22 Jun 2014

Catering for self-catering

All our cottages are set up for being self-sufficient - just add ingredients. When we were taking our small children to Wales on holiday we found being responsible for three meals a day was quite demanding yet eating out was either difficult with lively children or else expensive. We found a lovely man selling beautiful, simple food he prepared that day and life took on a new dimension. Not least due to his delicious apple pie with local cream. I had a wish some years ago to have a community kitchen in Pickering with training, producing wholesome, affordable food and if there were an excess, to freeze it and sell to the many self-catering cottages in the locality. We now are in a different situation and we now have found a source of delicious meals, freshly prepared and delivered to your cottage. Our assistants Adam and Kim have had extensive experience in the catering and hotel business and have designed meals require minimal input and huge satisfaction. One couple were so impressed with their meal on first arriving that they ate his food every day of the week! Noelle and family have enjoyed one of his meals and are ever hopeful to try the 'leftovers' but it is not going to happen. Each meal seems to delight our guests and they like to order for subsequent evenings. The food is individually prepared and delivered with instructions for heating. It is designed so that everything requires one temperature and one time to reduce error and need to follow complex instructions. Portions seem generous and the overall price makes it a reasonable option to eating out or driving around looking for the missing ingredients for your own dish. The best thing to do is to have a look at his website where you can also order and pay online. Zakshomemade.com and if you like to see a sneak preview of your meal Adam is happy to answer queries and help you to enjoy your holiday. Meanwhile it has been an age since we last posted. Could do better. We are currently enjoying a beautiful spell of summer weather with foxgloves, lupins and a huge flush of rose blooms combining to make the gardens look magical. Our friends at the top of the garden have been in evidence and have been spotted several times by guests. The paddock is ever more child friendly and the willow bendyhouse has been woven up for the summer. Eddie is living with us for a while and has brought order to the vegetable patch, flowers to our green roof and ducks to eat our slugs. Nathaniel is now nearly two and Anabelle nearly eight weeks old. Pure delight.