News
Our October 2008 Newsletter
Welcome
to the Just Rachel newsletter for November. With grey skies outside, muddy fields and trees de-nuded of leaves, it can seem a bleak time of year. But bare trees mean wonderful bird-watching opportunities; low autumn sun tinges everything with beautiful colours; and the long evenings are a perfect excuse to enjoy cooking and sharing a meal at home, or going out for a special meal with family and friends.
If you would like this newletter sent to you directly each month, please fill in the 'Subscribe' box (top right) and we will update our mailing list.
Seasonal Specials
Our current special is Apple with Cider Brandy Ice Cream - one of our most locally-sourced ice creams - using Apples grown at Putley on a Community Supported Agriculture Farm, and Cider Brandy made from Herefordshire Cider. Try serving this with Apple Dumplings (English Apples of course).
To make the Apple Dumplings: Allow one cooking apple per person. Peel and core. Stuff the central hole with dried fruit mixed with brown sugar. Rollout some shortcrust pastry (or cheat and use ready rolled). Cut circles of pastry big enough to completely wrap the apples - a small dinner plate will be about the right size. Place each apple in the centre of a pastry circle and mould the pastry up and around the apple to completely seal. Trim off any excess at the top and use trimmings to cut leaf shapes to decorate the dumplings. Bake in a hot oven (Gas mark 6/200 degrees C/400 degrees F) for thirty to forty minutes. Five minutes before the end of the cooking time, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with caster sugar, then return to the oven until golden brown. Serve hot with a big scoop of Just Rachel Apple with Cider Brandy Ice Cream.
Alternatively, just buy some of our mince pies from your usual stockist, serve them warm with some of our apple ice cream, and pretend that you made the mincepies yourself!!
Our Christmas range of Ice Creams, Sorbets, Desserts and Mince Pies are now available. Your local stockist will have these in stock - or will order them in for you.
As an extra Christmas treat, we have NOUGAT ICE CREAM and a NOUGAT & ORANGE DESSERT, both made with Spanish Nougat! Not really ideal for those who are wtching their figure, but well worth putting on a few pounds for!
News
Just Rachel was HIGHLY COMMENDED in the Flavours of Herefordshire Award scheme this year. We were just beaten to the Winners position by a local farm that grows and sells its own fruit and veg. We were very pleased to be so highly rated for our use and promotion of local and seasonal fruit.
If you are looking for an unusual present to give at Christmas this year, what about some Just Rachel Ice Cream. We can send a selection of six flavours via our mail order service. Have a look on the Mail Order page of this website for all the details. We can include a card, with wording of your choice. If it is for someone nearer home, remember you can't wrap the ice cream up and put it under the tree! But to maintain the element of surprise, you could always wrap a card, or a little box, with instructions to 'Look in the freezer' to find the present!
New Stockists
The Saracen's Head, Symonds Yat, Herefordshire - pub with restaurant right by the river Wye selling our ice creams in their restaurant.
Berryfields Farm Shop, Meriden, Coventry - brand new farm shop selling our ice creams, along with a range of other locally sourced produce and their own meat.
Events
Just Rachel attends events such as food fairs, fetes and shows, to sell our ice cream in cones and tubs, and promote our products. Events booked to date are:
Christmas Tasting Day, Ludlow Food Centre, Ludlow 22 November (tbc)
Highnam Spring Garden show, Highnam Court, Gloucester 25/26 April 2009
Guided Walk as part of the Malvern Walking Festival, followed by tasting 7th June 2009
If you know of any events which you would like us to attend, please let me know the details on info@justrachel.com
Talks
I am increasingly being asked to do talks to groups such as Rotary Club, Women's Institutes etc. If your group would like me to do a talk about the challenges of running your own business, followed by a chance to taste our products, please contact me on 01531 650639.
I hope you find the above information of interest, and look forward to maybe seeing some of you at one of the events!
Rachel