Vittles

The West Dorset Magazine, December 2, 2022 43 Vittles (food & drink) Pub set to reopen with a new owner

By Andrew Diprose dorsetbiznews.co.uk

A prominent pub which closed during the pandemic is set to reopen after being sold for a freehold guide price of £375,000. The Sheaf of Arrows at Melbury Osmond, on the A37 between Dorchester and Yeovil, is expected to benefit from significant investment by its new purchaser, Debbie Hughes. Previous plans for a change of use at the pub, formerly the Rest and Welcome, have been withdrawn. The pub, which historically had a good reputation for food, service, and value, includes a recently renovated beer garden and large car park. Covering three storeys, including an attic conversion, the Sheaf also features a main bar with a woodburning stove and seating for more than 30 people, a smaller snug for around 20 customers with access to the outside, and a skittle alley and function suite for around 60 people. All were refurbished by the previous owner. As well as a partly equipped commercial kitchen, the property has a temperature-controlled cellar with a rear service entrance and a standalone business office. Upstairs on the first and second floors is the Sheaf’s owner’s accommodation with a double ensuite bedroom, two single bedrooms, and a lounge/dining room with extensive countryside views. There’s even an additional bedsit with access from the rear for staff accommodation if needed. Outside, the pub sits on its own half-acre plot with customer parking for over 25 vehicles. After losing its fight for survival, and forced to close due to the pandemic, the pub hit the market. Debbie Hughes, ran The Elm Tree at Langton Herring for eight years. She continues to run The Portland Scallop Co with her partner Jamie, and plans to serve fresh local fish in her new venture.

NEW OWNERSHIP: Sheaf of Arrows at Melbury Osmond

THE WHITE HART, SHERBORNE

Cheap St, Sherborne DT9 3PX 01935 817668 whitehartsherborneltd@gmail.com

Christmas menu served November 21 – December 23 Two courses: £28.50 Three courses: £32.50 Quote Hart Xmas when booking, for a free glass of prosecco per table

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Sue, Dave, The Family and Betsy welcome you to our traditional Dorset pub. Super dog friendly. Showing live BT Sports! Live music and Jammin’ Wednesdays Great food & family fun

Vittles (food & drink)

The icing on the cake as GBBO star

By Miranda Robertson

miranda@westdorsetmag.co.uk

Many Great British Bake Off contestants fade into obscurity – but not Sherborne’s Carole Edwards. The 59-year-old grandmother with the stack of instantly recognisable pink curls may have exited the show in week five, but her trademark hair, broad accent and funny asides have ensured her place in GBBO history. She has also secured a slice of local notoriety –she will be switching on the town’s Christmas lights on December 4. The 2022 leg of the series has just ended, with Syabira taking home the winner’s trophy. She and the other two finalists each get an agent to help them navigate their newfound fame. But Carole, who only started baking 12 years ago when her first grandchild came along, will have to find her own – despite being arguably as popular as, if not more than, the final three. Carole, who has been married to lorry driver Michael for 22 years, is one of those TV show contestants the audience takes to their hearts. She is The Great British Bake Off’s favourite Westcountry maid – a down-to-earth cashier for Sainsbury’s, where she has worked for six years, since moving from near Yeovil. Jo Brand featured Carole’s off-the-cuff remarks in a segment of the Extra Slice after-show programme, heralding her ‘Westcountry Wisdom,’ and every day people sidle up to her to ask for a selfie – recently, at a show, she was asked for hundreds of selfies in one day. She first cut her teeth in the limelight as Compost Carole on Sherborne’s Abbey 104 radio station, doling out gardening tips from a compost bin at the bottom of the garden. She said: “I worked with a presenter called Alan, (Alan Mapp, aka Big Al), who would lift the lid of the compost bin to hear my tip for that week, then he would toss in a biscuit and a pickled egg.” Sadly, Alan died of Motor Neurone Disease two weeks after they recorded their last segment last year. Carole didn’t have the heart to carry on and applied to GBBO instead. Carole had been a gardener for 30 years, including running her own company, before she got ‘disillusioned’ and got a job as a postie. She did the rounds in Ilminster and Chard for 11 years before knee pain got the better of her and when she and Michael moved to Sherborne she got a job at Sainsbury’s. Her love of baking was by then well-established and the pair invested heavily in their new kitchen, extending their bungalow to accommodate a seriously impressive place to cook. Carole said: “It’s a super dooper kitchen, with every knick-knack and appliance there is.” She applied for GBBO before, but didn’t get far in the process. This time she filmed herself and sent it off – and producers were smitten. What viewers won’t realise is quite how punishing filming and the process of GBBO actually is. Carole, who will turn 60 in January, had to get up at 4.30am each day, to film two episodes in five days. Most days she couldn’t get to bed till midnight. She said: “You get so tired as the schedule is so tight and me and Dawn were double the ages of the others. It was a big emotional rollercoaster up and we ended up being mum to the rest. “Paul Hollywood kept

CAKE EXPECTATIONS: Carole Edwards with one of her creatiions, and her very distinctive pink hair

Vittles (food & drink)

Carole’s fame cooks up a new career

RIGHT INGREDIENTS: Carole with her fellow competitors of the Great British Bake off and, below, Carole in action during the filming of the popular programme and, inset, below, some of her fantastic cakes

himself to himself but he warmed up after a few weeks. When I took my first showstopper up he said, ‘I didn’t know you lived in a Tellytubby house!’ “Pru Leith is lovely – a proper lady – she used to hold both my hands. Noel is lovely, and so is Matt, but he’s more private.” Husband Michael, who is diabetic, also suffered, with his insulin levels spiking as a result of testing her many practice bakes. “Best of it was, we couldn’t tell the doctors why his levels were so high,” said Carole (the contestants are sworn to secrecy until the line-up is announced officially). “He was put on extra medication.” Despite the hardships – it was often freezing in the tent and contestants had to wear the same clothes all day for continuity – and long hours, Carole, who was born and bred in the Yeovil area, simply loved it. She said: “It went quick –it goes just like that. “I applied because I was bored, I think. One Sunday afternoon I said to my husband I would apply, but he didn’t think I’d get in and he was booking holidays. “I just got to the stage where I wanted to achieve something – I’ve not got a career, really.” Carole is now hoping to turn her GBBO fame into a career, with plans for a book along the lines of ‘Grow Your Own Bakes’, where she passes on her baking and gardening tips. She said: “I’m presently trying to find an agent. “My dream would be presenting – I’d love to have something to do with the Chelsea Flower Show next year.”

Vittles (food & drink)

Karen Broad lives in Burton Bradstock, with her husband and two mad dogs. She ran The Mousetrap in Dorchester, has lived in France and loves discovering new food producers.

If you haven’t noticed, the commercialisation of Christmas has well and truly established itself, the familiar adverts using emotional strings to draw us in, tissues at the ready. A few Christmassy songs are filtering through on the radio and TV films are dominating with movies with such sickly titles as The Knight before Christmas and A Crafty Christmas Romance –nauseatingly syrupy in title with questionable content and acting. Yes, you guessed – I am a bit of a Grinch. I never used to be a Grinch; I just think Christmas starts too early. As soon as the schools go back after the long summer holidays, the first twinkle of Christmas creeps onto our TV screens and into shops. When I was a child, Christmas began when rehearsing started for the school Nativity on December 1 and please forgive any religious impropriety, but for me it was a ‘Nativity’ as I went to a Catholic school. I never got the

A PIECE OF CAKE: Yummy Fruity Boozy Cake Xmas is coming so bake a boozy cake

lead role by the way, as this ‘angel’ had long lost her halo and I was considered far too mischievous. However, one year I was given the part of a rabbit visiting baby Jesus and felt it totally appropriate to bring in some real rabbit poop and scattered it as I hopped across the stage! I mean, why not? We have a bit of an unconventional Christmas. The socialising is there, the feasting, the enjoyment of being with loved ones, it’s just done differently as I will reveal over the next few weeks. Stir up Sunday, traditionally the Sunday before Advent, was a ritual that my mother strictly observed. Kitchen was out of bounds as the scent of Christmas baking wafted around the house. I’ve never liked the richness of a traditional Christmas cake, so I adapted my own – a lighter one based on a sponge recipe. It’s moist and delicious.

Fruity, Boozy Cake 250gm SR Flour 250gm soft brown sugar 250gm butter (room temperature) 4 eggs 500gms Dried fruit Small bottle of Brandy, whisky, or Rum Soak the fruit for 48hrs in half a 35cl bottle of the alcohol of your choice saving the rest. Beat together butter, sugar, eggs then the add flour Mix in fruit Pour the mixture into a lined and greased cake tin and bake for 40min 180/Gas 6 Allow to cool slightly and pour rest of alcohol over the top. Dust with icing sugar.

Mum’s Kitchen...

Mince Pies with a Frangipane Topping

There is nothing like a nice homemade mince pie. These are a bit different with a frangipane topping instead of the usual pastry lid. Homemade mincemeat makes them really special, but purchased mincemeat can be used if time is short.

Ingredients: Either homemade shortcrust pastry, rolled out, or a sheet of purchased ready-rolled pastry Mincemeat of choice

with Diana Holman

Topping: For each 1 dozen mince pies you will need: 25g ground almonds 25g caster sugar 25g butter, melted 1 small egg Flaked almonds to sprinkle (optional)

Vittles (food & drink)

Lizzie Crow – AKA Lizzie Baking Bird – is a self taught baker, who has a stall outside The Old Ship Inn in Upwey each Saturday. See her scrumptious eats at lizziebakingbird.co.uk or find lizzibakingbird on Instagram. Use your loaf to feed veggi friends

Veggi Loaf

This vegetable packed spectacular is crammed full of flavour and can easily be made ahead of time. If you have any vegetarian guests they’ll enjoy this. I love this loaf because you can use any veggies that you like: peppers, asparagus, cauliflower, courgettes, etc. It’s a great way to use up any bits and bobs in the fridge. I make it, cut into thick slices, then wrap and pop them in the freezer ready to be pulled out one piece at at time and reheated. This reduces waste. I use eggs and cheese but if you’d prefer to keep this vegan then leave the cheese out and substitute the egg with aqua faba. I often buy a bag of ready cooked puy lentils but you can add whichever type you fancy.

Serve it with a tomato sauce - a jar of ready made sauce is fine or you can whizz up a tin of tomatoes

FULL OF FLAVOUR: The veggi loaf with herbs and spices and heat through.

2 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 onion, finely chopped 500g vegetables, finely chopped into 1 cm pieces 2 tbsp tomato puree 250g cooked lentils 300g veggie stock 1 tsp mixed herbs 125g fresh breadcrumbs 125g cheddar, grated 3 eggs Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a pan with the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent and soft (approx 10 minutes). Add the vegetables and cook for five minutes until softened. Introduce the tomato puree, lentils, stock and herbs and stir. With the lid on leave it to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool (approx 30 minutes). Line a 2lb loaf tin with parchment. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese and eggs to the cooled veg mix and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper and herbs. Heat the oven to 180C/ gas mark 4. Pour into the tin and cover with foil. I put a fold lengthways down the middle of the foil and if the loaf expands on cooking it has room to do so. Put in the oven for 50 - 60 minutes until the loaf is spongy to the touch and lightly browned. This can then be cooled down, wrapped and frozen or served immediately.

n Lizzie can be found at the Old ship Inn, Upwey each Saturday from 9.30 12.30 Check out her website lizziebakingbird or instagram lizzibakingbird.

Method: Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan. Brush a patty tin with melted butter. Using a 7.5cm fluted cutter, cut out rings from pastry and gently press into patty tins. Spoon mincemeat into the pastry-lined tins, using about two teaspoons of mincemeat for each one. (Don’t overfill, as you need a little room to spoon over the frangipane topping) Whizz up the ground almonds, sugar, melted butter and egg in the food processor and spoon about a dessert spoonful over each mince pie. Sprinkle with flaked almonds if liked. Bake for around 20 minutes until a light golden brown.