Fishin' You a Merry Christmas

Fancy something other than roast turkey this Christmas?

If so, you might like to indulge in some fresh fish from Downies of Whitehills for your Christmas feast!

Downies Fish counter, in-store at the Mitchells Grocery, offers a delicious range of freshly-caught, quality Scottish fish, hot and cold smoked fish, as well as Downies award winning Cullen Skink Soup and Fish Pies.

The members of Downies staff within Mitchells are more than happy to arrange for orders to be taken for any unusual requests, as they pride themselves on being able to source a variety of seafood given plenty of notice.

But as you can see from the picture on your right, you will need to get your hands on an order form before the 22nd Dec.

That's because Downies' fishing boats will not be heading out to sea and the counter will be closed from the 22nd December until the 8th January.

So what are you waiting for? Why not make the most of these great offers and bring something new to the Christmas dinner table this year?

You never know - Downies’ fish could have you converted for life!

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Mitchells' Hits The Headlines Again

As many of you are no doubt aware, Mitchells Dairy hit the headlines earlier this year after we won the Health Promoting Retailer of the Year award at The Scottish Grocer Awards.

Well, our name is up in lights once again, as The Scottish Grocer, Scotland's leading monthly magazine for the convenience retailing sector, has featured us in its jam-packed October edition!

Claire Amber Young travelled up to Inverurie to meet Keith and Judy and find out about Mitchells' history, ethos and passion for fresh, healthy produce.

In the article, which can be read here, Keith explains: "Providing shoppers with healthy, fresh products is something that has always been important to us."

He continues: "It's a big part of our ethos. People are definitely taking more of an interest in what they are eating now. They want products that are fresh, local and good quality."

As Amber Young points out in the article, one recent development has strengthened our increasing reputation as a provider of high-quality, local produce.

Our new fresh fish counter, which is run by local specialist Downies of Whitehills, offers shoppers an extensive range of fresh fish and seafood, as well as expert advice on preparation and cooking fish.

Discussing the fish counter, Judy says: "It is really appealing to our foodie audience and was a natural thing for us to do. We took an underproductive area of the store and we're now driving customers into it."

As the article points out, our involvement in community health and well-being doesn't stop at the shop door. We continue to be a supporter and sponsor of community events like the Gairoch fun run and 5k, 10k and half marathon events, as well as helping out with the local rugby club and local schools.

Since Mitchells was founded in 1928 by Elijah and Agnes Mitchell, we have been committed to supporting the local community and providing the very best local produce.

As the article indicates, that commitment remains as strong as ever.

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An exclusive look into Downie's of Whitehills

Downies of Whitehills are a family owned fish processing business that has been in existence for more than 130 years. Situated on the shores of the Moray Firth, their factory & shop attract customers from far and wide to sample the very best that Downies offer in the way of prime quality Scottish seafood.

Alan Downie, the Managing Partner, goes to the fish markets in either Fraserburgh or Peterhead on a daily basis to bring the best of the catch back to Whitehills for processing in our EU approved premises.

With Alan Downie going to the markets daily, this ensures that we can offer all of our fish products at very competitive prices in comparison to some of our competitors. By undertaking the whole procedure from the market place through to the customer, Downies have the most competitive prices available to all of our customers, even better than the supermarkets with their superior buying power.

To ensure that as many customers have access to these excellent prices, Downies of Whitehills have opened a new retail outlet within Mitchell's Dairy in Inverurie where fresh supplies are delivered daily. The members of staff at our new shop are more than happy to arrange for orders to be taken for any unusual requests as we pride ourselves on being able to source a variety of seafood given plenty of notice.

A recent article in the press about Downies of Whitehills

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So, why is breakfast important?

We are fully supporting a campaign called "Shake Up Your Wake Up" which is running between the 22nd to the 28th of January 2012 as part of the Farmhouse Breakfast Week.

Did you know that the word "breakfast" was first used in the English language in 1463 and is often described as the most important meal of the day! And here's why:

• It helps to hydrate you and increases your concentration levels throughout the day
• It gives you a sustained source of energy for the day ahead.
• Eating a breakfast such as porridge, which is rich in starchy carbohydrates, provides a slow release of energy
• Drinking a glass of fresh juice will provide you with vitamin C and also helps to absorb the iron which is provided from cereal and bread.
• Dairy products provide calcium for the development and strengthening of strong bones and teeth.
• Breakfast is also the ideal opportunity for children to start the day with a balanced diet and helps to keep them fuller for a longer.

How do you take part? 
Here at Mitchells, we provide lots of locally sourced produce to start off your day.

You could:
Buy some fresh ingredients from Mitchells, such as- cereal, oatmeal, smoked haddock (delicious poached in Mitchells milk with an egg), kippers (grill 'till crispy) from Downies fish counter at The Dairy and all the ingredients you need for a cooked breakfast.


We can deliver straight to your doorstep
Have your ingredients delivered throughout Aberdeenshire. In addition to milk and cream, we can deliver various products such as yoghurts, eggs and orange juice. We can also deliver the local Press & Journal Newspaper and we offer a free delivery service on a Thursday and Friday if your order is over £25. Just get in touch with us if you would like a doorstep delivery!

Or if you don't feel like making breakfast, why not pop down to The Tearoom for some yummy local produce to kick start your day? We're open from 8am Monday- Saturday (11am Sunday for Brunch) where you can enjoy porridge (great value at £1.20 per bowl), full cooked breakfasts, eggs any way you like, bacon/egg/sausage filled rolls, cereals and toast. We're getting hungry just thinking about it!

What's your favourite way to kick start the day? Is there anyone in particular that you would like to share breakfast with? We'd love to hear your comments. Join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and let us know. You can also keep up to date on all our latest news, events and competitions by joining our online community.

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Do the cooking smells reveal what day it is?

I was interested to read about the opening of the new Downies of Whitehills fresh fish counter at Mitchells and it brought back fond memories of a smoked fish dish my mother used to make using milk... I must ask he about that although, the chances of Marion replicating it are as remote as me catching a smoked salmon in my bath!

Whilst thinking about this I remembered that the fish dish was always served on the same day of the week; no, not for any religious reasons, it's just that every dish had its day and there didn't seem to be any room for deviation from this routine. So, Liver and Onions, Mince and Tatties, Casserole, Fish, Shepherd's Pie, Beef Olives (Mmm, one of my favourites) etc. etc. had a specific day spread around a two week rotation. I wonder if this was the norm back in the 60's and 70's?

I'm also reminded that the meal was served at 6pm every night, if you didn't get in until 6.30 it was there cold on the table waiting for you - but you ate it! Nowadays, our kids not only eat at different times, they eat different meals; our Rugby playing son likes pasta dishes, the other son like fast food because he's always "just heading out" and, our daughter eats according to what's left of her calorie count for the day.

I would be interested to know if anyone else thinks our eating habits have changed over the years and, do your kid's think of eating as a necessary evil rather than a time for the family to engage and enjoy each others company?

Please post your comments here or on the Facebook page, I would like to know if I'm alone - both at the table and, in relation to my family's eating habits!

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Downies of Whitehills launch at Mitchells...

Mitchells are pleased to announce that Downies of Whitehills are opening a fresh fish counter within their Market Place Grocery this week.

Keith Whyte, Managing Partner of Mitchells said "We have successfully sold Downies packaged products from the chill in our shop and cooked their fish in our Tearoom for many years.  This new counter is a natural progression for Downies to offer customers a wider range of their fresh locally landed fish and award winning products. We are delighted that Downies have chosen The Dairy as their location within Inverurie and we very much look forward to working alongside Downies, another long established Aberdeenshire family business, in this way."

Launch Day
To celebrate this addition to The Dairy’s Grocery shop, an official opening of the fresh fish counter will take place on Saturday 29 October at 2.30pm with special offers and tastings throughout the day. Please come along and join in the fun.

Downies of Whitehills offer a huge and delicious range of fresh fish. They have won awards for their outstanding Cullen Skink Soup and Fish Pies, which you will be able to buy in store at Mitchdells. Also, keep your eye out for the 'catch of the day'.

Have your say
We would be interested to find out what your thoughts are about getting Fresh Fish delivered to your doorstep. We plan to introduce this service in our doorstep deliveries. So whether we already deliver to your door or you would just like fish delivered, let us know.

You can contact us by email on info@mitchells-scotland.com or call us on 01467 621389. You can also keep up to date on all our latest news and events on our Facebook page and we would love to hear your feedback so join our online community, we would love to hear from you.

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