop, she didn't. She eventually went quiet at 4am.... I slept for 2 hours.... she started again, this time the noise was much louder and she was smashing lots of something... I was glued to the bed and so desperate for the toilet I thought I may have to go in my Evian bottle.... at 7am my mother called.... thank god for mothers.... I told her my plan, to break off the bars on the window with my feet and escape over the TV lounge roof into the garden.... she told me to put down the phone and call security.... erm, yes that's quite a good idea!!! So 7 hours of terror to be ended in a 2 second conversation to security, who came straight up and knocked on my door - slowly I peaked my head around the door as the noise was still horrendous... no sign.... then security tell me its coming from her room, like it had been doing ALL night.... for the love of god you mean I could have made my escape????? He knocked on her door, and a tiny very pretty girl came to the door, told him she was fine, he shouted at her and she legged it, off down the street in her PJ's... needless to say I didn't follow, I glanced into her room, full of glass, broken wardrobes and then collapsed into bed again! The following night she hoovered... the whole night, but I guess this is preferable to screaming.... this week, I have taken refuge at my mother in law's house!!!

This weekend was an education, my sister in-law's father in-law (there must be a better way of saying that!) broke his ankle badly over the weekend and they had to go to hospital to sort things out, as it was a school night, her 4 children needed baths and bed... oh my god. So I poured a bath, and got one child in at a time with military precision, followed by hair drying, PJ's, drinks and bed.... you believe me right???.... ok ok ok.... 3 hours of persuading 3 children to get into the bath, getting wetter than them, burning their heads with the hairdryer, trying to play DVDs and putting them back into bed 100 times, whilst simultaneously dodging projectile vomit from the eldest with heat stroke... but in fairness I didn't wretch, a first for me! I have a feeling that children and one of those things that will not be one of my listed strengths....

This week I'm travelling in from Luton each morning, I was very excited this morning, first that I managed to find the station without sat nav (I usually can't find the car without sat nav) and also that I could pay my car parking fee by phone... until they told me the price... £17 for 3 days... and £67 for 3 return tickets to London, I have come to the conclusion that Luton dwellers must all be millionaires, particularly the first capital connect staff whom I feel I should marry as when the credit crunch brings us all to our knees (like that man at the conference tells us), I will be attached to the richest man in the world and those Luton residents will keep me in handbags for years to come....

On the work side, we have some very exciting possibilities building up, that need a lot more time spent on them than I have available at the moment, roll on next month when I can concentrate on this part of my life full time! I also have rolled out the London delivery so if you see a crazy red head heaving 7 legs of lamb on to the Newcastle to London train on a Monday morning you will nod your head knowingly.... I have no idea what I will do it the orders get too much to carry, probably drive the car down and provide myself with a chance to sing dirty dancing tracks for another 4 hours....

Today, I quite genuinely think I am melting, I have the fan on me full blast but the warm air it is spitting at me is pathetic to be frank - I need pims, a garden and a swimming pool, its just not fair to sit in a hot office with my complexion!

I hope you are all well, over and out,

Cx

Match sticks anyone??

Our new bags!

Oh dear, I genuinely think I have pushed it this week, my eyelids are heavier than my left and right thigh put together and I require so much coffee to stay upright I am considering investing in a share of Starbucks! I am also going on a crusade to sue the Caledonian sleeper for its trade description title!

I had a great time on Thursday, my boss did a wonderful talk, the music worked amazingly, the party was a great amount of fun and I managed to avoid disgracing myself... my work colleague however did not, there's always one....

I decided following the party to go on to another bar... then someone mentioned that it may be better to head to the station.... then I looked at my watch.... OH MY GOD! 20 minutes to retrieve my suitcase from the office, get a taxi and get to the station, and all this under the influence of some extremely cheeky red wine.... hmmmm. Well, I got the suitcase, luckily with the help of my 2 guardian angels Anna and Dave, then we took 10 minutes to find a taxi and it took a further 7 minutes to get to the station.... 1 minute to the train leaving I get to the station.... the last train for 7 hours.... OMG!!! Needless to say, by the time I made it to the platform I thought I may need to ask for an ambulance rather than where my seat was! Somehow, I made it on to the train and then it left.... I was 8 carriages away from my seat.... for the love of god!!!

Someone should tell this Caledonian sleeper designer that women more than a size 8 with a suitcase need slightly more than a 6 inch wide corridor to get down!! For a few moments I considered doing a action packed adventure stunt and scaling the train to walk on the roof... then I decided that messing up my hair was too unbearable and settled for the corridor, closely followed by a man in a suit, who told me 3 times I was walking the wrong way, then asked me to join him in his cabin (erm ok, alongside the other 3 men in their PJ's!!!).... not sure what it was about my drunken, sweating, panic stricken self that he found remotely attractive really, that will remain one of life's little mysteries!!

Anyway, 8 tiny corridors, 11 bashed doors and a gallon of perspiration later.... I found my seat!!!!... and a woman was in it fast asleep. I briefly considered sitting on her head, then sat the the chair next to her, luckily no-one sat there so sleeping woman lived to see another day.

So Caledonian sweater, panic inducer, uncomfortable ride, absolutely but Caledonian sleeper??? Don't make me laugh!!! After 5 hours of facebook, I nodded off... narrowly made the Carlisle stop and landed on a heap on the station floor - what a glamorous life I lead!!

On a better note, the new pig stickers and cotton bags were delivered, and now I can't wait to get packing sausages! I can be seen this week, walking around the streets of London with our new Wark Village Butchers bag under my arm, there's nothing like publicity!!! We have gone with the slogan "British Farming Matters!" which has stuck since my interview with the panel, it seems to sum up what we are trying to do and add a personal touch to the merchandise. Alan has also excelled himself this week with beef and mustard sausages and white pudding, this week is pork and chestnut, because a chestnut is for life not just for Christmas!!! Having said that, tell that to my poor mother who has trawled the length of Northumberland today in search of the dam things!!! She finally tracked them down luckily, or else it would have been chestnutless pork...

To add to my harassment this weekend, I have had the joys of a food hygiene course and my VAT returns.... "tax needn't be taxing".... say that in front of me and seriously regret it! Why do receipts look so innocent in your purse, Then morph into the devil in paper form once in the file from hell? And as for our lap top, I could genuinely have done it quicker if I'd used an old fashioned type writer!

I have learnt several valuable lessons this week... don't be late for trains, don't listen to suited men on such trains, do wash your hands constantly when around food (oh and don't pick your nose) and under no circumstances attempt to do your tax returns after a week of wine and jolliness.. Moira Stuart may tell you that it isn't taxing, but she is having you on!!!!!

Over and out,
Cx

Come on the losers!

Hello again, well I haven't been deleted, or told off so chances are I can keep blogging, so great news for me anyway!!!

So the winner is..... not me!! Hey ho, second placed losers have more fight, I will rise from the ashes.... and hope it didn't burn my sausages!!! Seriously, well done Emily! If I owned a farm shop Id be getting your lovely animals into the shop pronto, but as its a butchers I don't think it would be your required market - give me time, I'm a slow burner! The other winners look good too - although I see Amy's face in the runners up section - not good! Take comfort Amy, you are the best in my eyes bar none.

Well, Ive survived 3 nights in London this week, and in the same hostel I stayed in last week, and it wasn't half bad! I even made it home safe after a night out with Anna on Tuesday, although I did detour half way home to have coffee with a homeless guy and his ginger cat..... Bob the cat can be seen in Covent Garden wearing a scarf and sitting on the shoulder of perhaps the most interesting person I have ever met! London is an incredible place.

Yesterday was spent perfecting a presentation my boss will be delivering today... I never thought of myself as an IT idiot until yesterday... 2 hours on getting a piece of music to play through the duration of 40 slides.... like finding hens teeth!!! I just about jumped out of our 2nd floor window (then realised that at my size Id probably only bruise my bum and squash a passer by) then found my saviour... PowerPoint help.... marry me!! I learnt an important lesson yesterday... the art of delegation is key to academia.... and you must NEVER pretend to your boss that you have knowledge when you don't, it is ALWAYS going to be a disaster....

So I have been considering if I should advertise my loser status at the butchers... welcome to wark village butchers... where losers are always welcome... ??? Maybe I'll just go very quiet about it and hope no-one asks. Ive also got a master plan I will be perfecting next week.... coffee!! I am going to get serving coffee soon in the shop so if you see a crazy woman running up and down the street with cups stop and have a free cup!!! I actually think the village consider me crazy...

Its very warm here today, I keep having hot flushes and having to sit in front of the fan.... something that shouldn't be necessary at 30!! I may retreat to the lab soon for some air conditioning... er I mean hard work of course!!!

if this was a time responsive blog, you would have noticed a huge gap there! Ive just sneaked into my bosses office to take a call from the lovely Suzy from food local food - how exciting! We hope to source all local stock with their help and also become one of their suppliers - a scary task but so so so so exciting!! During our conversation Suzy fell off her chair, and still managed to keep talking to me... professionalism at its best. So a huge thank you to Steven for letting me know about the work of food local food, this could be the start of a beautiful relationship!

Talking of relationships.... I haven't seen nor heard from my husband in a week.... one could call that bliss but I fear we are in danger of forgetting what each other looks like.... we will walk clean past each other in the street I'm sure! Sometimes, I think he wonders what he married into...

I failed on pig stickers, and I need them! Had to make do with a picture of a pig on a sticker - cute but not the same!!! I need a pigs bum shape or a pig side on - yes I know I'm a lunatic but I NEEEEEED it! Its like handbags really.....

Tonight will be a posh dinner, I will drink orange juice so as to remain an academic professional and I will engage in knowledgeable conversation about science..... oh my god look!!!! a pig just flew past the window.... I wonder if he sells stickers????

Cx

Are we allowed to keep blogging???

Well, truth be told I'm a little addicted to this blog stuff now, seems a shame to stop! Maybe I'll just keep blogging to no-one and keep myself amused....

I'm having a bit of an emotional crisis week, those weeks when being anything other than a millionaire size 6 with 38DD chest and legs up to your armpits will simply spell the end of the world? You know the one. Not to mention the fact that work has reactivated all the security doors and I am smashing into them like a bird hitting a wall mid flight.... how can I play a serious business woman when I am sliding down doors with concussion???

I am in London until Thursday this week and already the panic is setting in - I have samples to make for shops and contacts to....contact I guess! I want to be there, annoying the staff and sorting things out!! I've also realised that our new mobile chilling cabinet is going to need me to sell my body on the streets of Newcastle for several years to pay for.... and even that wouldn't be enough going on the credit crunch finances of things today! Why are they so expensive?? I want to chill my meat at farmers markets not sell cavia at the BAFTAs.... but that may be an interesting business idea....

I am looking for pig stickers at the moment, it may sound crazy but it is the only thing that will complete my packaging triumph, it HAS to be a pig sticker!!! Trouble is, there isn't much demand for pig stickers!!!

I've also been told our new uniform is "in a queue" for embroidery.... whats that about!!! Does it stand in line and wait its turn.... are there that many people wanting stitched things on their clothes!!

On a different note, we have found a possible supplier of goats for our new venture, which means babies babies babies galore on Roses Bower (not mine though!!). I will have to invest in some "goat management" books and pray that after all this, the meat is as good as I have told everyone it will be!!!

Speak soon
Cx

That's it folks!!!

Oh my goodness what a week! I am very glad to say, that up until a few hours ago when I got on the train the nerves of competition outcome were to battered by work and brain fatigue to surface... competitions, I have learnt, are like exams... I am terrible at the end result!!! Having read Emily's blog, I realise I should now have been a little more pro-active in my vote for me tactics.... sadly, I have never been brilliant at promotion and what with the majority of my brain being full of sausage recipes and the remainder full of irrelevance.... I may have let the team down somewhat... however, I could not think of a better person to lose to, its been an absolutely fantastic journey and I have learnt such a huge amount along the way!

If there is one message I hope I can keep out there its that British Farming matters!! This competition has given us the chance to get a small farm and local butcher shop noticed and for that I will be forever grateful. Our mission is to keep getting noticed and re-kindle a local shop that our community can be proud of, as well as gaining some invaluable sausage making skills along the way!!!

Speaking of which..... for the first time ever people have been looking upset if the wacky flavours are not available in the shop!!! Who would have thought that people would ever walk in to Wark Village Butchers and ask for chocolate and chilli sausages!!! Brilliant! We are still battling the burger saga however.... does the runner up get a burger recipe wonder??? Our next mission, melting middle burgers and improving the burger itself... apparently.... its all in the fat proportions so one very clever American has let on.... I have him firmly in my sights as burger designer.....

More exciting news.... our new sausages and home cure bacon will soon be seen in several shops around Hexham....!!!!!! I must admit it was hard to remain professional when I heard the "ok send us some samples and we will consider stocking it".... I had to refrain myself from jumping up and kissing them... probably not the way to clinch a deal.... unless you resemble jennifer Aniston....

We also clinched 2 more catering deals at the weekend, mainly due to my wonderful PA (my mother!) being so pro-active, so we are well on the way to clicking up those profits.

More importantly, we have now gone public with Roses Bower herbs.... home grown mint, rosemary, chives, basil etc... quite an undertaking for a woman that could kill a plastic plant let me tell you! Apparently, singing to the plants keeps them happy... so if you hear a rendition of "the hills are alive" floating over the national park you'll know it's me, trying to keep my investment alive.... I wonder if I could sing to the sheep for more meat...???

I'm off back down to London at the moment, its a killer of a week this week, my bosses inaugral (don't ask me...) lecture and then a sleeper train on Thursday back overnight ready for deliveries on Friday morning.... why do they call those trains sleepers?? How about "so hot you boil alive and stay wide awakers"??? I would rather be earning lots of money in the shop so I can spend it all on the contents of a catalogue that was sent to me last week.... oh if I only had a million! That's a sound business idea... send people a catalogue that makes you want to own everything inside and re-mortgage the house to get it.... it was even better than a handbag catalogue!!! So I am contemplating getting re-married..... my wedding list will be the contents of the butchers supplies spring edition..... genious!

And I must also say a big well done to our butcher Alan on winning £100 in the lottery.... we do however thank the lord you didn't win a million as we would now be looking for another butcher and we need you!! Keep up the SMALL wins Alan!!!

Well, That's all that should be said today to prevent boredom setting in, just thank you again for this amazing experience, win or lose its been brilliant! I will never forget the inspirational conference, I even raved about Lord Kirkham in DFS when buying a sofa recently!!! And the wonderful HSBC boss, who really ought to be present at every conference carried out, and all the wonderful we can you can staff who looked after us so wonderfully, including Hazel, Steven and the dashing Will.... Who by the way told me that night that his braces were the only things keeping his trousers up.... so in the words of Bridgit Jones.... this is Claire Watson-Laney for Roses Bower farm with... lets face it.... a bit of a crush now actually....

Thanks guys,

Cx

Sex and the City!

This is me on biscuit aged 7yrs (no reason just amusing really!)

Well, in a truly un-work like moment, the girls went to see sex and the city 2 last night and you know, it was really very good! Real escapism! I thought the "mid wife crisis" was very me, next time I argue with my husband I'm wheeling that one out! And as for the Laurence of Arabia comment.... classic!!! We should have had champagne but settled for ice cream, and then a lovely meal so a very nice night indeed!

I've re-decorated our websites this week www.warkvillagebutchers.co.uk has a quirky edge and some pink at last (needed in all websites obviously) and www. selfcatering-northumberland.co.uk is coming on a treat, I just wish I was good enough to shoot both to the top of google!!! That's why I need votes to beg the panel for more help!!! Ive also started our wark village butchers facebook site which has been fun.... oh and acquired a blackberry....raspberry.... some form of superior communication mechanism too.... still getting to grips with that one! Currently, its not even sending pictures.... steep learning curve this professional stuff!

The shop is doing well, new delicious Brandy Bank cakes and scones are adding to our stock and the ginger beer is flying out of the door! Look out for pork and chestnut sausages soon!!

Next step is the goat and dairy cattle programme, I've been searching for contacts, I have a feeling this will be a busy month!

And when I grow up..... I want to be Samantha..... she has all the fun :-)

Cx

Shoddy Blogmanship!!

Apologies for the delay, the week of sun in Northumberland had me so shocked I felt a need to remain outside for the vast proportion of the day and haven't even touched the computer shock horror!! The down side is, I resemble an over cooked lobster... red heads were born to be Eskimos!

Last weeks sausages were chocolate and chili! You may recoil in horror but they tasted amazing! Rather hot though, my last minute decision to up the chili by 10 grams was perhaps not one of my best, however its tested some of those who fancied a challenge! This flavour will be coming with us to our farmers markets next month, along with last weeks pork and bramley apple and Beef and wholegrain mustard. The burgers are not behaving as well, the beef and wasabi just didn't hit the spot - you know, the brain freeze "oh my god I'm going to lose my nose" HIT of wasabi... just didn't happen! So these are still work in progress, sadly, this means that at some point I will overdo the wasabi and cause some burst blood vessels amongst my fellow testers!!! The packaging is also giving me a headache, who knew it could be so tricky!!!

We have also started the next leg of our project - supporting British cattle and goat dairy herds by using the male offspring for meat instead of allowing them to be slaughtered at birth - this means they get a good quality of life and we get some wonderful meat! We are all a bit worried about having cattle and goats at Roses Bower but very excited about a new venture! They say, goat burgers have a beautiful taste, keep looking out for it in the butchers!!!

I had last week off but I'm back to the smoke this week, a shame as I'm not feeling very science-like this week, I'd much rather be buying stock and looking at sausage recipes!!

I am booked into a women only hotel tonight (oo-er!) so fingers crossed its nice and has no bed bugs!!

Cx

Sheep and gloves!

Well I'm very glad I chose green gloves!!! Not really sure about the relevance and they didn't photoshop in the lamb which is a shame, but well done for making me look half human Mr photographer.... perhaps I shouldn't have been quite as quick with my whit before he took the photos.... I could have ended up with some seriously bad ones!!!

Today is not as hot thank goodness, but still hot enough to justify lunch in the garden. I am still having palpitations about bread, frozen meat and cakes at the moment, the sooner I get back, the sooner I calm down!!! I am beginning to see that leaving a business is not as easy as I first thought!!!

We are having a nightmare about small bread rolls at the moment, I keep trying my best and failing, now people are complaining about the "doorstop" sized rolls, oooops....

The topic of conversation in the office today? Clouds!!! Did you know, clouds have species??! And the average small cloud can weigh as much as several hundred elephants....!!!!! Well you learn something new every day!

I have found a new hotel, for £25 per night! I will try it the week after next and hope it is ok, it looks good and has good reviews, I am a big believer in tripadvisor! If it works, I will have more shopping money!

Hoping for good weather this Bank holiday, we have sausages, burgers and kebabs planned in the shop, and a BBQ meal deal! Come on sun shine please!!!!

Cx

Melted entrepreneur anyone??!

Oh my goodness who left the central heating on in London??? I thought it was hot up North but I obviously forgot what it's like here in the summer - a spatula to scrape me up off the pavement wouldn't go amiss!! 700 votes they tell me have rolled in for us all so far - well that means either we have a lot of mum's. Gran's and long suffering partners or other people are voting!!

I had a brilliant time at the conference on Thursday, I am a conference local but this showed up the science conference big style!! Lots of music and amazing talks! Some truly inspirational speakers! The food was amazing too! I was unsure about the spinach shot but it was yummy! Drinking Amy's wine was an unfortunate, however she took it very well and I did replace it.... I feel very lucky to have been able to attend, and really enjoyed the photo shoot... however the lamb was missing, I had to make do with a toy... but they tell me they will photo shop one in which is very exciting!

Last week passed in a blur, new fridges, new sofas and new butcher's hats to name but a few tasks! This week is likely to be much the same, with bills to pay (yawn) and lab work to get on with (eek!), I wish I could lie in the sun and pretend it will do itself.... any offers of a secluded garden where no-one will find me are greatly received.....

Lambs at conferences?

Morning peeps,

Yesterday was fun, I seemed to spend my day hugging people, not usually my style but required due to my recent vanishing act, people's suprise baby announcements, career changes etc... I'm all hugged out today so no asking! I also managed to forget several important phone calls, I wish there was a way to remind me who and when to ring, I never get it right! So today sparks a mad panic for last minute ordering and begging, I must admit I'm getting better at this last minute begging thing!

I'm back in the lab this week - not being very productive I may add, my head is full of sausages, lambs and guest soap! I also dodged the hotel I was supposed to stay at because when I got to work I read 4 reviews on bed bugs!!! I ended up in the expensive one across the road but it was lovely!

I got my hair done yesterday too, that's the longest time I've gone without hair dye in my life!

We have been asked to bring props to the conference that describe our background, job or who we are... at the moment I only have one thing that describes me to bring - a lamb! We have a pet lamb called Murtle at the moment, she screams like a banshee and cannot be described as toilet trained - I briefly considered the Hilton's reaction.... then decided it probably wouldn't be a great idea - I could also bring the sheep dog puppy and complete the picture....

I've also just completed the new bread order for the shop - and I've decided that I'm really no good at this ordering lark! I really hated informing the old bakery that we were changing too, its like dumping a boyfriend yuk!! I must toughen up, I must toughen up, I must toughen up!!!!

Right, well, I have shopping to do and some lab work to finish and I'm on a train back up North this afternoon so I'd best get going!!

Have a lovely day and get round to the butchers to buy some sausages for a BBQ!!!

Cx

My first blog!

My goodness what a month this has been! As if lambing wasn't enough, and believe me 400 lambs are ALWAYS enough for anyone, I have also added a hundred more jobs to the list, someday, somebody will tell me to stop! I am so excited to be one of the final 2 for my region in the challenge, it was such a great experience to talk to the judges and pull all my random and crazy thoughts into line. I thought they were amazing and loved every second of listening to their ideas. So now I am to use twitter and write a blog, as if anyone would want to hear about me!!! Well, I hope I can keep this as interesting as possible, if its only for the benefit of my mum and husband, probably the only 2 who could bare to read it! Sadly, I will probably not be celebrity style twittering to tell you about an A list party or a scandal.... its more likely to be my thoughts on sausages, burgers and how to clean lamb poo off my trousers... oooh and iodine, dam stuff has ruined my top!!! I digress....

This week has been a corker - back to London for the first time in a month (dad has been poorly) which was quite a shock! My train journeys have become famous on facebook between my friends, perhaps rather than bother you with my boring business ideas I could tell everyone about the train journeys.... however its quite possible that I would become the first challenge finalist to be banned from using a blog if I did so perhaps not!

I also started sausage and burger of the week at the butchers and had some extremely lovely eco friendly boxes delivered to the shop to package them in, see how fun life is!! I am very excited about the farmers markets now, just squeezing out the Jamie Oliver side of our butcher Alan and we will soon be on the way to burger heaven! My most monumental butchers moment last week was removing the hour closure for lunch we have had there for the last 20 years... my goodness I didn't think I'd be able to do that! Now we can concentrate on getting good lunch to the people in Wark!

I am also excited about the challenge conference on Thursday, usually, I have to stand up and talk about leprosy and bones at these things... I have a feeling if I did that at this particular event it would go down like a led balloon.... I must say though I am not sure about the venue, I mean would it have been too much to ask for the conference to be held in Bermuda????? Newcastle can't offer much for the regular talk bunkers who sneak out of talks to sunbathe! However, should you catch sight of a buxom redhead sunning herself on top of the Hilton hotel on Thursday you know who I am.... don't ask me for sausages though I'm still working on the recipe.....

This is me signing off for now..... cx

Ps.... thank goodness this tool has a spell check

Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog - more posts soon!