Summer marks official picnic season!   The brits probably love a picnic more than anyone………….Iknow I do!  I had a smile when the lastest White Stuff catalogue dropped through my door – they had come up with an article called ‘Are you picnics Posh or Tosh?’ written very tongue in cheek,  and very witty. Here’s their [...]

Just been catching up with Radio 4′s Food Programme via Podcast.  Fabulous edition entitled New Food Entrepeneurs by Tim Heyward [first broadcast 27th June 2011] .  The programme was all about the surge of entrepreneurs starting food businesses having come from a corporate/professional background – all in all a really fascinating programme. One of Tim’s [...]

I worked for Mars before starting Breckland Orchard – latterly as the Account Director for the Asda account.  Asda is part of Wal*Mart, and therefore share the same philosophy……and much of the Wal*Mart philosophy was shaped by its founder Sam Walton. Sam was an amazing retail entrepreneur, who started in retail in 1945, before starting [...]

Two weeks ago there was a ‘Test’ Eventing competition at Greenwich Park.  Greenwich Park is the venue for the Equestrian events at the 2012 Olympics.  With the course largely in place for that, the venue underwent a thorough testing with an actual event.  The setting is spectacular – eventing competitions usually take place in the [...]

What has happened to the summer?  July is turning out to be a wash out………don’t the weather gods up there know its July and not November? The soft drink market really peaks over the summer……..so I track the weather forecast with interest.  In fact I am a bit of a weather bore. Here is what [...]

I exhibited at Harrogate Speciality Food Show recently – see previous blog.  Thrilled to see that Breckland Orchard made the July edition of Fine Food Digest, as part of editors Mick Whitworth’s ‘pick of the crop’ from Harrogate. Breckland Orchard Sloe Lemonade was chosen and here’s what Mick had to say: ‘My pick of the [...]

This week was sportsday at my son’s school.  He’s just in reception, so it wasn’t the Olympics……obstacle race, relay, balancing of a beanbag on the head etc….all things that require real focus and precision when you are five years old(!!)  He loved it, and his competitive streak was coming out [must have some of my [...]

I had such a lovely thing happen on Twitter a few days ago.  Merryn Walters – otherwise known as Rentaquill, had had a bottle of Pear and Elderflower whilst out in a lovely cafe in Norfolk.  She was inspired to pick up her ‘quill’ and pen a 140 word ode[Twitter style] to said Pear and [...]

I often laugh about the perceptions and realities of my life.  When I meet other folk I am look smart – a dress, some heels…..I can scrub up OK if I try! But 95% of the time I look very different. Setting up a micro-food-enterprise is about blood, tears and hard work – getting up [...]

Last week was also the Royal Norfolk Show and having sprinted down from Harrogate, the very next day I was setting up my stand at the show! Phew – that was exhausting.  Breckland Orchard was in the Food Hall, dishing out masses of samples of ‘posh pop’ I wouldn’t miss the Royal Norfolk for anything…..its [...]

Just back last week from Harrogate Speciality Food Show 2011…………two days at the Yorkshire Event Centre [part of the Great Yorkshire Showground].  My Mum [pictured above x] came with me and helped me to ‘man’ the stand. In terms of look and feel it’s a baby brother to the much larger Speciality Fine Food Fair [...]

Seth Godin has written a great blog piece entitled ‘How do you know when it’s done’ all about doing things to better than your expections rather than to the point of perfection. It got me thinking about realities of running a micro-enterprise – lots to do, and not enough people to do them! It’s a [...]

Here’s the newest addition to the Breckland Orchard family – Dandelion and Burdock!  I’ve launched  it as a Special Edition, to trial the flavour. Dandelion and Burdock is a traditional British soft drink – and its history goes back to the 13th Century. Historically it was made from fermented Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and Burdock(Arctium lappa) [...]