Life in Dorset

We love living in North Dorset and are very fortunate to benefit from some great local butchers (Andrew Barclay in Wincanton and the Stourhead Farm Shop) and cheese producers.  One of the highlights of my year occurs in mid-September – the Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival – where I spend a day indulging in the gorgeous local cheeses that are made in this part of the world.  See Cheese Festival 2009

We love to take advantage of what’s growing in the hedgerows and are suckers for sloes (gin), blackberries (jam) and elderflower (cordial). The children love the foraging too, particularly for the blackberries and come home with such black faces that no-one can doubt what they’ve been up to.

Over the last couple of years, we have started to grow our own vegetables in our greenhouse and, this year, in our allotment. Cucumbers, courgettes and aubergines were very successful last year and we have expanded the crop in 2010 and hope to have an abundant harvest come September.