Shake Up Your Wake Up With Mitchells

Are you one of the 50% of people who skip breakfast at some point during the week? Or one of the 21% of people who do so purely to spend longer in bed? If so, this week is the time to change - as it is Farmhouse Breakfast Week!

Organised on behalf of UK cereal farmers and producers who grow crops such as wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape, Farmhouse Breakfast Week and the Shake Up Your Wake Up campaign encourages more people to enjoy a healthy and tasty breakfast.

The purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness of the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast and demonstrate the wealth of wonderful breakfast produce available around the country - and we will be doing our bit to support the campaign at Mitchells Dairy.

Running from Monday 27th January to Saturday 1st February, we will be offering our great selection of tasty breakfast options from 7.30am - 5.30pm - and regardless or whether you sit in or take away your breakfast as food on the mooove, there is no better way to start your day.

Breakfast options include hot filled rolls (bacon/sausage/egg or a combination), cereal, toast, croissants, butteries, fresh homemade scones, porridge and eggs/omelettes.

If you are looking for healthy breakfast options, you can purchase wholegrains, rapeseed oil and oats from our Grocery Shop, or if you want to forget about your diet for just one day, why not indulge in our all day breakfast - a plate brimming with hearty home-cooked, locally produced eggs and sausages and a whole lot more?

Whatever type of breakfast you choose, we look forward to welcoming you throughout Farmhouse Breakfast Week and helping to Shake Up Your Wake Up!

You can see Mitchells’ promotion on the Farmhouse Breakfast Week site HERE, as well as any other local events at the Events and Promotions page, and if you do visit us, remember to pick up a complimentary Easy and Tasty Recipe booklet.

If you want to help support Breakfast Week, why not send us in your photos of your Mitchells Dairy breakfasts from the Dairy Tearoom, or ones that you have cooked at home using our delicious ingredients from the Grocery Shop?

Simply upload your breakfast photos to the Mitchells' Facebook page, or upload them to Twitter or Instagram. If you do so, use the hashtag #BreakfastWeek, as you could be in with a chance of winning a UK seaside break courtesy of Shake Up Your Wake Up!

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Yet More Retail Excellence at Mitchells

It has been an excellent year of recognition for us here at Mitchells Dairy in our 85th year- and it just keeps getting better and better!


Judy recently had her 15 minutes of fame in London, and we cannot forget about the rest of the Mitchells team, that’s why we were delighted to be awarded the SGF (Scottish Grocers’ Federation) Healthy Option Retailer of the Year at the first ever Retail Excellence awards!

The SGF promotes responsible community retailing and works with the government and the media to encourage a greater understanding of the contribution convenience retailers make to Scotland’s communities.

Our fantastic team always strive to provide the freshest, tastiest and healthiest products to our local community in Inverurie, so we were over the moon to be rewarded for our efforts.

There were only eight awards available on the day and for us to win the award, with the size of the SGF community, is truly humbling.

Keith, who was presented with the award at the 5-star Prestonfield House in Edinburgh, said: “I am delighted for everyone - all our local suppliers here at Mitchells, and I cannot express how happy we are to be recognised in such a way for our efforts in promoting healthy eating.”

Here is Keith being handed the award by Barry Cuthbertson (Muller Wiseman Dairies) and Robert Sider (SGF President) and Kaye Adams at the ceremony:

Everyone at Mitchells echoes Keith’s sentiments, and we would just like to reiterate how proud we are to be awarded this fantastic honour.

If you want to find out more about how Mitchells contributes to the local community in Inverurie, please feel free to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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Privilege to be in Pies and Puds

As Britons, it is not news to hear that two of our favourite foods as a nation are Pies and Puddings. 

Both of which are perfectly encapsulated in Paul Hollywood’s new book, “Pies and Puds”.

Hollywood said: "Man cannot live by bread alone—not even if the man is me. With this book, I want to rekindle our affection for straightforward, honest food.

Pies and puddings really sum up the strengths of our culinary culture—there's something about a home-baked deep golden pie or simple steamed pud that warms the cockles of your heart like nothing else."

The new book has countless recipes on sweet and savoury pies, as well as many delicious pudding recipes.

You will find “meat and potato pie, pork, apple and cider pie, lamb kidney and rosemary suet pudding, sausage plait and luxury fish pie” amongst the pie roster.

As well as these, the ‘Queen of puddings’, spiced plum pizza (yes, pizza), chocolate volcanoes and apple and Wensleydale pie will all be gracing the pages under the “Puddings” heading.

Turn to p.197 and you will find the Crannachan Cheesecake recipe that our oatcakes are used in!

Whether you're a sweet or a savoury person, a keen novice or an expert baker: it's time to get baking pies and puds.

The book will be released on Thursday 24th October on Bloomsbury publishing.

It will be available in all supermarkets, WHSmith and online.

The “Pies and Puds” tv series will air in November also, so keep an eye out for Mitchells and Judy!

 

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Scotland - The Land of Food and Drink

We are delighted to announce that from Monday 9th September,  Mitchells will be taking part in the Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight!

For anyone who is a fan of the fantastic cuisine Scotland has to offer, this is a celebration you will definitely want to sink your teeth into!

Food and Drink Fortnight has grown every year as more people across the country get involved in events such as foraging and farmers' markets, to cooking demos and butchery classes.

The fortnight, organised by Scotland Food & Drink, is for everyone who wants to share in the success of our beautiful country's produce - and we are thrilled to be a part of it with our #ScottishDishoftheDay event.

Throughout the next fortnight, we will have a different Scottish Dish of the Day every single day in the Dairy Tearoom, as well as information of products that we may be sampling in the shop.

Some of the foods that we will be sharing and celebrating include mince and tatties, skirlie, stovies, broth, cullen skink, and haggis neeps and tatties!

You can find recipes for these delicious dishes on the Recipes and Tips section of our website, and remember, most of these foods are also available in our shop as Mitchells' home cooked ready meals or from the Downies Fish counter.

So, if you're a fan of good Scottish food, then please come and join us in The Dairy over the next two weeks and we can enjoy the best products that the land of food and drink has to offer!

The Dairy tearoom's opening hours:

Monday to Saturday: 7.30am - 5.00pm (hot food served until 4pm)

Sunday: 11am - 4pm (hot food served until 3pm)

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Celebrate Ice Cream Month at Mitchells

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month, so since it’s official, what better month to dig into your favourite flavours at Mitchells Dairy!

Even though it’s an American tradition, we don’t think anyone will mind that we’re going to celebrate ice cream throughout the month of July - do you?

Made using Aberdeenshire grown ingredients in partnership with Rizza's of Huntly, Mitchells ice cream is available in 3 delicious flavours – Luxury Dairy, Crannachan and Blueberries & Cream.

Our hugely popular Blueberries & Cream ice cream is made using Castleton Farm Shop’s delicious blueberries, and incidentally, we have been selected by Castleton Farm Shop as their supplier of the month for July!

If you can’t choose between the flavours (we can't blame you...) we are currently running a competition on Facebook where you can win all three!

All you have to do is log onto the Mitchells Dairy Facebook page and guess how many red, white and blue balloons were on display in our window to celebrate Inverurie4u’s Independent Retailers Day.

Although our current range is Luxury Dairy, Crannachan and Blueberries & Cream, we did recently experiment in the kitchen at home with something a little more unusual.

After we got chatting to Fi Bird at Taste of Grampian, we made some sea lettuce ice cream from her book The Forager's Kitchen!

Now, we’re not sure whether it will ever become a Mitchells flavour, but if it proves popular, you just never know...

Have you ever tried any other unusual ice cream flavours? If so, what’s your favourite? Let us know by commenting on this post below, or by getting in touch on Facebook or Twitter.

And if you would like to stock Mitchells ice cream or find out more, please phone 01467 621 389.

 

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Inverurie4u Independent Retailers Day

In Inverurie, we are immensely proud of the range of independent shops and businesses still on our high streets, so, inspired by Independent Retailer Month, the members of Inverurie4u are holding a showcase late night shopping event to help people 'open their eyes to Inverurie'.

Taking place on Thursday 4 July, Inverurie4u Independent Retailers Day will highlight the important role that local, independent retailers play in Inverurie and help make people aware of how buying locally can boost our local economy.

To tie in with Independence Day in America, member businesses will decorate their shop windows in red, white and blue, helping you to identify the shops and businesses who work together to promote Inverurie as a great destination to shop, dine and spend time.

Local Olympian, swimmer Hannah Miley, will open the event in the town square, just outside our shop at 4pm, and there will be lots of family fun going on, including a treasure hunt around the town and live music from local music groups.

Here at Mitchells Dairy, we will have a 'guess how many balloons are in the window' competition and the Shop and Tearoom will both be open until 8pm.

There will also be tastings to sample in the shop including some delicious products at the Downies Fish counter, and in the Tearoom we are sticking with the Independence Day theme and selling hot dogs and thick shakes (made, of course, with yummy Mitchells ice cream) as well as snacks, home bakes, tea and coffees to revive you during all the fun!

What a great way to kick start the school holidays (well, the children will only have one more day of school after this!) with a bit of fun at Inverurie’s inaugural Independent Retailers Day.

Come along and open YOUR eyes to Inverurie - there really is something for everyone here!

If you want to find out more about Inverurie4u Independent Retailers Day, you can like Inverurie4u on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

And remember - you can pick up an Inverurie4u I LOVE LOCAL card in any participating business to claim your exclusive offers. Check out the Inverurie4u website for more information. 

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Get Served by Mitchells Dairy this Wimbledon

Fans flocked to SW19 yesterday for the first day of Wimbledon, but at Mitchells Dairy, we're more excited by a fortnight of strawberries and cream than serves and challenges!

So, if you aren't lucky enough to have centre court tickets, or aren't willing to queue for hours for ground passes, you haven't missed the chance to watch Wimbledon in style.

You can cheer on Andy Murray from the comfort of your own home, with some tasty treats that will make you feel like you're supporting him from the stands!

We have locally grown strawberries and raspberries from Barra Berries, which will of course be absolutely perfect served with Mitchells cream or ice cream.

Once you have devoured those, you can then move on to some Berry Scrumptious Strawberry and Cream chocolate, washed down with Cairn O’Mohr Sparkling Scottish Strawberry wine.

For those of you too busy watching the action to cook, we can even help you stack up on some scrumptious, but simple meals for dinnertime.

There is plenty to choose from the Mitchells deli counter, including cooked hams, cheese, homemade quiche and pate, as well as a whole host of crisps, snacks, wines and beers from our Grocery Shop. 

So, if you're looking for some delicious Wimbledon-inspired treats this summer, make sure you're served by Mitchells!

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Father's Day Favourites at Mitchells

With Father's Day just around the corner, why not get your dad an extra-special gift this year from Mitchells Dairy?

There’s so much to choose from at Mitchells; we have a fantastic selection of cheeses and chutneys, as well as beers, wines and whiskies which are certain to go down well with your dad.

If these don’t take your fancy, why not take a look at our special hampers on our Hamper Store? If our fathers are anything to go by, the Beers and Snacks Hamper is sure to be a firm favourite with all the dads out there.

For just £48, you will get a hamper crammed full with daddy's favourites, including Tyrrells Crisps, Mackies of Scotland Crisps, Deeside Brewery Beer, Innis & Gunn Oak Aged, and of course, good old Tunnocks Teacakes.

If this doesn't whet your appetite, we can make up hampers to your individual requirements. Just be sure to let us know all your dad’s favourites and we’ll do our best to include them.

If your old man is a little fussy, you are still struggling to find the perfect gift, why not let him choose his own? Mitchells' gift vouchers can be purchased, allowing your dad to browse and make his own selection.

We know the date is fast approaching, but don't worry - if you don't have time to pop into store, phone us on 01467 621389 or visit us online and we can then arrange to courier to mainland UK addresses.

We hope we have helped give you some ideas for Fathers Day, and we hope you all have a wonderful day shared with the most special man in your life.

Remember everyone - think gift, think Mitchells.

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What a Delicious Taste of Grampian

We would like to say a huge Mitchells Dairy thank you to all our wonderful customers and friends who stopped by to see us last Saturday at Taste of Grampian, the one-day food and drink festival.

Taste of Grampian is always a fantastic day out, and this year's event, which took place at the Thainstone Centre in good old Inverurie, was certainly no different.

Our stand was situated just underneath the clock in the main concourse, and although it was incredibly busy, we were able to keep everyone happy with samples of Mitchells milk, our handmade oatcakes, and of course, our delicious Mitchells ice cream.

We managed to have a look around and see celebrity chefs Simon Rimmer, Nick Nairn and Lady Claire MacDonald doing demos, as well as get the chance to sample the wide range of high quality food and drink products from Grampian.

Don't get us wrong, we know more than most how good the produce and producers in Aberdeenshire are - but Taste of Grampian just showcases how lucky we really are.

While we were having a look around, we also got a chance to read a new publication, Aberdeenshire Larder, which launched at the event. Aberdeenshire Larder is part of The List series of food and drink publications, featuring places to eat and where to buy the best produce from the region.

Mitchells has a listing in the publication, and if you want to have a read and find more of the best food and drink in Aberdeenshire, they are available for free from our shop and tearoom.

You can see some of our pictures from the day below, including one of Judy and the aforementioned Mr. Rimmer, who happened to tweet us afterwards saying 'it's always a treat coming to Grampian!'.

It is indeed Simon, it is indeed!

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Why Mitchells Dairy Help our Heroes

Last month, we threw our weight behind the Help for Heroes Colossal Cake Sale and we are delighted to say that, thanks to the generosity of our customers, we raised £153.07 for the charity.

Following that terrific effort, we were once again delighted to support Help for Heroes at last weekend's Cocktails, Clothes and Cakes event at Meldrum House Country Hotel and Golf Course.

Set amidst beautiful countryside just a few short miles from Aberdeen, The 4 Gold Star Meldrum is one of Scotland's finest luxury hotels - and fortunately for everyone in attendance, the sun shone throughout.

It was a lovely afternoon with fashion shows by local businesses, a fantastic cocktail reception and afternoon tea, and the event raised well in excess of £3300 for Help for Heroes, which is a magnificent effort by everyone involved.

Help for Heroes do some amazing work for our wounded soldiers and their families, and we wanted to let you know why Mitchells Dairy support this thoroughly deserving charity.

As well as other friend and family connections with the forces, Judy's step-aunt, Louise Bennet, has three sons who are currently serving, or have previously been in the Royal Marines, and she sends thousands of buns to British troops in Afghanistan.

Louise has dispatched around 68,000 buns, and currently sends out 450 per week to 12 addresses; 11 in Afghanistan and one to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Five of the current dispatches go to 2 SCOTS, who are in various areas of Afghanistan. 

You can read more about 'Louby Lou’s Buns of Mass Production', the nickname given to them by Terry Wogan after she sent him a batch when he did the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, in this article in The Daily Mail.

You can also watch Louise talking about her 'Buns of Mass Production' on STV's The Hour, with Darius Campbell and Michelle McManus below.

It is through Louise that we got to hear of Help for Heroes, and since then, Judy's dad and step mum have held two garden parties in recent years to fundraise, which has raised over £15,000 for the charity.

So, to cut a long story short, this is why we jumped at the chance to be part of Meldrum House’s event and take part in the Help for Heroes Colossal Cake Sale!

We would love to hear your stories about why you support Help for Heroes, or indeed, why you support any particular charity. As usual, you can let us know on this blog post, or on Facebook or Twitter.

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Fantastic Fun at the Foodie Fundraiser

We would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who came along to our inaugural #foodiefundraiser tasting evening last week - for helping us raise over £1000 for The RNLI!

The evening was a tremendous success, and as we still have some donations coming in, it looks like the final amount raised will be nearer £1,100.

The food and wine suppliers were delighted with the interest and feedback they were getting for the produce they sampled, and from our perspective, the evening really did open people's eyes to the range of produce we stock in the shop.

There were lots of comments like 'I didn’t know you stocked that' and 'gosh, your malt whisky prices are really competitive' and that’s exactly what we hoped for – people coming in and browsing round the shop with fresh eyes.

For those who want to donate further to the RNLI, you will be happy to know that our goodwill didn't stop at our #foodiefundraiser. Over the next few weeks, customers can continue to show their support by purchasing wines from a specially labelled range, with 50p for each bottle sold going to the RNLI.

Once again, thank you so much to everyone who came along on Thursday evening, it is hugely appreciated.

We would also like to thank those who were not able to attend but made a donation, the Inverurie fundraising branch of the RNLI and of course our fabulous suppliers; Claire Rennie from Berry Scrumptious, Alan, Alan and Fiona from Downies Fish, Gordon and Shona Presly from Presly Butchers, Nicky Groat from Devenick Dairy, Dianne Smith from JG Ross and Pulsetta, and John Chalmers from Enotria Wines.

If you didn't manage to make it along, here's some photos from the event. You can find more on our Facebook page by clicking HERE.

PS. We are already thinking of our next tasting evening – what do you think about a beer or whisky night? Let us know by posting on this blog post or on Facebook or Twitter. 

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Why We're Supporting The RNLI

Following on from our latest blog post about our #foodiefundraiser in aid of RNLI, we thought we would take the time to tell you a little bit more about why exactly we decided to organise this particular event in aid of the RNLI - an independent charity, funded by voluntary donations.

The Inverurie RNLI fundraising branch is one of the smaller in Scotland, but, for its size, is very successful. In the last five years, it has raised over £40,000 to support the lifeboat search and rescue service. Though this seems like a lot of money, it is a very small contribution to the cost of the service.

Keeping a modern fleet of lifeboats ever-ready to go to the rescue from 236 stations is an expensive business. Add to that crew training, running a lifeguard service on more than 180 popular beaches and campaigning for water safety, and the pounds start to add up.

It costs around £385,000 a day to run the RNLI, all of which is generously donated by the public. This might sound like a lot, but we think the 22 people rescued a day (on average) are absolutely worth it.

The RNLI volunteer crew are the backbone of the lifeboat service, physically saving lives at sea. There are more than 4,600 volunteer lifeboat crew members at stations around the UK, and another 3,000 volunteer shore crew members who support them. They are available 24/7, whatever the weather, to rescue those who need help.

Aberdeenshire has very strong connections to the sea through the local fishing industry, North Sea oil industry and the fantastic beaches we have on our doorstep.  It is very reassuring for everyone who goes to the sea, coast and inland water for work or leisure that the RNLI is close at hand with their volunteer crews to deal with any eventuality.

So, it’s easy to see why we believe this is a worthy and worthwhile cause for Mitchells Dairy, and the people of Inverurie, to support. You can’t put a price on the service the RNLI provides on a daily basis, but we feel we can try and repay some of that worth with our #foodiefundraiser.

If you want to come and support our local RNLI service, while having fun and learning a little about food and wine, then come along on Thursday 9 May between 7pm and 9pm.

Tickets for the fundraiser (in return for a suggested donation to the RNLI of just £10 per person) are available from the checkout in our shop, by phoning on 01467 621389 or emailing Judy at judy@mitchells-scotland.com.

For more information on the RNLI, why not visit their website - they have a great section on it called “Shorething” with games, activities and information for ages 7-14 years.

To keep up-to-date with what’s going on at Mitchells Dairy or the #foodiefundraiser, you can do so via our website, or through Facebook and Twitter.

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