Do you remember, I started the November Newsletter by highlighting Abe Faraway, the young man who won our very first Meat NW5 Easter painting competition? Well, I was very quickly reprimanded for overlooking the delightful Martha Newman, who, at 8 years of age, won the Stokey Pokey Sausage competition with her delicious Pork, Quince and Gorgonzola sausage. Martha also went on to join our team this summer, at Meat N16. Martha is a keen rower, and spends much of her time on the water during term time. However, she will be back to help us through the Christmas period. How lovely, and how lucky we are …
… which links in nicely to all the fun that was this year’s Stokey Pokey sausage competition, on Sunday 3rd November. Thirty-Six entries, six finalists (30kg of sausages), 209 judges, and don’t even think about the Mulled Wine that was consumed! 2024 will be remembered for the high quality of entries and finalists.
Without exaggeration, there could easily have been four or five winners. We are delighted to have presented our customers with such a fine feast from which to choose a winner. And the winner they picked was Leo and Clementine Fletcher Smith. The first ever, second time winners, having first won the competition in 2014, with the Pigeon Breast, Pancetta, Prunes and Red Wine Sausage, one of my own favourites. This time they sneaked a well deserved victory from a very close runner- up with their Pork, Smoked Bacon and Mango Chutney combination. It was a lovely day, and 209 voters can’t be wrong. A very special mention to Federica Fogu, a Meat NW5 customer who was determined to be represented in Stoke Newington. Thank you, and well done for making the last six. In an N16 dominated competition, how fantastic that our NW5 customer chose to take part. Come on Tufnell Park and Swain’s Lane, get your heads together and come up with a champion for next year.
I make no secret of my love of Christmas, and I also enjoy the snow. As I write at the end of November, it has been bitterly cold and we have all seen flurries of snow, but not quite a ‘white out’ yet. Met office records suggest that we have had only six white Christmases since 1960 (the year I was born), and what the public might consider a white Christmas, a good covering of snow on the ground, has only happened in London on four occasions, 1981, 1995, 2009 and 2010. So, maybe I won’t get my hopes up of waking on December 25th to snow all around, but it won’t detract from my Christmas day feast.
It’s time to start considering your own Christmas table. As always, we have a full range of poultry and game from our wonderful farmers. Turkeys, Geese and Ducks are plentiful and looking great. The Beef fridges are beginning to fill, and the beef will be hung to perfection for the festive season. Paddy is ‘Pork ready’ and the Gammons are on their way. Conroy, Lee and Rocky are protecting their very heavily insured sausage making hands, and they will be ready at the last moment to rustle up copious amounts of Sausages, Chipolatas, Stuffing, Sausage Meat and Piggies in Blankets (I must tell you about Piggies in Blankets).
Gessica has the Cheese ordered, and is busy getting the Team to cut and pack, and get the fridges full. Cheese biscuits, Chutneys and Pickles are in place and Champagnes, Proseccos, Wines and Ports are lining up along the shelves.
I am not going to list everything here, the list is endless. You know what you want, and you can visit the shops. Our Christmas List is available and, if you can’t get into the shops, there is an email version. Call Johelle (0207 267 2591) or Mel (0207 254 0724) and they will email a copy. The order system is up and running and we are happy to take orders over the phone, by email or in person.
For those who use our Shopify online ordering system, for logistical reasons we will be closing it down for the Christmas period. Our last delivery will be on Friday 20th December.
As always, we can’t list everything, but if I have missed something, just ask and I will do my best to get it for you.
Everybody loves Piggies in Blankets, and we make extraordinary amounts in the days before Christmas. However, this has become one of the fun parts of a Meat London Christmas. Way back, when my business partners daughter was very young, she wanted to ‘help’ at Meat N16. On that occasion, as I remember, Uma wanted to raise some money for a charitable event. So, we set her up at the smallest table we could find, and we showed her how Piggies should be made. The following year, Uma asked to come back, and I estimate that she has now done at least five, if not six Christmases. Along the way, more youngsters have wanted to come, including Megan at NW5. More young family members. Last year, Uma’s younger sister came for the first time. Clara will be back. This year we have Karen’s son Louie, and young Martha is coming, there have been so many over the years, and on it goes. By the time Christmas Eve arrives, our production space really does resemble Santa’s Grotto. We fill the youngsters with chocolate, biscuits and soft drinks, and you know, they all have fun, and pride in having been a part of it, and, by the time they realise that you can’t spend the chocolate money that we pay them, we’ve closed for Christmas!!
We are here for all of our customers. We are set and we are ready. Please ask for anything and everything, and we will make it happen. Our aim is to ensure that everybody comes out the other side at least 2kg heavier than they started. We are always aware that not all of our customers celebrate a Christian Christmas, but we hope that everyone has a wonderful festive season, and gets to spend peaceful time with friends and family.
