Join us for this years Sausage Beer and Jazz Festival on the 11th September. This year we are on course to have the best one yet!
Its that time of year again!
Uncle Henry’s will soon be hosting their ever popular Sausage, Beer and Jazz Festival and we would love for you to come and join us.
This year promises to be the best yet as we celebrate the best in Lincolnshire sausages and beer. This includes Sausage and beer tasting so you can sample the products which we feel make Lincolnshire stand out head and shoulders above the rest.
Events include sausage making demonstrations from Uncle Henry’s resident butchers, cookery demonstrations and the chance to meet the best in Lincolnshire brewers.
Back by popular demand and playing live will be Lincolnshire Jazz band ‘Deep South’. The New Orleans Jazz quartet went down so well last year we have asked them to return, adding their own unique flavour to the day.
Steve will be running the BBQ during lunch time (if you have any room left after you have tried a whats on offer!)
This is a perfect day out for all the family and if this couldnt get any better- its still free!
We look forwards to seeing you there.
Garden Blog for August 2010
What’s been going on!
Hurray for rain! It’s been a very dry couple of months and so the need for thorough watering everyday at this crucial fruiting stage has been an essential part of the daily garden routine.
I really love this time of year, everything looks at its ultimate best, and there is so much happening be it either flowering, fruiting or growing like mad it seems that each day you enter the garden you’re greeted by something new.
This has definitely been the case in the walled garden, as this is the first year we’ve had the whole garden in full production, its been great to stand back and admire the garden in its full glory and imagine that this is how it may have looked a hundred years ago when it would have supplied the family working Henry’s farm with all their fruit and vegetables. Quite a satisfying thought!
The garden hasn’t disappointed and we’ve had bumper crops of potatoes, courgettes, broad beans, French beans, and runner beans which continue to produce copious amounts of fantastic tasting beans coupled with the fact that the plants themselves create visually a magnificent tower of colour. Obviously all the painstaking preparation during the winter months has paid off.
Everything produced in the garden is now being sold in the shop and is doing really well.
We’ve also been busy with a number of logistical jobs in the garden this month. We have erected a very useful potting shed, which will house tools, pots and provide a welcome shelter when the weather is not so kind. We have also lined all the paths dividing the garden with a bark chipping mulch, which has not only improved the appearance of the paths but also the drainage, as the paths were quite slippery after rain.
Well, that’s all the news for now, hopefully you all will be enjoying the fruits of your hard labour as we are here at Henry’s.
Bye for now.
Nicky Greenwood
What to be getting on with!
I realise that this is the holiday season, although it is forbidden for gardeners to take holiday at this time of year!! So, for all the gardeners left at home, here is what you can be getting on with!
Now is the time to summer prune trained apple and pear trees, espaliers and cordons.
Collect and store seed of hardy annuals and perennials you may want to sow next spring, poppies, chives etc.
Continue to pick beans and ensure plants are kept well watered.
Sow green manures such as mustard on empty patches of ground.
Wisteria can be trimmed now. Remove all whippy shoots to five or six buds from the main stems.
To keep courgettes fruiting, make sure they are well watered and continue to pick fruit as soon as they reach the desired size.
What to sow now outdoors!
Autumn salad leaves – baby turnips – fennel – radishes – spring onions – rocket – kohl rabi – spring cabbage.
Jack’s Work Experience Write-up!
My name is Jack Lount, I am currently in the De Aston Sixth Form and I have just spent my week of work experience at Uncle Henry’s farm shop and have more than thoroughly enjoyed it !
The staff here are very friendly and welcomed me as part of the team straight away without any hesitation, this made me feel right at home and soon got rid of those first day nerves.
I have learnt from my experience here that the most important thing about running a successful business is customer care and I believe this has been a major contributor to the success of Uncle Henrys as a business. They strive to do the absolute most to ensure that all customers leave the shop/café feeling fully satisfied and that their money has been well spent.
During my time here I have been involved in many different aspects of the organisation involving stock rotation, customer care, product management and database management. These skills that I have learnt and now feel confident about redoing in the future, have given me some of the experience I will need when I apply for university. I also had a lot of fun along the way though, making burgers for the first time for example was actually quite good fun and I can now repeat this skill in the future.
I have learnt that because Uncle Henrys produces so much fresh produce from its farm, this has made the produce such a higher quality so that it makes customers want to return again to get the same good quality service and great tasting foods!
Hot Summer Food and Drink Offers at Uncle Henry’s:
- Butchery Special – Family BBQ Pack £7.99
- 20% off Belvoir Cordials Gift Pack - NOW £10.50 (pack of 3)
- 15% off Cawston Fruit Juices – NOW £2.12 each
*All available throughout July and August, whilst stocks last!
NEW Seasonal Salads and Veg…
- Radishes
- Courgettes
- French Beans, Runner Beans and Broad Beans!
- Mixed Lettuce leaves
- Beetroot
- Spring Onions
- Maris Peer Salad Potatoes
- ALL now available and more to follow…
**Grown in Uncle Henry’s Garden by Nicky = ZERO Food Miles!**
Don’t miss out! We look forward to welcoming you to Uncle Henry’s soon x
Love is in the air in Uncle Henry’s Butchery Department!
Uncle Henry’s Butchers Barry and Louise have tied the knot and are now back from their wedding in the Caribbean!
Check out their fantastic photographs below (it really was paradise)…
In celebration of the occasion, Uncle Henry’s ‘Wedding Sausage’ is available from the butchery counter (includes Champagne!…take it from us, it really is delicious!)
A big CONGRATULATIONS to you both x
Garden Blog for July 2010
What’s been going on!
Phew! What a scorcher! At last an English summer to brag about, although, in true British tradition I would just like to say ‘a little rain wouldn’t go a miss’, yes, I know, never satisfied but, I am purely thinking of the garden!!
Well it’s been a very busy few weeks here at Uncle Henry’s and likewise in the garden.
On Sunday 13th June, Uncle Henry’s hosted Open Farm Sunday, for those of you who were unable to attend, it was an action packed day with numerous stands, stalls, displays and events taking place in the main arena. It was extra special for the garden as it was the first time it had been open to the public. So, in the weeks leading up to the day extra effort was employed to ensure that the garden was looking its absolute best and virtually weed free. Each vegetable growing in the garden had its own sign detailing what it was and a route was put in place to guide people through the best bits. A display of photographs taken detailing each stage of the work undertaken was erected at the entrance to the garden, to give an idea of what it used to look like. I was on hand to conduct tours and answer any questions or queries anyone had of which there were quite a few! I’m proud to say that I was overwhelmed by the compliments and positive feedback from those of you who visited the garden; I would just like to say a big thank you to you all.
Right, back to the growing front. Due to the wonderful warm weather everything is going at full tilt, the runner beans have reached the tops of the 8ft canes and are drenched in flowers, the radishes are the size of tennis balls (I jest not) and the pumpkins are running amok!
In order to maintain this rate of growth the priority task at the moment is to ensure that everything receives plenty of water, luckily this year we have a wonderful watering system which allows me to plug into the water supply at various points in the garden and the sprinklers do the rest.
This time of year is especially rewarding for me as the produce from the garden takes pride of place in the centre of the shop and is displayed in a wonderful vintage cart. Currently it is full of potatoes, mini cucumbers, courgettes, garlic, French beans, beetroot, the infamous radishes, spring onions, sweet peas and a selection of salad leaves. With runner beans, broad beans tomatoes, and peppers waiting in the wings!
To conclude, this week we were visited by a photographer from the ‘Good Taste’ magazine, who took a number of shots which will appear in a later issue showing the work that goes on within the garden. However, Britain’s next top model turned out to be my Jack Russell terrier (Midge) who is my constant companion in the garden and decided she had to be in every photo, much to the photographers delight! Move over Kate Moss!!!
Bye for now.
Nicky Greenwood
What to be getting on with!
I know this dry spell will be causing you some concern as water buts get dangerously low, especially for those on a water meter why not utilize water from other parts of the house like old washing up water, bath water etc.
Regularly liquid feed summer bedding and container plants.
Ensure side shoots from cucumber plants are cut away, don’t allow cucumber plants to dry out and feed twice a week.
Open roof vents and doors to greenhouses/poly tunnels every morning and put up shade netting to prevent scorch.
Install sticky yellow card traps to catch greenhouse pests.
During dry conditions set your lawnmower at a higher setting.
What to sow now outdoors!
Salad leaves – lettuce – beetroot – radish – endive – turnips – winter spinach – spring cabbage.
£610.00 raised for Kirton Lives
Uncle Henry’s farm shop and café attracted a large crowd of over 1500 people to enjoy ‘A Day in the Countryside’ for their third Open Farm Sunday event, designed to promote a better understanding of food and farming. On the day a magnificent £610.00 was raised for Kirton Lives, LIVES First Responders are community volunteers who go out to victims of heart attack or suspected heart attack, breathing difficulties, choking, and collapse. Providing vital assistance before the medical services can attend.
The order of the day included falconry displays, trade stands, vintage tractors, ferret racing, machinery displays & tractor rides plus many more. Highlights included Lincs FM presenter Ed Bretton & Wilbur the Lincs FM bear taking daring rides on the bucking pig, Ed also turned his hand to cheese making with Mary Davenport on the Cote Hill Cheeses stand.
The Uncle Henry’s team would like to thank everybody involved with the event and for those that visited and helped raise funds for the very worthy cause of Kirton Lives.
Sizzling Summer Offers!
The Sun is out & we’re celebrating with some great offers!
Enjoy a cool beer in the garden with…
10% off all Freedom Lagers – a british brewed organic lager!
Whilst enjoying a BBQ with…
South African Boeremors Spiced Pork & Beef Sausage
Normally £7.96/kg Now £7.50/kg
Our latest product addition is an absolute must to try on these lazy summer evenings…
Corney & Barrow wine selection
White, Red & Sparkling. This new selection is not only good value but fantastic to taste - Great to relax with or to celebrate with bubbles!
Also don’t miss our fresh Lincolnshire Strawberries – absolutely delicious! Make the most of them whilst you can and pick up a punnet at Uncle Henry’s.
Celebrate our Great British summer in style with Uncle Henry’s fantastic offers
Please note that all offers are subject to availability
A quick reminder that this weekend is our Open Farm Sunday Event! It’s our third Open Farm Sunday at Uncle Henry’s and it’s promising to be a briliant day out for the whole family, with many events, displays and competitions! Please see below for further details – Free entry, 11 – 4pm.
Look forward to seeing you all!
The Uncle Henry’s Team.
Garden Blog for June 2010
What’s been going on!
Wow! What a difference a month makes, the garden is now fully planted up and with the welcome arrival of sunshine, warmth and the occasional shower, everything is growing like crazy. Hurray!
In fact I am now supplying the shop with peppery radishes, a variety of potted herbs and a super selection of fresh salad leaves picked on a daily basis. This is only the beginning.
The runner beans are fairly sprinting up their supports and I have high hopes for one particular variety this season, called ‘St George’ I’m confident they’ll be a real winner!! Ha Ha!
The pumpkin and squash beds have had a good helping of manure, a sheet of black plastic covers each bed and then the pumpkins / squash have been planted through the plastic. I have found through experience that this is the best method to grow these vegetables, as they like to roam around it becomes very difficult to weed in-between the plants so the plastic prevents any weeding at all, and as they love warmth especially when the fruits begin to ripen the plastic ensures that the fruits are not stood on wet ground, so preventing the need for straw.
The poly tunnel has transformed from a propagating nursery into a proper fully functional greenhouse. The tomato plants are in the ground. I’m growing three varieties this season, a beef, yellow and cherry tomato as well as cucumbers, chilli peppers and numerous herbs. I’ve also installed a soaker hose, which meanders between the tomatoes maintaining a constant moisture content to the soil, this ensure that the soil never dries out and therefore, keeps the tomatoes healthy and when the fruits arrive will prevent splitting.
On Sunday 13th June, Uncle Henry’s is hosting Open Farm Sunday from 11 – 4pm. It’s gearing up to be an action packed day and everyone is welcome. The walled garden will be open to the public for the first time. I will be conducting a number of tours and will be only too happy to answer any gardening queries or questions you may have.
I look forward to seeing you all on the day.
Bye for now.
Nicky Greenwood
What to be getting on with!
Well those of you who managed the pilgrimage to Chelsea will no doubt want to return and redesign their gardens, well before you do, why not tackle some of the more pressing matters at hand and then see how you feel!
Plant out sweet peas.
Thin out your apples – failure to do so will result in the tree wasting too much energy on too many fruit.
Continue to sow salad leaves every 2 weeks to ensure a consistent crop throughout the summer.
Begin feeding plants on a weekly basis – tomatoes, squash and pumpkins are particularly needy.
Keep a watchful eye for pests and treat immediately!
What to sow now outdoors!
Lettuce – rocket – beetroot – radish – spinach – French beans – runner beans – carrots – swede – turnip – mangetout – marrows – cauliflower – sweet corn and many more!
