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…With our foodie tips & floral gifts!
Well…Where did that year go? It’s probably fair to say that 2020 wasn’t quite what we all hoped for, to say the least! However, there have been a number of positives too… For some, more time to spend in nature and more time spent on our favourite hobbies but for most, there was more time spent cooking and most importantly, eating! And it’s not quite over yet!
Yes, we know that the queue’s can be frustrating for some, but we have really appreciated you shopping with us this year, so THANK YOU for your patience.
AND please don’t forget… that if you enjoy our seasonal produce, live locally and would like a delivery or collection of your festive groceries (or simply a Bramble Farm Turkey) on Monday 21 - Thursday 24th December then please fill out one of our Christmas Order Forms, which can be found in the Farm Shop or online and should be returned by hand or via email by Wednesday 9th December. A few final festive reminders: Huzzah… Christmas Trees are here! Come and select your tree (ideally before 4pm whilst it is still light!) from our selection of Norway Spruce & Noble Fir.
Don’t forget that we also have a small but beautiful selection of modern, rustic tree decorations & gifts inside and outside the Flower Shop!
Take a look at our Christmas Wreaths online or order one direct from the Flower Shop. We also have DIY Wreath Making Kits available from our online shop.
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‘Tis the Season…
To eat sprouts! Oh yes, love them or hate them British sprouts are well and truly in season and now is definitely the time to be inspired by creative sprout recipes out there to enjoy. Don’t get stuck simply boiling your sprouts, when a few easy additions can completely turnaround this veg. Halving them and frying them with pine nuts and a little extra virgin olive oil is just one of the many ways to turn this traditional veg into a taste sensation!
There’s plenty of other delicious flavours coming out of the ground at this time of year… Try being brave and experiment with some new combinations… and if inspiration is needed, then Marion highly recommends this fantastic book… ‘The Flavour Thesaurus’ by Niki Segnit, giving pairings, recipes & ideas for the creative cook!
Brussell Sprouts Sprout Tops & Sticks Kale Parsnips Celeriac Jerusalem Artichokes
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From your Kingfisher team…
We’d love to share with you a few foodie tips and inspirational ideas to make this Christmas just a little bit more stress free this year! From which potatoes to use, to shortcuts for delicious deserts, we really hope that you find them useful as you plan your festive cooking!
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Which Potatoes should I use?Ambo - A pink eyed white potato with both a waxy & floury character, the modern alternative to a King Edward. This potato is best suited for boiling, baking & roasting.
It can be used in baked dishes such as scalloped potato, pairing the the flesh with creme fraiche, wholegrain mustard, chives & greek yoghurt - delicious! Maris Piper - A widely known potato that makes good wedges, chips and jackets and are great for boiling, roasting and mashing. Be careful to boil slowly on a low heat as they do have a tendency to fall apart when boiled fast! Cyprus - The distinctive red clay soil of Cyprus is perfect for growing potatoes and yield this versatile, thin skinned potato with a rich, earthy & buttery flavour. An ideal potato for boiling, mashing, roasting, baking and they make exceptionally good chips! Desiree - A pink skinned, firm & pale yellow fleshed potato. A good all rounder.
This waxy potato holds it shape well and is excellent boiled, baked, mashed and in salad but not recommended for frying. Top Tip: Do not wash dirty potatoes until ready for use as washing will shorten the storage time. Keep in a cool, dark, dry place.
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Which Potatoes should I use?Ambo - A pink eyed white potato with both a waxy & floury character, the modern alternative to a King Edward. This potato is best suited for boiling, baking & roasting.
It can be used in baked dishes such as scalloped potato, pairing the the flesh with creme fraiche, wholegrain mustard, chives & greek yoghurt - delicious! Maris Piper - A widely known potato that makes good wedges, chips and jackets and are great for boiling, roasting and mashing. Be careful to boil slowly on a low heat as they do have a tendency to fall apart when boiled fast! Cyprus - The distinctive red clay soil of Cyprus is perfect for growing potatoes and yield this versatile, thin skinned potato with a rich, earthy & buttery flavour. An ideal potato for boiling, mashing, roasting, baking and they make exceptionally good chips! Desiree - A pink skinned, firm & pale yellow fleshed potato. A good all rounder.
This waxy potato holds it shape well and is excellent boiled, baked, mashed and in salad but not recommended for frying. Top Tip: Do not wash dirty potatoes until ready for use as washing will shorten the storage time. Keep in a cool, dark, dry place. |
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Aside from being fabulous with fresh spaghetti, Watercress Pesto is also fantastic on Bruschetta with oven roasted cherry tomatoes or Buffala. Wonderful as a family friendly starter or canape over the holidays.
Another festive family pleaser is Brussel Tops dressed with Watercress Pesto. Steam your finely chopped brussel tops and then simply dress with the pesto for a delicious twist on a Christmas day favourite. And finally, a Kingfisher Team favourite… Watercress Butter on hot Christmas Tree Toasts! A sneaky but delicious way to get this superfood into your families diets.
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Aside from being fabulous with fresh spaghetti, Watercress Pesto is also fantastic on Bruschetta with oven roasted cherry tomatoes or Buffala. Wonderful as a family friendly starter or canape over the holidays.
Another festive family pleaser is Brussel Tops dressed with Watercress Pesto. Steam your finely chopped brussel tops and then simply dress with the pesto for a delicious twist on a Christmas day favourite. And finally, a Kingfisher Team favourite… Watercress Butter on hot Christmas Tree Toasts! A sneaky but delicious way to get this superfood into your families diets. |
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The Charcuterie Box Company was set up this year and sources the UK's best charcuterie from Britain's finest producers. They are based locally in Holmbury St Mary and deliver freshly made, sliced to order charcuterie and charcuterie & cheese platters (featuring artisan British cheese) within Surrey and also post a range of charcuterie selection boxes, hampers and gifts nationwide. Their ready made platters (ideal for Christmas!) include fruit, garnish and great British watercress from Kingfishers Farm Shop!
You only need to glance at their website for inspiration!
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The Charcuterie Box Company was set up this year and sources the UK's best charcuterie from Britain's finest producers. They are based locally in Holmbury St Mary and deliver freshly made, sliced to order charcuterie and charcuterie & cheese platters (featuring artisan British cheese) within Surrey and also post a range of charcuterie selection boxes, hampers and gifts nationwide. Their ready made platters (ideal for Christmas!) include fruit, garnish and great British watercress from Kingfishers Farm Shop!
You only need to glance at their website for inspiration! |
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Really delicious & ready made puds…We are really pleased with our pudding selection this year! Lilly Puds is a fabulous small business who specialise in making award winning great British Christmas Puddings… in all their varieties! Gluten free, vegan & gluten free, alcohol free, nut free and good old original! If a fabulous locally made Christmas pudding is what you’re after then look no further than Reigate based Chalk Hills Bakery. Their delicious puds are available in small and medium and come highly recommended from Marion! Anita’s Puddings (in our freezer section) give you the option of a time saving homemade pudding, whilst still being absoloutely delicious! Some of our favourites are Normandy apple tart, chocolate & hazlenut roulade, pear & chocolate tart and a classic lemon meringue roulade! We are also stocking a range of delicious Panatone’s that not only make a lovely gift but also the most amazing pudding…. Panatone bread & butter pudding… utter heaven!
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Really delicious & ready made puds…We are really pleased with our pudding selection this year! Lilly Puds is a fabulous small business who specialise in making award winning great British Christmas Puddings… in all their varieties! Gluten free, vegan & gluten free, alcohol free, nut free and good old original! If a fabulous locally made Christmas pudding is what you’re after then look no further than Reigate based Chalk Hills Bakery. Their delicious puds are available in small and medium and come highly recommended from Marion! Anita’s Puddings (in our freezer section) give you the option of a time saving homemade pudding, whilst still being absoloutely delicious! Some of our favourites are Normandy apple tart, chocolate & hazlenut roulade, pear & chocolate tart and a classic lemon meringue roulade! We are also stocking a range of delicious Panatone’s that not only make a lovely gift but also the most amazing pudding…. Panatone bread & butter pudding… utter heaven! |
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Our Kingfisher Advent Calendar
This year we’ve decided that we’d like to shout about some of the fabulous products in our shops that we think would make wonderful presents, whatever size your budget! We’ve handpicked 24 items and shown them in price order, from affordable to lavish! Enjoy the gift of giving this year and indulge someone you love.
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…Streaming live from Guildford CathedralWe’re really pleased to share that Age UK Surrey have recently announced that their annual Carol Service from Guildford Cathedral will be online on Friday 18th December at 11am.
Readings and traditional carols will be led by the Guildford Cathedral Singers so you can sing along at home. There will also be performances from Guildford, Godalming and Farnham Rock Choir! The link for the service will be available on Age UK Surrey’s website and although the event is free, donations to their aloneTOGETHER campaign are appreciated to help fund their services for older people across the County.
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Meet Marion…This member of our team should not need any introduction. For those of you who are new to Kingfisher Farm & Flower Shop this is Marion, the lady who runs the show! Kind, selfless, dedicated and caring Marion has always worked harder than anyone can imagine. Marion is not only the life blood of the Farm Shop, ensuring that it runs as smoothly as possible every day of the week but she is also an incredibly talented creative, who is probably at her happiest when designing wild and rustic bouquets and displays from locally sourced stems. Travelling to the London markets twice a week means an unenviable schedule but Marion still finds the time to say good morning to us all, checking in with the Farm Shop, Flower Shop & office and even making the morning tea for the team... her fantastic memory, especially for names and birthdays, plus many more qualities, are all things that make her not just a good boss but a fantastic one. Marion cares deeply about Kingfisher. It is not simply a job but a way of life, a service to the community and the way she runs the business is definitely a reflection of her own values and principles as someone who cares passionately for the environment, her customer’s experience and the future of locally sourced fresh food & flowers. If you would like to read a little more about the history of the Farm & Flower Shop, from Marion’s beautifully written perspective then please follow the link below. Marion, on behalf of all your customers and from all of your Kingfisher team, we would just like to say a very BIG Thank You for being you!
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December’s WINNER is…. Kerstin Hicks You’ve won our Red Velvet or Winter Bells Bouquet… you choose! Throughout January we would love you to ask your friends and relatives to sign up to our Monthly Post with the chance of winning a Kingfisher Gift Voucher worth £10 to spend in the Farm Shop or Flower Shop! |
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December’s WINNER is…. Kerstin Hicks You’ve won our Red Velvet or Winter Bells Bouquet… you choose! Throughout January we would love you to ask your friends and relatives to sign up to our Monthly Post with the chance of winning a Kingfisher Gift Voucher worth £10 to spend in the Farm Shop or Flower Shop! |
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