DOMVS Enterprise Club - Issue 1 - Winter 2017

DOMVS Enterprise Club 

Winter 2017 

# 001 

Inspired Living 

THE BEST DORSET HAS 

TO OFFER THIS WINTER 

Stunning seasonal photography 

competition 

The ultimate recipe guide 

Dorset winter events 

Your chance to sample 

exclusives from our members 

Dairy cows make... 

vodka? 

They do if they’re 

Black Cow! 

Primrose proves 

how a few small 

changes to your 

diet can lead to 

big results. 

Making a 

splash with 

Fordington Gin. 

How the right 

fragrance can 

give you the best 

Hygge this winter. 

Dorset Tea: 

Our county’s 

very own tea 

sensation. 

Enterprise Club Newsletter v2.indd 1 05/12/2017 12:02:23

DOMVS Enterprise 

Club Members 

Our members comprise some of the 

best producers Dorset has to offer. We 

are all independent businesses founded 

and located in Dorset, who have come 

together to promote not only each 

other, but the wonderful lifestyle and 

products our glorious county has to 

offer. We are always looking for exciting 

and innovative new members, so if you 

fit the bill and would like to be involved, 

please get in touch. 

Welcome to DOMVS Enterprise Club! 

At DOMVS, we know that moving home is a choice just as much about lifestyle as it is 

about bricks and mortar. The brands people buy, the food they eat, and the experiences 

they have are also key parts of that lifestyle choice. We started to reach out to those in 

our community who offer the best in Dorset, in the hope that we could work together to 

give our customers the absolute best. What a response we had! 

I am so proud that we have come together to showcase our county, our community, and 

our products. I really do think this publication gives a brilliant insight into what is going 

on in Dorset, as well as giving you a brilliant opportunity to try something new, be it Black 

Cow Vodka, lemon curd from Rebecca’s Kitchen, or a cup of Dorset Tea first thing in the 

morning. 

In this first issue, we have some wonderful behind-the-scenes stories, ideas for day trips 

around our wonderful county (complete with secret insider tips), as well as some of the 

tastiest recipes and food ideas for this season. 

We do hope you enjoy and take full advantage of everything we have to offer. 

Polly Greenway, Director, DOMVS 

Remembrance 

Every year DOMVS is proud to honour all those who have fought for and served our country. Dorset is home to a large number of veterans 

and serving personnel, and we believe, therefore, it is even more important that we show our support. To that end, each year we replace all 

our shop front advertising with images of the poppy during the lead up to Remembrance Sunday, in support of the Royal British Legion’s 

Poppy Appeal. This year, we invited other businesses to join our offices in Dorchester, Preston, and Wareham in a show of community 

support, to remember together. 

Additionally, we offered tea, coffee, and cakes in each of our offices, and welcomed contributions towards the Poppy Appeal. We were 

especially pleased to meet the members of the armed forces, past or present, who popped in for a tasty treat and shared their stories. Next 

year, we would love to see this happen across the county – even the country – so that together, we will remember them. 

1 2 

Enterprise Club Newsletter v2.indd 2-3 05/12/2017 12:02:46

SPOTLIGHT ON 

FORDINGTON GIN 

Fordington Gin is a new and contemporary Gin, locally handmade and created in Dorchester 

in the heart of Dorset. We use a London Dry Gin base, adding a special and uniquely magical 

twist inspired by the absinthe botanicals. We work with wormwood, lemon balm, star anise, 

aniseed, and a few spices to bring you Fordington Gin, which has a very light yet refreshing 

taste that is gentle and distinctive in flavour. 

In 1934, our founder, Keith Spicer, started blending teas in his Bournemouth kitchen. Equipped with an old butcher’s 

bike, he set out to deliver his creations to businesses around Dorset. 

75 years later, in 2009, Dorset Tea was created to celebrate Keith’s work, and its Dorset’s natural beauty and sunshine 

which go into every cup today; that’s why we call it Golden Blend tea. 

ALL IN THE GOLDEN BLEND 

Our tea blenders, Jimmy Medhora and Tony Warr, are experts in creating award-winning teas, and carefully select teas from Africa and 

India to keep Dorset Tea Golden Blend tasting as delicious today as it always has. With 57 years’ combined tea-blending expertise, Jimmy 

and Tony work collaboratively with specially selected tea gardens, selecting only the best teas for use in our precious blend. They work 

hard to ensure that the Dorset Tea Golden Blend consistently delivers a smooth tea that is full of flavour. This is how we have retained 

our Great Taste Award since 2010. 

Dorset Tea Golden Blend is available in packs of 40 and 80 square tea bags, and 250 tea sachets (catering packs are also available, so 

please contact us if you want to open a trade account). Decaffeinated Dorset Tea can also be bought in packs of 80 square tea bags. 

Being a great Gin drinker for many years now, Ros continues to enjoy a really good gin & 

tonic. Not always being able to get a well-served G&T, Ros has set out to reach those who 

would love to join her in the wonderful world of gin - hoping to bring the true joys of gin 

drinking to a wider audience. As well as her very own Fordington Gin, Ros offers Gin Talks, 

Tasting, and Tea Parties. The talks are lots of fun; we navigate through the history of gin, 

lots of tastings, and, of course, how to make the perfect gin & tonic. We also run fundraising 

events – do see more details on our website at www.fordingtongin.co.uk 

Fordington Gin is a member of Dorset Food & Drink, who bring community and business 

together by promoting Dorset’s diverse and exciting food and drink sector. 

Ros’ Top Tips for 

a Seasonal G&T 

DISCOVER THE TASTE OF DORSET 

Our love of Dorset has inspired us to create a new range of fruit and herbal infusions, and green teas which capture the all-round loveliness 

of our beautiful county. From Strawberries & Cream tea to Cool Camomile, our new teas will bring you the taste of Dorset wherever you 

happen to be. 

FRUIT TEA INFUSIONS 

• Strawberries & Cream – as deliciously indulgent and tasty as a Dorset cream tea. 

• Blackberry Syllabub – juicy blackberry tea and indulgent cream flavours as deliciously decadent as this classic Dorset dessert. 

• Foraged Fruits – this wild fruit tea incorporates juicy blackberry, sweet strawberry, and soft raspberry flavours inspired by Dorset’s 

abundant hedgerows and natural fruit. 

HERBAL INFUSION TEAS 

• Wild about Mint – peppermint, wild herbs, and tingling nettles as invigorating as Dorset’s sea breezes. 

• Earl of Dorset – a herbal earl grey tea, celebrating all the great Dorset earls. 

• Cool Camomile – camomile with lemongrass and raspberry infusion, inspired by Dorset’s laid back approach. 

• Ginger with Sunshine Lemon - warming ginger and lemon infusion as glorious as a Dorset sunset. 

GREEN TEAS 

• Pure Green Tea – light and refreshing pure green tea inspired by the lush, green Dorset countryside. 

• Green Tea with Sunshine Lemon – light and refreshing with a boost of zingy lemon. This lemon-flavoured tea is bright and bold like a 

summer’s day in Dorset. 

• Green Tea with Peppermint - Awaken your senses with our refreshing Green Tea; a breath of fresh Dorset air with peppermint flavour. 

• Green Tea with Coconut - Feel the sand between your toes with our exotic limited edition Green Tea with Coconut. 

Each flavour comes in a pack of 20 tea sachets. 

RAINFOREST ALLIANCE 

Our natural surroundings, their maintenance, and the well-being of workers are very important to us. We, therefore, only use 100% 

Rainforest Alliance Certified tea for our Golden Blend Dorset Tea. This means that the workers and farmers who carefully grow and select 

the leaves in our tea can also enjoy a good quality of life while protecting their natural environment, which is as important to us as it is to 

them. For more information about Rainforest Alliance, please visit http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/ 

Makes 12 cup cakes 

Preparation time: 20 minutes 

Cooking time: 15 minutes 

Preheat the oven to 200° C / gas mark 6 

First make the cup cakes: 

100g margarine or unsalted butter 

100g caster sugar 

2 eggs 

100g self-raising flour 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla essence, and 

stir together gently. A bit at a time, fold in the flour mix carefully and well. Divide the 

mixture into 12 cupcake cases placed in a cupcake baking tray. Bake in a preheated 

oven for 15 minutes. Once ready, place on a baking tray to cool. 

To make the butter icing: 

100g softened unsalted butter 

150g icing sugar 

100ml Fordington Gin 

Beat together the softened butter and icing sugar. Gently add the Fordington Gin and 

mix well. Put the cream mixture into a piping bag to decorate your cup cakes. We have 

used lime, mint and angelica, but get creative! The cupcakes also look really good with 

brandy cherries or blackberries — or make them festive! 

Cheers, and happy eating! 

Fordington Gin 

Cupcakes 

Winter might not seem the obvious 

season for a G&T — normally associated 

with summer — but why limit yourself to 

only enjoying gin for part of the year? 

In fact, winter offers some fantastic 

flavours, so don’t be afraid to try some 

of these with your favourite tipple: 

Rhubarb — this can bring a perfect tangy, 

sweetness to your gin, especially when 

combined with... 

Red apple — as the autumn comes to a 

close, the fruit this time of year can be extra 

sweet; a perfect balance to the sharpness of 

rhubarb. 

Ginger — known in Asian cuisine for its 

warmth and spice, the flavours work equally 

well in a good G&T. 

My favourite for this time of year (and it just 

so happens have to coincide with Hallowe’en) 

is pumpkin gin: 

• 25ml Fordington Gin 

• 25ml pumpkin purée 

• 40ml fresh lemon juice 

• 40ml sugar syrup 

Mix the ingredients in a shaker of ice, and top 

with ginger ale. 

This is a quirky recipe, perfectly timed to 

go with the best of the winter festivities, or 

maybe to be enjoyed whilst the little ones are 

out trick-or-treating! 

3 4 


Get some 

Hygge in 

Your Life 

Scandinavia seems to be all the rage at the 

moment; Scandi-Drama is the latest TV 

sensation, Scandinavian furniture is (still) 

the home decor must-have, and Scandinavian 

food, well, a good Danish open-faced sandwich 

is a thing to behold! Now, in more and more 

areas of life, we are coming across the concept 

of ‘Hygge’ (even auto-correct recognises the 

word!). 

So what is hygge, and why has it become so popular? Loosely translated, in the way that many of these words are when they relate to a 

concept rather than an object, it means ‘cosiness’, but that is to do the concept a disservice, for it is really far more than that. It is family, 

good food, warmth, comfort, contentedness, all rolled into an easy five-letter package. What’s more, autumn and winter are the perfect 

hygge time of year. In the UK, it’s at this time of year, with its uniquely British combination of drizzle, sun (combined with freezing cold), 

and evermore inconsistent temperatures, that we start to retreat indoors, Hygge is the perfect antidote, designed to make you feel warm 

inside, despite the outside’s ever-increasing unpredictability. 

Purbeck’s Perfect Hygge 

Melting wax on our old AGA in a rented cottage overlooking Corfe Castle, blending 

essential oils and creating natural candles in vintage teacups would eventually become 

the Purbeck Candles we are today. To be honest, not a lot has changed. We still blend 

and pour everything by hand here in this beautiful part of Dorset, but instead of filling 

teacups and random glass jars, we now have a wonderful range of tinned candles, as 

well as stunning glassware and our very popular reed diffusers. 

Creating our blends using pure essential oils, building a fragrance layer by layer, 

creating a scent that people love just gives me such pleasure. I want to help people 

create a wonderful home environment that invites and envelopes everyone who enters 

in a beautiful natural aroma! 

All of our candles and reed diffusers are packed full of wonderful natural ingredients 

and fragranced using 100% pure essential oils, nothing else is added. Every product is 

blended and hand poured in beautiful Dorset to be enjoyed everywhere... 

There’s alchemy in creating something magical from basic natural ingredients, taking 

that passion and turning it into a luxury product. From humble beginnings, creating 

beautiful scents by blending essential oils at the kitchen table, melting soy wax on the 

AGA and creating stunning natural candles in a Dorset country kitchen, we have grown 

to having a range of incredible products that can now enhance a home anywhere in the 

country. 

A natural home fragrance range, imagined, designed and created in Dorset using 100% 

natural ingredients. It can only be Purbeck Candles. 

How does one become, or should it be create Hygge? Hygge can be many things, or, perhaps more accurately, one can feel Hygge from 

many things. Try starting by adding some blankets and cushions to your bed and sofa — you cant feel Hygge with cold toes! If you have a 

wood-burner or fireplace, light the fire. Warming, slow-cooked comfort food is another good place to start (we have a wonderful recipe on 

page 15 that should hit the spot), and returning home to that smell of a wonderful home-cooked meal is guaranteed to make you feel hygge. 

In fact, smell is a key part of feeling hygge — and it goes beyond food. Smell is an often-overlooked yet key sense when it comes to making 

us feel comfortable. It’s amazing how smell can become associated with particular events or times of year — how often have you caught 

the scent of orange and cinnamon and thought of Christmas, even in summer? Fire is also particularly important; Scandinavian homes, 

and Finnish ones too, are often full of candles. Fire seems to have a primeval effect on human beings. Campfires have come to be known 

as ‘bush TV’, presumably because we cannot help but gaze at open flames. One can only imagine it must stem from a time when fire really 

did mean protection, warmth, and food — something hardwired in our evolutionary DNA. 

So Hygge is smell, warmth, fire, 

and food? It’s more than that. 

Hygge is also about how you live 

your life, about focusing on what 

is in front of you, rather than what 

you’re aiming for or what has yet 

to come. The next time you go for 

a walk, focus less on how far you’re 

aiming to go and more on the wind 

in the leaves, the birds in the trees, 

and the ground beneath your feet. 

Getting back to nature is incredibly 

important to hygge. 

Even our daily habits can be heavily 

influenced by hygge. It is even 

changing people’s eating habits; 

many espouse eating four meals 

a day rather than three, to make 

mealtimes more evenly spaced. 

Devotees report feeling more 

energised throughout the entirety 

of the day, which is certainly an 

attractive prospect. It seems hygge 

is a concept well worth exploring, 

and a craze we should hope is here 

to stay, for the good of all our wellbeing. 

5 6 


Lyme Regis 

& The Cobb 

The Cobb at Lyme Regis is justifiably famous 

and is steeped in history. Constructed in 1313, 

the basic structure has remained largely 

unchanged, despite a few extensions and 

improvements made over the subsequent 

centuries. It was the location of that famous 

scene in the ‘French Lieutenant’s Woman’, 

as well as featuring in some of Jane Austin’s 

best works. All this provides a wonderful 

background to watching the comings and 

goings of this still-working harbour. 

Lyme Regis itself is a beautiful seaside town; 

a perfect place to visit to ‘show off’ Dorset to 

those London friends staying with you for the 

weekend. 

After a fantastic breakfast of bagels, smoked 

salmon, and scrambled eggs, we set off on the 

stunning drive to West Dorset. The views from 

the main road from Dorchester to Bridport 

are absolutely stunning and, on a good day, 

you can see all the way to Devon in one direct, 

Portland Bill to the other, and off into the 

heart of Dorset inland. Alternatively, one can 

take the equally breathtaking ‘back’ road that 

winds its way past Hardy’s Monument, through 

the picturesque village of Abbotsbury, and 

along the world-famous Jurassic Coast. 

Once in Lyme Regis, lunch was the order of 

the day for us. Luckily, a brilliant beach-front 

restaurant serves mouth-watering mussels 

and equally fantastic fish and chips, and their 

outside terrace provides the perfect setting 

for a chat and a spot of people-watching. 

The Cobb itself, in plain view of the beach 

front, is the launch point for the town’s 

lifeboat as well as its fishing fleet. During the 

summer, the RNLI offer the public the chance 

to have a look around the lifeboat station, talk 

to the crew, and get a feel for the vital work 

the charity conducts every day. 

Capturing 

the Best 

of Dorset 

Every quarter, we will be showcasing the 

best from Dorset’s budding photographers. 

We will be featuring four of our favourite 

photographs right here, and the winning 

image will appear on our front cover. To 

top it off, the winner and a runner-up will 

receive a hamper full of goodies from the 

DOMVS Enterprise Club members. 

To enter, please send your photographs of 

Dorset to charlie.simonds@domvs.co.uk 

After a browse around the many side streets 

and boutique shops, we decided to venture 

out onto The Cobb. Luckily for us, it wasn’t 

too windy, though it’s easy to see how the 

waves crash over the stone structure on a 

stormy day. At the end is the magical Lyme 

Regis Marine Aquarium, dedicated to the sea 

life that thrives along the Dorset coast, and 

well worth a visit. 

With lunch fully digested and the cobwebs 

unequivocally blown away, we headed up to 

Lister Gardens for a round of mini-golf. There’s 

only one thing worse than a sore loser, and 

that’s a bad winner, but more on that (from 

the true mini-golf champion) next time. 

7 8 


In the Kitchen 

with Primrose 

Primrose’s Kitchen makes 100% natural whole-food 

products in the heart of Dorset following Naturopathic 

Principles. We offer a range of products that are glutenfree 

and vegan-friendly, with ranges that are organic and 

paleo as well. They are all handmade in small batches by 

our passionate and energetic team. 

Never Mind the 

Gold Top, here’s 

Black Cow Vodka 

Made in West Dorset on England’s south west coast, Black 

Cow is the world’s first pure milk vodka, made from the 

milk of grass-grazed cows and nothing else. Black Cow 

is an award-winning, super premium, crystal clear vodka 

with a smooth and creamy character. 

The inspiration for the business came from Primrose’s own health. She suffered with chronic fatigue and ME for years during her teens, and 

looked to complimentary medicine for solutions. Changing her diet had the biggest impact, and the more she learnt the more interested 

she became, which initiated a degree in homeopathy and studies in naturopathy in London. 

For years Primrose made products for herself using high quality, nutritious ingredients like raw beetroot and carrot, coconut oil, hemp, 

psyllium, and chia. She felt there was an opportunity to bring them to the wider world, as there was a lack of great-tasting, innovative 

breakfast products on the shelves. 

She began making her muesli products in her kitchen in Dorset, and took them to the local farm shops and farmers markets, and was 

eventually picked up by Selfridges, Planet Organic, Whole Foods Market, and Waitrose. Since then, the business has slowly grown, and works 

from its base in Buckland Newton, employing nine staff, most of whom live in the village. Primrose is now exporting to eight countries, and 

is developing new products all the time. 

‘The whole process for me was a very empowering one. As I learnt more about what I was putting into my body I could 

make decisions for my health. My mission for Primrose’s Kitchen is to inspire and empower other individuals through 

the products I make, to get them to try things that they might not have ordinarily and to begin a new relationship with 

food and where it comes from, how it is made, and how it can be used as a medicine. As Hippocrates said “Let food be 

thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. 

I want people to feel excited when they see my products and be uplifted by the taste as much as the bright engaging 

packaging. As well as this, the environment and our responsibility to be sustainable is of huge importance to us. We 

source, where possible, local UK ingredients, employees from the village and nearby community, and are continually 

looking to improve our packaging and become zero-waste in our factory. Alongside our products we are starting to run 

educational workshops and events, which we hope will inspire those who attend. 

Primrose loves Dorset, and lives just outside Bridport with her whippet, Isla. 

WHERE DID THE IDEA COME FROM? 

Pure Milk Vodka is the invention of West Dorset dairy farmer Jason Barber. His inspiration came from a desire to diversify the produce 

of his 250-strong dairy herd and his personal interest in vodka. Black Cow was founded in May 2012 by Jason and creative, Paul Archard. 

HOW IS IT MADE? 

Most vodka is made from grain or potato, whereas Black Cow is uniquely made entirely from milk. The milk is separated into curds and 

whey. The whey, which contains the sugar needed to produce alcohol, is fermented, using a special yeast, into a milk beer. The milk beer is 

then distilled and treated to Black Cow’s secret blending process. The vodka is triple filtered and finished before being hand-bottled. The 

vodka has no additives or flavourings, is gluten-free, and is suitable for those with lactose intolerance, as all the milk sugar (lactose) has 

been converted into alcohol. 

THE CHEESE 

The curds are used to make Black Cow Vintage Cheddar by the Barber family, who have been making cheese in the West Country for 

generations. 

THE AWARDS 

Black Cow has won a Gold medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Awards, as well as Best in Class and a Gold at Taste of the 

West, and two stars at the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards. 

TASTING NOTES - ALICE LASCELLES, THE TIMES 

‘I wasn’t sure what to expect when I tasted Black Cow, a new vodka from a dairy farm in Dorset. I’d heard grisly tales 

of fermented milk beverages from Mongolia, and I wasn’t optimistic, but it turned out to be lovely stuff. Very fresh and 

cool on the nose at first - wet paint, damp earth, a slight saltiness, before underlying thickness emerges, with hints of 

cocoa powder and vanilla. The palate, too, is surprisingly clean and quite light, with dry cocoa beans that fill out with 

creamy vanilla pod, before closing on a snappy, pepper finish... a very nice sipping vodka that’s worth drinking as neat 

as possible.’ 

Dirty Cow Martini 

Black Cow Founder, Jason Barber 

9 10 


Make Your Own Christmas Holly Wreath 

Figure Eight - it’s the Curves that Count 

Groves Nurseries is a family run business 

in Bridport. Established in 1866, they know 

a thing or two about gardening. Their fiveacre 

site offers a huge outdoor area selling 

a vast array of plants suited to any size 

of garden. The shop stocks everything a 

gardener could need, from garden sundries 

to outdoor furniture. There is also a café 

serving home-cooked food all day long 

from breakfast onwards. 

In 2014, the staff at Groves were voted the 

Greatest Garden Centre Team in the UK, 

and in 2015 it was listed among the top 25 

nurseries in the UK. As well as the Bridport 

site, the family also runs ‘Little Groves’, a 

smaller nurseries located in Beaminster. 

Every Christmas, Groves team members 

Helen and Becky make hundreds of festive 

wreaths for sale at the nurseries. This year 

they’ve shared their expert techniques 

with us to help you make your very own: 

‘In life, as in art, the beautiful moves in curves’ - Edward Bulwer-Lytton 

‘Figure Eight‘ is an independant destination boutique of the South West, with a regular 

clientele travelling to Dorset from across the UK and beyond to peruse its range of fabulous, 

colourful in-house designs, and designer labels from across Europe. Ideally situated in the 

centre of Dorchester, Figure Eight caters for ladies with curves from a size 10 up to and 

including a size 32. Additionally, as an accomplished dressmaker creating many of her own 

designs, proprietor Elaine Keetch is able to design bespoke pieces for special occasions such 

as weddings, dinner parties, or Ladies Day at the races. Also available is a personal shopping 

experience for the discerning Dorset shopper wanting to look and feel confident, glamorous, 

and on-trend every day. 

You may be wondering, why Dorchester? Passionate about the location of her boutique 

store, Elaine has the answer: ‘Dorset offers idyllic rural living among magnificent rolling 

hills and picturesque villages. Such famous sights as Maiden Castle, Sherborne Abbey, and 

the Cerne Abbas Giant make this is an enviable part of the country in which to both work 

and live. Dorchester itself is the beautiful county town, steeped in history and, yet, modern 

enough to satisfy the demands of life today. With its wide, tree-lined avenues, stunning new 

developments, fabulous shopping opportunities, and up-and-coming social scene, Dorchester 

combines the essence of Thomas Hardy’s ‘Mayor of Casterbridge’ with the sleek, modern 

designs of Brewery Square, seamlessly marrying old with new.’ 

To browse the collections and find out more visit: figure8collection.co.uk 

What You 

Will Need: 

• 1 x wire wreath ring 

• 1 x bag of sphagnum moss 

• Holly cut into 6” sections 

• Some greenery for a backing 

(we use conifer clippings) 

• 1 x reel of thin wire 

• 1 x pack of stub wire 

• Secateurs 

• A bow, pine cones, and other 

decorations of your choice 

1. Tease out the moss and lay a fist-sized bundle on top of the wire ring. 

2. Fasten one end of the reel of wire to the ring and start to wrap the wire around the moss in a circular fashion. Keep the wire taut and 

continue working it around the ring, adding more moss bundles until the ring is completely covered. 

3. Lay the prepared greenery on top of the moss, adding one piece at a time in the same direction, and securing it with a single wrap of 

wire. Place holly on top of this, ensuring no moss is visible, and continue until the whole ring is covered. 

4. Tie off the wire with a few extra wraps around the wreath, then draw a longer piece of wire up to form a loop to hang the wreath. 

5. Finish your wreath off with a bow. You might also like to use bunches of berries from holly, cotoneaster, ivy, or even rosehips to add more 

colour, or some dried fruit and cinnamon sticks. 

6. Hang your wreath outside, and keep the moss moist. It should last for several weeks. 

11 12 


In the Garden 

Autumnal Reds By May Franklin-Davis 

with Sarah 

DOMVS certainly don’t let the grass grow under their feet, so when asked to be involved 

in their Enterprise Club, I was delighted to have the opportunity to elaborate even more 

on the ‘grassy’ side of things! 

These days, gardens are often referred to as ‘green spaces’, the words frequently 

encapsulating two rare and vanishing commodities, except, that is, in Dorset where we 

have an abundance of both. With a stunning coastline, tranquillity, and rolling landscapes 

that would have inspired Ravilious, it’s the perfect recipe for a home, and if that home 

can sit naturally and comfortably within the landscape, then you have a true delight. 

So, how do you encapsulate that wider view and bring it into your garden, particularly if you live in a town? Plants know a thing or two and, 

if you choose the right ones, you’ll send a personal invitation to every bee and butterfly, goldfinch, robin, et al. And gardens that are kind 

to wildlife don’t need to be overgrown and messy. Biodiversity is the key. 

7 WAYS TO INCREASE BIODIVERSITY IN YOUR GARDEN 

• Grow a good mixture of trees and shrubs. 

• Avoid hybridised cultivars and double flowers, they contain little pollen or nectar. A few 

of the best to plant are daisies of all kinds, sedum, marjoram, lavender, stachys, cirsium, 

and verbena. 

• Water. It doesn’t have to be a pond, almost any container will work. 

• Use plants which provide berries and seeds as well as safe nesting places, such as 

hawthorn, crab apple, yew, clematis, ivy, and teasels, and if you’re feeling generous, 

share your blueberries with the blackbirds – they absolutely love them! 

• Make and use compost; you’ll have healthier soil. 

• Don’t be too tidy. Leave small piles of leaves, stone, or logs and, if possible, some patches 

of long grass. 

• Avoid pesticides - they destroy beneficial insects and micro-organisms - and only use 

herbicides when really necessary. Given time, your garden will create its own natural 

balance without spraying. 

Over the years, I’ve developed a very successful working relationship with a landscaper extraordinaire by the name of Alan Horley. We read 

from the same page, and if you’re trying to decide what to do or what’s possible, we’re happy to share our knowledge and expertise with 

you. There’s no obligation; we’re pleased to help. 

When you receive your keys from DOMVS (having had fabulous service, of course), explore how to unlock the door to creating a glorious 

garden to complement your new home. 

If you go down to Brownsea Island today you 

will almost certainly spot a flash of red fur in 

amongst the foliage, perhaps even a busy red 

tail flicking along a branch. Then, if you are 

lucky, a curious little nose and set of paws 

might appear out of the undergrowth on the 

hunt for food. These all belong to the red 

squirrel, a native species for which the island, 

situated in Poole Harbour in Dorset, and 

certain other areas across the UK, have been 

their refuges. 

Until recently, the populations of these 

popular furry creatures had declined severely, 

to the point of the species being marked as 

endangered. This was the result of several 

factors, but especially competition for 

food and territory with the non-native grey 

squirrels (which were introduced to the UK 

during the 1940s), losses of habitat through 

deforestation, and a susceptibility to certain 

diseases. Conservation efforts across the UK 

have succeeded in helping them come back 

from the brink, however, strengthening the 

few populations found in Dorset, certain parts 

of Wales, Lancashire, and localities across 

Scotland. Still a rare and protected species, 

their numbers have grown steadily over the 

last few decades and are now estimated to 

number around 161,000. 

Red squirrels are smaller than their grey 

relatives, they also develop large tufts of fur 

on the tips of their ears during the winter 

which the greys do not have. They live in many 

types of woodland, but prefer pine forests 

as it is easier for them to find food. Their 

reproductive cycle allows females to have two 

litters a year, with the most common litter 

size being around two or three. The young are 

known as kittens and are entirely reliant on 

their mother until they reach ten weeks old. 

Red squirrels do not hibernate, and can be 

seen all through the year. Brownsea Island 

is currently closed for the winter, but will be 

open from March 2018 when you can visit. 

Meanwhile, why not adopt a red squirrel as 

a Christmas present for the wildlife lover in 

your life? For more information, visit: 

www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildadoptions 

If you’re thinking of a new design for your garden, or are trying to improve a tricky 

area, 

just call me. I’d be delighted to give a free 1 hour consultation. 

Please call 01305 751230 or 07808 471937. 

13 14 


Dorset’s 

Chutney 

Champion 

Lesley Waters Cookery School at Abbot’s Hill Farm is in the heart of the West Dorset countryside in a stunning position with a spectacular 

view. It is about fresh, simple ingredients and creating great food, but it’s not just about the cooking. it’s the whole day, meeting people, 

and enjoying the atmosphere, where you can relax, learn, and laugh. Lesley‘s modern and quirky style is both entertaining and inspirational, 

while her experience in teaching is second to none. We pride ourselves on creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and you will take 

home with you the knowledge and the know-how to create simple, stylish food with confidence and flair. No expert skills are needed; you 

just need to enjoy good food and good company. The school offers a wide range of hands-on and demonstration days for all abilities. 

Full details of all of the courses and the full calendar are available at www.lesleywaters.com 

Alternatively, you can email us at info@lesleywaters.com or call us on 0844 800 4633 

Slow-Cooked Rabbit with Prunes and Beer 

Ingredients: 

40g butter 

30ml olive over 

1 onion, finely chopped 

1 large garlic clover, crushed 

2 celery sticks, chopped 

8 streaky bacon rashers, chopped 

2 tbsp. flour 

2 tsp. black pepper 

2 rabbits, jointed into 6 pieces 

200ml beer 

600ml chicken stock 

2 bay leaves 

8 juniper berries, crushed 

250g D’Agen prunes 

2 squares good quality dark, bitter chocolate, grated 

Rebecca’s Kitchen produces a delicious range 

of homemade preserves, using as much local 

and seasonal produce as possible. Rebecca 

works from her home kitchen in Wareham, 

Dorset. 

Rebecca made her first batch of Date, Pepper & Apple Chutney in autumn 2012 using a glut of home-grown apples. Various other jam and 

chutney experiments followed, with her family being chief tasters! At this initial stage, she had no intention of making a business out of it, 

but with lots of encouragement and support, Rebecca’s Kitchen was launched in April 2013. 

Throughout the year, Rebecca cooks with seasonal and fresh produce, sourcing it locally wherever possible. The year kicks off with 

marmalade, making use of the Spanish citrus fruits which are at their best in January and February. Spring and summer are ‘jam’ packed 

with rhubarb, gooseberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, damsons, blackberries, raspberries, and lots more. By autumn, Rebecca is 

inundated with home-grown apples, perfect for making chutney. 

Rebecca was awarded Gold at the Taste of the West Awards 2015, and 2 stars at the 

Great Taste Awards 2017 for her Lemon Curd. This is one of her bestsellers, and is used 

by Chococo Chocolates in their Lemon Zing chocolate. Rebecca also picked up a Bronze 

award for her Seville Orange Marmalade at the World’s Original Marmalade Awards 

2017. 

Rebecca’s Kitchen products are stocked in several shops throughout Purbeck and 

further afield. Rebecca also attends various food fairs throughout the year, further 

details of which can be found on her website, www.rebeccaskitchen.co.uk 

Heat half the butter and oil in a large sauté pan, add the onion, and cook gently 

for 6 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, celery, and bacon and cook 

for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set to one side. 

Place the flour and cracked pepper in a large plastic bag, and season 

with salt. Add the rabbit pieces and shake well to coat each piece evenly. 

Heat the remaining butter and oil in the sauté pan and fry the rabbit in 

batches until golden on both sides. Transfer the rabbit to another large pan. 

Return the onion, celery, and bacon mixture to the sauté pan, and 

add any leftover flour from the plastic bag. Stir well for 1 minute. 

Stir in the beer and stock, scraping up all the sediment from the bottom 

of the pan. Add the bay, juniper, and prunes. Pour all the liquid over 

the rabbit, bring to the boil, cover, and simmer gently for 2.5 hours. 

Lift out the rabbit and place on a warm serving dish. Whisk the chocolate into the 

sauce, season to taste and pour over the rabbit. Serve with potato mash. 

Rebecca’s upcoming events: 

RNLI College Christmas Market, Poole - Sunday 3rd December - 11am to 4pm 

Swanage Christmas Market, Swanage - Saturday 9th December - 10am to 4pm 

15 16 


Introducing: The 

Highbrow Clinic 

Do you ever wish you could always look 

effortlessly well groomed, making the most 

of your natural beauty? Louisa Franzen, 

Sarah Dale, and their teams at The Highbrow 

Clinic are here to introduce you to the latest 

in Permanent Cosmetic, Aesthetic, and High 

Definition treatments. 

Louisa, owner and director of the clinic, has 

gained an outstanding reputation for the 

skill and precision she brings to her work, 

transforming appearances and boosting client 

self-confidence through semi-permanent 

cosmetic treatments to eyebrows, eye liners, 

and lips. The procedure involves infusing 

hypo-allergenic pigments into the dermal layers of your skin, where colour will remain for approximately 3-5 years. The result can be as 

dramatic or natural as you desire. Louisa is a qualified cosmetic micro-pigmentation specialist who trained at the Natural Enhancement 

Academy in London, suppliers of training to Harrods, Harvey Nicholls, and the NHS. Her highly qualified staff offer High Definition treatments, 

hugely popular in top end, prestigious London Department stores. Clients eyebrows are redesigned, shaped, tinted, and tailored to give 

definition which can last up to six weeks. Additionally, the team offers individual lash extensions and Russian lashes, giving your eyes an 

instant lift. There is also increasing demand for male High Definition grooming trend treatments. 

The Highbrow Clinic is also home to Sarah Dale Aesthetics, owned and founded by Sarah 

Dale, a medical aesthetician and registered nurse with over 15 years’ experience in Intense 

Pulse Light (IPL) and Laser treatments for permanent hair removal and skin rejuvenation. 

Together with her dedicated team, Sarah brings you the most advanced skincare and nonsurgical 

treatments using medical aesthetic equipment to help you look and feel fabulous. 

SDA offers a complete range of services that can be tailored to each individual client. These 

include permanent hair removal; scar, red vein, and pigmentation reduction; skin rejuvenation 

for sun damage repair; and reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. They also offer the Venus 

Freeze, a radio frequency and magnetic pulse combo for lifting and tightening facial and 

body treatments, and cellulite reduction. 

As The Highbrow Clinic celebrates its first six months, Louisa is delighted to welcome Gavin 

Sandrey, who will be offering his expert skills and experience in Sports Therapy. With a 

background in professional sports, both playing and coaching, he has a great understanding 

of movement and training. Not just for sportsmen and women, Gav’s sports therapy will be 

able to help with mobility issues, postural and muscular imbalances, or just aching muscles. 

To help you maintain and enhance your treatments, the popular High Definition make-up range is available to purchase and is used in our 

make-up lessons and makeovers. SDA offer the Medik8 cosmeceutical skincare range, and recommend visiting us for a skin analysis to find 

the right products just for you. 

Come and visit us soon. Book an appointment and mention this feature, and we will be delighted to offer you 10% off your first treatment. 

Wonderful Wallpaper 

Have no fear, we’re not going to bombard you with a wordy article 

about old fashioned, chintzy floral wallpapers. Let me tell you 

wallpapers are back, and with more variety and choice than ever 

before. 

Updated florals, leafy tropical prints, cute metallic stars, classic 

stripes, Indian prints, hot air balloons, and blue china plates are 

just some of wallpapers I have seen recently and absolutely loved. 

Whatever theme and colours you have chosen for your room, there 

is a wallpaper which will work for you. 

Wallpapers are a wonderful way to inject colour and pattern into a 

room; either go small with a feature wall and paint the other walls 

in a toning colour, or go bold and wallpaper the whole room. 

Most wallpapers have suggested co-ordinating fabrics too, which, 

made into a few simple scatter cushions or even curtains, can 

really complete the look. Alternatively, try picking out a key colour 

within the wallpaper and matching to that through key elements 

in the room such as cushions, a rug, or even some wall art. Or 

why not frame some of the wallpaper to reflect the design on an 

opposite wall? 

My tip: make sure you calculate exactly what you need and 

always order a little extra, as wallpaper leftovers make brilliant 

lampshades. 

Spots and Stripes 

Upstairs, 

Downstairs, 

Spots, and 

Stripes 

Owner of enchanting Upstairs Downstairs 

in Sherborne, Kitty Oakshott shares her 

top tips for creating beautiful and unique 

interiors in your home. 

Spots and stripes have always been a staple when it comes to 

updating your home. Either as complementing fabrics or standing 

tall on their own, it couldn’t be easier to find a spot or a stripe that 

works for you. 

Mixing different stripes has got to be one of the best combinations. 

Mixing colours and sizes of your stripe can add style to any sofa, 

chair, or window seat. Why not also take your stripes outdoors? 

Choose a bright and bold multi-coloured stripe to really pop 

amongst the greenery. Use your bold stripe for deckchairs and seat 

pads, and why not add a funky multi-coloured trim to your parasol 

to tie everything together? If that is too bold, a tonal stripe can 

look lovely too; subtle and gentle. A woven striped voile framed by 

a pair of tonal striped curtains adds elegance to a neutral room. 

Mix traditional ticking stripes in reds and blues with cream and 

natural tones for an English country cottage feel. Striped cushions 

with contrasting striped piping can really stand out, and add a little 

hint of fun. 

Talking of fun, don’t forget those spots! Spots don’t have to be 

generic; re-invent polka dots with a pebble type print, or choose 

spots varying in size. There are some very pretty spotty designs 

around. Textured and embroidered spots will update a solo chair or 

make a great statement cushion. Have fun, get creative, and see 

how you can bring spots and stripes into your home. 

Louisa Franzen 

Sarah Dale 

Kitty Oakshott 

17 18 


DOMVS Enterprise Club 

Inspired Living 

Issue #002 available March 2018 

Brought to you by DOMVS (Dorchester) Ltd, professionals in property. 

Dorchester: 

Preston: 

Wareham: 

Also in Park Lane, Mayfair 

domvs.co.uk 

01305 757300 

01305 835300 

01929 555300 

Enterprise Club Newsletter v2.indd 20 05/12/2017 12:06:26

DOMVS Enterprise Club - Issue 1 - Winter 2017

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