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A time for gathering and feasting…͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
A time for gathering and feasting…Welcome to our December Monthly Post, a place to escape for a little while in our world of food and flowers. The farm shop is a foodie haven, from edible trinkets for the stocking to generously indulgent hampers. If flowers are your passion, our little flower shop has a colourful selection of Falcon enamel ware, lovely vases, candles, baubles and beautiful blooms perfect for gifting or for creating stunning table decor for your Christmas feasting. We announce the winner of our Kingfisher Kids Christmas card competition. The little Kingfishers always impress us and certainly don’t make the judging easy. The winning design is our Christmas card this year. Chilworth Manor Vineyard is this months ‘Meet the Producer’, youngest of the Vineyards of the Surrey Hills makes for an interesting read. STOP PRESS !!! New fish van straight from Grimsby, Andrew Rendell Fresh Grimsby Fish, will be here on Mondays 1pm-2pm. First catch of the week! Reminder: Orders for Christmas close on Friday 8th December, so don’t delay, to make it in time! Read on for more festive reminders. Enjoy our Kingfisher Christmas Edition and a very Happy Christmas to you all.
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Tis’ the season… for feasting!December, very much has a focus on food. With the store filled with delicious, fresh seasonal produce we can help you put a delicious meal on the table. Don’t forget the decorations whether it’s beautifully simple single stems, or trailing decadence - the flower girls can advise.
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Seasonal Highlights… Festive Floral Blooms… Amaryllis Scilly Isles Narcissi English Tulips in time for Christmas Berries Holly, Bay leaf & Ivy (for your Christmas décor) Christmas Trees of course!
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Gift ideas from our creatives…The talented flower girls have put together a collection of arrangements for the festive season. From foliage arrangements offering texture and aroma, classic and simply beautiful white and green arrangements to an ensemble of celebratory colour. The choice is yours! These can be paired with some great pieces of Falcon enamel ware. Table arrangements are a little different this year. The arrangements come in a collection of vases, to suit the size of your table, which can be used time and time again. By the way, we are always very happy to refill your vessels at anytime, with an arrangement to suit your needs.
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The beautiful garden at Chilworth Manor is enjoyed by many visitors lucky enough to attend the annual charity events held in the summer months. Home to the Wrigley family and their vineyard, Graham and Mia strive to celebrate the rich history of the Manor, while thoughtfully moving forwarding the future with sustainability at it’s core. Nestled in the Surrey Hills, Chilworth Manor is steeped in history. We are delighted to be able to share their story thus far with you…. “When we arrived in 2006, we wanted to preserve the legacy of the estate, but also find ways to add new dimensions to Chilworth Manor’s identity. Memories of helping to plan a small vineyard by hand in the 1970s in Kent, a visit to a vineyard in Sweden some 30 or so years later, and a birthday gift of vines bore fruit to the idea of creating a vineyard. Chilworth Manor has evolved over the centuries and the vineyard needs to fit with the rest of the estate. We strive to uphold the legacy of Chilworth Manor and preserve the beauty of the area for future generations, and the vineyard is no exception.
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The Vineyard was established in 2013, a 13 acre site, on a gently south easterly aspect of the Surrey Hills. The vines are a classic combination of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. All the grapes that go into the vintage wines are grown on the estate. The range includes a still Rosé and two sparkling wines using the traditional method, (and a version of mulled wine), with their 2018 Classic Cuvée being released in time for Christmas! “Our approach to growing vines has developed naturally from the way the gardens and estate have been managed as a whole. At its heart is a vision of sustainability supporting not only the vineyard itself but the wider environment. We follow careful management to ensure the vines receive the appropriate balance of nutrients over the long-term. The vines and soil are sampled regularly, and we use our fertigation system via drip irrigation tailored to each row in the vineyard, to make sure our vines receive exactly what they need. This technique has the added benefit of minimising the use of the tractor in the vineyard.” They have been pushing forward sustainability in the industry as founder members of Wine GB Sustainability in Viticulture. Pioneering sustainable practices, replacing carbon dependent frost candles with an innovative frost protection system, which uses the latest science, sprayed local spring water and exothermic reactions to keep vines protected. The ice that forms on the vines is kept at just around freezing whilst surrounding temperatures can plummet to -5 degrees or more. How amazing! Further fascinating facts. The Spring waters and underground streams from St Martha’s Hill that are recycled and used for the frost system follow the same system used by the monks, early residents of Chilworth Manor, to support the Stew Ponds that can still be seen within the gardens. |
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Charity has been at the heart of Chilworth Manor for many years now. Lady Heald who resided at the manor with her husband Sir Lionel, from 1946, served as Chairwoman of the National Garden Scheme for 30 years. She frequently opened the garden to raise money and the estate became a focal point for the community. Graham and Mia continue this ethos. “We would like our wines to give enjoyment and pleasure to the people consuming it, but also benefit people elsewhere. We support Mary's Meals who provide one good meal each school day to some of the poorest children in Malawi. Graham has worked with international development and charities in Asia and Africa for years. Having met the founder of Marys Meal, and knowing the trustees, it was a natural fit for Chilworth Manor Vineyard to support the charity.” Attention to detail is second to none in all that the business does, including the beautiful bottle that the Rosé wine is presented in. The design shows a few elements of Chilworth Manor, the map represents the history of the Manor, the flowers represent its garden and the vines and vineyard represent another layer in the history, through the tree rings visual. As for the future, there’s more to come with offerings from the vineyard. They are in the process of building a tasting barn, overlooking the vineyard, to compliment the estate. Plans are afoot to open in the spring and offer various experiences as well as opportunities for visitors to discover more about Chilworth Manor and the range of wines produced from the vineyard. In time for the festive season, is the release of their 2023 Chilworth Manor Glögg, a traditional Swedish spiced mulled wine. It is made from subsequent pressings of our Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes grown at Chilworth Manor vineyard, mixed with a blend of warming spices by our local distiller, Silent Pool. The blend is made from cloves, cardamon and ginger among others, with just a hint of citrus, sugar and a drop of gin!” Want to add this to your drinks offerings? Guess what, it’s available at Kingfisher! |
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Thank you and Happy Christmas to Graham and Mia and all at Chilworth Manor Vineyard.
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Don’t Forget!Christmas trees are here! Best to come and choose ‘the one’ before 4pm whilst it is still light! We have lots of beautiful baubles & gifts inside the flower shop too! Friday 8th December - Our deadline for all Christmas week orders. (Delivery or Collection 22-24th December)
Sunday 17th December - The last day you can order Hampers and wreaths and make additions to your Christmas week orders.
Monday 18th December - Thursday 4th January (inclusive) - The Online Shop will be closed.
Wednesday 4th January - Normal hours resume at the Farm & Flower Shop. Please see the final page of our ‘Christmas at Kingfisher Guide’ for our full festive opening times.
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Chilworth Manor Vineyard Wine Glogg...Glogg, a spiced mulled wine, is a traditional swedish drink and an important part of Christmas. This is made from their Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes grown at Chilworth & mixed with a blend of warming spices, cloves, cardamon & ginger among others, with just a hint of citrus, sugar & a drop of gin! Heat gently and serve with blanched almonds and raisins. |
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Lyme Bay Christmas Pudding WineLyme Bay Winery is a small dedicated West Country company passionate about producing delicious award-winning drinks. Great gently heated and served warm as the perfect accompaniment to cold nights and festive gatherings. Bottled in Axminster, Devon. |
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Chalk Hills Bakery Christmas PuddingsYou should never judge a book by it’s cover, but here you can definitely judge the pudding by it’s beautiful wrapping! Delicious! 950g and 420g |
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Chalk Hills Bakery - Lovely Mince PiesChalk Hills is an independent bakery who never disappoint with their delicious festive offerings. Packed with fruit, Ewa says these are the best! Pack of 6 |
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Photography Credit: @chloe.hardwick & henrycatling.com, @henry.catling
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