Aspen Waite Group News • Winter 2021
After the darkness comes the dawn Adjusting to life after the pandemic
In this issue
A life lived in fear is a life half lived Rorkes Drift Zulu dinner 2021 Energy from waste The art of Listening
Advise • Educate • Innovate
Let the sun back into your life, let Aspen Waite lead the way... - Paul Waite
Contents
04 Welcome from Paul Waite 10 2021 – A financial overview of the year 12 Energy from waste 18 Aspen Waite International update 20 Celebrating Spicer Tiles - A client success story
22 Aspen Waite South East have moved! 24 The art of listening 26 Buddies and branding 30 Taking on personal challenges, in The Aspen Waite Way 32 Rorkes Drift Zulu dinner 2021 36 Mental health – Taboo subject? Not anymore 40 Does the magic happen outside your comfort zone? 44 Grumpy Bear’s cookery corner
04
A life lived in fear is a life half lived Adapting to the new normal By Paul Waite FCA FCCA - Chief Executive, Aspen Waite Group In March 2020, the Government announced we were in a Pandemic. Here we are coming to the end of 2021 and the world, certainly our world, is finally waking up. I am, by nature, a very positive character and I value my civil liberties, so I really struggled with the lockdowns. I was not especially well in March, so the Pandemic did me a favour, breaking up the traditional work routine, allowing me to get plenty of sunshine. I have probably visited as many people as anyone over the last 18 months or so, travelling the length and breadth of our land. I remember the first time I went across the Severn Bridge and expected the Welsh Archers to meet me on the other side.
Governments across the world have scared their populations to death and, unfortunately, many people have lived their lives in fear and will probably never be the same again. 2021 has been a tough year with the full implications of the Pandemic finally working through, many of them being felt as negative. Aspen Waite’s success has been based on our network and our willingness to collaborate. The network practically closed down, staff were often at home and face to face contact was practically eliminated. On the positive side, I was convinced that there would be wholesale business failures with particular concerns over a few clients.
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Here we are in the Autumn of 2021 and our customer base remains intact. In fact, there are a few real success stories, notably my longstanding friend Steve Whettingsteel’s business, Krysteline Technology. This company could have been a global sensation many years ago but finally the moment has come. Steve was a guest of my live business interview show and I got to know him even better. I have interviewed a whole succession of great people and there has been a common theme throughout the interviews in the empathy between myself and the interviewee and our shared experiences.
My media career has really advanced and, whilst I am an accomplished radio presenter, for me my real achievements lie in my interview style which puts my guest at ease and my performance as lead presenter in the Thames Valley and Southwest Business Awards. The national awards now beckon. Aspen Waite Radio is now in to its second year. “Madness or genius?” I’m still not sure myself.
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We are definitely learning all the time and our biggest challenge is spreading the word. It’s not long ago that I saw my future in being more like an Executive Chairman, but I have become a very hands on operational CEO. It can be a pressurising and lonely role, but I am proud of how I am adapting and where I need to make those really difficult decisions that you would rather not. I am often heard saying that what happened yesterday is not good enough today and what happens today is not good enough for tomorrow and so on. I am especially pleased that I have had the courage to invest in Aspen Waite’s future given the reduction in income from our core market (R&D) over the last year. This took courage and was not universally popular internally. Nonetheless along with the investments we have had to make some cost reductions. Despite this Aspen Waite today though is a very different organisation:•
New offices in Porthcawl, Talbot Green and Tiverton
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Growing the Corporate Finance capability
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Radio station combining music and business in a highly relevant way
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Amazing Marketing Team including industry leading designer
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Successful development of our own Anaerobic Digester in Aspen Waite Sustainable Energy
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Launch of our new Environmental Consultancy product “Sustain” which we believe is the best and most relevant offering in the market
It takes courage to run a business; it is not always easy. As AA Milne said:“You are braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem, Smarter than you think And loved more than you’ll ever know”
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I am also now a proud co-owner of the Heritage Mint Company (coins) and this gives me a chance to work with my friend, best-selling author Kevin Ashman, and genius colleague, David Scheeres. We have concentrated on British battles but also a wonderfully uplifting piece of work to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Rorke’s Drift: see our special feature inside. Doing so much media work has undoubtedly helped my presentational and oratory skills and being interviewed every Friday has helped me to understand myself: perhaps more importantly to articulate my thoughts better to colleagues and clients alike. As we come to the end of the year, thoughts go to loved ones and people that have made their mark. I feel privileged to know Johno Harris and he has borne adverse health with incredible courage and an undiminished positive attitude. Likewise, Glynn Ford, CEO of R&M Utilities, the client I probably deal with the most, who despite a chronic medical condition is a whirlwind and an inspiration. Glynn introduced me to Louise and Lee, founders of Next Steps Charity, and I think this will be life changing, hopefully for all of us. Again, see the feature inside. The star of the year has to be my granddaughter, Evelyn. She is quite a character and loved by all. Finally, we have once again the Aspen Waite Christmas Songs. Be sure to watch on our Aspen Waite YouTube channel and social media platforms which are updated every day with relevant and engaging content from our group. And don’t forget to tune into Aspen Waite Radio.
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are braver you believe
you than
stronger than you seem smarter
you
and
think
than
loved more than you’ll ever know...
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I personally wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year - Paul
10
2021 – A financial overview of the year Richard Hill
Richard.Hill@aspen-waite.co.uk
With the end of the year approaching, it is a good time to take stock of where we are, how we got here, and where we are going. This is as true for businesses as it is for individuals, and it has been a very unusual year (or two!), with the economy taking shocks as big as anyone can remember, unprecedented measures being taken in our tax system, and a great deal of variation in how hard different business sectors have been hit. On top of all that, it’s not over yet. Not only can we expect more peaks and troughs in COVID-19 levels, even with the great success of vaccination programmes, but the shocks to businesses are not always felt immediately, and at times the fallout is not predictable, or even rational. We only need to look to the recent issues with petrol supply and demand, and the impact of the increases in gas prices to see that the knock-on effects can be disproportionate to the causes. Indeed, I have seen two of my gas suppliers alone go out of business as a result.
The UK economy is rallying however, and doing so faster than expected. GDP has increased 5.5% in the second quarter, after being revised up from the first estimate of 4.8%. This is favourable compared to comparable European countries, though still lagging behind powerhouses such as the USA. Similarly, those clients that have survived the past couple of years are the companies that are either robust and well managed or have found a way to benefit from the crises that we have faced. This leaves us with a positive future ahead.
These changes will all have impacts beyond the obvious, changing the cost/benefit calculations of various options available to our clients, and so we will need to be on our toes to give them the best possible advice. More increases are also rumoured to be in the works, with CGT and IHT being pegged as the most likely targets. We at Aspen Waite need to be proactive with the people who will be impacted by this, and keep our collective eye on the ball, to ensure both great client service and our own financial health.
That’s not to say we won’t be still facing some choppy waters along with our clients. Some businesses will have needed to tighten their belts, meaning less cash available to spend on marketing, advisory work, and complex projects. The impact of furlough is still being felt, particularly on things like R&D claim sizes, which can cut into our margins as advisors.
Overall, I am optimistic about the future at the moment. We might need to evolve and reposition ourselves in any number of ways, and there are some very real challenges ahead. Having said this, when I look at what we have already overcome together I am confident that we are ready to face those challenges, and end in a stronger position than we started.
As for the world of tax specifically, the outlook is unusually volatile. We are of course expecting to deal with the health and social care levy, the capital allowances super-deduction, and the increase to the corporation tax rate.
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To get in touch with Richard to learn more about our Tax and R&D services, please email Richard.Hill@aspen-waite.co.uk
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Energy from waste David Scheeres
David.Scheeres@aspen-waite.co.uk
Aspen Waite Sustainable Energy Ltd (AWSE) was incorporated on November 6th 2020 to make a profit from the development and production of an innovative Anaerobic Digestion system. Anaerobic digestion is a process through which bacteria break down organic matter—such as animal manure, wastewater biosolids, and food wastes—in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic digestion for biogas production takes place in a sealed vessel called a reactor, which is designed and constructed in various shapes and sizes specific to the site and feedstock conditions. These reactors contain complex microbial communities that break down (or digest) the waste and produce resultant biogas and digestate (the solid and liquid material end-products of the AD process) which is discharged from the digester. The illustration on the right shows how this works.
Why would a firm of accountants involve themselves in Anaerobic Digestion? The road to Aspen Waite Sustainable Energy began 15 years ago at a Recycling and Waste Management exhibition at the NEC. An enthusiastic young graduate, Waqas Ahmed explained his vision
to me for small portable digestion plants and was seeking technical assistance on heating and the recycling of plastics, two fields I am involved in. Over the years Waqas reappeared many times requesting technical and business advice and on some occasions, to commiserate with him regarding problems with nonperforming investors. It is said that invention is 5% inspiration and 95% perspiration and in Waqas’ case this has proved to be true. Waqas’ idea was to develop a portable digestion system which would have the advantage of not requiring solid foundations that a fixed plant would require. Planning permission is required for static AD plants and is often contentious and can take several years but a modular system does not need planning and as a consequence can be deployed where needed. To make them economically viable, large scale digestion plants require a large throughput of waste and the cost of transporting waste can be significant. There is a sensitive balance between cost of feedstock and value of the digestate. In respect of the Aspen Waite system, the plant is small scale so it is taken to the point of generation of waste and scaled to suit. I have long advocated dealing with recycling problems at source as transportation is expensive and not sustainable.
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In 2020 a client explained to me that they had potential pollution issues with a leachate at a recycling plant and that there was a potential of a closure order from National Resources Wales, the Welsh equivalent of the Environment Agency. Around 5000 litres of biological leachate was collected each day from a sump and spread on farm land. In the event of heavy rain the leachate was diverted into a large lagoon to employ reed bed filtration. NRW was dissatisfied with the reed bed option as it was considered it should be much larger and could overspill into a river during bad weather. The option for our client was to extend the reed bed lagoon which would seriously impinge on the space at a huge cost or give up recycling the waste stream from their customer, a Local Authority. The particular waste stream; nappy waste,
was a very small part of the Local Authority contract but the contract was based on processing everything so cessation of that waste stream would have jeopardised the whole contract.
Energy was created after a rapid business risk evaluation with the ambition of developing a pilot plant within 12 months to resolve our clients problem and then sell the technology to them and to others.
Pending legislation to be introduced in March 2022 will seriously restrict the spreading of silage on the land in Wales also compounded the problem for our client.
This gave Waqas the opportunity to scale up his technology and prove it with a pilot plant with a willing operator and Aspen Waite the opportunity to resolve a problem for an important client. A win-win scenario for all parties.
I suggested to the client that they could consider small scale digestion which would allow clean fluid to be discharged or used for washing vehicles with the additional potential of creating a saleable product – organic fertilizer. Our client liked the idea, I spoke to Paul Waite and with his agreement contacted Waqas and Aspen Waite Sustainable
As a result of Waqas’ business development work, the Ministry of Defence have expressed significant interest to the extent that they wish to showcase the equipment at their Salisbury technology centre and run a trial.
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In addition to defence the MOD also involves itself with assisting NGO’s (Non Government Organisations) such as Oxfam with post disaster humanitarian aid. Following natural or man made disasters there is always a requirement for clean water but providing sanitation is difficult resulting in contagious disease. The long term objective of AWSE is to sell the equipment to NGO’s for rapid deployment where needed. The digesters can provide sanitation and also energy from the methane gas produced. Energy costs are low as the main reaction is biological and the plants energy requirements can be met from solar panels allowing deployment in remote areas away from the Electricity Grid.
AWSE Digester tanks with Solar Panels replacing reed bed lagoon.
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The Aspen Waite digester is patents pending and has a unique heating circuit that accelerates microbacteriological growth to assist in the efficacy of the digestion. There is a world wide reliance on chemical fertilizer for agriculture but a genuine desire to use organic fertilizers which are in short supply. Miniature digesters, placed where they are needed, such as in hotels, schools, farms and even sports and music festivals will reduce pollution, reduce traffic to and from sites and create a valuable saleable product that will assist the food growing chain. Aspen Waite is particularly active in providing Corporation Tax Relief to the recycling and
agricultural sectors so understands requirements and has an existing customer portfolio for the technology. There is no doubt that the accounting profession is facing a radical restructuring as a result of digitalisation and inexpensive software packages such as Xero, Sage and Quickbooks will result in large scale reduction of the sector so diversification will provide opportunity and security for those that have agility and can deploy their skills elsewhere. Aspen Waite is such a company. The pilot plant is currently being commissioned and will be operational virtually one year to the date of the incorporation of Aspen Waite Sustainable Energy Limited.
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International update Dr. Oksana Artyomenko MD FRSM
Aspen Waite International continues to develop our overseas connection and establish collaborative partnerships. With the focus on China, AW International was proud to represent our clients at the Nanjing Tech Week (NTW 2021), which took place in Nanjing in June. Located in the east of China, Nanjing is the capital of the Jiangsu Province. It is an important Eastern China city, and one of the Yangtze River Delta’s mega-cities, with a population of over 8.3 million. Nanjing (literally ‘South Capital’) is also an ancient city with a long history and its own profound culture. Nanjing has more than 6,000 years of civilized history, nearly 2,500 years of which as a city and nearly 500 years as a capital. Nanjing also has the
Oksana.Artyomenko@aspen-waite.co.uk
longest preserved Ming Dynasty city wall in the world, and the most sacred relic of the Buddhist world - “Gautama Buddha’s Skull Remains”, as well as several world cultural heritage sites. Nanjing has a leading position in science and education talent in China, having 53 universities and colleges. It has a strong industrial foundation and established economic and trade ties with more than 230 countries and regions and attracted investment from more than 100 “Fortune 500” companies. At present, Nanjing is vigorously implementing an innovation-driven development strategy, focusing on building comprehensive science, technology and industry innovation centres as part of a first-class innovation ecosystem.
NTW and China Nanjing Week is an annual co-hosted event of the Nanjing Municipal Government. The over-arching theme of NTW is self-explanatory, while China Nanjing Week focuses on cultural and community issues. The 2021 China Nanjing Week event had special significance with its combination of technology, science, innovation, and the international community, as well as being a platform for raising awareness for Women, Children, the Elderly and People with Disabilities and the role that new technology plays. NTW 2021 consisted of top end forums, industry conferences, tech competitions and industry exhibitions.
Together with our partners at Academe UK, AW International has invited several speakers to participate in the conference, including the Lord Mayor of Birmingham Muhammad Afzal, MP Lord Robin Teverson, Lord Charles Courtenay, Earl of Devon, Prof Lisa Robert’s, Vice-Chancellor University of Exeter and Chair of South West University Alliance. In addition, the South West Local Enterprise Partnership was represented by its CEO David Ralf. Together with our Chinese partners, we have created an Innovation and Development centre within the conference, providing our clients a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and present their technologies to other delegates and Chinese government institutions.
Four Aspen Waite client companies have presented their innovative businesses focussed on renewable and sustainable energy and waste management, and discussed potential partnerships with Chinese companies and government institutions. The event was a huge success, with thousands of people attending presentations and discussions. We continue working on new partnerships and further establishing the infrastructure for UK-China collaborations. Through our partners in China, we curate the most appropriate potential business partners for our clients seeking licensing, manufacturing, distribution
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and funding deals. In addition, with Chinese government being open to commercial partnerships, it creates a unique opportunity for businesses to scale up, improve efficiencies and client networks. If you’re seeking to expand your business internationally, or exploring collaborative partnerships, AW International is here to help - please reach out to us to discuss your business needs.
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Celebrating Spicer Tiles - An Aspen Waite South East client success story Lisa Lauder
Lisa.Lauder@aspen-waite.co.uk
The Spicer family have been producing handmade clay roof and floor tiles at their facility in New Romney in Kent for over thirty years. Andrew Spicer and his wife Jane saw a gap in the market after the great storm of 1987, initially making their first tile from clay dug from the garden to eventually working from a 20,000 square foot facility and employing 45 people. The company has been handed over to their son Adam who has taken this traditional trade to the modern industry. As well as providing Tax Credits for Spicers as a client, Aspen Waite South East (AWSE) provide a holistic business advisory package, including for PAYE and a personal accountancy with tax advisory service.
AWSE has helped develop higher levels of service, product diversification, the ability to enter new markets and a marked overall increase in their financial capacity. Spicers have risen to such acclaim that the National Trust has used them to re-tile its Knole Trust Heritage site roof in Sevenoaks.
“Working with Marc, Lisa, Rosie and all at Aspen Waite South East has turned what used to be a mundane task into a joy. With a holistic approach, AWSE provide a fantastic service, looking at the overall needs of the business. If Marc doesn’t know the answer to a question, he will open his magic box and find someone who does. A fantastic team who I look forward to working with well into the future.” - Adam Spicer If you would like to see how we can help. You grow your business please email: Lisa.lauder@aspen.waite.co.uk or log on to: www.aspenwaite.co.uk to learn more about our range of services.
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Aspen Waite South East have moved! Lisa Lauder
Lisa.Lauder@aspen-waite.co.uk
Aspen Waite’s South East group has found a new home at the fantastic Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent. The Discovery Park encompasses a broad range of business, from start-ups through to large multinational companies - although the focus for most businesses here revolves around scientific industries, there are many supply and support companies operating within the park. Aspen Waite South East is located within the Innovation House complex, this building is made up of many offices of different sizes, the community areas are enviable. We can utilise everything from the café, gym, breakout areas, board rooms to a dedicated ‘play’ area. Anyone coming to visit the office is welcomed to the spacious reception area by the facilities personnel and chaperoned to the designated meeting area. The site manages networking events and, now lockdown is over, business seminars, general meetings and displays are starting to happen again. The people that inhabit the spaces here are welcoming and happy people, which makes coming into the office a complete delight. The Aspen Waite South East team have already had good conversations with the other businesses here and the possibilities for R&D and business support services are very encouraging.
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You are all invited to come and visit, the kettle is always on, contact Lisa.Lauder@aspen-waite.co.uk
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The art of listening Gill Johnston
GillJ@aspen-waite.co.uk
A couple of years ago, I went to a restaurant in London called Dans Le Noir. It provides dinner or lunch in pitch darkness. The waiters who are blind, take you to your table. You need to put your hand on the shoulder of the person in front of you, forming a small chain. The waiter then pulls back your chair and seats you, takes your hands and shows you by touch where your glass and cutlery are. The feeling of sitting in absolute darkness, not even a chink of light was both strange and invigorating, and a little eerie.
The experience showed how your other senses went into overdrive within the environment. Your sense of hearing became so acute that you could hear conversation from what felt like tables away. Your sense of taste, without being able to see what you were eating, highlighted how we use our eyes to decide which part of the plate to eat from and to decide what looks appetising. The whole sense of smelling, touching and tasting was so very different. The basic things we take for granted like putting food on a
fork and expecting it to still be on the folk when it reaches your mouth was an experience to remember. We ended up using our fingers to eat; nobody could see so it didn’t really matter. We enjoyed good humour with the people we sat with, who we didn’t know and had no idea what they looked like. This experience makes you realise that the art of listening is just as import as the art of speaking.
This got me thinking about the work that I do in relation to business development and lead generation. We can speak on the telephone but cannot see the person we are talking to. We have seconds to make that all important connection. If what you are talking about is logical and makes sense, most people are willing to listen. Much of my work has centred around the psychology of the call. Many will open a call with ‘how are you today’ or ‘I sent you an email last week’. This is a neon sign that it is a cold call. We know from our experience that the opening of a
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call should describe the result of what you do, not who you are. This small technique makes such a difference when starting the call. Over the past 18 months I have been working with Aspen Waite initially with R&D support and more recently within customer support and business development for the marketing department and Aspen Waite Radio. Making excellent use of my professional services approach and my experience in business development, I always apply expert listening techniques to try
and engage as fully as possible with the person I am talking to. This can often take the form of asking questions that relate to the overall project. The ability to listen is crucial to understanding how you can help and gives the customer a chance to express their needs and wants. We all have so much to process each day that sometimes taking the time to listen, and digest can easily be overlooked.
To get in contact with Gill please email gillj@aspen-waite.co.uk
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Buddies and branding Charlotte Richardson
Charlotte.Richardson@aspen-waite.co.uk
and a toothpaste suited to even the most sensitive tastebuds with one simple pump www.buddiestoothpaste.com I support@buddiestoothpaste.com I 0333 4440228
At Aspen Waite, we don’t dream of a better future. We create it. For ourselves and for our clients too. During 2021, we have grown our marketing and media services alongside an already impressive range of finance and business growth activity, so we are empowered and equipped to help businesses of all shapes and sizes build, expand and sustain their brand while also telling the story of their business. The art of storytelling is truly a craft; it is part of the fabric of branding and branding is the foundation from which a business or product can truly take off. For some, branding is an identifying symbol, mark, logo, name, word or strapline to distinguish their product from others. In reality (certainly in the Aspen Waite world) branding is so, so much more than that. Recently, we were appointed by Sian Ellingworth, CEO of Buddies Toothpaste to undertake a marketing review of her fantastic toothpaste range for kids. The team has
worked closely with Sian on her brand and story to put plans in place that make those dreams of a better future, a bright reality. We were able to take Sian on a journey with us, the Aspen Waite way. Working with Sian, we have had the joy of collaborating with an entrepreneur, a passionate, innovative and driven businesswoman highly focussed on getting the most out of branding to elevate her product offering. Our work has helped her brand to be on course for a special 2022. Let us take you through the steps of our journey with Sian’s perspective added to the mix …
Branding improves recognition Many of us understand the major components of a brand revolve around a logo because this is considered to be the instant face of a business; it is what consumers recognise. A professional logo design must be simple enough to be memorable, but the important part of branding is to create a logo amplified by
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considerations around colour pallet, narrative and straplines too. Draw these assets together and your logo becomes more powerful to message the desired impression of your company. In the case of Buddies, we were able to build upon Sian’s brand identifying the unique selling point and incorporate the message into the look and feel of our work. Sian: “The marketing team at Aspen Waite have been different from other agencies I’ve worked with. They have taken time to understand where I’m coming from, then added their own perspective and made suggestions that have really made a difference. For example, I’d had some toothpaste sample sachets designed elsewhere and the design was basically the logo plus required information. This team saw that this approach was a missed opportunity to create a design that would make any child keen to try it – so that’s what they did. The before and after designs demonstrate the difference in impact.”
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Branding creates trust Trust is the gold dust in business. Marketing plays an important part in building and fostering an affiliation to a brand and business. Buddies toothpaste is a product where sales rely upon creating and sustaining long-term trust with a range of stakeholders. We worked with Sian to produce a range of marketing materials with copy tailored to specific audiences, clearly communicating the sales messages but also offering a brand supportive of parents, empowering to dentists and educational to children about the importance of oral hygiene. Sian: “Charlotte and Lara have developed an in-depth understanding of my brand and my target markets now. So, whenever they have created any marketing materials like kids activity sheets or leaflets for dentists to give to parents when recommending Buddies products, they hit the mark every time.”
Branding adds competitive value There are so many businesses battling it out for market share, attention, sales, click through rates, social media follows and more. Sometimes it can feel like a noisy and overwhelming space for a business owner with so many pressures on their skills and time. That’s where Aspen Waite comes into its own. As trusted advisors, we’re able to assist business owners as another pair of eyes and ears to assess their brand and marketing collateral. For Buddies, it was clear the
brand was bursting with potential. One of the things we were able to do was look at the overall strategic direction of the product. Short-term fixes are one thing but to look to the future and build a better one, is where we thrive. We developed a new strapline for Sian, the simple hashtag #BuddiesForLife. This strapline unifies the marketing messaging and brand assets stitching a stronger narrative together. We have assisted Sian with developing her products into characters who engage with consumers and provide an educational angle to communication planning. Buddies is on a mission to help young children understand the importance of brushing their teeth and enjoy a positive relationship with their oral hygiene routine. Sian: “We have a ‘grown up’ version of Buddies sold under our Senses brand, targeting mainly the elderly so the #BuddiesForLife strapline is perfect because it pulls together all product solutions that cover both ends of the age spectrum. I always think that the best ideas tend to be the simple ones and this is a great example of that.”
Branding builds financial value Of course, it is nice to add competitive value through your brand; it is even nicer when it is valued as a hard asset of the company. Much value and confidence can accrue to a company due to its branding. A strong brand can generate future business.
As a team, we enjoy working with clients to nurture their input to building their brand value and we work together for better financial return that reward their efforts. A unified, consistent brand is unquestionably a launchpad for success and working with Buddies, we have no doubt 2022 is going to be an incredible year financially. Sian: “When designing any new materials, Aspen Waite have made sure they’re always considering the ‘Call to action’ - what we want the target to do as a result of seeing it. This should mean we see sales increase as a direct result of their child colouring in a Buddies activity sheet whilst waiting for their dental hospital appointment.”
Branding generates new customers Branding can help a business get word-of-mouth referrals which is still, arguably one of - if not the most - powerful of marketing tools. The most profitable companies, large and small, have a single thing in common. They have established themselves as a leader in their particular field by building a strong brand that sees them recognised and trusted. Working with Buddies, our team has been able to offer its broad range of skills to help an amazing and visionary business owner reach for the stars. Sian: “I genuinely do feel empowered through my work with AW. It feels like they are an extension to my team. We are discussing a range of strategies and I feel properly supported in this area for the first time.”
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Taking on personal challenges, in The Aspen Waite Way Cora Joscelyn
Cora.Joscelyn@aspen-waite.co.uk
I had been a member of my local gym for a few years but felt like I was in a bit of rut doing the same thing week in week out with the treadmill, cross trainer and the occasional class. I therefore needed to do something drastic as I wasn’t losing any weight. I do love my food and cannot bear the thought of dieting! I saw an advert for a company called End to End who do various virtual challenges so thought I would give Land’s End to John O’Groats a try. After all, it only works out at 17 miles a week. Once you log your first miles you have 12 months to complete it so on 2nd January 2021 I did my first walk. A couple of miles was quite an achievement at the beginning. I now try and do at least 5 miles every time I go for a walk which ranges from 3 to 6 times a week.
Reaching the halfway mark, I decided that I should really be raising funds for a worthy cause. Watching a Rob Burrows documentary over the Christmas period brought to my attention a disease that I didn’t really know much about – Motor neurone disease. Motor Neurone Disease is an uncommon condition affecting the brain and nerves. If anyone would still like to donate, my website is:www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/cora-joscelyn My target is £1,744 which is the number of miles of the two challenges combined, so I still have quite a way to go. Any donation is greatly appreciated, no matter how large or small.
I am pleased to say that I have now completed my first virtual challenge and hopefully my t-shirt and medal will be arriving soon.
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Kevin Ashman
Theheritagemint@gmail.com
When most people hear the word ZULU, they are usually transported to that wonderful film from 1964 starring legendary actors, Michael Caine and Stanley Baker showing the magnificent defence of a small outpost called Rorke’s Drift by just over a hundred British and native soldiers against the might of the Zulu army. The film has since gone on to become a firm favourite with viewers all around the world and is still watched to this day by new generations, equally enthralled by the splendour and bravery on display that day. Of course, what many might not realise is that the film is based on actual events and even allowing for artistic license, the bravery reflected within the story still echoes to this day, almost 143 years later.
The battle has gone down in folklore, both with the British and Zulu communities and over the past few years, relationships between the British regiments involved and the Zulu nation have grown stronger, with old enemies becoming the best of friends.
Of course, those that took part have long gone but the celebrations and memories have been passed down through the generations to be remembered right up to the present day. The actual regiments who fought that day no longer exist, with the South Wales Borders in particular going through various merges to become the Royal Regiment of Wales and ultimately, The Royal Welsh Regiment. Today, in Brecon, South Wales, there is a museum dedicated to The Royal Welsh, displaying various items and memorabilia from the actual battle.
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34 However. like many such establishments, the museum needs investment to keep going and to that end, the Friends of the Royal Welsh, arranged a formal dinner on 30th October, 2021, to raise much needed funds for the museum. What is particularly interesting, is that amongst the VIP’s on the evening, were HRH Princess Zama-Zulu, Mrs Tembe Tambo, the High Commissioner of South Africa and Glyn Baker, Stanley Baker’s son.
Approximately 106 of these medallions were provided to the event, along with certificates of authenticity, and were sold on the night with all profits going to the museum. In addition we provided seven full sets of Great British Battles commemorative medallions as special gifts for the Princess and the rest of the VIPs, and an award-winning, remembrance day poem engraved in solid brass, currently the only one in existence.
RORKE’S DRIFT
DRIFT RORKE’S
Consequently, here at the Heritage Mint, we are extremely proud to have been invited to the event, and worked closely with the Friends of the Royal Welsh to produce beautiful Gold-plated Medallions featuring the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, inspired by the famous painting by William Henry Duggan.
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The black- tie event was held in the officers mess at Dering Lines and all guests were treated to a sublime dinner in sumptuous surroundings. Atmospheric reality was provided by a group of Rorke’s drift re-enactors, a reality check about how heavy and varied the actual uniforms were all those years ago. Guests enjoyed talks on the battle from various experts and of particular interest was one by Glyn Baker about his experiences as a child on the set of Zulu over five decades earlier. By the end of the night, the Friends of The Royal Welsh had raised an incredible amount of money in support of the museum, with promises of doing it all again sometime soon. All in all it was a very successful evening which was brought to an end by Kevin Ashman of The Heritage Mint reading out his award-winning poem, The Price of Freedom, a fitting end to a wonderful evening, especially as the event was so close to Armistice Day. Heritage Mint is an associated company of Aspen Waite.
All in all it was a very successful evening which was brought to an end by Kevin Ashman of The Heritage Mint reading out his award-winning poem, The Price of Freedom, a fitting end to a wonderful evening, especially as the event was so close to Armistice Day.
Heritage Mint is an associated company of Aspen Waite.
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Mental health-Taboo subject? Not anymore Sami Glover
Sami.Glover@aspen-waite.co.uk
Throughout the last decade the subject of mental health has been prodded and poked with increasing intensity, with many people still feeling ‘uneasy’ at the topic of discussing mental health issues – either their own or other people’s. But here at Aspen Waite – no more. Let’s talk open and freely about Mental Health and the impact that it has on both our personal and professional lives. So first of all…
What is mental health? There are many definitions online, but I think a great embodiment is “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being”. Many people see “mental health” as a bad thing – where in fact it actually describes all facets – not just negative ones. A person can have a positive mental health – when they feel safe, happy, supported or loved. It is this positive mental health that we all strive to have every single day, and when we cannot achieve it, we feel ‘unworthy’ and a ‘let down’ to our family and friends. What we forget to tell ourselves is that we are all human – and everyone has those same moments. It is how we are able to cope with those moments that defines how our mental health is affected.
How prevalent are mental health disorders? • Fifty percent of mental illness begins by age 14, and three-quarters begins by age 241 • One in four adults and one in 10 children experience mental illness, and many more of us know and care for people who do2
• Mixed anxiety & depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain, with 7.8% of people meeting criteria for diagnosis5 • Mixed anxiety and depression have been estimated to cause one fifth of days lost from work in Britain6
What type of mental health problems could you be diagnosed with? There is a myriad of different ‘mental health conditions’ that groups of the population have been diagnosed with. These include conditions such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, panic attacks, OCD…. The list goes on. None of these diagnoses are anything to be ashamed of – in fact we should be embracing the diversity that comes with knowing and working with people who have these diagnoses. A lot of people talk about ‘suffering’ from a mental health disorder and it being an ‘issue’. Whilst I agree that sometimes it is very difficult to live with some of these conditions – let’s not box it up and tie it up in a neat bow – people are MORE than a word, and it’s the words that we use that sometime help to define the situation they find themselves in.
How can you help identify someone who might need help? There are many changes that you could notice which might indicate that someone is suffering from poor mental health – some are obvious and some are not! • Mood changes/dramatic shifts in emotion
• 73% of people living in the lowest household income bracket (less than £1,200 per month) reported having experienced a mental health problem during their lifetime, compared to 59% in the highest household income bracket (more than £3,701 per month)3
• Sleep and/or appetite changes
• In the UK in 2019, 6,524 people took their own lives4
• Problems with concentration or memory problems
• Change in their normal level of ‘function’ at work or socially • Withdrawal from previously enjoyed activities • Apathy and/or loneliness
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https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ warning-signs-of-mental-illness 1
2
https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/
Mental Health Foundation. Surviving or Thriving. London; 2017 3
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/ mental-health-statistics-suicide 4
5
http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg123
http://content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/ PUB21748/apms-2014-full-rpt.pdf%C2%A0 6
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It was reading this book that inspired me further to take the Real Conversations process developed with Rob Lester to full implementation across the division. Over many years of working in the corporate world, both Rob and I were tasked to deliver KPIs, not always fully understanding the reason behind that target or the effect we were having on delivering that target. Poorly engaged or brainwashed into believing we were just doing the right thing for customers, when maybe we were doing the right thing for shareholders or investors. There must be a balance of course, however, our beliefs are firmly placed in empowering our people to be the best they can be through supporting, coaching, developing, and communicating with them, as well as listening to their input and acknowledging their skills. Working with the team in Wales has been a very interesting project as we have been dealing with a team going through a fast development trajectory with new
members and a mix of youth and experience. Turning what can be seen as a daunting prospect “The Appraisal” into a “Real Conversation” takes subtlety and skill, as well as large elements of trust. Beginning with some very simple discovery conversations allowed us to form pictures of where the team was in terms of their journey and how best to support them with a framework moving forward. Aspen Waite is a progressive business and has some amazing ideas and projects. Taking this into account, we have worked on a “freedom within a framework” culture during this process. Meaning we set up a framework but gave everyone freedom within that to explore possibilities, opening the team’s eyes to possibilities instead of closing them to tasks. At every stage, we have reviewed the conversations had and what was learned by ourselves and the way we had conducted conversations each day. The team now have a Personal Development Plan (PDP) they have designed
You are fab. Your are worthy. You are not alone. Don’t be ashamed of who you are.
in consultation with their line manager which means they buy into the ownership of the plan, as they manage their own destiny. Allowing them space to have a personal objective in their PDP shows how the business is understanding the different times we all live in and have lived in through the COVID-19 pandemic. It allows them to concentrate on something that they enjoy outside of work and maybe bring that skill to the workplace for others to share and experience. To underline all of this and to future proof the business in Wales, we have invested in a development program for the team to allow them to develop their skillsets as future leaders and custodians of the Aspen Waite Way for generations to come. As we speak, the team are two workshops into a six workshop program and they are relishing the chance to expand their skills and build a stronger team for the future. There feels like a tangible shift in their purpose, as well as their effectiveness as a team, and this is what pleases us the most.
• Illogical thinking/exaggerated beliefs • Nervousness/Suspicion
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stimulating the brain in ‘regular’ ways can stop your brain going into ‘overload’ with emotions
11. Ask for help – do not suffer in silence, there are so many people out there who might be experiencing • Heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as the same thoughts and feelings as you, and also sounds or smells lots who have made a step on the journey of recovery from them too… • Uncharacteristic behaviour patterns
How can you try and make positive changes to your mental health?
Where can you get help?
Poor mental health is often draining and can squeeze any motivation and drive out of you. Depending on how bad you feel, you may not even be able to get out of bed. There is no ‘magic spell’ to wave away these struggles, but there are some things that you can try and put in place to help prevent poor mental health – and some things that might help you feel like you can cope just that little bit better.
• Speak to your GP - although GP’s are not specialised practitioners for mental health services, they are the perfect conduit to figure out the best way to proceed with treatment as an immediate response
1. Talking to family, friends, colleagues or trained professionals can sometimes help your mind process thoughts and feelings and sometimes help you find perspective that cannot be found on your own
• Speak to services such as the Samaritans if you are in urgent need of support, or call your local Crisis team hotline
• Try to access NHS psychological therapies service in your area: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find- a-psychological-therapies-service/
• For supporting colleagues in work (or even for colleagues themselves), Right Direction has some 2. Regular exercise – this increases the level of really good tools, factsheets and webinars endorphins in your body, can help boost your which can be adopted by all in the professional self esteem and can help you sleep better and environment: https://www.rightdirectionforme. concentrate for longer com/ 3. Eat well – vitamins and minerals play a huge • Mind is one of the UK’s largest mental health part in the regulation of mechanisms in our body, charities who support thousands of people (and so make sure it is fed properly their loved ones) every single day. In 2019-2020
their mental health information online was 4. Take a short break from whatever you are doing – break up activities with something you enjoy accessed 18 million times https://www.mind.org.uk/ doing and give yourself some ‘me-time’ • Aspen Waite have their very own Mental Health 5. Drink sensibly – alcohol might seem like a good First Aiders – Darren Talbot and Rhona Hope – who idea at the time to deal with unchecked are available for a confidential chat any time. emotions and loneliness, but it is only temporary They can signpost you to help or maybe just help you identify something you didn’t realise just by and can be a dangerous coping mechanism being a listening ear 6. Accept who you are – just because you might be struggling at certain points, does not make you • Aspen Waite also provides all of their employees any less important or a ‘waste of space’ – people with access to the 24/7/365 Employee Assistance love you for who you are, not what you think you service. This service can provide advice and counselling support on a range of services – you can should be access the EA portal through AMIGO 7. Avoid triggers if you can – try not to put yourself in situations which can be particularly distressing So, all in all... for you 8. Take care of others – love and compassion really is a two way street – sometimes lifting your friends spirits can do wonders for how you feel too 9. Do something you are good at – enjoying yourself is a great stress buster, and it can also be a fab reminder that you are pretty epic and you are worthy! 10.Stick to a routine – even if you are signed off of work or it is the weekend, it is still really important to keep the routine of your daily life going. Set the alarm for the same time as usual, have a shower, brush your teeth, call your mum, go for a walk –
YOU ARE FAB. YOU ARE WORTHY. YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
By Sami Glover, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder and Anxiety Warrior
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Does the magic happen outside your comfort zone? Rachael Wood
Rachael.Wood@aspen-waite.co.uk
At Aspen Waite, we love our sports, whether that be Rugby, Cricket, Hiking, Surfing OR in my case, Open Water Swimming.
themselves in any available body of chilly water, from lakes, rivers, streams & the sea to water butts in their back gardens!!
Is there a correlation between sports performance & business success? At Aspen Waite we believe so, as a strong mindset combined with the necessary skills & expertise is a key ingredient to success in both.
What’s all the hype about? Aside from the huge sense of achievement from cold water swimming/dipping/exposure, there are numerous health benefits, including:
Some say the magic happens outside your comfort zone, and if you have pushed yourself across that imaginary dotted line, I’m sure you will agree this to be true. Open Water swimming is nothing new. It became fashionable in 18th Century after George III took a sea dip in Weymouth, Dorset, and remains of a Victorian bathing house can be seen at Elberry Cove, Devon, a beautiful swim spot where I co-incidentally bumped into Aspen Waite Chief of Staff, John Porteous during the summer. Open Water swimming has become incredibly popular over the last two years, the uptake largely driven by the closure of public swimming pools during Lockdown Life. There has consequently been a massive increase in Cold Water Swimmers and the media has been rife with stories of cold-water enthusiasts immersing
• Boost to Immune System • Reduces Inflammation • Reduces Stress. • Increased Confidence and Resilience • Burns Calories • Increases libido • Feel-Good Factor Last year, after a summer of balmy water temperatures; the River Thames reached circa 22 degrees centigrade in July/August, my swim buddies and I were drawn into the idea of a Cold-Water Challenge to keep us going through the winter months. I started off with a modest goal to swim 10x through winter in skins, i.e. just swimsuit, swim hat and goggles, no neoprene, from 1st Oct – 31st March. By 1st November this challenge courtesy of ChallengeCo.co.uk was complete.
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My next step was a commitment to swim a minimum of 3,000m per month from November-March, with the aptly named Polar Bear Challenge; Arctic level. With thanks to the support and camaraderie of my fabulous swim buddies who accompanied me either IN the water or ON the bank, I completed this by mid-March, reaching a total of 25,000m in skins. Buzzing from the successful completion of this goal, I set myself a self-imposed challenge to double it to reach 50,000m by end of April. I’m delighted to say I achieved this, thanks to swimming 23/30 days, and in what seemed like all seasons in one month, in rain, wind, even snow(!)and shine, with a couple of moonlit swims for good measure! Through last winter we swam in water temperatures as low as two degrees and safe to say, that probably was two degrees too cold!! Anything below five degrees is classified as an Ice Swim by IISA (International Ice Swimming Association) and yes, we had to break the ice to swim at two degrees! At times, even now, on occasion my fingertips do still tingle from the experience! As a side effect, all the hard work and training in the winter months enabled me to reap the rewards with some fabulous swim-venture holidays in the summer, including a fourday trip to swim around the infamous Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall with Swimtrek in August. This season I have raised the bar and am stretching myself to attempt the ultimate level of the Polar Bear Challenge, Jedi Level. In addition to the commitment to swim at least 3000m each month from 1st Nov-31st March, there are several different set distance swims to achieve at varying degrees from 2,000m at none degrees or less, to 1,000m at sub 5 degrees.
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To be honest, I know this is a HUGE stretch. However, with the mindset “IF you shoot for the moon, even if you miss you will land amongst the stars” I am challenging myself to go for it, safe in the knowledge that IF I only achieve half of the required swims, I will qualify as an Apprentice Jedi. This in itself will still be a big step forward from my achievements in the 20/21 winter season, and a stepping stone to achieving the ultimate goal of Jedi Polar Bear, which is a recognised training platform to swim an Ice Swim; completing one mile in skins in water temperature sub 5 degrees. Pushing myself to do this has opened doors to new friendships and given a great sense of achievement. The buzz from reaching any given goal in the process, is a step in the right direction, and without a doubt, after an invigorating early morning swim my mind always feels sharper and more focused for the day ahead. If you’re intrigued to try Cold Water Swimming, though not sure where to start, the first step is to educate yourself as to the benefits of, as well as risks associated with Cold Water. There is a brilliant, short free online course available from Love Open Water which is mandatory before swimming in any of their managed venues during the winter months. There is also a fantastic Mini Cold Water Swimming Quiz to test your knowledge afterwards. Both are categorically MUST DO’s for anyone considering dipping their toes into the water. Please see the link below. https://loveopenwater.co.uk/cold-waterinduction/
Stay safe & Enjoy! Any Questions, feel free to contact me: Rachael.Wood@aspen-waite.co.uk
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Atholl Brose John Porteous
John.Porteous@aspen-waite.co.uk
A traditional Scottish cream liqueur, generally served as a before-dinner aperitif. This should be made five days before your party. Beware! It slips down very easily, so you may not realise its potency. It does not keep indefinitely, but I have a feeling that may not be a problem!
Ingredients 3 Heaped dessert spoons Quaker oats (not the instant kind)
8oz Cream 8oz Whisky 3 Dessert spoons sherry 2 Dessert spoons liquid honey
Method 1
Soak the oats in water to cover overnight. In the morning strain through muslin into a large jug. This liquid is called brae.
2
To the brae, add the cream and stir. Add the whisky and stir. Add the sherry and stir. Add the honey and stir thoroughly to ensure the honey doesn’t sink to the bottom.
3
Bottle the mixture and keep in the fridge until an hour or so before your guests are expected. Take it out, let it thaw a little, stir well and pour into a bowl, ready to ladle out (stirring again) into sherry glasses.
4
Enjoy the party!
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Smoked salmon with asian dressing John Porteous
John.Porteous@aspen-waite.co.uk
The perfect starter for a celebratory dinner, just the thing to kick-start the tastebuds. It’s also lovely to have as a light evening supper.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
400g Smoked salmon 2 Large (just-ripe) avacados; peeled, stoned
2 tbsp Caster sugar 1 red chilli; deseeded and finely chopped Zest of 2 limes 4 tbsps Lime juice 1 tbsp Sesame oil 2 tbsps Light soy sauce
and diced
1 Cucumber; peeled, deseeded and diced 1 Handful of coriander leaves
Method 1
Mix the ingredients for the dressing. You can keep it in the fridge overnight, just be aware that the flavours will get hotter as the chilli sits in the liquid.
2
Arrange the salmon on plates ready to serve.
3
Mix the avocado, cucumber and coriander together and then pile on top of the salmon. Spoon some dressing over the top and serve.
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Port wine jelly John Porteous
John.Porteous@aspen-waite.co.uk
This is a lovely way to finish a dinner and is one of my favourites. This should serve 4 to 6 people, but it is very moreish, so you may want to make two! It is usually served with whipped cream and almond biscuits, but feel free to pair it with other scrummy pudding things. You could also add fruits to your jelly – feel free to experiment.
Ingredients 13g (1/2oz) Powdered gelatine 600ml (1 pint) Good port 1/4 tsp Grated nutmeg
2 tsp Lemon juice 125g (4oz) Preserving sugar 1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
Method 1
Soak the gelatine in the lemon juice and 2 tbsp of the port for a few minutes, until swollen and soft. Then stir into half of the remaining port.
4
Pour into moulds and stand in a cool place to set. Add the fruits at this point if you so desire.
2
Add the sugar, nutmeg & cinnamon and stir constantly over a gentle heat until almost, but not quite, boiling.
5
Turn out and serve with whipped cream and almond biscuits – or as you like.
3
Strain through a very fine sieve into a bowl and then gently stir in the remaining port.
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