As many of you know, we have been planning our Winter Gallery with much anticipation for several months now, carefully considering how to keep our friends and customers as safe as possible while offering you seasonal hospitality and festive shopping here at Ash Farm. Following the news that Wales will be under “firebreak” restrictions from Friday 23rd October until Monday 9th November we have had some urgent decisions to make. We very much hope to be able to continue with our plans to welcome you by shifting the event back by one week to Saturday 14th to Sunday 22nd November.
You may be wondering what steps we are taking to ensure that you are kept as safe as possible this year if you are considering coming to join us for a little pre-Christmas outing.
The number of guests allowed in the studio and shop space will be limited to 6 at any one time to ensure appropriate social distancing is maintained, and the “flow of traffic” will be marked on the floor to keep everyone confident that they are where they should be. This is why the event is taking place over a full nine days this year – to ensure that everyone can attend by spreading your visits over a longer period. There will be plenty of outdoor seating as well as hot food and drinks available. If you would like to pre-book your visit to minimise any waiting, please do get in touch via our contact form.
You will, of course, need to wear your face covering inside and hand sanitiser will be available for you to use as you come in.
The various displays and stalls will be manned by Sian and Ash Farm helpers only this year so that overall numbers in the building are low; but don’t worry, there will be plenty of help on hand and we will make sure that any questions you may have about the beautiful and tempting gifts for sale can be answered promptly – and don’t forget, a wrapping service will be available as well.
Details about what the new regime will be like when the mini-lockdown is concluded have yet to be announced but we live in hope and are looking forward to spreading a little light and good cheer this November.
Welcome!
A warm welcome to our new subscribers! We have been so happy to have lots of new subscribers join our newsletter community recently. Thank you for inviting us into your inbox. We look forward to sharing all of our news with you, as well as recipes and articles about life at the farm. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you would like us to feature a particular topic or cover something in more detail. We always love to have your suggestions. We hope that you enjoy receiving our newsletters – you can also find out more about our day to day adventure at Ash Farm over on Instagram!
You love the Pebble cowls… and you’ll love the new colours!
This season sees many of Sian’s most popular designs transformed through the addition of new colourways being incorporated across the ranges. These contemporary hues are vibrant yet soft and bring a strikingly modern freshness to some familiar favourites.
To celebrate our excitement over these new colours in the collections, Sian is offering a very special price in the Pebble range…
Select a Pebble infinity scarf and pair it with a set of wrist warmers from the same range for only £100 until the end of October! Use the code 10PEBBLES at checkout to take advantage of this combined-offer.
This limited time offer is exceptional value and may be the perfect start to your Christmas shopping… or the perfect “pick-me-up” gift for yourself as we head into darker days and longer nights this weekend.
Do something different
With so many of our normal activities continuing to be curtailed as the year wears on, many of us are on the look out for something different to do to fill the time – and more importantly to fill our minds and hands with purposeful and life-giving activity. Being creative has never been more important for our well-being.
We are delighted to have a range of interesting and intriguing workshops scheduled for the new year. Whether you are interested in making prints or jewellery, unique embroideries or story-telling quilts you are bound to find a course to guide you on your way and keep company with you through the process at Ash Farm.
But don’t delay; courses are booking up fast. (If a course that you wanted to attend is fully booked – let us know! By registering your interest it helps us to plan future dates and you can be first in the queue for the next registration.)
Come and stay a while…
One of the most exciting developments currently underway at Ash Farm is the preparation of two accommodation units at the Studio. We are having a lot of fun planning just the right décor and furnishings for your stay. They will, of course, include our fabulously luxurious and comfortable alpaca bedding on king size beds topped off with our favourite blankets and cushions… (wait… we have to pick favourites?!)
Each room has its own external entrance and ensuite facilities as well as tea and coffee supplies for essential refreshment after a lovely walk around the alpaca field and surrounding area.
Whether you are looking for somewhere to stay while attending one of our workshops, or simply looking for a base for a break in beautiful Pembrokeshire, we look forward to welcoming you. Watch this space – we will be starting to take bookings soon for April 2021!
The Tastiest Plant based Mayo…
Sian’s recipes have proved a real hit with our subscribers over recent months and we are pretty sure this one is going to be one of the most popular yet. This plant-based mayonnaise recipe is tasty and versatile and simple to make. Give it a try and let us know how you use yours…
“I honestly don’t know what I’d do without this in our lives now- a super simple yet utterly delicious plant-based mayonnaise. It tastes just like the traditional store-bought mayo (if not better) but this one is:
-healthier
-super quick and easy to make,
-inexpensive with just 4 main ingredients
-and did I mention it is just delicious!?”
Ingredients:
250ml of sunflower oil
125ml of soya unsweetened milk
1 heaped teaspoon of wholegrain mustard (optional)
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
a good pinch of salt and pepper to taste
I use a stick blender to make my mayo. I have tried a food processor, but I do not recommend it – it just doesn’t give the same results.
Method:
- Make sure your milk and oil are at the same temperature before starting this recipe.
- Pour the oil into a blender cup or tall plastic container.
- Add the remaining ingredients – soya milk, mustard, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper.
- Place the stick blender in so that it is resting at the bottom of the container. Pulse until all the ingredients have combined, the mayo has thickened, and you have achieved the consistency you like.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Transfer to a glass container and store in the fridge. Consume within 5 days – if it lasts that long!
This mayo pairs beautifully with the carrot hummus we shared with you last month. It also works well in sandwiches, pasta dishes, as an accompaniment to salads, and as a tasty dip for sweet potato chips.
Notes:
I have tried other oils but I find sunflower oil gives the tastiest results because it is a mild/neutral oil. Olive oil has too strong a taste and I don’t recommend it here.
I use the long-life unsweetened soya milk for making this recipe. Almond milk has also worked but it doesn’t thicken as well as the soya.
I love mustardy mayo so my preference is to include a lovely helping of this in the recipe, however it is not essential and can be left out. This mayo is the perfect base for additional flavours – try adding garlic, a squeeze of lemon with parsley or dill, or even sweet chili sauce or chipotle paste for a bit of a kick.
I hope you enjoy this recipe – I would love to hear how you get on and what variations you try. Why not post a picture #sianodohertyproject and share your inspiration?
Love Sian x
