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Keeping well and staying cosy!͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Keeping well and staying cosy!We hope you all enjoyed pumpkin season and made some delicious soups, cakes and warming dishes. Our glorious pumpkin & squash display received lots of attention, with some of you popping up photos on social media. Please do follow us on Instagram and Facebook, so we can share with you, what we are up to! As the shorter days have taken hold, we have lots of lovely veg to keep you healthy and the Sicilian unwaxed citrus fruits packing their punch with Vitamin C. If you haven’t discovered the world of krauts and kimchi, may we be bold and suggest you treat yourself to a jar from the London Fermentary range. These guys definitely know what they are talking about when it comes to good gut health! November does mean a sharper focus on Christmas! Our ‘Christmas at Kingfisher’ Guide is available on our website and as a hard copy from the Farm Shop. Absolutely everything is in there, from Christmas trees to wreaths, to food orders and turkeys! Orders for Christmas Week can be placed online. Order forms are available if online shopping isn’t for you. Please do make sure you order with us before Friday 8th December. As always we are here to help, so don’t hesitate to contact us with questions.
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A touch of frost brings out the flavours of root vegetables….
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As the frosts get harder the sugars get sweeter! Perfect for a hearty warming supper. Swede Jerusalem artichokes Parsnips Carrots Leeks Turnips Brussel sprouts
The season for russet tones… Chrysanthemums Hydrangeas Scilly Isle Narcissi Amaryllis Bulbs
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£0.93 / 250g1 bag of Heritage Rainbow Carrots 250g. Vibrant and subtly sweet carrots, perfect for the roasting tin. Grown in Britain. £0.93
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Seasoned Quality Hardwood from the Surrey Hills. Logs typically 8” round and half-round. £11.80
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Pack of 30 Natural Sustainable Easy to Use Environmentally Friendly Made from UK Grown Miscanthus Suitable for wood burners, open fires, BBQ & solid fuel appliances
£5.40
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Available for pre-order only* A & R Baileys is a family run butchers based in Warnham. The father and son duo prides themselves on using top quality ingredients, and what better ingredient than our very own Watercress! Price: £11.40/kg Packet of 6 Approx £4.13
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Sold individually (approx 235g each) Large and juicy oranges, grown in sunny Sicily Grown in Sicily £1.21
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Comedy, Romance, Action, Horror! Whatever it is that takes your fancy when having a movie night in we’ve got you covered. There is something for everyone to snack on! Kingfisher Popcorn Kingfisher Marshmallows 2 Rowdy & Fancy Chocolate Bars Howdah Bombay Mix Two Farmers Lightly Salted Crisps Mr Filberts Lightly Sea Salted Mixed Nuts
£25.00
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Christmas is coming…As you may have seen, this week we sent out our 2023 guide to Christmas at Kingfisher… and amazingly, have already received our first Christmas orders! For those of you who missed it and are already planning your festive season, or simply curious to know how we do Christmas here at Kingfisher, please do click on the link below for all details. If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call one of the team. Here are a few highlights…
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Christmas Grocery Shopping Online - now open…Shop as usual on our online shop and at the checkout simply tick the box that says ‘is this a Christmas Order?’ and then enter your collection or delivery date (22nd, 23rd or 24th December). It is also possible to leave a note or delivery instructions if you wish to do so. For full details, please see our Christmas Guide 2023. |
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Kingfisher Wreath Making Kits now available…For those of you who enjoy a bit of hands on making, our stunning wreaths are available in ‘do it yourself’ kits with everything you need, including detailed instructions written by our Flower Girls! The perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon or perhaps you could share an evening with friends. Available in our Online Shop from the Flowers section . |
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Two Many Cooks Catering and Coffee …No event is too BIG or too small.For those not in the know……Two Many Cooks are a bespoke party and wedding catering company that serves proper food that is unbelievably delicious. You don’t need to be throwing a celebration to enjoy Two Many Cooks food and warm hospitality. Their bustling, busy coffee shop on South Street in Dorking is the place to head for. A haven of delicious salads, soups, sausage rolls and of course freshly baked cakes and pastries. The Flower Girls have had the wonderful opportunity to work alongside this phenomenal team over the years, flowering up many private dinners, weddings, christenings, funerals and their coffee shop! It’s a lovely time of year when Emily invites us to add some woodland magic to envelope coffee shop visitors with some Christmas wonder! Take a step inside No. 32 South Street later this month to escape, grab a coffee and immerse yourself in the festive ambiance of Two Many Cooks. Don’t have time to stop…..grab a takeaway! No 32 South Street, Dorking, Surrey RH4 2HQ
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P. Read Christmas TreesChristmas brings us many traditions, and one that many enjoy is the Christmas tree. The Read Family of Cranleigh have been delivering Christmas trees to Kingfisher since 1976, when they brought us around 30 trees for the villagers. Peter’s farm now supplies us with almost 300 trees! We as a family and a business have looked forward to the arrival of Mr Read with his beautiful green Bedford flatbed and a mountain of pine trees, (it appeared a mountain as a little girl!) symbolising the start of Christmas!
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Peter Read runs the family business now, which was started by his father, buying land just north of Cranleigh in 1961. “Dad was working for a gentleman in the timber trade. He said to dad, "If you ever get the chance to buy a piece of land, buy it, clear it and grow Christmas trees. You won't make a lot of money, but you'll make enough." So that's exactly what dad did! |
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“I always helped dad on the land, as soon as I could walk and pick up stones from the cultivated ground. I started using a chainsaw when I was about 11 years old (how times have changed). At a crucial part in my life when other siblings were leaving home for the RAF etc, I decided that although I loved the ATC (Air Training Corp) in readiness for the RAF, I decided to stay at home & help dad.” Peter worked with his dad for many years. “Eventually, after some 25 years, I bought the land and the business from dad and he then worked for me. Although it was always his, in my mind.” |
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When growing Christmas trees, the focus isn’t just on the last few months of the year. Peter explained how the year is mapped out. The year is set out as follows; January and February is spent clearing ground ready for planting, carrying out maintenance on the property fencing, tracks etc, then pruning the Norway Spruce, which can take around 6 to 8 weeks in total. March and April, this is the time to plant new trees, then pruning the Nordmann and Noble Fir. Come June more maintenance on the land, controlling weeds, grass etc. In September, it’s time to prune the Norway Spruce again, depending on the weather. Some years there can be secondary growth, Lammas growth |
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Late October all the netting machines are checked, some trees are tagged. November, harvest always used to start bonfire night. Now, Peter always harvests trees within 48hrs of a delivery date, to guarantee freshness, hoping by then a hard frost has hit the trees to send them to sleep. |
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The much needed frosts appear less frequent in more recent years. The milder, wetter starts to winter bring a new set of problems to for Peter to negotiate. Everyone has their preferred type of fir tree to bring into their home, and Peter is no exception. |
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“My favourite tree is the Norway Spruce, so simple and easy to grow, but pests can be destructive. The Noble Fir however, is a very close runner up. I don't replant the Noble Fir if possible, (it’s been 10 years since I have), as I coppice them and new trees grow from the branches I leave when I harvest. |
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The Noble Fir are also 100% chemical free (I try not to use any chemicals now, and haven't in the last 3 years), but pests can be a problem. The smell of a freshly cut & netted Norway Spruce is unbeatable. The smell of the Noble Fir in the home is hard to beat, with a very unique scent, The Read Christmas trees have not only been the focal point of many homes but they have also supplied hundreds of trees to the film industry, including Paul O'Grady show, EastEnders, and Strictly Come Dancing. |
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“My favourite film to supply a tree for was Rowan Atkinson's spoof James Bond, "Johnny English Reborn". It was great to visit one of the film sets, near Bordon, which was filmed to look like Switzerland.” The list continues, having supplied trees to the Houses of Parliament and the Royal family too! What an impressive line up! Thank you, Peter, for all the hard work you put in throughout the year so we can enjoy our Christmas trees. |
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Christmas trees will be available to buy from Kingfisher at the very end of November. We suggest that it is best to come and select your tree before 4pm whilst it is still daylight! Our amazing Flower Girl Jo with the last few Trees last year. Wrapping up warm is key as a flower girl.… |
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London Fermentary Krauts and JuicesHave developed this ancient form of preserving into new and exciting fermented products with modern flavours, packed full of probiotic goodness. Looking after your Gut health. |
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Artisan Cashew Nut & Cranberry Nut RoastA deliciously wholesome veggie loaf mix packed with vegetables & cashew nuts. Freshly prepare your own tasty Nut Roast by simply adding water to this mix & baking in the recyclable oven tray provided! |
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