Would you like to visit a farm?

Would you like to visit a farm? If you did, you would be able to learn more about where the food you cook and eat comes from.

And many farmers would love for you to visit their farms either in person or virtually.

LEAF (Linking Environmental And Farming) is all about brining this kind of meeting about.

LEAF have recently held an LEAF Open Farm Sunday and you will be able to have at look at their 2023 Feedback Scrapbook which details and demonstrates some of the marvellous feedback they received from both visitors and also from farmers, showing the good, positive impact of LEAF Open Farm Sunday, which took place on Sunday 11th June 2023. https://issuu.com/linking-environment-and-farming/docs/lofs_2023_feedback_scrapbook?fr=sNDk5MjYzNTEzNjU

However for people who cannot get to a farm you can also enjoy virtual farm visits and, if you are a farmer, you can learn how you can open your own farm to visitors (either in person or virtually) at the link here https://farmsunday.org/online-farm-sunday

You can get in touch with LEAF here:-

Phone:

024 7641 3911

Email:

lofs@leaf.eco 

Address:

LEAF, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG.

(Image courtesy of Goran Horvat from Pixabay)

Aldi has healthy snack ideas for your summer holidays!

No summer holidays car journey is complete without some serious snacking opportunities and Aldi’s Organic Mamia range is perfect for those on-the-go bites. 

For a sweet flapjack style treat, shoppers can pick up the Oaty Bars for just £1.95 (6 pack) with a choice of Strawberry and Apple, Banana, and Carrot Cake flavours. And as there are absolutely no added salt or preservatives, these tasty bars will go down a real treat.

For a crisp style snack without added preservatives, parents can pick up the Tomato Wheels (20g, 55p) and Carrot Puffs (20g, 55p). These are more than ideal for a quick bite.

These organic snacks will make for happy tummies. Don’t forget to keep your children (and yourselves!) hydrated on long journeys without any added sugar with Aldi’s Sun Quench Fruity Blasts (8x200ml, £1.59).

Clean and Clear

Car rides can quickly get messy and when toilet stops are few and far between, parents can prepare with Aldi’s Mamia essentials. For young ones still potty training, no travel bag is complete without the award winning Mamia Ultra Fit Nappies (sizes 4-6+, from £2.99).  Or, for when sticky hands go wandering over windows, be sure to pick up the Mamia Baby Wipes (65p per pack).With 60 wipes per pack, these fragrance-free wipes are formulated for even the most sensitive of skin.

Aldi’s Travelling Checklist:

Travel Magnetic Scribbler, £6.99

Licensed Bumper Stationery Wallet, £4.49

Oaty Bars, £1.95

Tomato Wheels, 55p

Carrot Puffs, 55p

Sun Quench Fruity Blasts (8x200ml, £1.59)

Mamia Ultra Fit Nappies (sizes 4-6+, from £2.99)

Mamia Baby Wipes (65p per pack)

TOTAL: £19.76

 Aldi’s Licensed Products are available in store from 27th July, but shoppers will need to be quick as with all Specialbuys once they’re gone, they’re gone!

Sainsbury’s brings more shopping choice to Wapping with exciting new local store

Sainsbury’s has launched its newest store with the opening of Sainsbury’s Wapping Lane Local in Tower Hamlets, London. 

Open from 7am to 11pm seven days a week, the 1,658 sq. ft store has created new jobs for local people and supporting regeneration in the neighbourhood, whilst providing a much-needed boost to retail options for local people.

Customers now have the opportunity to sample Sainsbury’s latest convenience range, from fresh fruit and veg, healthy snacks and food-to-go to sweet, savoury and frozen staples. 

They'll also be able to choose from an absolutely delicious selection of freshly baked bread and pastries every day, plus pick up Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing products ordered online via the in-store Click and Collect service. (EDITOR: I love my Tu jacket!)

Conveniently located on the corner of Wapping Lane and Green Bank, it's a mere two minutes’ walk from Wapping Rail Station.

Sainsbury’s new store is located on the ground floor of a former office building, the upper floors of which have been converted into a suite of luxury apartments by Malins Group. 

The two companies have worked closely together to ensure, like the flats above it, the new Local has been sensitively designed to stay in keeping with the local area. This included updating some of the external elements originally proposed in response to community feedback.

The colleagues making up the new store team will play an active role in the local community whilst also participating in Sainsbury’s national charitable programmes and initiatives. 

For example, through Sainsbury’s partnership with Neighbourly, the new Local will work with local food donation partners to help ensure any surplus food items from the store will go to those who need it most.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Property Director, said: “It’s been a real pleasure to welcome Sainsbury’s Wapping Lane Local to our estate this week. We’ve recognised the very real chance a new convenience store would represent for the local community in Wapping for some time now and we’ve really pulled out all the stops to bring our plans to life, making the most of an unique space in a fantastic redevelopment project. We’re delighted with the result and we think our customers will be too."

Jamie Buckland, Sainsbury’s Wapping Lane Local Store Manager, went on to say: “I felt privileged to join members of my team to cut the ribbon on our brand new store this week and we were thrilled to see a queue of customers patiently waiting outside before we opened. We know our neighbours have been looking forward to our arrival and we're really pleased to be able to welcome them for the first time today.”

Lauren Atkins, MD with The Malins Group, said: “It’s always a privilege to repurpose underutilised spaces and transform them into vibrant new ones. 

"The benefits of permitted development are clear at Green Bank Lofts, where the collaborative efforts of The Malins Group and Sainsbury’s have enabled a speedy transition from unused office building to 18 apartments and thriving retail space.”

Shoppers a-dough Asda's Affordable Viral Cake Shop Donuts

Social media users are raving about Asda’s affordable Cake Shop donuts, with users tagging friends and family members, sharing their excitement online. 

With a baker's dozen (13!) of utterly delicious flavours to choose from, prices start at just £1.20 for one or shoppers can mix and match, cheaper than the high-street leading donut shop.

Available in selected stores and rolling out to more, so please watch out for them.

Since the donut displays arrived in selected Asda stores, with more stores landing them later in the month, the donuts have taken centre stage on social media with countless likes, comments, shares and users tagging their friends and family members in excitement. Others have been highlighting just affordable they are, too!

Flavours include Birthday Cake Filled Donut, Rocky Road Filled Donut and Jaffa Chocolate Filled Donut and cost just £1.20 for one or mix and match any 3 for £2.50 or 6 for £4.50, the deal is a no-brainer for any true donut lovers. Social media users have been saying: “looks good and much cheaper than a Krispy Kreme,” and others saying they look nicer than the leading donut shops offering too.

Others said: “omg doughnut heaven 🍩” whilst another exclaimed: “Wow, these donuts sound like a game changer!... And at these prices, how could anyone resist a box of six? Count me in! 🍩” Others said: “Gonna be our new obsession,” “Doughnut queens unite” and “i need to try them all!”

Shoppers can’t wait to try them , with countless users tagging their friends across social media posts: “look at this! 😍 need to try them xx” and asking loved ones: “can we go to Asa plz xx”

What’s more, social media users have taken to celebrating special occasions like birthdays and weddings with donuts rather than 'ordinary' cakes. Some are even saying the Cake Shop donuts would be perfect to use for donut walls at parties.

Even more social media love for the scrummy donuts can be found here - https://www.shooglebox.com/shared-stack/Eb71MEz9FqmKpihRCnTJ/stack/1EqQAf408bd9L0xj37AN/floated

Available in selected Asda stores now, further rollouts soon. DO-NUT miss out on these!

That's Christmas: It'll be a very Merry Christmas as Asda to reward ...

That's Christmas: It'll be a very Merry Christmas as Asda to reward ...: There's good news for Asda shoppers, because Asda has announced it's introduced a new feature to its popular Asda Rewards loyalty ap...

SHORE celebrates awards

SHORE the Scottish Seaweed Company proudly announces not one but two awards at this year’s Great Taste awards, the largest and most trusted food & drink accreditation scheme in the entire UK. 

Widely regarded as the UK’s most reputable food and drink scheme, The Great Taste Awards are a highly regarded benchmark for fine food and drink, one that's dubbed the ‘Oscars’ of the food world. So it's with considerable pride that SHORE has been honoured with a total of three stars at this year’s awards.

The company’s accolades include a much coveted two-star award for their newly launched Chilli Ramen Broth, and a one-star rating for their already popular Peking Duck Seaweed Chips.

Joining the ranks of the company’s previous Great Taste winner, Sweet Sriracha Seaweed Chips, these awards further solidify SHORE’s continuous commitment to turning sustainable, local Scottish seaweed into better-for-you products that never compromise on taste. Ever!

The team are especially proud of their newly launched Chilli Ramen Broth, an innovative, plant-based Asian-themed liquid Broth crafted from all-natural ingredients, including their very own Scottish seaweed. 

It offers a healthier, more convenient way to enjoy a high-quality ramen experience at home. The judges were effusive in their praise, stating: “This is umami in a glass. An enticing, wholesome aromatic broth – umami, salty and chilli, all well balanced. A light and fresh instant ramen.”

This success marks the second triumph for their new Ramen Broths, with the Miso Ramen winning Gold at the Free From Food Awards earlier in the year.

“We're really delighted by this double win at the Great Taste Awards,” said Keith Paterson, head of SHORE. “It's a great endorsement of the quality of the SHORE products we offer, and all the hard work from the team that has gone into creating them.”

SHORE’s Ramen Broths can be found in independent stores up and down the country and online at Amazon. Their Peking Duck Seaweed Chips can also be purchased in hundreds independent stores across the country as well as selected Coops in Scotland, Holland & Barrett and Booths nationwide.

https://www.shoreseaweed.com

Top Tasting Food and Drink Products from the South East Revealed for Great Taste 2023!

Thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the world discovered if any of their products have achieved a distinguished 1-, 2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme based entirely on taste.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group of over 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on 14,195 entries which were submitted from a staggering 109 different countries. Each producer will also receive invaluable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts.

Products from the South East have won not one, but an impressive 745 awards. 548 x 1-stars, 182 x 2-stars and an impressive x 15 3-stars have been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Chestnut Smoked Coppa from Tempus Foods(only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – AmaZing Zari single variety apple juice from Charrington Fruit Farms (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Sliced smoked duck breast from The Weald Smokery (28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

said John Farrand, MD at the Guild of Fine Food: “A huge congratulations to the producers from the South East who have been warded  Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

“Every year, we welcome new and established producers making fantastic products around the world and this year has been no exception. The breadth and quality of food and drink has been outstanding, and we wish everyone who entered huge success and hope they find the feedback from our expert judging panel beneficial as they continue in their onward journey.”

Visit – https://gff.co.uk/  

M&S announces massive Newcastle store transformation with £13 million investment in North East

Today, M&S announced a £13 million investment in its North East stores for the coming year, with confirmation the interior of the retailer’s Northumberland Street store will be transformed in a top-to-bottom, multi-million pound redesign, offering Newcastle city centre shoppers the very best of M&S with a fresh-market style Foodhall and a new, refreshed Clothing, Home & Beauty department.

Works at the M&S Newcastle store, which has been a fixture of the city’s high street since it first opened its doors way back in 1932, will begin later this month. The redesign will be undertaken in stages so the store will be able to remain trading, serving customer as normal throughout, with the new Foodhall expected to be fully finished later this year. Improvements to the Clothing, Home & Beauty department will follow and be completed by early next year, 2024.

The news follows the announcement the retailer is set to open a brand-new, bigger M&S store at the Galleries Retail Park in Washington. The exciting new store will offer customers a bigger and better range of M&S products than ever before, with the retailer relocating from its existing Simply Food store into a 47,000 sq ft space with a new Clothing, Home & Beauty department and a bigger M&S Foodhall, almost double the size of the current store.

Construction work is already happening to bring together three previously separate units on the Galleries Retail Park to create the special new space. 

Ahead of the relocation, the existing M&S Simply Food store in Washington will stay open as normal until the new story is ready, expected to be next spring, 2024. There will be chances for all colleagues working in the current store to transfer to the new M&S Washington Galleries or other local M&S stores and M&S confirms the new store will create extra new jobs for the local community when it opens in 2024.

The £13 million announcement follows investment in the North East by M&S last year to update its store in Newcastle’s Silverlink Shopping Park and the M&S Foodhall in Gosforth.

M&S has 21 owned stores throughout the North East, spanning the region from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Teesside, supporting over 2,100 jobs in local communities, plus an additional 6 M&S stores in hospitals and travel settings including rail and fuel stations. 

This latest round of investment will enable M&S to reach even more customers in the North East, delivering the very best of M&S with the latest store designs and new in-store technology.

Helen Cowie, who is the Regional Manager for the North East at M&S, said: “M&S has been a part of local communities across the North East for well in excess 100 years, and throughout that time we’ve always been innovating to keep delivering an excellent shopping experience for our customers, be it the opening of one of our first ever Penny Bazaars in Newcastle’s famous Grainger Market in 1895, or launching our first ever shopping centre site in the country at the Metro Centre back in 1986.  

“We’re proud to have been trading from our store on Northumberland Street since 1932. Over the years we’ve undertaken plenty of refurbishments and extensions to make sure the store keeps delivering for local customers and today’s investment – as well as our plans for an exciting new store at Washington Galleries – shows that we’re as committed as ever to offering shoppers in the North East the very best of M&S.”

When noise annoys, Aldi is here to help

Aldi is trialling sensory-friendly shopping hours in selected stores. From next week until the end of October, almost 100 stores across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire will offer a quieter shopping experiences every Tuesday between 6pm and 8.30pm.

If this proves to be a success with customers, the scheme will be rolled out to all Aldi’s UK stores, with changes including stopping tannoy announcements, quieter till scan sounds, and signposting the dedicated times to all customers.

Vicky Metcalf, who is Diversity and Inclusion Director at Aldi UK, said: “Our new sensory-friendly shopping hours aim to help those who prefer a quieter shopping experience or struggle with noisy environments.

“We are committed to ensuring we are as accessible and inclusive as possible, this is both for shoppers and colleagues, and we look forward to receiving customer feedback on this trial to help inform our approach on a national level.”

Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket also recognises the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower to help support customers and colleagues with non-visible disabilities.

Colleagues at Aldi have also undergone training around hidden disabilities and the Sunflower symbol, so they can offer additional assistance to those who may require it.

People who suffer from conditions such as tinnitus, or who are on the Autistic Spectrum, could well benefit from quieter times in supermarkets. Hopefully the trial will prove a success. 

www.aldi.co.uk 

Great Taste Scotland

Thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the world are discovering if any of their products achieved a distinguished 1-,2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme entirely on taste.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group of over 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on 14,195 entries submitted from a staggering 109 different countries. Each producer will also receive invaluable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts.

Scottish products have won not one, but an impressive 388 awards. 277 x 1-stars, 99 x 2-stars and 12 x 3-stars have been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Hot Smoked Trout by East Neuk Kilnhouse (only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – Drinks Biscuits: Lancashire Cheese & Spring Onion by The Drinks Bakery (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Honeyberry Jam by Jack & Jills Jam(28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

John Farrand, MD at the Guild of Fine Food said: “We offer an absolutely huge congratulations to the Scottish producers who were awarded Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

“Every year, we welcome new and established producers making fantastic products around the world and this year has been no exception. The breadth and quality of food and drink has been outstanding, and we wish everyone who entered huge success and hope they find the feedback from our expert judging panel beneficial as they continue in their onward journey.”