Bristol Good Food Awards 2015 - VOTING OPEN!

It's that time of the year again folks when the voting starts for the 2015 Bristol Good Food Awards.  You, our customers have voted us into the finals for the last two years and we've been thrilled to win 'Best Preserve' for the last two years running.  It always humbles us that so many many of you love our preserves and continue to support us which makes everyone at Snowdrop Cottage very happy!!!!

We'd love to reach the finals again this year and qualify for three categories!!!!  If you enjoy any of the following you can vote in 'Best Local Producers' section ( click here) for our pies/ preserves or condiment - or maybe all three!!!

A big thank you for your continued support, we're only a little business and we intend to keep it that way. We like to know our customers and ensure our quality remains the highest it can possibly be so please vote!

In search of Spring

Alas our kitchen at Snowdrop Cottage has become too small for us so recently we've been building an extension to house new equipment and provide gorgeous views of the Cotswold hills as we cook. With a husband's determined eye, thermals on and a level in his hand it was clearly time to exit the house with my eldest daughter and a lovely friend to seek out signs of Spring in our village!!!

Who wouldn't just melt seeing this gorgeous Snowdrop doing it's thing on a cold Saturday morning? They may be little, but take the time to get down close and you'll see this little bulb packs a punch.  Beautiful markings, snowy white petals and a good dose of cheer, a perfect antidote to Winters blues.

Or these cheery pinky flowers bursting forth from bare branches to say 'look at me, you know I'm gorgeous don't you?'.  It's easy to walk with your eyes turned down, but look up and the signs are there shouting Spring is on its way!

These dried seed heads looked spectacular waving their heads in the wind.  So, take some time over the next few weeks and see what wonders you can find.  The humble Snowdrops are forming carpets of glowing white, indicating the move from wintry darkness to light, to new beginnings.  But then, we're a little biased about Snowdrops aren't we?

Jo Malone - inspiration for any business

Photo from Vogue.co.uk

Starting a business isn't always particularly easy, keeping it running perhaps even harder especially if you're juggling it around family and other commitments.  However, every now and again you come across someone who inspires you and keeps you going, for me this is Jo Malone.  I've worn her fragrances for a number of years  but it wasn't until I'd heard her on Radio 4 Desert Island discs whilst cooking one Friday that I really knew her story.  If you missed it you can listen here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xmqd6

I have to admit, whilst listening and learning about her humble business beginnings, her positive attitude towards life and the battles she and her family have shared I was left sobbing over the chopping board! Lets banish 'Blue Monday' and turn each day into a bright, sunny one!

Although our business is happily small, it wouldn't be here if it were not for the tireless help of my husband and friends, sometimes it just takes a moment to stop and think - life is rather amazing no matter what it may throw at us!!! 

Recipe: Snowdrop Cottage Seville Orange Marmalade

As promised here is our Snowdrop Cottage marmalade recipe.  I use fairly large quantities as there seems little point in only making a few jars!  The quantities stated will work well in a Maslin sized pan without causing any problems bubbling over. Roughly speaking 3kgs of Seville oranges will provide about 18 jars (340g).

Ingredients

3kgs Seville oranges

4 Lemons

9 Pints water

5kg Sugar

Method

1.  Wash the oranges and lemons. Peel the skin and then slice into fine shreds and add to your pan.

2.  Cut the oranges and lemons in half and  squeeze the juice from them retaining the pips to one side.

3.  Add the juice to the pan.

4.  Add the water to the pan.

5. Tie the pips in a bag of muslin and add to the water and shredded fruit skin.

6. Simmer until the skin has become soft and the liquid reduced by about half.

7.  Stir the sugar in and allow it to dissolve completely over a low heat.  If you rush this stage and fail to dissolve the sugar properly crystals will form in your finished marmalade.

8. Once fully dissolved bring your marmalade up to a rolling boil.

9. Once setting point has been reached allow the marmalade to cool slightly before pouring into sterilised jars.

Enjoy!

For the love of Marmalade.... said Paddington

Freshly made Seville Orange marmalade

Marmalade has been with us for quite some time, some say since 1700 when a badly damaged Spanish ship with a cargo of oranges found safety in Dundee harbour.  The cargo was sold cheaply to a down on his luck Merchant and his wife then made marmalade.  Perhaps it's this Merchant that then found his way to deepest darkest Peru and introduced Paddington's Aunt Lucy to it!

To withstand the tangy, bitter and somewhat bracing marmalade known as Seville you're probably a child reared before the 'naughties'.  Home made Seville orange marmalade was often on our breakfast table whilst we were growing up, a long with a tea pot and a  lot of chatter with my siblings!  These days it seems our breakfast tables are more likely to be adorned with mass produced cereals and and sweet tasting long life bread.  More and more of us are forgoing the rituals of breakfast and instead opting for a coffee picked up on the go instead.

Let's bring back the humble Seville orange marmalade!!  With a little patience and time you can make this liquid amber gold and proudly display it on your breakfast table with a huge smirk of satisfaction on your face!  A word of warning though!  Do not even try to attempt to make this marmalade unless you are child and partner free for the day.  You have a radio to listen to and plenty of time, you're in it for the long haul!

If you'd like to have a go at making some Seville orange marmalade I'll post my recipe shortly.  However, for those who just fancy trying a jar, come and see us at one of our markets and try some we cooked up this week (click here). Happy Marmalade making!!!

Christmas at Snowdrop Cottage

Christmas has arrived at Snowdrop Cottage!

We've been really busy at Snowdrop Cottage HQ over the last few weeks planning, prepping and tasting our new range.  We've a few new marmalades for you - a wonderfully boozy Orange and Whisky as well as our Ruby Red Grapefruit and Vodka for those wanting a little extra oomph!  Of course we have our traditional marmalades too for those who like a traditional offering or feel they have enough Christmas mojo without the need for extras!

Back by popular demand we bring you our delicious Christmas Puddings. Our Traditional pudding is made with butter, bramley apples and of course lashings of Brandy. We also have our 'Gingerbread & Cranberry' Christmas pudding with cranberries, toasted pecans and oranges.  Each one it goes without saying is made with Shipton Mill Organic Flour and our free range eggs.  Deliciously light and moorish they've become a must for many Christmas tables over the last few years.  This year we've even had new labels designed which I hope you'll love as much as we do!

Of course Christmas is a hectic time for so many of us, so with this in mind we offer some fabulous gift ideas.  Our gift boxes can be filled with a choice of three preserves, chutneys or honey or if you're looking for something a little larger we can also offer you our hamper, complete with bow and gift tag, wrapped and ready to give. These proved very popular last year and are very versatile.

Please come and see us at any of our events we're attending up to Christmas, or if we're not local to you we're happy to post - just drop us a line!  We're kicking off our first event at Henleaze Festival on Wednesday 3rd December so come a long and say hello!

New Event - Temple Quay Market

We're so excited to be attending this established market based in the business district of Temple Quay.  We'll be busy cooking on a Wednesday to make sure all our goodies are as fresh as can be to satisfy hungry office workers.  Our Christmas puddings will also be available as well as our other award winning preserves and chutneys.