- 2 March 2010, 11:23
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Delighted to share with you all that following our Quality in Tourism inspection last week we have been given a Gold Award, this is following our Breakfast Award in November. We are thrilled, the Inspector's report stated: 'The highlight at Harrop Fold Farm is the excellent welcome and friendly service throughout the stay. The focus is on the guest at all times and Sue is an excellent host.'
Thanks to all the family, as everyone plays their part - as our guests know!
Talking about golden things, David is busy at the Aga making his second batch of marmalade, the smell is intense and the colour is beautiful, and we now have a row of glorious jars waiting to be squirrelled away to feed us throughout the coming year.
Love, Sue x
- 5 December 2008, 13:00
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All my good intentions to keep this blog up to date...and it is now December! Another good couple of months have been enjoyed here with Leah winning the Cheshire Rural Woman of the Year Award for her contribution to food and drink; I was a very proud Mum and clapped very hard indeed to see Leah walk up to collect a lovely clock, some beautiful flowers and of course, the all important certificate! November saw the Cheshire Awards for Tourism Skills, another fantastic party night organised by Visit Chester and Cheshire, at Tatton Park, and once again Leah was successful in being presented with another award, this time for Best New Entrant to the Industry. There is going to be abit of competition here between Mother and Daughter I feel!!
Talking about Awards, we had a fabulous evening at St George's Hall at the end of October for the NWRDA North West England Tourism Awards. Sadly we did not win, however, being a part of this prestigious event for the 3rd year running is indeed an achievement. 2006 saw us there with the B&B and we did receive Highly Commended, 2007 with Painting at Harrop Fold Farm and then this year we were representing Cheshire with Self-catering Holiday Experience with Mellow Brook Cottage here at Harrop Fold Farm. The cottage looks beautiful following its complete redecoration and refurb, and guest's feedback is brilliant.
We have had our first substantial snowfall this week; on Tuesday morning David had to bring out the tractor to pull out two of our guest’s cars! It adds to the adventure...so I am told! What is so funny is that just 2 miles down the road there was no snow at all! Anyway, it arrived quickly and left quickly...much to Edward’s disgust as he quite fancied a couple of days off school.
Leah began her Christmas Cookery Demonstrations and Dine yesterday, it was really well received, and the dining room looked beautiful with the Christmas tree in situ. Perhaps this weekend will see us decorate the other tree in the cottage. The family are enjoying all this seasonal food especially the turkey as Leah keeps trying many different recipes out on us...I really must try to exercise or I will not be fitting into my Christmas party dresses!
Mincemeat has been on Leah’s mind as she has been making the most delicious mincemeat over the last couple of weeks, and so today’s job is making a few more mince pies for this weekend’s visitors. Oh the temptations I am faced with...will anyone notice how many I actually made?!
The animals are all well, the peacocks have settled and now entertain the guests over breakfast, I am not quite sure whether they are admiring themselves by viewing their reflections in the windows or are hoping for treats from guests! Emmie is delightful and so good, she has loved seeing her first snow this week, she made everyone laugh when she jumped onto the wall not realising of course that she would then skid along it and land on the ground! Arthur has taken to his job of patrolling the buildings looking for anything interesting (and tasty!) and spends a great deal of the day in this way.
The cows came in for the winter after the bonfire party, I love hearing their low mooing sounds when I wake up in the morning. They are so happy when they first come in, but by spring start trying to break out again...the grass is always greener...!
Must set to now to prepare the rooms for today’s guests and then start to organise our Christmas orders to ensure we have plenty of delicious food to offer our guests.
Catch up again very soon,
Sue x
By ADOmedia
Tagged: Leah, awards, December, Tourism, skills, Tatton, Park, St, Georges, Hall, highly, commended, painting, harrop, fold, farm, holiday, experience, David, Edward, tractor, cottage, BampB
- 17 April 2008, 14:00
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Harrop Fold is trying to become Greener…and have succeeded in becoming Bronze!
We believe we are the first Cheshire b&b to be awarded a Green Tourism Business Scheme Award. Prior to Easter we were asked to join the scheme and were visited by their inspector. We know we are strong in certain areas…local food, local shopping (and an excellent local shopping service is provided to our self-catering guests), the walking is excellent as is the wonderful wildlife around the farm; we collect visitors from the railway station whenever we can – and when we can’t, guests can take a taxi from the station. After all, that is good for our local taxi drivers! Cheshire County Council have placed recycle boxes for paper, card, glass and cans actually at the farm for our guests and ourselves to fill. We are trying to become ‘greener’ in our cleaning processes and our lovely Helen is very keen on us using vinegar and baking powder in our daily cleaning chores, she has now suggested that we consider making some of our cleaning products ourselves! And she kindly squirrels away plastic containers to recycle in her village recycle point.
However, certain areas are not as strong…public transport - buses, sadly I believe there are only 2 a working day, one on a Saturday and none on a Sunday and this makes it difficult for visitors to travel by bus! I have thought very hard and very long about the guest products and since I know guests love Molton Brown we have decided to keep this ‘extravagance’! We do invite our guests to share ideas with us regarding environmental issues and we are always eager to learn the ideas of others.
Talking of green…we woke this morning to a sprinkling of the white stuff – the hills were dusted with snowflakes, it looked as though Leah had been out with her icing sugar and sifter! We cannot believe that the day before yesterday we were out in shirtsleeves looking at the garden and this morning – brr! On the way back home from the school run I noticed that Rachel’s ewes had begun lambing in the top field – Dry Earth. A wise ewe had made her bed under the trees along the side of the drive and had just delivered one lovely little lamb, a couple of minutes ago I walked past and there was another suckling with its sibling along with a very proud looking mum!
I love this time of year, the flowers are budding and blossoming and there seems so much to look forward to. David was walking around the fields on Monday and for the first time this year heard and indeed saw the curlews back at Harrop Fold Farm. I know the guests especially love hearing the sound of the sheep and watching the gambolling lambs, hopefully David’s flock will be lambing shortly and the sun will shine on them, welcoming each little creature to the world!
Today’s treat on the Aga is some lovely Cheshire Jerusalem Artichoke soup for David’s and my lunch so I will go and check the seasoning and no doubt we will enjoy this over today’s crossword!
Speak again soon.
Love, Sue
By ADOmedia
Tagged: bampb, bronze, green, award, tourism, scheme, Helen, taxi, drivers, recycle, village, food, local, paper, card, glass
