Mendip Living Oct - Nov 2020
As the festive season approaches, we delve into preparing for guests, stocking the larder and getting cosy. Plus, retirement on your mind after lockdown? We look at the benefits of 'right-sizing'
As the festive season approaches, we delve into preparing for guests, stocking the larder and getting cosy. Plus, retirement on your mind after lockdown? We look at the benefits of 'right-sizing'
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ADVERTISING FEATURE<br />
chewing the fat<br />
We talk to Owen Singer, of Penleigh Farm<br />
& Butchers, to find out how they coped<br />
throughout lockdown...<br />
It’s been an odd year. How did you keep going during<br />
the lockdown?<br />
As a food business, we came under the essential shop category<br />
so we remained open throughout. We reduced our opening<br />
hours to 9-2 and started a delivery service to local people on<br />
Wednesday and Friday afternoons. We have Perspex screens<br />
up, operate a 1 person in at a time policy and ask that customers<br />
wear face coverings where possible. Everyone has been brilliant,<br />
fortunately we’ve been very lucky with the weather so far, so<br />
queuing outside hasn’t been too bad! Lockdown has been a very<br />
busy period for me and certainly made us look at the business<br />
with a fresh perspective that has allowed us to plan for the future<br />
new normal.<br />
How was the delivery service for you?<br />
The delivery service was very popular, people were so<br />
appreciative. We weren’t offering a delivery service before<br />
lockdown, so it was quite a learning curve for myself and the<br />
customers. Although it easy to deliver to customers in lock down<br />
as you can guarantee that the customer will be in!! We weren’t<br />
geared up for internet ordering, which most people expect, and<br />
with being busy in the shop, answering the phone whilst serving<br />
customers was also difficult. So we set up a designated ordering<br />
email (penleighbutchers@gmail.com) with customers ordering<br />
via email the day before delivery. We would then cut the order<br />
and phone the customer to take payment over the phone. It’s<br />
quite an archaic system but worked well as its simple and our<br />
more “seasoned” customers prefer it as its personal. It’s flexible,<br />
as the customer can ask for exactly what they want. We now<br />
know that this an area of the business that we want to develop<br />
further.<br />
How are your turkeys looking?<br />
Our free range bronze and white turkeys are looking plump.<br />
Stewart the turkey farmer produces the best Turkeys and<br />
Chickens, all free range which makes such a difference. The<br />
turkeys are all game hung and dry plucked, this is quite specialist<br />
and the traditional, but really is an important attention to detail<br />
for finish and flavour. This is definitely something you won’t get<br />
with Turkeys from supermarkets. I always say it but this year<br />
more than any ORDER EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT!<br />
What new plans do you have for the new year?<br />
Exciting times ahead! We are in the process of building a<br />
butchery back at the farm. This expansion will give us so much<br />
more space, allowing us to hang more beef, but importantly be<br />
able to do so much more. We are planning to start curing our<br />
own bacon, offering a range of cooked sliced meats such as<br />
ham, beef, salt beef and turkey. We will start making our own<br />
sausage rolls and pasties and hope to be able to offer butchery<br />
experiences/classes in the future.<br />
www.mendipliving.co.uk | 17
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