Report on The Blindley Heath Country Show Sunday 1st & Monday 2nd May 2011
I think words speak for itself that the weather was definitely on our side for the weekend. Exhibitors and visitors were out in brightly coloured summer wear enjoying the beautiful rays that beamed down on us for the 2 days. 

Sunday was started early for the staff, as we parked the numerous cars that were leisurely driving in to catch a glimpse of the show early.  Infact by 9.45 the visitors had formed quite a queue to get in the gates.  The day remained busy with action packed arena events, helicopter rides and plenty of stalls to stroll around. 

Monday started off in a very similar way, with the exception that visitors were queued back to the A22 to get to the show.  As much as we don't like to hear that our visitors are having to queue, this gives the staff a real buzz, that perhaps we are doing something right and this is the benchmark for future shows!

I think we can all agree that the highlight of the show was the incredibly unpredictable Donkey Derby.  Whilst some of our volountary jockeys fell to the ground numerous times, we can safely say that none of them received any serious injuries.  Infact all of them were smiling and wanted to mount the donkeys to finish the race! 

We are pleased to report that the final gate figures were in excess of 10,000.......we hope this means we can also report 10,000 people enjoyed the weekend!

We look forward to seeing everybody at next years show which is being held on the Mayday Bank holiday: Sunday 6th and Monday 7th May 2012.  If you or you know of anybody that would like to exhibit at the show please let us know by calling 01342 892216.

                     

                  

New Online Shop is finally here
We have waited 3 years for this moment!

Just before christmas we finalised the format, crossed the t's and dotted the i's and clicked that all important "LIVE" button.  Our online shop is now live and can take any size order whether it be small or large and whether you want it delivered to Brighton or Scotland.  It has taken us a while to say the least to find a company that we were happy with and one that we would be happy to use in the office.  

So if you can not be bothered to step outside on those cold rainy days why not do your shopping online with the click of a button.  Since we went live just before christmas we are pleased to say orders have been steady and Graham the owner is pleased with the success of it so far.

We hope you will take advantage and let us deliver our fresh meat products to your door at work or home.  Keep your eyes open for special offers and new products. 

All feedback is welcome, so if you wish to comment about our new shop, please email us at enquiries@osneylodgefarm.co.uk.

Click on the link to start shopping http://shop.osneylodgefarm.co.uk/


White Christmas
Well considering the bad weather that was delivered to all of our doorsteps before christmas, we at Osney Lodge Farm remained open and managed to get all the christmas orders prepared, boxed and safely delivered without any hitches, smashes or tears!!

The shop was to say the least quiet during the bad spell, but suffice to say the local residents dressed in their hats, scarfs, gloves and wellies and ate us out of house and home of bread and milk.  With the odd snowball being thrown and snowman being built the smiles remained all round.

Christmas week itself was bustling and full of vibrant warm smiles.  The Turkeys and Geese arrived on time but just as the staff  were allocating and putting them away, the white stuff decided to fall from the sky yet again.  And we have to say we have never seen any bird move that quick, before the last one was put on the shelf the next one was being passed along the line!

Despite all the problems that were put in front of us, we all remained calm and clear headed to deal with the next challenge that was put in front of us.

We would like to thank every single customer for your custom and we hope you had a lovely christmas and perhaps a slightly merry New Year. 

We hope to see you in the shop or at any of the Farmers Markets throughout the year. 

                             

                   

Report on the Auction Sale 19th September 2010
Yet again the weather was on our side and with a reasonable number of lots, the auctioneer was set to have a bustling day.   

The sale started as usual, bang on 10am, with small items such as plants, tools and poultry, warming the buyers pockets.  We had a number record of poultry and such like enetered with some high prices being paid, which we are in no doubt pleased the sellers.  It was generally a very sucessfull day again and from the feedback received this is the place to sell. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody from South East Marts, Elite Catering all the sellers and buyers for making this another successful year. 

We are looking forward to the next sale which will be held in June (date to be confirmed).  So if you have any items whether it be small or large please let us know on 01342 892216 and we will ensure an entry form is sent to you.


Ragley Estate Pies - Proper handmade pies
Fancy eating a proper handmade pie with fresh potatoes and vegetables, well look no further. 

My wife and I recently visited the CLA GAme Fair and stumbled across Ragley Estate Pies where we found ourselves trying the samples and with no will power sampled all they had to offer.  After talking to them in length about how they source their meats and how they are made, we were very impressed and decided to give them a go and stock our shelves with them.  With a team of around 7 people making the pies on a daily basis we were very eager to put our first order in and get them into our customers bags.  So just over a month ago we gave them our first order and have stocked them ever since. 

They have proved to be a success with customers asking for different flavours and even placing orders for them.  There is a variety of flavours and are available in 2 sizes, family and individual:

Steak & Kidney
Steak & Ale
Steak & Mushroom
Lamb & Mint
Turkey & Ham
Pork Pies
Faggots

They have quite a number of awards for their produce too:

Guild of Fine Food
Great Taste Awards 2009

British Turkey Awards 2009
Highly Commended

Champion of Local Produce 2009

2009 HEART of England
Fine Foods Diamond Awards

BPEX 2009 Gold Award

We hope you find them as tasty as we do!

Report on Auction Sale on 19th June 2010
With around 1400 lots entered, this was a very exciting auction for Graham Page the owner.

With the lots arriving all week, the field was looking busy.  The sale started at 10am with two auctioneers working hard to get the best prices for all the items entered.  The weather held out all day but just as the last item was sold it started to rain, but fortunately not for long, so buyers with their new goodies could pack/load without getting too soggy!

The next Auction is being held on Saturday 18th September 2010 at 10am.  So if you want to enter any items, big or small please contact us on 01342 892216 or South East Marts on 01323 844874. 
 

Report on The Blindley Heath Country Show on 2nd & 3rd May 2010
Well what a weekend it turned out to be!

Sunday was a wash out with traders, stands and main ring events waiting to show off to the public.  With moral a little on the low side we didn't know what to expect on Monday.

Well creeping out of our front doors we all had our fingers crossed for a better day.  Well it sure was, with a hectic start to sort out the muddy ground as a result of Sundays weather, it turned out to be a spectacular, bustling and enjoyable day for all.  With brightly coloured wellies and rain coats flooding through the gates we were relieved that the slightly damp ground from Sundays rain had not put people off.  Huxleys Birds of Prey, Cotleigh Brewery and Dray and The Sheep Show took it in their stride to show off their magnificent animals and skills to the public.  The Food and Craft halls were filled with a continuous noise, with most trade stands surrounded with visitors wanting to buy their products.  The local students from De Stafford School finally got to play there muscial instruments to the crowd and what a lovely atmosphere they created. 

The feedback we received from both visitors and traders was very encouraging; we are always pleased to hear that all our efforts have been worth while.  With help and support from local businesses, residents, charities and papers, we are really looking forward to organising next years show.  Thank you to everybody who supported this years show and lets hope next year will be just as successful.

So if you or anybody that you may know would like to have a stand at next years show, please contact us on 01342 892216 or email us at enquiries@osneylodgefarm.co.uk for further information.
 

Report on Auction Sale on 19th September 2009
We were fortunate to have a lovely sunny day, and a tremendous crowd turned out to view and bid on over 800 lots.

The cheapest lot was £1.00 for some odd looking bits of hose! Better quality lots included trailers, Tractors, Diggers, Fencing Materials, Farm Implements and lots more.

Our next sale will be Saturday 19th June 2010. Why not have a sort out and send in some lots for us to sell for you.

 

 

 

For further information please contact either Graham Page or Nikki Gunner

 

This year we purchased a small flock of 40 Herdwick ewes. This is a good old-fashioned breed of sheep, famous for its hardiness. It also produces fantastic flavoured lamb.

Still on the sheepy side, this year we have arranged for a number of our fleeces to be cured as whole sheep skins. This follows a highly successful trial batch last year – in fact most family members got a beautiful sheepskin rug for Xmas!! If you’re interested let us know, as we expect to sell out pretty quickly.

On a sadder note, our prize winning bull, Harry, died recently. Harry fathered some dozens of calves, so he had a really good life, and, as the first bull Graham ever took to the show ring, will always be fondly remembered. Fortunately we kept four of his sons entire this year, so will soon be selecting his successor!

 

Trading
The shop has been trading steadily, although the hot spell during June caused us a few problems with our meat display fridges. So we are pleased with our latest acquisition, a 10 foot long, three shelf illuminated display fridge, which shows off all our meats. Plus, of course, you can still look through the window and see directly into our butchers room, where you will see David, Andrew and Ricky , our brilliant team of butchers busily beavering away.

We also continue to supply a number of pubs and restaurants in the area. So if you are a landlord looking for a new supplier, don’t hesitate to call us.

Finally on the subject of beer (were we!) we are delighted to have been appointed by Cotleigh Brewery of Somerset to sell their bottled range of beers, including that famous pair Barn Owl and Tawny Owl. Again, landlords, party throwers we can supply it in 9 gallon barrels.

More news soon!!

Graham Page