Sunday 22 April 2012

Dorset: Smallholding food, produce and old time fishing port

Last weekend, I visited Dorset for the first time which is a county in South West England.  Known for it's smallholding farming and agriculture and local produces, and the locale and inspiration for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's back to basics River Cottage , with it's many TV programmes, lifestyle and cook book spin-offs.

It is a perfect county to explore, if you love and respect food; for its free range, rare breed and organic, small farming practices.  It will make you rethink your taste buds which have been trained on supermarket and mass production ingredients. And I am already planning my next visit!

I began in Musbury, staying on a smallholding run by a couple who had left London, much like Hugh, to grow and rear their own food, produce with integrity, and consume local and seasonal produce.
We were recommended to dine at The Wheelwright Inn , Colyford.
Starting with the locally brewed beer and cider.
Their wine glass chandelier.
Deep fried whitebait fished on the Dorset coast with tartar sauce
 Slow cooked pork with crackling stick, mash and roasted Dorset orchard apple.
Calf's liver with mash
 The next morning we headed to the coastal town of Lyme Regis, where the small fishing port is known as the Cobb.  Lyme Regis is the setting for John Fowles' period novel The French Lieutenant's Woman  The skies were brewing with dark and stormy clouds that morning.

This wonderful fishmongers on the Cobb way, had the morning's catch and we ate freshly cooked crab meat that had already been picked and laid on small scallop shells.  It smelt only of the sea and had jazz playing in the background, and in keeping with an old fishing village feel with black and white family portraits on the walls.
 The day's prices for catch on chalk boards.
The skies darkened and coastal rain began to fall in sheets, and so we retreated to the Good Food Store for Dorset Steak Pastie, Riverford herb salad, homemade chutney and Burt's crisps.  With a warm cup of tea, which felt like the best cuppa ever, in that moment.
We wondered around lovely Lyme Regis, but the weather was too stormy to hike the Jurrasic coast, and having promised ourselves to stop in for afternoon Scones and Dorset clotted cream (and this time, homemade rhubarab jam) we were once again eating.
 
We took the Dorset - Devon coastal bus and arrived at a small seaside fishing village called Beer.
 I have always had a thing for small traditional ports and fishing boats, so I loved this little village.
Down in Devon, down in Devon,
There's a village by the sea,

It's a little piece of heaven

And the angels call it Beer!
These are images of the fishermen's quarters.
 And debris left by the fishermen in their boats.
 And fishing nets and lobster cages on the cobble beach.
I rarely eat seafood in London and so the highlight was dinner at Hix's Oyster and Fish House Lyme Regis.  Mark Hix is a celebrated chef, restauranteur and food writer. 
 Menu
 Herb Baked Manx Queenies with hedgerow garlic and Bath pig chorizo.
This starter was the best dish of the night; delectable and more-ish! Cuttlefish croquettes with caper mayonnaise.  The croquettes bled dark with the cuttlefish's ink in which it was cooked. We also had a starter of Dartmouth scallops with Peter Gott's Black pudding and sea beet.
 Grilled whole Devon Lobster with sea greens.
Bideford Bay Silver Mullet with Isle of Barra cockles and sea aster.
We finished with truffles and no dessert.
 The next morning we waited in Axminster for our train to London, and had breakfast at the River Cottage canteen.

We are most definitely returning!

Monday 16 April 2012

A Second Reason to enter our Giveaway!


I have decided to also pick a second winner from the Giveaway I am running - the second name will win this Persian Print Boho bag : )  Enter before midnight on 20th April to be in with the chance of winning either the Hot Pink Zebra or Persian Boho bag - good luck!  To clarify - I will be picking TWO winners!!!! Excited : )

SisterBatik Boho Bag for cosmetics inspired by the shape of a Moroccan slipper, ideal for your handbag or travel tote! 

1. Using Dutch wax print in 100% cotton outside.
2. Additional natural cotton inside lining.
3. Interfacing between the two layers so the bag holds its shape and flat bottom so it stands.

(zip colour may differ from image)

Very spacious to fit all your make up palettes and brushes.

Dimensions:

Length:10 inches
Width: 3.5 inches
Depth to base: 4 inches


To enter: 

You must be a Follower and leave a comment at the end of this post as your first entry.

If you love what we do then spread the word about this Giveaway via your Twitter/ Facebook or blog and leave the link to it in your comment here - for another entry.

Score extra entries by:
1. liking our Facebook page and leave a message on our wall to let us know:  SisterBatik Facebook
2. follow us on Twitter and tweet our Giveaway to your followers 

Both Winners will be selected via random number generator - Good luck!


Everyone who has entered in the blog post below, already counts towards the Giveaway for each bag - but if you haven't yet entered - make sure you enter by leaving a comment now.

Tuesday 10 April 2012

Giveaway - Hot Pink Zebra Boho bag for cosmetics


SisterBatik Boho Bag for cosmetics inspired by the shape of a Moroccan slipper, ideal for your handbag or travel tote!  Giveaway is for the hot pink bag!

1. Using Dutch wax print in 100% cotton outside.
2. Additional natural cotton inside lining.
3. Interfacing between the two layers so the bag holds its shape and flat bottom so it stands.

(zip colour may differ from image)

Very spacious to fit all your make up palettes and brushes.

Dimensions:

Length:10 inches
Width: 3.5 inches
Depth to base: 4 inches

To enter: 

You must be a Follower and leave a comment at the end of this post as your first entry.

If you love what we do then spread the word about this Giveaway via your Twitter/ Facebook or blog and leave the link to it in your comment here - for another entry.

Score extra entries by:
1. liking our Facebook page and leave a message on our wall to let us know:  SisterBatik Facebook
2. follow us on Twitter and tweet our Giveaway to your followers 
Entry will close on April 20th (midnight) - Winner will be selected via random number generator - Good luck!

I am excited about this and hope you are : ) 

If you can't wait or miss out on the Giveaway, it is also for sale at our store: hot-pink-zebra-cosmetic-bag

etsygiveaways.blogspot.co.uk 

Get your Kente-Groove-On this Summer!

Very excited with the Kente African prints that I found this weekend - coming soon!

Saturday 7 April 2012

London's only Living Wall


 "Internationally renowned French architectural botanist Patrick Blanc created the Living Wall at the athenaeum last spring, climbing ten floors of the exterior of the hotel.  The outdoor living 'tapestry' represents a fusion of the hotel with its neighbouring Royal Parks - bringing the outside in."

Botanical-burlap-cushion available on Etsy