Latest poster

Here it is, going up on noticeboards in Piddington and surrounding villages. The note about the road closures refers to the recent surprise we had when our local council informed us that village roads would be closed for a period including the day of our market!

On further investigation, it became clear that, despite the official notices warning the public of the closures, this should not affect access to the market on the day, as the road where the village hall is, is not one earmarked for closure.

So the market will definitely still be happening – please come along and enjoy the summery delights on offer!

The Pantry sets a trend

Just as we were finalising arrangements for our new community stall at the summer market, I read yesterday (here) that in Thame, a nearby town, ‘South Oxfordshire District Council has provided £1,545 to the Thame Market Co-operative to allow the group to buy a new market stall for local community use. The stall … will provide a permanent area for local producers, community groups and nearby entrepreneurs to display and sell products to the general public.’

Well, how cutting edge are we, then? We just thought it would be a terrific way to make sure that all parts of our little village benefit from The Pantry project, and suddenly we seem to be in the vanguard of a whole movement. Well done, Piddington!

Anyway, the discussions about the community stall were in full flow last night, at the village hall AGM, so it should be a really tempting table. Piddington bakers are renowned for the deliciousness of their cakes – I have no doubt that several villagers are already earmarking their favourites: W’s delectably moist ginger cake, maybe, or M’s heavenly almond cake … you know who you are, ladies! And, of course, there may also be contributions from participants in the Piddington Bake Off.

So, if you want to be in the trendiest spot this summer, forget Wilderness and Cornbury – just head to Piddington, and feel cool and ever so slightly smug.

Pantry tote bags

If you came to the spring market, you’ll have seen our brand new 100% cotton tote bags, printed with The Pantry logo, for sale at the very reasonable price of £2.

Buying a bag is a great way to show your support for this village project. The bags are a talking point, when you’re out and about, and, of course, they help to spread the word about our local market. They make good gifts too, especially when filled with a selection of local produce!

We’ll have the bags for sale at the summer market, but if you’d like to buy one before then, please contact Francesca.

 

Community stall

In my last blog I mentioned that we hoped to join forces again with other groups in Piddington. This idea has borne fruit, and at the next market (8 June), we’ve planned to allocate a stall to other village ‘worthy causes’ so that they can sell goods to raise funds. At the summer market, the stall will be run by members of the church and the village hall management committee. All the money raised on this community stall will be split between these two groups, and will thus benefit the village as a whole.

Naturally, as it was inspired by the Bake Off, this first community stall will be featuring a host of delicious homemade cakes and bakes – and we know just how good the Piddington Bakers are! I’d say it’s worth visiting the summer market for this stall alone – but of course, we’re planning lots more to tempt you …

Piddington Bake Off

Not much activity recently on The Pantry blog as I’ve been sampling the local produce in Devon, but we’re gearing up to our summer market now, so we’re starting to put in orders for summery products (remember, our theme this time is The Great British Picnic, so expect to find lots of tempting picnic goodies) and firm up bookings with stallholders. I’ll let you know more very soon.

The only disadvantage to being in Devon, though, was that I missed the Piddington Bake Off last weekend, which by all the comments I’ve heard since my return was a great success. For a mere £2, everyone got to taste all the delicious cakes and bakes and then judge them. One person told me it was the best £2 they’d ever spent! Everyone had a fantastic time, and the event raised some money to help support the village hall, so the organisers are keen to hold a similar event in the future. I’m definitely going to try not to miss it this time! You can read more about the Piddington Bake Off on the village website: http://www.piddingtonvillageoxfordshire.org.uk/noticeboard.html

The Pantry took a stall at the Bake Off, and this has sparked the idea that we might join forces in other foodie events, which would be great for the village. Meanwhile, here’s a photo of our stall plus a few of the delicious entries.

The Pantry at the Piddington Bake Off, with the Under 16 entries in the foreground

Pantry summer market

The theme this time will be The Great British Picnic – so let’s hope for a heatwave on 8 June!

We’ve got lots of ideas to make this a lovely, summery event, with many delicious products to tempt you to put together your own picnic – or just enjoy them at the market.

There’ll be deckchairs, bunting, even ice cream.

More news soon …

More news about the Bake Off

There will be two demonstrations on the day:

12.00 – Maria Chambers will be demonstrating Super Serviette Folding and offering you a chance to have a go. Prepare to be amazed.

2.00 pm – Maria Chambers will give a Creative Cupcake Decorating demonstration.

Kitchen Jumble Stall
Among some other lovely stalls you’ll have the chance to grab a bargain from the Kitchen Jumble stall.  If you have any unwanted kitchen/cooking items in good condition that you can donate please let Deborah Harman know or bring it down to the Village Hall Friday evening or Saturday morning before 10 am. If you need something to be collected, please contact Deborah on 01844 238172.

Children’s Class
Every child entering the competition gets a prize … Best Bake or Best Decorated, something for ALL ages.

If you would like to enter one of the Baking Classes details shown on the notice (in yesterday’s blog), please enter soon and collect your guidelines.

Finally, please come along on the day and take part in the judging. Vote for your favourite bake and browse the stalls, or simply enjoy a tea or coffee.