Welcome to the SRT blog No. 33

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18th December 2020 – Welcome to our blog post No. 33

Did you know these Christmas food facts?

  • Christmas pudding was originally a soup made with raisins and wine.
  • In Victorian times, in a reversal of modern UK tradition, turkey was seen as an expensive meat to eat on Christmas day, and goose was often eaten by poorer families. In A Christmas Carol, Bob Cratchitt was planning to have goose before Ebenezer Scrooge surprised him with the prize turkey.
  • The UK Brussels Sprouts industry (and yes, it’s Brussels sprout, not brussel sprout) is worth £650 million, and the area of the country covered by Brussels Sprouts fields is the equivalent to 3,240 football pitches.

  • Sprout fan Linus Urbanec from Sweden is the current world record holder for the most sprouts eaten in a minute. He managed 31 on 26th November, 2008. I bet Mrs Urbanec slept elsewhere that night…
  • In Somerset and parts of Dorset, it’s traditional for the last person to finish eating their sprouts to have to do the Christmas Day washing up dressed as a giant turkey. This tradition is believed to have started in the 1960s as a way to encourage children to eat the vegetable.
  • Traditionally, families gather together in the kitchen of their homes to mix and steam Christmas pudding on Stir-up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent. Everyone takes a turn to stir the pudding mix and make a special wish for the year ahead
  • The total amount spent on Christmas puddings by the UK is £48,000,000.
  • 10 million- The number of Turkeys cooked in the UK every Christmas.

  • The average Brit consumes around 7,000 calories on Christmas day, and you’ll reach your recommended daily allowance at about 2pm.
  • According to tradition, you should eat one mince pie on each of the 12 days of Christmas to bring good luck.
  • It’s technically illegal to eat mince pies on Christmas Day in England. In the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell banned Christmas pudding, mince pies and anything to do with gluttony. The law has never been rescinded.
  • Japanese people traditionally eat at KFC for Christmas dinner, thanks to a successful marketing campaign 40 years ago. KFC is so popular that customers must place their Christmas orders 2 months in advance.

  • 957- The typical number of calories in your average Christmas dinner.

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The overwintering broad beans are starting to come through at Northchurch. The beans from these plants will be harvested in May.

 

 

 

 

We made a cat identification chart! Featuring their nicknames which help us remember who’s who.

Mike at HFG definitely won the parsnip growing competition this year. But we saved our little crop for the last week of the veg boxes in 2020.

 

It’s been a great year for our veg and looking forward to sowing 2021 seeds!

Steph is tidying the front of the NC shop with our volunteer Caroline who is helping pack the veg boxes. Thanks for the Christmas wreaths, they look great!

We pruned the last of our raspberries and the goats disposed of the evidence.

A big job this week, with new fencing being added to the chicken orchard.

Are the poles straight?

The chickens enjoyed the company – and it wasn’t raining!

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Ellen Fermont helping to make mince pies & Hanna Bryant making a reindeer in the woodshed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lewis Davies & Aisha Lilley working in the willow coppice area & Joseph Fielding tidying a flowerbed

Martin Basford clearing the lawn of leaves & Sophia Lok pouring spiced plum jam into jars

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Birch with a finished reindeer & Michael Stilwell peeling carrots for Christmas dinner

 

 

 

 

 

Luka Grace & Annette Timms sawing wood

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Christmas wreath making has been in full swing and are selling at the Sunnyside Up Café & Farm shop as well as the Northchurch Farm shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are made up of natural foliage, foraged from around the sites and each with it’s own unique and individual decoration.

There are also gift sets of two homemade Sunnyside jams, chutney or jam & chutney. Perfect stocking fillers.

 

 

 

 

But if you want to make it really personalised you can have your own hamper made (while holders last) with your choices of goodies from the shop and gift wrapped ready to give.

The teams have been in the Christmas spirit for the last week or so making lots of mince pies      

– which disappear as quickly as they are made it seems.

 

 

 

 

And then decorating the Christmas cakes that were made a few weeks ago. They look fabulous. Save me a taster piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there’s the story of the Christmas Tree. George was able to find a large tree on his allotment that needed all the team involved to get it to site. It was cut down…..everyone had a turn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then loaded onto the truck…..

…..and carefully moved to its new home – the greenhouse

 

 

 

 

 

Potted up to keep it vertical and then decorated from top to bottom.

Looking sparkly with its lights on

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Only 7 sleeps to Christmas day…….some are excited.

Next week, as Christmas Day is on Friday – our normal blog posting day, I will send out the link on Thursday 24th – same time.

P.S. IMPORTANT NOTE FROM YOUR SIGHT MANAGER: Now we have moved into Tier 3 “We may be working across different tiers for our Outside Contracts. However, if you would prefer to not work in different tiers, please do let us know”