Santa came to see us today!!!

Santa came to see us today - on his way to the North Pole (the Blake Hall!)

Madly in love......with each other and with Provender

Quickly pulled of a 'shot' of 2 of our newest customers who have just moved into South Petherton.  Madly in love with each other, with South Petherton and (hopefully) with Provender.  Welcome to you both.

Louise & Megan .....the latte art battle!!!

Last Saturday saw Louise and Megan having a 'latte art' battle.....to see who could create the best leaf pattern on latte coffees.  Pretty stunning leaves from both of them ......

......and then Megan threw a "curved ball'......planets and moons!!!  Go Megan!!

2 stunning leaves from Lou...

It takes hours of practice - but Lou is really getting the hang of the leaf pattern on top of our fabulous lattés.  Well done Lou!!

Wow!!! Have you seen our new 'flowering' green teas?

In our café we now have a fantastic range of 'flowering' green teas.....called "Flora Teas". These teas  are hand-tied individual tea (Green tea) leaves with selected dried aromatic flowers forming a tea ball/heart, which reveals its secret centre when placed in boiling water, blooming into an artistic and captivating flower display with an enriching taste.  They have excellent flavour and can be topped up a number of times.  

We also sell the same hand tied teas to take away - we have beautiful, sculptured gift boxes to pack them in.

Why not try one next time that you are in Provender?

Karen.....celebrating Somerset Art Weeks.....

......with some Latté Art.   3 in a row!  Woo Hoo!

#onaroll

We are in the Top 3…….

We've just heard that Provender is in the Top 3 for Somerset Deli of the Year!! We were selected after a number of 'undercover' visits by anonymous judges. What an honour!!
A HUGE thanks to the whole team for making this possible.

We get the results at 1:30pm on Saturday 14th September………..watch this space!!

Light + Life - Meet The Artists Supper

We are pleased to announce that our
Light + Life Meet the Artists Supper event
will be held on
Friday 27th September
The menu pricing will be £27.50 for 3 courses
plus a complimentary welcome drink

Smoked Mackerel Paté
with Rye Bread and a Trio of Dips
---------
Beef, Scarlet Fever and Barley
Buttered New Potatoes
Baked Honey Carrots
or
Mushroom Ragout
Pappardelle Pasta
Baked Honey Carrots
---------
A Trio Of Mini Chocolate Desserts
---------

….all served in a “canteen-style” setting

Early booking is recommended!!!!

Somerset Art Weeks 2013 - Provender is Venue 59

We are currently finalising the arrangements for our involvement in the Somerset Art Weeks festival. We will be acting as hosts to 3 very talented local artists - Robin Morrison, Pauline Sayers and Henrietta Van den Bergh - who have been working incredibly hard to set us up as a venue - organising press releases, creating posters and flyers, advising us on installing a new hanging system and too many other tasks to list here.
We [and particularly Carol] have always been interested in art created local to where we live and this is a great opportunity for us to show our support for local artists and make Provender a great venue for them to showcase their exceptional talent.

SAW 2013 runs from Saturday 21 September to Saturday 5 October 2013. We will be hosting a 'Meet the Artists' supper on Friday September 27th and also opening for viewings on Sunday 29th September.

You can find out more about Somerset art Weeks by clicking here and also find out more about the artists that will be exhibiting at Provender by clicking here

Drinking coffee in the rain…..

After one of the warmest and driest spells in recent history history, it was inevitable that one day we would get a few severe downpours. Well, it seemed like yesterday was the day!! It hammered it down. As they say 'oop North', it was coming down like stair rods.
When the rain started we had a couple of ladies sat outside enjoying a coffee and a cigarette and we fully expected them to gather everything up and come launching into the café…..but no, all they did was put up a couple of brollies and continue to enjoy their coffee and a natter in the torrential rain. They stayed like that for the best part of 2 hours as the rain came and went in various levels of deluge.

I wish I had thought to take a pic!! Damn!!

Whoop!! Whoop!!

We got some great news today!!  We've received our 2013 Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor.  Carol & I would like to publicly thank the whole of the Provender team, both past & present, for all of the hard work they have put into giving the great customer service which has resulted in us receiving this award.  Thank you.

What a glorious day .....

......the weather was kind to us and consequently everyone had a great day at South Petherton Folk Fest.  It was our first since being at Provender.  We loved it.....but we're absolutely shattered by the end of the day.  There are a few pics (including 3 panorama shots) on our picture gallery page

http://www.provender.co.uk/About_Us/Image_Gallery/Image_Gallery.php

We try harder........because it matters

I've always maintained that real customer service cannot be simply bounded by the things that you sell and the things that you do.  A great case in point is one of our regular antipodean customers - Mike Lee.  Whenever Mike is in the UK he is a regular customer of Provender - partaking of a regular supply of flat whites, the odd lunch and communicating with everyone back home over Skype, using our 20meg wireless broadband connection.  Today Mike was in again to use the wi-fi but was somewhat dis-chuffed that the 'geniuses' at Apple had managed to trash his email settings and they had not been to reinstate them, thereby cutting of his email links to back home.

However, not to worry, after a short Google session and a poke around under the hood of the System Preferences app on Mike's iPad we had him up and connected in a matter of minutes.  I can only describe Mike's smile as slightly broader than when he found out that we could make him a PROPER flat white!!

Just another example of how the team at Provender are willing to go that extra mile to deliver 'above & beyond' customer service.

Yippee!!!!!!....a leaf

2 years of training and hundreds of coffees........and Karen has finally mastered the leaf pattern on her lattes!!!   Brilliant.  Well done......you've raised the bar for Tony, Carol and the rest of the team!!

Friday Night Supper Club - Friday 14th June

We are pleased to announce that our next Minno Kitchen Friday Night Supper Club event will be held on
Friday 14th June
The menu pricing will be £18 for 2 courses
plus a complimentary welcome drink

Mezze of Broad Bean, Mint & Westcombe Caerphilly, Flatbread, Courgette & Garlic Salad with Pickled Chilies
-- ** --
Porchetta Pork Belly with an Apple, Chorizo & Fennel Salad
or
Crispy Polenta with Marinated Roast Vegetables & Salsa Verde
-- ** --
Affogato - Caramel Ice Cream with a shot of Origin espresso [£3]

For more detail, or to make your booking please
call us on 01460 240681
or visit us in-store at Provender
or email us at june-sc@provender.co.uk

One of our new cheeses is called Rachel!!!

Made near Shepton Mallet in Somerset, this is an unusual cheese with an unusual name - Rachel is the name of one of the cheese maker's friends (he describes the cheese as 'sweet, curvy and slightly nutty!) or possibly the name of one of his goats, depending on the version of the story you believe.

We are going to be a Somerset Art Weeks venue…..

We are really pleased that we are going to be a venue for this year's Somerset Art Weeks event. We will be hosting 3 artists - Robin Morrison, Henrietta Van den Bergh and Pauline Sayers. Over the coming weeks we will be publishing profiles of each of the artists, so that you can get a flavour of what they are known for.

During the 2 weeks of the Somerset Art Weeks event we will be holding 2 Thursday nigh events and we will also be opening on the Sundays during the event.

Watch this space for further news on this fantastic event

The proud new owner of a 1.2kg chocolate bunny.....

.......is Mr Carless of South Petherton. Mr Choccy Bunny has gone to a good home!!

Enjoy.

Latest news……Mr Carless donated the bunny to the Children's Ward at the Yeovil Hospital. What a fantastic gesture. Thank you.

Congratulations Louise......

Louise, our superstar apprentice barista, passed the written exam part of her NVQ with flying colours, on Wednesday this week.

Congratulation to Lou from the whole of the Provender team.

Somerseate on a Plate …..The Menu……A unique chance to dine with some of Somerset's top producers

4 restaurants, 4 venues, 4 corners of Somerset, 4 artisan producers, 4 dishes

 March 29th, 8pm - Good Friday
at Provender Deli,
South Petherton

Menu
Westcombe Duckett's Caerphilly
with a warm salad of chargrilled red pepper, mint & spinach
*
Brown & Forrest Smoked Eel & Arctic Char
With Dill Potato Salad & Pickled Beets
*
Glebe Farm Organic Roast Shoulder Of Lamb
Wild Garlic Dauphinoise Potatoes & Purple Sprouting Broccoli With Fresh Anchovies
*
Granny Gothards Caramel Affogato
Caramel Ice Cream With A Shot Of Espresso & Hazelnut Ice Cream With Sesame Brittle

Each course will be matched with fantastic beer
from Moor Brewery
£28 per person - Booking essential Please Contact Katy  07730 596 154
or Andrew 07971 804 442
or email info@minnokitchen.com

We caught one trying to escape!!!!!

Breaking News!!! Here's the latest picture showing the escape attempt by one of our Easter display bunnies.
If seen please approach, he may need a cuddle!!!

Somerseate on a Plate

4 restaurants, 4 venues, 4 corners of Somerset, 4 artisan producers, 4 dishes

March 29th at Provender Deli

South Petherton

£28 per person

We know, you know, let’s face it, everyone should know that we live in a very nice spot – and to celebrate that along with singing about the wonderful artisan producers that are sometimes hidden away throughout our county Minno Kitchen & Artisan Southwest bring you Somersaete.

Somerseate, the name taken from the original old English word for our county, is a unique dining experience, seeing us travelling around Somerset building a food map that will place 4 artisan food producers, plus a drinks producer from within a 20-mile radius of each venue at centre stage. The evenings will be focused around a 4-course menu that feature produce from each of the artisan producers we are working with, it’s not just about great food however – as you dine you will also be able to ‘meet the maker’.

This is an exclusive opportunity to speak with the producer of the food you are eating. A conversation that could include them describing to you how they developed their families small business, how they left their desk job to smoke fish in the South West,  how they have honed their skills & knowledge over the years, as well as being able to give an informed insight into today’s food & drink issues such as food provenance.

The first chance to experience Somersaete will be in South Petherton on Good Friday March 29th at Provender Deli. Do you have folk staying for Easter? Bring them along to delight them in what our county does best! We are really excited about this premiere of a food event that will offer an exclusive opportunity for people who love food, would like to love it a little more & those who enjoy a jolly good night out amongst friends. On the evening we will be joined by Justin Hawke from Moor Brewery who will be matching free tasters of his beer to each course of the menu – a chance to talk “all things hoppy”!

You can meet our makers for our first event below - a great gang of guys that are passionate about what they do.

Come alone, bring a gang or a small party – we look forward to feeding you there!

Booking is essential however for this ticket-only shindig. Call Katy from Minno Kitchen on 07730 596 154 or Andrew from Artisan Southwest on 07971 804 442 or drop us a line at info@minnokitchen.com

Would you like to keep posted on our future Somersaete events? Keep your eye on Minno Kitchen's Facebook page or if you haven't already subscribe to our mailing list below.

Granny Gothards

Amanda & Jean have been friends and work colleagues for almost a decade and have a wide variety of career experiences between them. They  are enthusiastic, hardworking, resourceful and ( have been told!) quite a dynamic partnership. The ice cream parlour (ice pod) is based on Gothards Farm in Stoke St Gregory at the heart of the Somerset levels . The milk for their ices are collected fresh from the milking parlour each day so the ice cream comes literally from ‘pasture to pot’ in one day!

All their ice creams and sorbets are 100% natural and most importantly delicious; whilst containing no artificial additives, stabilisers or colourings. In a blind tasting conducted by the ‘What’s on Somerset’ magazine in 2012 Granny Gothards were polled as the best ice cream in Somerset.

Neither of them are granny’s….

Glebe Farm

Glebe farm is where you will find the Pitney Farm Shop – an off-the-beaten-track-shack selling local fare as well as top-notch organic meat from their pigs, lambs & cows that are reared on site, metres from the shop door.  The 100-acre farm has been farmed by the Walrond family for over 200 years with three generations involved on the farm today – Liz & Rob Walrond heading up the troops. Conversion to full organic status was completed in March 2001.

Their organic farming methods work to promote greater awareness and care of the environment. They work with nature not against it & their farming methods greatly improve animal welfare, Glebe Farm animals are kept in small groups and are slaughtered at a local abattoir.

Brown & Forrest

Brown and Forrest is a small family run smokery, started 31 years ago here in Somerset, they produce the finest smoked eel and salmon as well as a whole range of delicious smoked foods including smoked chicken, duck, lamb and trout. Jess & his team also supply wholesale to customers such as The Hawksmoor Group, Scotts and Fortnum and Mason. Priding themselves in the quality of their smoked foods Jess is a man who won’t compromise on quality – this pride & care shine’s through.

Having learnt how to smoke eel in Germany in 1981, Brown & Forrest use simple wood fired systems with beech and apple for eel and oak for salmon, trout and all our other products. They are totally non-industrial, specialising in small scale batches, smoked to order and produced with love, care and dedication.

Westcombe Dairy

Westcombe Dairy is a small, family-run artisan dairy farm in the heart of Somerset, making award-winning cheeses from our very own cows’ milk. When Tom entered the family business the high quality cheeses Westcombe is famed for today really came into being. A trained chef, Tom brought with him experience in some prestigious London eateries, as well as an apprenticeship at Neal’s Yard Dairy. He came back to Somerset to work with his father, but his passion for good food and his scientific curiosity led him into the dairy, where he set about understanding, and perfecting, the art of making artisanal traditional Cheddar.

And it’s the quality of the milk, alongside their hand-crafted approach in the dairy and use of traditional starter cultures and rennets, that gives their cheeses their wonderfully complex flavours and textures. Discover them.

Moor Brewery

In January 2007 Moor Brewery was relaunched when Justin and Maryann Hawke took over the company. Although lacking a West Country accent, Justin brings a passion for beer and the local area, as well as a tendency towards fusing the wonders of real ale with the aggressively flavoured beers of his native California. Since taking over brewing, Justin has radically improved the quality and flavour of the old beers while adding many new beers to the core range and producing a number of interesting speciality beers. The beers are brewed using only natural ingredients & a lot is put into their beers by using the finest malt, hops, yeast and water. All the beers are unfiltered so they retain the yeast that is so vital to producing exceptional flavour, as well as providing vitamins.

Justin’s reputation and awards have grown rapidly, resulting in Moor Beer now being regarded as one of the top breweries in the UK.

--------
Copyright © 2013 Minno Kitchen All rights reserved.
Somersaete - Somerset On A Plate
Our mailing address is:
info@minnokitchen.com

Somerseate on a Plate

4 restaurants 4 venues 4 corners of Somerset 4 artisan producers 4 dishes

March 29th at Provender Deli
South Petherton
£28 per person

We know, you know, let’s face it, everyone should know that we live in a very nice spot – and to celebrate that along with singing about the wonderful artisan producers that are sometimes hidden away throughout our county Minno Kitchen & Artisan Southwest bring you Somersaete.

Somerseate, the name taken from the original old English word for our county, is a unique dining experience, seeing us travelling around Somerset building a food map that will place 4 artisan food producers, plus a drinks producer from within a 20-mile radius of each venue at centre stage. The evenings will be focused around a 4-course menu that feature produce from each of the artisan producers we are working with, it’s not just about great food however – as you dine you will also be able to ‘meet the maker’.

This is an exclusive opportunity to speak with the producer of the food you are eating. A conversation that could include them describing to you how they developed their families small business, how they left their desk job to smoke fish in the South West,  how they have honed their skills & knowledge over the years, as well as being able to give an informed insight into today’s food & drink issues such as food provenance.

The first chance to experience Somersaete will be in South Petherton on Good Friday March 29

th at Provender Deli. Do you have folk staying for Easter? Bring them along to delight them in what our county does best! We are really excited about this premiere of a food event that will offer an exclusive opportunity for people who love food, would like to love it a little more & those who enjoy a jolly good night out amongst friends. On the evening we will be joined by Justin Hawke from Moor Brewery who will be matching free tasters of his beer to each course of the menu – a chance to talk “all things hoppy”!

You can meet our makers for our first event below - a great gang of guys that are passionate about what they do.

Come alone, bring a gang or a small party – we look forward to feeding you there!

Booking is essential however for this ticket-only shindig. Call Katy from Minno Kitchen on 07730 596 154 or Andrew from Artisan Southwest on 07971 804 442 or drop us a line at info@minnokitchen.com.

 

Granny Gothards

Amanda & Jean have been friends and work colleagues for almost a decade and have a wide variety of career experiences between them. They  are enthusiastic, hardworking, resourceful and ( have been told!) quite a dynamic partnership. The ice cream parlour (ice pod) is based on Gothards Farm in Stoke St Gregory at the heart of the Somerset levels . The milk for their ices are collected fresh from the milking parlour each day so the ice cream comes literally from ‘pasture to pot’ in one day!

All their ice creams and sorbets are 100% natural and most importantly delicious; whilst containing no artificial additives, stabilisers or colourings. In a blind tasting conducted by the ‘What’s on Somerset’ magazine in 2012 Granny Gothards were polled as the best ice cream in Somerset.

Neither of them are granny’s….
 

Glebe Farm

 Glebe farm is where you will find the Pitney Farm Shop – an off-the-beaten-track-shack selling local fare as well as top-notch organic meat from their pigs, lambs & cows that are reared on site, metres from the shop door.  The 100-acre farm has been farmed by the Walrond family for over 200 years with three generations involved on the farm today – Liz & Rob Walrond heading up the troops. Conversion to full organic status was completed in March 2001.

Their organic farming methods work to promote greater awareness and care of the environment. They work with nature not against it & their farming methods greatly improve animal welfare, Glebe Farm animals are kept in small groups and are slaughtered at a local abattoir.

 

Brown & Forrest

Brown and Forrest is a small family run smokery, started 31 years ago here in Somerset, they produce the finest smoked eel and salmon as well as a whole range of delicious smoked foods including smoked chicken, duck, lamb and trout. Jess & his team also supply wholesale to customers such as The Hawksmoor Group, Scotts and Fortnum and Mason. Priding themselves in the quality of their smoked foods Jess is a man who won’t compromise on quality – this pride & care shine’s through.

Having learnt how to smoke eel in Germany in 1981, Brown & Forrest use simple wood fired systems with beech and apple for eel and oak for salmon, trout and all our other products. They are totally non-industrial, specialising in small scale batches, smoked to order and produced with love, care and dedication. 

Westcombe Dairy

Westcombe Dairy is a small, family-run artisan dairy farm in the heart of Somerset, making award-winning cheeses from our very own cows’ milk. When Tom entered the family business the high quality cheeses Westcombe is famed for today really came into being. A trained chef, Tom brought with him experience in some prestigious London eateries, as well as an apprenticeship at Neal’s Yard Dairy. He came back to Somerset to work with his father, but his passion for good food and his scientific curiosity led him into the dairy, where he set about understanding, and perfecting, the art of making artisanal traditional Cheddar.

And it’s the quality of the milk, alongside their hand-crafted approach in the dairy and use of traditional starter cultures and rennets, that gives their cheeses their wonderfully complex flavours and textures. Discover them.

 

Moor Brewery

In January 2007 Moor Brewery was relaunched when Justin and Maryann Hawke took over the company. Although lacking a West Country accent, Justin brings a passion for beer and the local area, as well as a tendency towards fusing the wonders of real ale with the aggressively flavoured beers of his native California. Since taking over brewing, Justin has radically improved the quality and flavour of the old beers while adding many new beers to the core range and producing a number of interesting speciality beers. The beers are brewed using only natural ingredients & a lot is put into their beers by using the finest malt, hops, yeast and water. All the beers are unfiltered so they retain the yeast that is so vital to producing exceptional flavour, as well as providing vitamins.

Justin’s reputation and awards have grown rapidly, resulting in Moor Beer now being regarded as one of the top breweries in the UK.

 
 

 

Copyright © 2013 Minno Kitchen All rights reserved.

Somersaete - Somerset On A PlateOur mailing address is:
info@minnokitchen.com

Easter window....& the giant choccy bunny!!!

......the new Easter window looks really great. Once again Carol has worked her creative magic and transformed a simple shop window into a piece of pure Spring enchantment.

Why not pop along and see the giant chocolate bunny.....and if you spend more than £20 you get a free draw ticket for every £20 spent ...you never know, it could be you that wins Mr Giant Choccy Bunny!!!

Friday Night Supper Club in conjunction with Minno Kitchen

Friday 1st March
£25 for 3-courses
plus complimentary Sloe Vodka Tonic on arrival

Pickled Vegetables & Whitebait With Soda Bread
---00---
Slow Roasted Porchetta
or Spinach & Feta Filo Tarts
with Balsamic Onions & Purple Sprouting Broccoli
---00---
Rhubarb & Almond Tart With Vanilla Cream
Book at Provender, South Petherton 01460 240681
or contact us at : march-sc@provender.co.uk

Valentine's Night at Provender!!!

What a great night!!  This was our first "pop-up" event in conjunction with the team at Minno Kitchen.  Provender was transformed into a romantic oasis in the centre of South Pertherton......music, candles, twinkling lights and romantic music.

New Year, New Website

Christmas and New Year celebrations now seem to be just a distant memory!! Time to get on and make 2013 a cracking success!!
With that in mind we've completely rewritten the Provender website.  There are loads of new features - a News & Events section to keep you up to date with what's been happening and, more importantly, events that we are planning for the future;  a summary of the recommendations that we have received via Trip Advisor and also an update on the latest Twitter activity.
We'd love to get your feedback...whether it be good or bad.  

Cheers

Tony & Carol