April has brought us countless showers, but as the proverb says, let’s hope it brings us lots of May flowers. Talking of flowers did you know that we have a delivery every Friday morning of the most beautiful, tied bunches from Stow Flowers. They are perfect as a gift or a treat. We can also
arrange bouquets especially for you to pick up.

I am sure you will have all seen that the work on the extension has started. The marquee has been moved to the car park and the fruit and vegetables have moved inside. The double door entrance has been boarded up, entry and exit are by the same door. We intend to keep trading as usual while we grow the shop and café by 30%.

We have lots of new products in store. British Asparagus is back. Enjoy this whilst it is in season. Always best served simply with cracked black pepper and lashings of melted butter or with dollops of hollandaise sauce and a poached egg. New Potatoes have also arrived, characterised by their fluffy texture which are extremely versatile and can be enjoyed in salads, roasted whole or added to stews. All our fresh produce is delivered daily by Drinkwaters based in Ebrington and we can order items specially for you with a few days advanced notice.

Our award-winning bread supplier “Mark’s Bread” are now supplying us Crumpets which are simply huge, plus at the weekend we are selling their delicious Focaccia bread. Why not pop in and see our huge selection of different breads available.

Another new supplier we have is Fir Farm based in Lower Swell. Fir Farm is a mixed farm producing organic and pasture fed meat. They are supplying us with various frozen meats, braising steak, mince and steaks. Come on in and have a look.

Our wonderful volunteers keep the shop running and our success is down to the volunteers and their relentless hard work. They cover so many tasks from stacking shelves to washing aprons, serving coffees and baking cakes. If you have a spare hour or two and would like to become a volunteer, we
will welcome you with open arms.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Sarah

As the days start to brighten and become longer Spring is finally on its way. What a joy it is to see all the gorgeous bulbs and tree blossoms come to life. It means lots of new fruits and vegetables coming into season. We have had, unusually, our first delivery of asparagus which is grown in the Wye Valley and, of course, rhubarb from the famous Yorkshire region. How will you enjoy yours, with custard, ice-cream or both?!

Easter will be here in the coming days. The Easter bunny has visited the shop and has delivered an excellent selection of egg-citing chocolates, cards and treats. We have a daily delivery of the award
winning and delicious “Mark’s Bread” Hot Cross buns. These will be available until Good Friday. Customers have suggested to me they enjoy them toasted with lashings of butter, strawberry jam and even Marmite!!!

If you are hosting a delicious Easter lunch with your friends and family, we have a vast
selection of tasty treats and seasonal trimmings. We can also order in advance, for you, different cuts/joints of lamb for roasting, so please order early.

There is still time to vote for us in the Countryside Alliance Rural Oscar awards. We have been nominated for Best Village Shop/Post Office in the South West Region. Voting closes at midnight 1 April 2024. Thank you to those of you who have already voted.

The shop will be closing early at 4.00pm on Good Friday and Easter Monday and we will be closed all day on Easter Sunday. With the clocks changing too, so will our shop opening times. From Sunday 14 April 2024 the shop and café Sunday opening times will be changing; each Sunday our café will close at 3.00pm and the shop will close at 4.00pm.

If you have visited the shop recently you may have seen some new young faces volunteering. I am thrilled that Henry, Jemima and Katy have all signed up to volunteer as part of their Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. If you know of any young person who would like to complete their work
experience, it’s a fantastic opportunity to gain invaluable experience, develop new skills and make a positive difference to people’s lives. Please do pop into the shop and find out more.

We look forward to seeing you soon

Sarah

I don’t know about you but where did February go? Even with an extra. day February has past by like a flash! We have had a very busy month in the shop and café despite the many soggy days we have had. Love was in the air for Valentine’s Day, selling lots of yummy chocolates, beautiful bouquets and many last-minute cards!

Spring is in the air with lighter mornings and evenings and bulbs slowly showing their heads. Daffodils and vibrant rhubarb are available in the shop bringing some cheerful spring colour. Have you tried “Kalettes”? These are greens with a twist, they taste like a cross between kale and brussels sprouts but milder in flavour and less bitter. They are super healthy and easy to cook either stir-fried, roasted or steamed. Pop in and buy some.

Thank you to those of you who entered our annual Seville Marmalade competition. The winner after much deliberation was David Pearson. The judges described David’s marmalade as having a lovely flavour, great texture and the right amount of peel. Well done David.

I am very proud to announce that we have once again been nominated for a Rural Oscar by the Countryside Alliance. We have been chosen as the Best Village Shop in the South West Region. Voting has opened so please start voting now. It is really easy to do just scan the QR code on the picture below or go onto the Countryside Alliance website and find the link.

Coming up in March we will be celebrating Mothers Day, 10 March 2024, with a great selection of cards and flowers. If you would like to order a personal flower bouquet in advance please just pop in and ask.

Last week we thanked Andrew Packe for all his hard-work, support and time that he very generously gave firstly to help start the planning for a new village shop, then volunteering on a weekly basis. He also gave his time being a member of the shop committee. Thank you, Andrew we appreciate all your hard work, and we are thrilled that you will continue to volunteer in the shop.

If you are new to Bledington and Foscot and would like to give back to your community then maybe you might consider volunteering in the shop. If you are interested then please do contact me for a chat.

Finally, all of us at Bledington Shop would like to send our deepest condolences to Sheila Truslove on the sad news of her dear sister Gillian.