We have made a good start to the shop extension. You will have noticed the walls are up, the outside terrace is finished and the windows and doors are ready to be installed. Mike Logue and his team are making great progress and I will update you very soon with a date for our grand opening.

Of course we are open for business and still offering our wide variety of fresh foods, hot drinks and home made delicious cakes. Plus all your grocery needs.

Isn’t it wonderful to finally see some sun and to feel some warmth on our faces. With the warmer weather it means new fruits and vegetables have arrived in the shop. Have you tried our amazing nectarines and peaches, plus broad beans and don’t forget the sweetest strawberries. I must confess I have eaten far too many this year!

Although we made it to the shortlist for the South West region for the Countryside Alliance Awards we were not selected for the final but were main proud to be “up there” with the best and will enter again next year.

Have you seen the many new products we have started stocking this summer? Sparking Ginger Kombucha is a delicious healthy drink made from green tea, infused with lively zest of Kombucha cultures and the essence of ginger. You will find this in our cold drinks fridge. For our breakfast cereal lovers we have a new blend of “Dorset” cereals. A classic fruit, nuts and seeds museli.

We also launched, at the Bledington Fête, our brand new beer “Tail Feathers”. This new beer has been especially brewed for us by Virtue Brewing based in Milton-under-Wychwood. An English Pale Ale, golden/blonde with a crisp fruity floral aroma. A Duckling good beer. Many thanks to the super talented Amy Jackson for her amazing, designed label.

We are still collecting donations for the North Cotswold Food Bank. The box is located by the entrance door when you come into the shop.We are always overwhelmed by the generosity of our customers. Each week we fill up a huge box of groceries these are then distributed to those in our community who need a little extra help. On behalf of North Cotswold Food Bank thank you again.

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 would like to get involved then please do contact me for a chat. It’s fun, easy and a great way to meet your neighbours.

British Summertime has finally arrived, how lovely to see the sunshine and enjoy a few days of warmth. Thankfully in the shop we have air conditioning, which is being generated by our solar panels, making the shop even more green.

Don’t forget our fruit and vegetables are delivered to us daily from Drinkwaters. Our amazing selection are not packaged in lots of plastic, you can buy exactly what you need, plus it helps to reduce food waste which is very important to us all.

Mike Logue and his team of builders are making great progress, helping us extend our community shop and café. They have installed the outside patio area and the floor for the extension is now being laid.

With the better weather you may consider throwing open your windows and do some Spring cleaning. We have everything you need plus a great selection of eco-friendly cleaning products.

Have you seen our fantastic selection of ready-made frozen foods. Lodge Farm, a small family-run business in Herefordshire creates lovingly homemade gourmet frozen ready meals. They carefully source all their ingredients from reputable suppliers who share the same ethos about food and the environment. From casseroles, to pies, they also have a great selection of vegan and vegetarian ready meals. Easy, convenient and totally delicious. Which one will you try first?

A big thank you to those of you who volunteer in the shop. I know that helping in the shop is a great way of giving something back to the village and the local community. We are always looking for new volunteers please do pop into the shop and have a chat. Its lots of fun.

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