recipe – Page 2 – Welcome Stores

Supplier Spotlight: Beaulieu Chocolate Studio turns 17!

Posted on July 28, 2023August 3, 2023 by Adam Page

In the latest installment of our “Supplier Spotlight” series, we caught up with Beaulieu Chocolate Studio as they celebrate 17 years in the business – and how they stop their chocolate from melting in the summer heat!

Sweet dreams!

Beaulieu Chocolate Studio opened in July 2006 after founder, Trevor Smith, opened the chocolate shop in the old village patisserie on the Beaulieu estate.

Hand-made chocolates have been a part of the village since the early 1980s but Trevor had dreams of creating artisan and luxury chocolate ranges.

Today, the studio makes a range of over 30 filled chocolates, with new flavours added all the time, and a wide range of original chocolate bars and gifts.

Trevor says: “From the smallest pocket-money chocolate rabbit to the most luxurious chocolate box gift, every chocolate wish is fulfilled.”

Trevor Smith proudly displays his handmade chocolates

Watch the chocolate-making action!

It is the long heritage of chocolate-making in Beaulieu that prompted Trevor to divide his shop into two. One half is the workshop at the back where the chocolates are made and in the front half is the shop where they are displayed and sold.

His vision was to make an original range of hand-made chocolates on the premises and in view of the public, who can watch and enjoy the chocolate-making process as it happens.

French inspiration

Trevor is from the New Forest, but he lived in France for 8 years, where he trained as a baker and chocolatier – and that is where his ideas for the chocolate shop originated.

“Over there, it is not unusual to see various artisan chocolate shops and workshop-style cafes where people can enjoy sampling local chocolates on offer – and see how it’s made” Trevor said. “It’s all part of the experience – and that was something I wanted to bring home to the New Forest!”

A Welcome addition

The Chocolate Studio produces everything by hand using fresh ingredients that are locally sourced wherever possible – and it is that shared ethos that makes Trevor’s chocolates a “Welcome” addition to our stores.

Welcome stores sell plenty of local products to our customers so that they can sample the delights of what’s on offer right on their local doorstep. We also understand that by supporting local businesses, it brings growth to the economy and supports jobs.

Not only do we see the economic benefits of supporting local, Welcome stores sees it as “doing our bit” towards reducing our carbon footprint too!

“It’s great to see Welcome stores onboard with supporting local suppliers” Trevor added. “It means that customers living further afield than our shop in other towns and villages can still enjoy our hand-crafted chocolates – but they are all made in our shop.

“Our best sellers are New Forest Bark, a speciality resembling tree bark with dark chocolate and almonds, Milk Honeycomb bars and Caramel and sea salt bars – they always seem to fly out of the shop!”

Keeping cool

As the summer months are now upon us, what is Trevor’s secret to making sure chocolates are only melting in the mouths of customers – and not spoiling beforehand?

“Hot summers can be a challenge” he says “but air conditioning has come to our rescue many times – and it’s the only way we can make sure everything stays at the right temperature!”

Welcome stores is pleased to stock Beaulieu chocolate fresh from the studio, but you can also pay them a visit at 1 High Street in Beaulieu 7 days a week from 9-5.

For more information head to beaulieuchocolatestudio.co.uk

(Cheap!) Chocolate chunk cookie cheesecake

Posted on July 26, 2023July 23, 2023 by Adam Page

Need a few things to do to keep the kids entertained this summer? This super-simple cheesecake will go down a treat – and it costs less than £5 to make!

Feeds 12
Ready in 15 minutes

Ingredients

8 Co-op bakery double chocolate chunk cookies
45g Co-op unsalted butter, melted
300ml Co-op double cream
2 x 200g tubs Co-op soft cheese
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper
Whizz the cookies in a food processor or bash with a rolling pin to give fine crumbs
Put 200g of the cookie crumbs into a bowl with the melted butter
Stir until fully combined, then press into the bottom of the cake tin and chill for 1 hour until set
Put 135g of the remaining cookie crumbs into a bowl and stir in the double cream
Place in the fridge for 1 hour
Stir together the cream and cookie mixture, the soft cheese and lemon juice, then spoon into the tin over the cookie crumb base
Decorate with the remaining cookie crumbs and leave to chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours, until set
Timings exclude chilling

Each serving contains

Energy 18% 1470kj 355kcal
Fat High 41% 28.9g
Saturates High 85% 17g
Sugar Med 13% 11.3g
Salt Low 4% 0.27g

% of adult’s reference intake | Carbohydrates per serving : 20g

Supplier spotlight: New Forest Fruit Company

Posted on June 19, 2023June 19, 2023 by Adam Page

It’s June! And the time is “ripe” for soft fruits. In our latest supplier spotlight, we spoke to East Boldre’s New Forest Fruit about sustainability pledges, technology-firsts to introduce new ways of farming using traditional methods, and even robot pickers.

Nestled in the heart of the beautiful New Forest National Park, there is a special kind of fruit farm, aptly called New Forest Fruit. The farm is situated over three sites which span eighty hectares.

New Forest Fruit is now in its thirteenth year of trading

The main crop is strawberries, which are sold to leading supermarkets, local farm shops, restaurants and greengrocers. A small amount of raspberries and blueberries are also grown, but these are only sold locally. The company is led by owner Sandy Booth who has been involved with NFF since 2008, fully taking over as CEO in 2018. Sandy’s team consists of several close-knit departments that cover every aspect of the business and give the company the feel of being family-run.

Like many businesses, the New Forest Fruit farm is embracing technology

It became the first company in the UK to be involved in trials of traceability technology – a process that allows businesses to track food at every single stage of the production process. They also use robots used to apply a UV treatment for mildew at night. Not only is technology being used to improve and enhance the soft fruit but it’s also helped address other areas of the business too.

New Forest Fruit is trialling robot pickers!

It means the fruit can be picked at the perfect time, and the business isn’t hindered by labour shortages – something else that affects so many fruit farms like theirs. Being a home-grown British fruit farm, the team at New Forest Fruit takes its eco-friendly pledge very seriously. The company recently produced a sustainability report to highlight all the measures implemented to support this.

The environment is at the heart of all the decisions made

Some of these measures include a management system for all the hedgerows on the farm so that wildlife corridors are maintained and can provide shelter. This includes laying 240m of hedgerow this year. There are also bat and bird boxes around the farm. This season there have been 3000 apple trees planted to promote the biosphere in and around the farm. Three on-site reservoirs to ensure it uses its water supply, which limits the amount that’s taken from the rivers. Plus, rain gutters on the strawberry tunnels feed directly back to the reservoir. The farm uses Integrated Farm Management, which is marrying traditional techniques of farming with the latest innovations and enabling a whole farm approach.

Plus a brand new product has been launched this month that uses any second-class fruit which is turned into a delicious ‘pulsed’ dried strawberry snack! Pulsed dried is special as these berries will rehydrate when added to a glass of champagne, sparkling wine or gin & tonic. They also come in compostable packaging.

Photo credit: Monika Grabkowska

These are available to buy in Welcome Brockenhurst and more information is available at newforestfruitsnacks.com

If that wasn’t enough, the farm has also invested in three electric vehicles and two electric forklifts. Some on-site solar panels provide electricity to the Packshed and they recycle and reuse everything they can – all the coir from the strawberry crops is reused for the early-season asparagus.

What is the best thing about working with Welcome Stores?

“Welcome genuinely champions other local businesses and has created little hubs across the forest for people to access local produce. Also, their business values regarding sustainability and the environment align with the values held at NFF. Both businesses want to protect the environment.”

You can find New Forest Fruit’s juicy, perfectly ripe sweet-scented strawberries & also the brand new Pulsed Strawberry snacks on sale at your local Welcome store. You can also learn more about New Forest Fruit on newforestfruit.com or newforestfruitsnacks.com.