The Gingerbread Gazette I Issue 7

OUR 2020 BEST BITS!

What Will this year bring...

GINGER SPONGE CAKE RECIPE INSIDE! WISHING YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR! The ultimate bitesize magazine for gingerbread lovers

issue 7 january 2021

CONTENTS 03

2020, WHAT A YEAR! Sit back and relax whilst we discuss our 2020 best bits, thanks to our fabulous customers.

06

GINGER SPONGE CAKE RECIPE Winter nights, getting cosy with a slice of ginger sponge cake is what dreams are made of! Check out the easy peasy recipe inside..

07

THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT JANUARY New beginnings and a new outlook, we talk about our favourite elements of January.

05 OUR CUSTOMERS Because there's nothing more uplifting than our customers' feedback!

☎ 01476 501740

✉ alastair@granthamgingerbread.com @hawkensgingerbread

The Gingerbread Bakery 28 London Road Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6EJ

Hello there!

Well, we’re officially in 2021! Happy New Year to all of our Gingerbread Gazette readers, it’s a pleasure to be writing our bitesize magazine once again, bringing you warm stories, insights into our brand and teaching you how to bake delicious sweet goodness.

In this issue we touch on the successes for Hawkens Gingerbread in the previous year, from featuring in the most prestigious food magazines to experiecing a complete sell-out situation at the bakery! We also discuss what's in store for 2021, and for those of you who like to get your hands dirty, a ginger sponge cake recipe awaits inside! Happy reading, folks and remember, if you have a story or recipe to share, we’d love to hear from you; just simply send us an email via: alastair@hawkensgingerbread.com.

2020, WHAT A YEAR! WE LOOK BACK ON OUR BEST MOMENTS OF 2020; WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!

2020 presented the world with a series of unfortunate

By introducing this small product offering to our

events; not even Lemony Snicket could have written the

customers, we began to realise that faith in small

year. And as we write Gazette number 7, here we are

businesses was not lost and that people do in fact

again, living life under Lockdown 3.0...

appreciate the hard work and determination that small businesses deliver. For us, this simple method of

With ‘lockdown’ and ‘restrictions’ ranking highly as global

connecting with our audience via a hamper confirmed that

buzzwords, the health crisis introduced a whole new way

despite the health crisis, people were eager to express

of living for the vast majority of the global population. For

their love to their family and friends; people were looking

businesses in the UK, we were left to adapt to the

at alternative ways to communicate their emotions and to

demands of the British public, offering online alternatives

show that their loved ones were in their thoughts. If we

as person-to-person contact was discouraged.

were to take one thing away from 2020, it would certainly be that people do love and people do care; not only for

Selling our products via our ecommerce store was not out-

their loved ones, but for the small businesses around them

of-the-ordinary, in fact our online store has served

that enable them to make special moments for them, their

gingerbread fans across the world for several years.

friends and their families.

However, once the pandemic hit the UK borders, our stockists (including independent retailers, supermarkets,

Love from our customers is one element of 2020 that kept

delis, visitor attractions and more) were forced to hang up

us at Hawkens Gingerbread going, another is the demand

their ‘closed’ signs, meaning that wholesale order for our

for handcrafted, high quality and homemade gingerbread

artisan gingerbread came to a standstill. Acting quickly and

biscuits. Throughout the year we collaborated with food

taking the challenges of the national lockdown into

bloggers and influencers across the UK, who quite quickly

consideration, we diverted our customers to our online

brought to our attention that there are thousands of

store by offering a heartwarming hamper filled with our

gingerbread lovers who are keen to indulge in our moreish

gingerbread goodies with a personalised message for their

creations. Independent hamper companies, coffee shops,

loved ones. The idea of this was to not only drive traffic to

cafes and more have provided the brand with greater

our online store, but predominantly to allow people across

exposure across the nation, allowing those with a sweet

the UK to communicate with their self isolating loved ones

tooth to devour our handmade goodness, leaving them to

with a gift of love and hope. With a donation made to Age

come back for more. During the infancy of the festive

UK and NHS Charities Together per hamper purchase, the

season, our Gingerbread Men and Grantham Gingerbread

purchase of our hampers allowed us to raise hundreds of

reached new audiences and heights by appearing in

pounds to support those in most need.

Christmas Gifts Guides with the likes of Red Magazine,

, BBC Good Food, Delicious Magazine and more.

And this is where our stockists came in; as we

Moments like these have contributed towards the

supply our gingerbread across the UK to various

increasing demand for our products and of course,

stores, cafes, hamper suppliers etc, people who

created spoonfuls of confidence for us and the

were longing for their Hawkens Gingerbread fix

Hawkens Gingerbread brand. And as if all of that

were able to purchase our cartons and twin packs

was not enough, our appearance on Celebrity

at their local destinations. Who’d have thought

Antiques Road Trip truly was a great hit for viewers

that us, a small bakery in not so little Lincolnshire

as overnight we increased our web visitors by

would have expected such a significant increase

300%, welcoming biscuit lovers from far and wide

in demand for artisan gingerbread? Of course,

to a whole new world of gingerbread. Not only were

experiencing a sell-out situation presented great

viewers from Celebrity Antiques Road Trip

advantages for us here at the bakery, but we also

recognising our brand, products and value, but they

learned the valuable lesson of never

were also entertained with the great history of our

underestimate the power of our business, baking

Grantham Gingerbread, allowing them to experience

and biscuits. So, if there’s one element that we

the true taste of gingerbread heritage from the

took away from the festive madness, it would be

1740s.

that people are crazy for our gingerbread, can we blame them? No, especially when our gingerbread

Can we speak about 2020 without giving our new

men are known to be so truly handsome!

ranges a mention? It would be wrong to do so. So, let’s begin with the Hawkens Gingernuts; crunchy,

All in all, it’s been a strange old year, a year that

gorgeous ginger cookies, perfect for dipping into a

none of us could have ever imagined. However,

cup of something hot. Packaged in a beautiful box

we’r e incredibly hopeful for 2021 - we cannot wait

and complete with a baker’s dozen, our gingernuts

to continue serving gingerbread lovers around the

were greatly received by gingerbread lovers across

world with our first class flavoursome bakes and

the world; some even asked us for our secret recipe

we cannot wait to keep bringing you the best of

- which of course, we cannot disclose… as it’s a

our bakery. Here’s to a year of great happiness

secret!

and health!

Then came the Christmas cartons of delights; our gingerbread Magic Stars and our gingerbread Christmas Trees - both cartons were snapped up rapidly by gingerbread enthusiasts across the UK who couldn’t wait to gift them to their loved ones, as well as enjoy them as treats for themselves. But, what happened soon after the launch of our brand new products was something out of the ordinary; something that the Hawkens Gingerbread bakery has never experienced until the first week of December! Our entire range became a sell out… during the lead up to Christmas!

I received my order yesterday.

When I opened the parcel the delicious aroma hit me. We tried the Gingerbread men today. These are definitely for grownups. The kids can wait!

New Hawkens Gingerbread Lover

GORGEOUS GINGER SPONGE CAKE! STICKY, SWEET AND SUBTLY SPICED,AN EASY RECIPE THAT CREATES THE PERFECT PUDDING!

INGREDIENTS 200g/7oz self-raising flour 200g/7oz sugar 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 55g/2oz margarine, plus extra for greasing 1 free-range egg, beaten 2 tbsp golden syrup 240ml/9fl oz hot water

method Preheat the oven to 180C/350FGas 4. Grease and line a 28x18cm/11x7in baking tin with baking paper.

Mix the flour, sugar, ginger and bicarbonate of soda together in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub the margarine in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the beaten egg, syrup and hot water and mix well with a wooden spoon until combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until golden-brown and the top is springy to the touch.

Leave to cool in the tin. Once cool, cut into squares.

DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US AND OUR MONTHLY READERS? IF SO, PLEASE DO SEND THEM THROUGH TO ALASTAIR@HAWENKSGINGERBREAD.COM!

2021, a year of positivity, progress and passion; happy new year, everyone!

What will 2021 bring?

So, January didn't start of as we hoped; millions of people across the nation were already facing 'Tier 4' restrictions, which then developed into a complete national lockdown across all regions, counties and towns.

It certainly was not how we expected to start the year, but like thousands of businesses, we are staying positive and hopeful for a year of progress. With over 1.5 million vaccinated against Covid-19 and a national roll-out well underway, we are optimistic about the year ahead and look forward to resuming back to some form of normality.

We really do love the month of January; wintry walks all wrapped up, wearing the hand knitted scarf that was gifted to us during Christmas; getting cosy by the burning fire; starting afresh and being better versions of ourselves, and of course... guilt-free gingerbread, hand crafted by yours truly!

For Hawkens Gingerbread, 2021 has begun with doing what we do best - baking! Over the Christmas period, we have gained new customers through loved ones gifting them a box or two of our gingerbread. Due to the current lockdown, we have also gained more visitors to our ecommerce store. So, 2021 has started with us being busy, ensuring that people across the nation are never without their Hawkens Gingerbread fix.

After strengthening our relationship with suppliers and hamper companies last year, whilst also building our brand, 2021 will see our handmade gingerbread reach new heights, with more gingerbread and biscuit lovers indulging in our products. Although the beginning of the year has implications under the national lockdown, we can guarantee you that we will continue to create those moments of magic for old and new customers.

More is yet to come, we are only at the start and we cannot express out excitement for further developing our Hawkens Gingerbread. But, for now folks, please stay safe; keep smiling and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

A delicious bite for your tastebuds awaits...

Made in Lincolnshire Loved worldwide SHOP THE RANGE HERE

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