I was away during September, on the Canal-Midi in France. It was a great break and a fabulous way to spend ten days. I would certainly recommend it. At the end of the holiday, Mrs Grout and I spent the weekend in Toulouse. I only mention this because we visited the quite amazing Les Halles, Marché Victor-Hugo. Well, I have worked in food and hospitality for too many years, and I have visited many of Europe’s great food markets, but this was breathtaking. A very busy hall, filled with an amazing array of the finest fresh foods. I can’t get too descriptive here, but if you get the chance to visit, it’s worth going out of your way for. Anyway, Craig sent the October Newsletter, and it was full of good information. Well done, Craig. Upon my return, October has been a pretty full-on month. We have had Canadian Thanksgiving and Halloween. We have started the process of Christmas (say it quietly!) and ordering turkeys and geese, the wine suppliers have been around, and Gessica did a cheese training course with John, our wonderful cheese supplier. So, it’s been all go.
You might well have received a mid-month notice from me, reminding you of the final of the Stokey Pokey Sausage Competition. There’s nothing more to say, just to be in the Meat N16 Garden on Sunday, next week. The entrants are in, the testing is done and the six finalists will be ready for Sunday 8th November. As always, we have some great participants, and we can promise a fantastic afternoon. We hope to see as many of you there as possible. By the way; ‘Come on Tufnell Park’. The team at Meat NW5 are praying that one of their customers brings the cup back to them.
As you will know, there is no shortage of great pubs in and around Stoke Newington, and Stacey and her team at The Three Crowns, Stoke Newington Church Street, are up there with the best. This summer, Stacey has added big screen sports to her offer, and I can’t think of a better place to be watching the football, with a pint. However, her team got a bit excited about the Stokey Pokey competition, and the Chef has been tasked with coming up with a winning recipe. We’ll I can’t comment on that. The winning entry is not decided by the Meat London Team. It’s the customers who vote, but, being such a great sport, Stacey is going to put the champion sausage, whoever designs it, on her restaurant menu from the weekend of 13th October. What a great offer, and a perfect opportunity to taste our Stokey Pokey champion while visiting one of our fabulous neighbours.
American Thanksgiving has been a growing celebration in Britain for a number of years, and here at Meat London we want to do our part to ensure that our American friends are well fed. Thursday 26th November is the big day this year and we are taking orders for fresh, bronze turkeys. A cross between domestic English turkeys and wild turkeys, the ‘bronze’ name was first used in the 1830’s, when a strain produced in Rhode Island was named the ‘Point Judith Bronze’, later simplified to ‘bronze’ turkeys. These delicious birds cook beautifully and are full of flavour. Starting from around 4.5kg, we can take orders for birds up to about 8kg easily. Please call and reserve the size that best serves your own event, and, if you need help working out what you need, our team are now very experienced in helping. Just ask. Also, don’t forget that we have a full selection of hams, cheeses, wines and accompaniments to fill your table.
A very Happy Thanksgiving …
If you have never been tempted to visit the Order Online section of our website, it’s well worth a few minutes. We offer local deliveries on a Wednesday and Friday, and we are happy to do Mail Order. All the details are on our website, meatlondon.co.uk or, as usual, we are more than happy to offer answers and advice over the phone.
With Christmas on its way, we have a number of gifts to offer. Again, all the information is on our website, but why not think about our great book – Meat London – the Book – or our award winning Meat London Champagne. Two excellent and original gift ideas, that can bought individually or together, Gessica’s Book and Champagne Gift (available only in our shops and for local delivery) is a real winning idea. We also have a range of BBQ Course ideas for all the family. Whether you want to send Dad to hone his skills, treat your friend to a lovely gift or come along as a group on a private course, we have something for everyone. Courses can be booked online, but an easier route is to purchase one of our all new Meat London Gift Vouchers and let the recipient pick their own course and date. We try to make it all as simple as possible.
Finally …
This Newsletter has loads of info, and has got a bit longer than usual, but I still need to tell you the exciting news, that we have decided to refresh and brighten up our Deli Team. Next time you are in the shops, don’t forget to admire their beautiful new uniform. A colour change for autumn. We’ll leave it there ….
Happy November
