Baby Bantam Bulletin and misleading eco-friendly claims by 50% of hotels and B & Bs

Despite our very best efforts, the little bantam chick mentioned in the last blog post, did not survive- we did our best, but it was not to be. A mother's presence is definitely preferable- we now have a total of 8 thriving little chicks shared between two separate hens and the difference in their characters is fascinating! The Friesan bantam is a natural mother- calm, dependable and a quiet presence. The other hen, a Golden Appenzeller (see photo) is a bit uppity, always fidgeting, slightly on edge and fiercely protective (we have to wear gloves to go anywhere near her!). We just have to wait and see who produces the most well-balanced offspring!

It was interesting to read this week that "half of hotels mislead guests with eco-friendly claims". According to the Green Tourism Business Scheme, more than 50% of hotels, B & Bs and guesthouses use misleading terms such as "locally sourced" to describe goods bought at a nearby supermarket to boost their credentials. Other top claims are "low energy" for using low voltage light bulbs and using "recylclable" instead of "recycled" products. About a year ago we approached a very upmarket premium hotel group and were completely horrified to find that they were prepared to spend no more than £15 on each duvet in their hotel beds. As a chain of hotels advertising luxury and exclusivity, it seemed to us that they were neglecting what guests are most seeking- a comfortable and wonderful nights sleep. Certainly good and restful sleep seems to come pretty near the bottom of the pecking order in terms of priority for many establishments.

Chicks and Cheeps!

With all three of our sons away this week, we are adjusting to a life of Darby and Joan- the massive reduction in the food bill is absolutely wonderful, and so is the break from ceaseless washing of smelly mis-matching socks! Our friesan bantam has hatched four gorgeous little chicks, however the fifth egg was slow to hatch and she decided she couldn't be bothered to wait any longer. We have rescued it and, amazingly, it is trying to hatch but without a mum to give encouraging cheeps... this is a dilemma- if it succeeds against all odds, it will certainly deserve a chance and we just have to hope we can secrete it back under mummy hen tonight without her really noticing she has gained a fifth chick. Strange how a little gap in the family has been replaced by the impending arrival of a small new baby chick!

The latest container arrived safely last week- all safely gathered in and accounted for, and a quick turnaround for most of the stock, as it was largely pillows ordered for a company in the South of France. It has been an exercise in revising our school level French, but rewarding to work with a Company who recognises quality and traditional values over and above cheapness.

There we are, two sorts of "cheaps" and time for me to go and check on the new additions in the chicken population ...

Olly, Sheerluxe competition, Tadpole PR and Gooseberry Fool!

Olly's spot! Here he is, now firmly esconced in our lives, family and work. He has all of us exactly where he wants us and we love him dearly. Like all Siamese cats, he is brainy, feisty and naughty. More like little dogs than cats, they are hugely companionable and he never fails to entertain us.

We were absolutely delighted that over 6,000 people took part in our recent Sheerluxe competition, news like this is tremendously heartening and bolsters our confidence in our products.

Much of what we do and achieve would not be possible without Marisa and Kat at Tadpole PR; we first made contact a year or so ago and since then they have jostled us along and generally prodded and persuaded. Our meetings generally consist of a rendezvous at The Ludlow Food Centre, half way between where we all live, which gives all of us an excuse to visit the wonderful food shop and pretend to talk business while Kat eats her bacon butties! Seriously, we feel very grateful to have the support and help of two such optimistic, friendly and enthusiastic people. The main focus of this morning's meeting was to show them our new packaging and to discuss the next stage of our new brochure. We expect to have this finished around the end of September and it will reflect the look of our website and include all that we have recently been working on. A long time ago we were advised that a brochure should be renewed every two years to keep it interesting. In other words, just as you think you have got it right, 18 months goes by and it is time to look at it all over again!

Last but by no means least.....
My saintly cousin has made her annual pilgrimage from NZ to come and stay for the summer and thanks to her unstinting efforts with secateurs and protective gloves, we have rediscovered our gooseberry bushes! Absolutely laden with fruit, I decided we would post up one of my favourite recipes:

Gooseberry Fool - serves 4-6

About 450g/1lb of gooseberries, topped and tailed
2 oz unsalted butter
4 tbsp or so of muscavado sugar
Half a pint of single cream or half each single and double
3 egg yolks

Stew the gooseberries gently in the melted butter and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan, turning frequently as the sugar begins to coat and caramelise. Do not allow the berries to overcook. They are cooked when you can crush them with a fork without resistance. Leave to cool.
Scald the cream, then pour over the beaten egg yolks, whisking as you go, before returning the mixture to the pan. Continue to cook and stir or whisk over a gently heat until the custard has thickened. Pay attention at this stage or the mixture will scramble! Fold the fruit into the custard, cool and spoon into glasses or a glass bowl.

Olly news, Summer Newsletter and the many capers of switching bank accounts!

Olly news-
Olly continues to keep us exactly where he wants us; increasingly confident of his surroundings he has taken to chasing Bertie, the mildest mannered Jack Russell there ever was. Great fun and highly amusing! Olly is a huge success- who knows he might be modelling cat beds next- he certainly has the requisite supermodel temperament!

First achievement of the week! 2500 summer newsletters printed, folded, put in envelopes and sent out- neatly but coincidentally timed with the news of a VAT increase! I think the delay in the increase has taken most people by surprise, most businesses were expecting implementation rather sooner than early January. From the beginning we have tried to put in a little bit extra for our existing customers; our belief is that they are responsible for the success of the business and they deserve extra nurturing and rewards.

Second achievement of the week- although not quite accomplished yet; the moving of the bank accounts! As luck would have it, we are right in the middle of switching bank accounts just as we have to send a payment for the next Order to New Zealand. It hasn't been easy for them or us, but by tomorrow, fingers crossed, the dust might have settled and the poor ancient fax machine might have some time off work! It has been quite a dilemma for some time; we knew it would be painful, but it is time for the company to tackle more and we need the help of a designated business advisor. I just hope and pray our local branch of Barclays does not get the chop under some short-sighted cost cutting exercise. Perhaps the new coalition government will help foster a return to old fashioned common sense in all sorts of areas in our lives. Oh joy, the unwelcome arrival of four sets of new debit cards, four sets of new numbers, four sets of online banking numbers- all supposed to be different, that we remember only in our heads and don't commit to paper....