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Recipes & News Updates

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Edible Gifts for Christmas

I am sure that preparations are in full swing for you. Getting ready for Christmas Day!

Of course, I am still embroiled in markets and fairs, but stock is now running out and our final market will be Malvern Farmers Market (16.12.23) . Then, I can go in search of the Christmas decs’!

By the way … Final date for orders online 15.12.23

I have made some effort, honestly. I already made some edible Christmas Gifts for friends and family. Find my recipe for Mulled Wine Syrup on the Foodies Across the Pond newsletter, via Substack.

https://open.substack.com/pub/foodiesacrossthepond/p/a-trip-to-bath-and-2-festive-recipes?r=1u5aav&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

The recipe below, is also one of my favourite recipes: “Roasted Garlic in Olive Oil” and it is so simple!

I included it in the Foodies Across the Pond “12 Menus of Christmas” book. For those without a copy – Merry Christmas and here is the recipe, but if you would like to buy a copy of the book, find it in our website shop.https://www.myrtleskitchen.co.uk/product-category/accessories/

This is the perfect gift for a food lover, particularly for a garlic lover!

Roasted Garlic in Olive Oil

6 – 8 heads of garlic 

Approximately 300ml good quality olive oil (I always use Rustic Puglia Olive Oil!)

1 x tablespoon of additional oil for roasting

Dried bay leaves

Sprigs of rosemary

Presentation jars that are attractive for gifting.

  1. First sterilise your jars and lids.
  2. Preheat your oven to 180’c / 350’f / Gas mark 4
  3. Wash the rosemary sprigs and allow to dry completely.
  4. Remove the papery outer skins from the garlic bulbs and place on a baking tray with a tablespoon of oil.
  5. Roast for 15-20 minutes according to the size of the garlic bulbs.  Using a fine skewer, check that the bulb is cooked, lovely and soft, but not mushy.  Cook for a further few minutes if needed.
  6. Move to a board and allow to go cold.
  7. Using a really sharp knife or shears, carefully trim off the top 1cm and discard the trimmings.
  8. Tightly pack the garlic bulbs into your sterilised jar/jars along with a bay leaf and a sprig of the washed rosemary.   Cover then completely with olive oil.  Seal, label and decorate the jar.  The garlic will keep in a ‘fridge for about 3 months.

Suggestions for use:  delicious used for garlic bread, pizza bases, bruschetta …..   I love it with roast lamb or lamb steaks, or one in a chicken cavity Barbecued is delicious.  The oil that is left is amazing and can be used for so much.  I think it is a shame to heat it, I love it in vinaigrettes and dressings.

If you haven’t time – we still have masses of Christmas gift ideas in the shop on our website, but you will need to be quick as final orders this comingFriday!!

Jane xx

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Getting Christmas Ready!

It has been such a busy year – so much happening, Christmas has caught me a little off guard! Because of this, we are not doing as many events for the remainder of this year.

Hoping that you find the following useful. Obviously if you are planning on catching us out on the road. Online is always available.

A schedule showing where you will find either George or Me – selling our wares!

Obviously, we will have lots of gift ideas for hampers and stocking fillers for foodies!

Myrtle’s Christmas Schedule

We will have (tongue in cheek) our world famous Gourmet Sausage Rolls, at both Farmers Markets at Malvern. Please pre-order to avoid disappointment.

Of course, as soon as I posted our events on social media, I received a message: “Will you have the Raven Sparking Wine at these events?” I was a bit slow on the uptake there!

Raven English Sparkling Wine

For those that don’t know, my husband and I, (years ago) created a small vineyard at the bottom of our garden and this fabulous sparkline wine – is the result. Sadly we have moved from our family home following his passing, so we only have one more batch being made for us. The wine that I will have to sell to you, is the 2018 vintage.

Our final harvest (2022)

We have very little wine left, so I am not sure if it will last until Christmas.

We currently plan to sell at all events other than Kington at the Borders Festive Fair, where you can buy the wine from the deli in Kington, “Number 25”.

p.s Very exciting news about the Kington Fair – but that is for later!

Myrtle’s Christmas Chutney

We are delighted that our Christmas Chutney is back!

Only available to buy directly from us this year. Again, stocks will be limited and we have never had a year when we haven’t sold out! It’s a popular one for sure! For those that don’t know, this is the Christmas Chutney that has been found in the hampers for the last few years, created by Liberty’s of London.

https://www.myrtleskitchen.co.uk/product-tag/christmas-chutney/

Above: the link to buy your Christmas Chutney.

Lemon Myrtle Seasonings

We are also excited about a new collaboration. We have teamed up with local potter, Inspire Pottery and have some wonderful gift packs that include a unique salt pot and paddle and one of our award winning (Great Taste) seasonings.

Thank you for your support over the last – almost ten years. Small Businesses, are really finding it tough at the moment, and your support is keeping us going!

Jane x

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Autumn Puddings & Chuckleberry Jam

Myrtle’s Jam Roly-Poly Pudding

A delicious dessert, which i consider a bit of a comfort food for colder days!   In the UK we have a long history of puddings:   Clootie Dumpling, Spotted Dick, Trifle …. Roly Poly is one of my favourites. So much so that I included it in the first Foodies across the Pond Cookbook, The 12 Menus of Christmas.

Afterwards…a great film and cosy up! My idea of heaven. As a matter of fact, I have already watched “The Holiday”. Too early? So that’s how we do things in the Raven house.

Obviously, I use Myrtle’s chuckleberry jam. I love the tangy sharpness of this jam – it is my go to for everything and there is a reason why it received Great Taste Awards and was judged as a best new product when launched, at Ludlow Food Festival.

If chuckleberry is not your thing, I recommend using a great quality jam in this pudding, if you have time pop to your local artisan farmers market to pick some up. In fact it will make the world of difference to your pudding.

Best Selling Jars

Ingredients:

150g / 5oz self raising flour (plus a little extra for dusting the work surface)

50g (2oz) caster sugar

75g (30z) vegetable suet

Grated zest of half an unwaxed lemon

75ml / 3 oz semi skimmed milk

50g / 2oz Chuckleberry jam

40g / 1 ½ oz toasted flaked almonds (optional) – I think they are particularly good and as long as there are no allergies, would go for it! I like the crunch.

Method

Heat oven to 190’c / 375’f / Gas mark 5

Mix together the flour, sugar, suet & lemon zest in a bowl and then gradually incorporate the milk, bring together using a knife until the mix forms a soft dough.   If you have milk left, set to one side.

On a floured surface roll out your dough to a large rectangle shape (30 x 20cm).  Spread the jam to within 2cm of the edge of the rolled out dough.  Sprinkle over half of the almonds.

Brush the edges with some of the spare milk and roll up the dough from the short end (a little like a Swiss Roll).  Pinch the ends to help stop the jam escaping and then scatter with remaining almonds.

Butter a large piece of parchment, place on a baking sheet, carefully move your Roly onto the parchment seam side down and wrap tightly with the parchment.  Twist up the ends. 

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, if you are serving with custard, it is a great time to prepare it.

Stand for 5 minutes and then transfer to your serving dish.  Serve with home made custard.

Notes

Furthermore, an excellent thing about this dessert is that it can be made in advance & frozen.  Once wrapped, add an extra layer of foil and freeze.  It can be cooked from frozen for 1 hour 15mins).

Enjoy!!!

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We’ve won again – Great Taste Awards – 2023

This is a peculiar time of year for food producers as it is the start of the Award Season. The only awards that Myrtle’s enters is the Great Taste Awards, which award stars – if you are lucky! The process starts months beforehand, the procedure is rigorous and if the feedback is negative, it can be brutal.

I am very proud to be badged as a GREAT TASTE PRODUCER, because of winning during 3 rolling consecutive awards!

We entered 2 products this year, our Philpott’s Chilli Jam and our Lemon Myrtle and Thyme seasoning. Thrilled skinny to tell you that both won awards. Our Chilli Jam was awarded 2 stars and the feed back was way beyond anything that I could have hoped for and the Lemon Myrtle Seasoning also won a star!

These join our other winning team members, mango, mango hot, chuckleberry jam, orange whisky marmalade, Christmas Chutney and Rosemary and the dill seasonings. Quite a community of winners.

I’m really exciting to tell you that I am sharing the chilli jam recipe with you in the new book by Foodies Across the Pond. It is ready to pre-order now and we hope to receive our copies from the Printer (UK version) in September.

Thank you to everyone who ordered The Foodies Table during the offer period. You will receive an award winning pot of our Lemon Myrtle seasoning to say thank you, with your copy of our book, when dispatched. I cannot wait for you to see the book!

Thank you for all of your support during the last 9 years!

Jane x

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The Foodies Table

New Foodies Book – and amazing give away!

“The Foodies Table” is at the Printers and there is a big incentive to pre – order your copy now.

The Foodies Table is the most recent cookbook that I have written with Lisa, my dear friend who is based in Seattle, USA. I am sure if you are keen follower of Myrtle’s you will know, that I am one half of Foodies Across the Pond. Together we have a Podcast called “Foodie Friends”. A weekly newsletter which we issue (usually) on a Friday from a platform called Substack.

The success of the newsletter, I find quite overwhelming. Thank you. Find the link on our Foodies Across the Pond page on this website or on instagram

@foodiesacrossthepond_

The good news for Myrtle devotees, is that I have included in our new cookbook, a couple of Myrtle’s Kitchen recipes.

My Gourmet Sausage Roll recipe makes an appearance. Google “Best Sausage Roll made in Herefordshire” and we are right up there! Thank you professor Google! They are mighty fine sausage rolls and when they make an appearance at food festivals, they always fly out. Delicious.

Also included, is my Philpotts Chilli Jam” recipe. I have a vested interest in including this recipe as I cannot make this chilli jam quick enough for you.

This book is full of ideas for delicious, breakfast, lunch and supper ideas, and even something a little special for dinner parties. Cocktails for toasting friends and family and of course lots of personal snippets from us both.

Our book is available to pre – order, but can I make a suggestion? If you wish to pre-order before Sunday 23rd (midnight), and you hop on and subscribe to the Foodies Across the Pond Newsletter, you will be entered into a fab’ draw.

https://foodiesacrossthepond.substack.com/p/cookbook-news-not-to-be-missed-giveaways?r=228eit&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

Subscribers for the free newsletter will be entered into a draw, when you pre order The Foodies Table. The prize is a fantastic hamper which includes ALL of our Lemon Myrtle Seasoning, some of our preserves, also bags, aprons and some addition ingredient which we love including Rustic Puglia Olive Oil..

For subscribers that pay for our newsletter, they will also have a separate opportunity to win a bottle of our Raven English Sparkling Wine and all will receive an e copy of our Christmas Cookbook.

I think that it is a pretty amazing give away!!! You have to have pre-ordered your book by Sunday 23rd July, midnight to be in with a chance of winning either prizes.

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Worcester Warrior Pastry

Myrtle Kitchen Worcester Warrior Pasty – Recipe

Makes 4

(Stilton & Potato)

1 sheet of ready rolled puff pastry

Flour for dusting the surface

4 small waxy potatoes

4 generous slices of stilton cheese

Salt and pepper

Worcester Warrior chutney

Egg wash.

Preheat oven 180’c

Wash and slice the potatoes into slices about 3mm thick. Put into cold water and bring to the boil. Cook for about 5 minutes until still holding their shape, but cooked through.  Drain and leave to cool.

(It is perfectly ok to use leftover potatoes from your meal last night instead!)

Dust a surface with flour and place the ready-rolled pastry onto it.

Divide the pastry into four equal pieces.

Now on one half of each pastry shape, put a layer of potato.  Leave spaces around the edge to seal your pasty.

Now add a slice of stilton cheese, the top with another layer of potato.

Season with sea salt flakes and freshly milled black pepper.

Top with a heaped teaspoon of Worcester Warrior Chutney.

Damp the edges with either water or the egg wash. Carefully fold over the pastry to encase the filling and seal.  Crimp around the edges.  I used a fork to make sure it was sealed.  (press down on the pastry edges with the prongs).

Place on a lined baking tray. Brush with egg wash and using the same fork, make a steam vent in the top by making a “W”.

Cook for about 25 minutes or until golden brown

This pasty can be eaten cold or hot.  It is real comfort food!

To buy your pot of Worcester Warrior Chutney

Myrtles Kitchen Chilli Jam, Worcester Warrior and The Big Picnic
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Mint & Lemon Myrtle

Happy Pancake Day!

Who doesn’t love a pancake? Pancakes gives us the perfect excuse to get the saucepan out, make that batter and just hope that it doesn’t weld itself to the pan and you get the perfect flip.

Of course we love to do things differently at Myrtle’s, so we top our pancakes with our fabulous salted caramel & thyme sauce and banana. Served with a healthy scoop of delicious ice cream Find the link below for our 5star rated lemon myrtle seasoning.

This sauce tastes wonderful on most things and stores very well in the ‘fridge. A great staple for your recipe book and a recipe that featured in the “Foodies Across the Pond” recipe book.

https://www.myrtleskitchen.co.uk/product/droitwich-brine-salt-lemon-myrtle-thyme/

Mint & Lemon Myrtle

Salted Caramel Sauce

125g Unsalted butter

150g Light muscovado sugar

142ml Double cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon Myrtle’s Seasoning with Thyme

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Whisk in the browned sugar until combined.

Simmer for 4-6 minutes whisking occasionally until your sauce becomes a dark amber colour.

Remove from the heat and add the cream , vanilla and Myrtle Seasoning.

Serve hot or cold.

If reheating, do so gradually in a low heat and do not allow to boil.

HAPPY FLIPPING and enjoy your pancakes.

Thyme & Lemon Myrtle

Jane x

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Easy to make Flapjack Recipe

Excellent news for you! Lisa and I, Foodies Across the Pond, are planning our second cookery book. It is due to be published for this Summer. I won’t let too much out of the bag, but it will be rammed with delicious recipes for you try. All for you to use this summer. I am definitely ready for summer!

https://www.amenuforyou.com/

For those that don’t know about Foodies Across the Pond, where have you been?

Lisa is a great friend and lives in Seattle, USA and we have a mutual love of all thing “Food”. Together we wrote a cookery book for Christmas “12 Menus of Christmas”, six 5star reviews on Amazon! We pop up on YouTube and have lots of other magnificent things planned!!!

Watch this space for all the foodies news.

I am experimenting with recipes at the moment. I love flapjacks but i often find the bought ones too sweet. They are such a great option for a lunch box, or mid morning snack. So here is my recipe for you, a sneaky peak as this might well make it in to the new book!

Recipe for Flapjack

Easy to make
Vegetarian Gluten free

Makes about 12 slices

Ingredients
300g / 12oz rolled oats
200g / 8oz unsalted butter
100g / 4oz soft brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons honey (substitute for Golden Syrup if not honey)
The extras:
100g / 4oz roasted chopped hazelnuts
300g / 12oz mixed dried fruit. (we have used 100g / 4oz each of chopped apricots, prunes & raisins).

Grease and line a shallow tin with baking parchment.
Preheat oven to 180’c /
In a saucepan, over a low heat, melt the butter with the sugar and honey.
Place the oats into a large bowl with the fruit and nuts. Stir in the butter mix and stir to coat the oats and fruit in the butter.
Transfer to the tin . Level and press down with the back of a spoon.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat too 150’c and cook for a further 15minutes.
Remove from the oven and while the flapjack is still hot in the tin, mark out the slices with a knife. Then allow to cool in the tin.
Once cold, remove from the tins and slice.

Foodies notes:
If the mix is a little crumbly when cutting, popping the tray in the fridge will help firm up the flapjack even more.
I quite like to pop in some chopped dark chocolate!

Myrtle’s Kitchen News

Our shelves were left empty after Christmas. We are now back with a supply of all of our seasonings which have gone down a storm. There are loads of ideas for recipes and using these seasonings in previous blogs. Scroll back to find these and other great recipe ideas.

All of the Myrtle’s Kitchen seasonings contain Droitwich Brine Salt and the super herb, LEMON MYRTLE and then we blend these with one of six other herbs:

Dill, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Tarragon and Mint.

Use them for cooking or for seasoning when your food is prepared. They really draw out the flavour of your food, elevate the flavour. Unique and a delicious addition to the kitchen. Pretty too!

You just need to pick which one. Not easy, but i recommend starting with one you know you will get lots of use from and then start to experiment with the others.

Purchase from our website and any questions, feel free to DM me.

Lemon Myrtle Seasoning with Dill

https://www.myrtleskitchen.co.uk/product-category/seasonings/

Click the above link to buy your supply.

We would love to hear how you use your seasoning, or send us a photo’ of your flapjacks!

Jane x

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Marmalade Season and the Best Marmalade Recipes

Some might say “sad”, but marmalade is an exciting time of year for me as is the time of year when we see boxes of Seville Oranges outside of our greengrocer shops. The pan goes onto the hob and shredding begins. I love the splash of colour that Seville oranges bring to what is, lets face it, a dull month.

Stating the obvious, Seville oranges are grown in Seville and grown almost entirely for the UK market.  Seville oranges are very much more bitter than most oranges but the Brits seem to have a bit of a taste for them, particularly when made into marmalade.

The History Bit:

Wikipedia entry states:  The Scottish city of Dundee has a long association with marmalade.[18] James Keiller and his wife Janet ran a small sweet and preserves shop in the Seagate area of Dundee.[19] In 1797, they opened a factory to produce “Dundee Marmalade”,[20] a preserve distinguished by thick chunks of bitter Seville orange rind. The business prospered and remains a signature marmalade producer today.

However, marmalade had been a thing for centuries before this and used ingredients like Quince. I’m not going to follow up on this. I am still sulking about the lack of quinces in the 2021 harvest as I had the grand total of 2, which were made into quince gin. Waste not want not.

My Auntie Betty (Payton) was, and still is the fountain of my knowledge.  She was also a home economist and taught cookery to her students and me!  No longer with us, she passed onto me, her cookery books to me which i cherish and I thought I would share with you some of her notes on marmalade & making marmalade.

Marmalades:

Bitter oranges seem to be the favourite and not all of them come from Seville.

In season from January to March, it is better to get them early in the season, as the quality will deteriorate with keeping.

All citrus fruits re made up of layers:

  1. Outer layer or zest consisting of oil cells containing the flavour
  2. A white layer of pith, usually bitter but contains pectin (the setting agent)
  3. Fruit segments surrounded by skin and consisting of juicy cells containing acid, flavour, colour and pectin
  4. Pips which contain pectin.

All these are used in making marmalade, but may be excluded from the final marmalade.

Of course, marmalade can be made from all sorts of citrus fruits.  We make at Myrtles, a “Lemon & Lime Marmalade” which is popular.

Fruits differ in the amount of acid that they contain, but all of them have plenty of pectin.

Bitter Oranges (37%)

Sweet Oranges (1.2%)

Grapefruit (1.6%)

Lemons (7.3%)

Tangerines (0.5%)

Limes (6%)

One for the Diary!

A massive celebration takes place once a year at the National Marmalade Awards, at Dalemain House in Cumbria. This is a huge thing in the World of Marmalade and they receive thousands of entries from all over the World. We are delighted that our Seville Orange Marmalade with Whisky, was awarded a Gold Medal at these prestigious awards and our Lime and Lemon Marmalade with awarded a silver medal.  Not bad as we only produce two marmalades!

https://www.dalemain.com/marmalade-awards/

It’s not too late to enter this years competition.  Find the details on how to enter The National Marmalade Awards 2022 on the Dalemain Manor website. 

https://www.dalemain.com/marmalade-awards/

Both of our awarding marmalades are available to buy via the shop on the Myrtle’s Kitchen website. I also should add that our Orange Marmalade also received a Great Taste Award. Is that one step too far?

As featured in BBC Good Food Magazine

Recipe Time.

Myrtle’s would not be the same without a bit of playing and we have created some recipes using our Orange Marmalade.

We use another well loved ingredient, the sausage, the banger. 

Save this one for the summer as well, as it is brilliant when using a BBQ to cook them.

Marmalade Glazed Sausages

6 x Good quality large sausages

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large tablespoon Myrtle’s Orange Marmalade

A pinch of Myrtle’s seasoning oregano

A knob of unsalted butter.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the sausages and cook over a medium heat for about 25 minutes (depending upon the size of the sausages).  They need to be brown on both sides and cooked through.

Remove the excess oil from the pan, return to the heat and stir in the marmalade, followed by the butter & seasoning.  Turn the sausages until they are well coated with the marmalade

Plate up and spoon on the remaining glaze.

Buy the Myrtle’s oregano seasoning here.

Happy Marmalade making. Tag us with your marmalade photos!

Jane x

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Exciting Recipes & News from the Kitchen

A belated happy new year.  I hope that you enjoyed all your celebrations and that any resolutions are still holding their own!

Apologies I have disappeared for a little while.  I had an operation at the end of the year, so I have been out of commission, but getting back to fitness slowly and excited to be back in the kitchen soon making our award-winning chutney, jam and marmalade.  The shelves are currently empty!

Review of 2021

What an interesting year that was.  Like everyone, Myrtles had to rise to several challenges.   Most of our events were cancelled, and the only regular market, Malvern Farmers Market.  We were thrilled to be at Carfest South at the end of August.  Emily joined me and we were chuffed when we sold out of EVERYTHING by 10am on the Sunday morning.  Packed up and we got to and enjoy the festival. 

There was a different vibe, and it was great to see Chris Evans and so many personalities, back out there circulating and mixing.  A joyful but a very grounded festival and we shall be there again in 2022.

A highlight was Rachel Horn’s interview with Billy Piper and Giovanni Fletcher.  Three inspirational women and we were there to see them being so candid and honest.  Loved it.  Then the experience was added to when Chris Evans came and sat on the floor by us.  I was invited backstage to pass on a gift that I had for Chris’s wife, Natasha and he was so gracious.  Thank you Carfest.

The gift?  A collection of the newly launched Lemon Myrtle Seasonings.  These are available now in some shops, from our website and from us at events.  I am just a little bit in love with our seasonings.  They get used daily in my kitchen. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  A blend of super herb, lemon Myrtle, Droitwich Brine Salt, and another herb. A choice of Oregano, mint, thyme, rosemary, dill, or tarragon.  The choice is yours.  If you rummage through old blog posts, you’ll find some recipe suggestions, using various seasonings. 

My great friend Lisa, who lives in Seattle, USA and I enjoyed promoting our friendship and passion for food in “Foodies Across the Pond” videos on You Tube and even more exciting, the fulfilment of a lifetime ambition, we wrote and published a cookery book.  “12 Menus of Christmas”.  A collection of delicious recipes, favourites from our own kitchens.  We included lots of memories which made it such a personal book. We were thrilled to receive 5-star reviews for it and have only had positive feedback.  If you bought one, we would love to hear what you think of it.  Congratulations, to Angela who won our giveaway at the end of December.

The most excellent news is that we’ve started to write our second book, to be launched in the summer.  Delicious recipes from America the UK, for a differing skill levels and taste buds. More news to come on social media and the Myrtle’s Kitchen blog. Watch this space.

A Myrtles Blog would not be complete without a recipe.  Here is a healthy drink option for you to try during Dry January.

Rose Lassi

(Grown up milk shake)

450g natural yogurt / Greek yogurt

2-3 teaspoons rose water

Good Quality Honey to taste

Crushed ice

Fill your glasses with the crushed ice.  Blend all the other ingredients and pour over the ice.

p.s. if you like a bit of colour, add some frozen red fruit to the mix.

Blog Notes:

 If you love a good pocast, I recommend Giovanni Fletchers “Happy Mum”

Also Chris Evans and “How to Wow” – loads of fascinating stuff.

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/happy-mum-happy-baby/id1277078956

https://uk-podcasts.co.uk/podcast/chris-evans-how-to-wow

If you would like to be a part of 2022 Carfest events, check out the website as a further tranche of tickets will become available in the spring.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?zx=dostcuujjoq7#inbox/WhctKKXPcgHbJPfpLspFTvLSncxnRGGsKrjPJGsStmhmBnNkQDLkpBKLBJcZRLhGsSbVwNL

Happy 2022 and look forward to catching up with you soon.

Jane x