We’ve had a busy few weeks here in the shop since my last post. New chutney suppliers have been in and, after consulting with our customers, we’re stocking a few new lines 🙂 We do try as far as we can to get our customers to taste new products and compare them against existing items. This means we can give consumer led feedback to potential suppliers and it gives our customers a personal stake in the shop. We are so lucky here in Pangbourne to have such lovely people shopping in our store and we endeavour to stock the best items at the best prices that we can.
 We are currently stocking 2 new chutney ranges – one from the Lake District and one from France! The English Faradays Tasty chutneys have been a great success and they sit really well alongside our other chutneys. At the moment the piccalilli is a definite customer favourite although the chilli & tomato jam is giving it a run for its money. The French aix & terra products are adding a continental flavour to our jam offerings. The fig jam with rosemary is simply amazing 🙂 We’ve got all of these new products on taste in the shop so pop in and ask for a sample. We love people to try before they buy.
 On the cheese front we have been adding to our ‘blue’ range and we currently have a fabulous Blue Shropshire in the counter. It is made at the Cropwell Bishop Creamery and it won the supreme champion accolade at last year’s British Cheese awards. We even had a bride and groom choose it as the base layer for their cheese wedding cake. It adds a lovely colour to a cheeseboard as well as a fabulous taste! We’re also stocking a very creamy blue made alongside the Shropshire, which is Beauvale. This is a much younger cheese but it still retains that classic stilton-esque taste. I’m trying to juggle a visit to Stilton country, not only to visit Cropwell Bishop but also to pop into the smallest Stilton maker, Colston Bassett Dairy. We stock their traditional Stilton and it is always brilliant! They also all pair really well with a fig chutney…just saying!
 This weekend is going to be a busy one with Ali heading to the Bucklebury Artisan market with a selection of our local cheeses for people to sample and buy whereas I’m off to Shaw House in Newbury on Sunday to set up at their spring fair. I’ll also be in the shop on Saturday (but I love being at work so that’s not really a hardship!).
So if you’re out and about at the weekend why not head to Pangbourne, Newbury or Bucklebury village for your cheese selection.
