Weddings

I've met some lovely couples this summer and have really enjoyed helping them choose the cheeses for their wedding, and constructing unique towers to satisfy their tastes. I've especially enjoyed receiving some beautiful photos of the cheese wedding cakes, and of the beaming brides and grooms. Some I am allowed to share, and have put into a facebook album. Blog readers should be able to view the album by visiting http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150264790314398.336261.297101229397&type=3&l=55fb4e419e

Tastes Delicatessen ABC

I rather like the advertising on the back of the Wilkinson's lorries at the moment. From Aftersun to Batteries C.... Zinc capsules.

It reminds me of a book my grandparents gave me when I was a child. In the book, Big Bird and I were on a scavenger hunt (my name was actually in the story - a bigger deal in the 1980s than today!). We had to find something for every letter of the alphabet. So in homage to my Sesame Street Scavenger Hunt, here is Tastes Delicatessen A-Z:

Apples, Biscuits, Cheese, Dulce de Leche, Eggs, Fluff, Gingerbread, Honey, Ice cream, Jam, Kaffir lime leaves, Lemons, Mustard, Nougat, Olives, Pate, Quiche, Root beer, Scotch eggs, Tea, Uncle Joe's mint balls, Vinegar, Wedding cakes, Xacuti curry powder, Yoghurt, Zahtar.

It was actually easier than I expected and I didn't have to resort to using adjectives like Wilkinson's "yellow duster", although maybe the mint balls was a bit of a cheat (it was that or unsalted butter).

I'm also amazed by the prevalence of the letter C. I could have managed 26 items starting with the letter C alone; chutney, cheese, chocolate, crackers, conserves, cured meats, crisps, condiments, cookies, cassoulet, curry sauce, capers, crispbread, chorizo, cous cous, chilli sauce, clementines, consomme, chickpeas, coffee, cake, cranberry juice, cheese wedding cakes, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, cream, confit de Canard.

We're on the map

I'm trying very hard to keep abreast of the social media/internet marketing wave. There is so much that I "really should be doing". I could well do this full time and give up on the sourcing and selling of stock. It doesn't quite fit with the business plan though. So instead I spend my commute thinking about what I need to do next and trying to do it between customers. Its pretty slow going. One leap forward recently was that we got our own little marker blob on google maps. I made a google places page a long time ago, and fixed a marker exactly on top of the shop. But up until now didn't have a personalised google marker on the map. I'm not sure why it suddenly appeared. But it has, and I like it. So that's good enough for me (and something I can tick off my to do list with no additional effort).

Great Taste Awards 2011

It's that time of year again, when food producers hear the results of their "oscars"; The Great Taste Awards.

Once again, it has been a great year for the products available at Tastes Delicatessen! You can read about who won awards in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 in my previous blog posts. And here are this year's winners.

......drum roll....

Three Stars
7482 products were entered, 114 of which were awarded the much coveted "wow you've got to try this" three stars. This included Lewis & Cooper's delicious Handmade Plum Pudding (which will be making a repeat appearance at Tastes this Christmas), Salcombe Dairy Stem Ginger Ice Cream which has been popular here all summer long (although I suspect would be more popular had we actually experienced some summer sunshine) and Beet It Beetroot juice by James White Drinks Ltd. In the herbal infusions category both Three Fennel Organic Herbal Tea from Pukka Herbs and Teapigs Pure Lemongrass tea were awarded three stars.

Two Stars
608 products were awarded two stars and this included:
Luscombe's Organic Hot Ginger Beer.
Teapigs Tung Ting Oolong Tea, Darjeeling Earl Grey, Liquorice and Mint AND Peppermint Leaves teas.
Pukka Three Ginger Organic Herbal Tea.
Wessex Cobber Bread Flour from Wessex Mill.
Lewis & Cooper Handmade Luxury Fruit Cake.

One Star
Teapigs were awarded even more awards, with one star for English Breakfast, Mao Feng Green Tea, Green tea with Mint, Jasmine Pearl Green Tea, Chamomile Flowers and Rooibos Creme Caramel.
Other award winners include:
Pukka's Detox Organic Herbal Tea.
Campbell's Single Estate Loose Tea.
Luscombe Farm Organic Sicilian Lemonade.
Olives Et Al Kiln Roasted Harrisa Almonds and Captain Tiptoes Chilli Harissa Nuts.
Brindisa Tortas de Aceite Traditional.
Gluten Free Plain White Flour from Doves Farm.
Chocolate Peppermint Creams from Summerdown Farms.
Strawberry with Balsamic Jam from Henshelwood's Fine Foods.
Jules & Sharpie's hot mint jelly.
Rhubarb Chutney from local preserver Susie.
Raydale Preserves Goats Cheese Lovers Fig & Honey Chutney and Strong Cheese Lovers Tomato & Chilli Chutney.
Tracklements Strong Horseradish & Cream, and Chilli Jam.
Copas Traditional Gravy with Cracked Black Pepper.
Mike's Smokehouse Smoked Duck.
Fish4Ever Anchovies in Organic Olive Oil.
Ortiz Bonito del Norte.
Tim's Dairy Greek Style Natural Yoghurt.
Mouthful Foods Pea & Mint Soup.

Focus On Figs!

I love figs, and today whilst chatting to a like-minded customers I realised how many figgy things we have in stock. Two fig jams (one French and runny, one English and stiff), handmade fig chutney with lots of fig flesh, organic fig relish with lots of fig seeds, puréed figs for cheese, marinated miniature figs in syrup (divine with ice cream), fig and almond wedges (perfect with cheese, or as a snack) and a spiced fig compote. Not long now and it will be fig season and we’ll have those beautiful fresh figs in stock as well (not to mention fig truffles, fig panettone, figgy pudding for Christmas and our "Fig Lover's Gift Box").

Times Local Produce

Once again Tastes Delicatessen is taking part in The Times Local Produce offer. If you collect tokens from the paper over the next few weeks you can use your voucher to save £5 at Tastes Delicatessen.

Meet The Smiths

I recently met with Chris Smith. A decade ago he was asked by acquaintances of his late parents' (St John and Dolly) if he had the recipes for the Indian pickles his mother made (from her mother-in-law, Gertrude's recipes). They had quite a following amongst the alumni of the schools his father had taught at in India. Chris duly located the recipes and although he'd never made them before, he followed the recipes which had been perfected over many years and started producing the pickles of a standard his mother and grandmother would have been proud of. He initially sold them to those who had known his parents, then gradually expanded and is now producing pickles full-time. Still everything is made by Chris in small batches; using the finest ingredients, prepared and cooked by hand. St. John & Dolly's pickles (as Chris named them) regularly receive awards, and have been joined by some hot sauces Chris invented himself. Chris is a fascinating chap and incredibly passionate about what he does. He is at least the third generation of his family to be following the same recipes. How many producers can claim that sort of heritage? His wonderful pickles are now on sale here at Tastes Delicatessen in Eton.

Street Party

Photographs from Eton's Street Party made the national press this week. In The Sun's Royal Wedding coverage, Eton is shown in the 6th photograph (titled "Party ... good times are had by all"). Tastes is the three storey white building on the right.

Eton was also the first photograph in the Windsor People coverage.

What a picturesque street it is!

(The photo to the right here is my view of the union bunting which adorned the street).

Chan Cham Come to Town

St George's Day, fantastic sunshine, and a tasting with the family behind chan cham. What more could you want? Made locally, with Sri Lankan and Caribbean influences, the cooking sauces are designed to provide great tasting meals, without hours of preparation. The range includes sauces suitable for meats, fish and vegetables and they can be used as marinades for grilling, roasting, frying or as the base for a curry. Great for marinating meat and vegetables for a BBQ. They flew off the shelves, especially the Tamarind & 3 Spice Cooking Sauce.

Thanks Jane for permission to show Tony's legs online!

Award winning Sugo All'Arrabbiata

Seggiano's Sugo All'Arrabbiata was voted best arrabbiata sauce in the May issue of Italia! Magazine. "An outstanding example of a good arrabbiata – fiery, fresh and intense...and universally popular with the panel".