To brew or not to brew – how do you make yours?

Last week was National Tea Day, and as you know, we conducted our very own in-store tea tastings. We wanted to see if people could spot the Yorkshire Tea at first sip (surely any self respecting Yorkshire man or woman could??). We’re pleased to say the vast majority did, earning themselves a free box of tea and – perhaps more importantly – a Yorkshire sticker to proudly display!

We enjoyed it and had a good giggle with our customers in store, chatting about how we like our brews - which is why a survey caught our eye that came out on the same day.

Apparently, according to Clipper Teas, we will each suffer through 9,828 disappointing cups of tea in our lifetime. How upsetting! We each drink on average 28 cups a week (4 cups a day) but at least three each week will fail to hit the spot.

We all have our own way of enjoying a cuppa and it is often a case of personal preference, but there’s some cardinal rules which should never be broken.

Apparently at least half of us have had to complain to a partner, friend or work colleague about their brew making efforts – or lack of them (we’ve all known that one person who never makes a round…)

But some of us are just too nervous to tell our loved ones (or the ones we share an office with all week) that we feel that way, preferring to just turn down the offer, or gulp back the offending item.

So, what were the top 10 complaints of the 2,000 people surveyed?

1.            Too weak – 36%

2.            Luke-warm – 35%

3.            Too milky – 30%

4.            Teabag not in for long enough – 26%

5.            Mug not been washed properly – 25%

6.            Incorrect amount of milk – 21%

7.            Cup is half empty – 20%

8.            Made with poor quality tea – 19%

9.            The cup is half full – 18% (although think that’s the same as half empty – just from the optimists rather than the pessimists)

10.         Too strong – 18%

But with there being a further 10 reasons why your cuppa might not be good enough – including leaving the teabag in too long, the milk was put in first, tea stains down the cup, chipped mugs, wrong type of milk, not enough or too much sugar, or the wrong brand of tea – you can see why tea making is a minefield!

Maybe I’ll just have a coffee…

We’ve giving you the opportuni-tea to prove your Yorkshire-ness this National Tea Day!

Anyone who knows the team at Hunters knows we’re potty about a good cup of tea. (Geddit? Potty!) In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s part of the DNA of this country to want to put the kettle on in times of strife, or indeed joy. There’s never a bad time to put the kettle on, to be perfectly honest. Did you know, Brits are said to drink a teapot shattering 165 million cups of tea every single day? And, actually, with over 3,000 different varieties, tea is the second most widely consumed drink in the world, after water? Proof, if you need it, that’s it’s totally tea-rrific. So, we were overjoyed to hear National Tea Day was approaching! (It’s this Saturday – 21st April – just in case you hadn’t marked it in your diary. Sure you had though.) We didn’t want to let it pass without a little attention, so we’ve come up with our very own challenge, and we’re putting our customers to the test. Just how Yorkshire are you? (DUM DUM DUMMMMMM – that was dramatic TV gameshow style music, in case you were wondering) Throughout the day we’ll be asking customers in our store if they can spot the difference between a true Yorkshire brew and some imposters, in the form of a blind taste test. Don’t worry, you don’t need to wear a blindfold or anything. Unless you really want to. Yorkshire Tea will be up against two other popular teas – and we’re challenging you to pick out the genuine Yorkshire cuppa by taste and smell alone. Can you iden-tea-fy it? Just you wait – BBC One will have this as a tea-time quiz show before you know it. Those who succeed – as well as being able to walk around Helmsley with their head held high obviously – will also receive a gift box of Yorkshire Tea to take home and enjoy. Brew-tiful! And there’s also a Yorkshire sticker to proudly display on their lapel – telling everyone they’re a CHAMPION when it comes to tea. Of course, we know that everyone has their own personal favourite when it comes to a good cuppa, and there are literally hundreds of delicious teas available to suit everyone’s preferences. Whatever your favourite is – from chai or green to peppermint or good old English Breakfast, we’ve got the best of the best from around the world. We even sell 13 varieties as loose leaf tea from jars, by weight – shopping as it used to be! Must be time to put the kettle on?

Hop to it! Can you find our missing Easter bunnies?

Helmsley detectives-in-the-making we need your help!

We’ve had an invasion…. somebunny’s stolen something!

You see, we had an Easter window display and in it were some Easter-related words. Well, 12 letters have disappeared – and we think we know who the culprits are.

We’ve spotted 12 Easter bunnies hiding around our store. They’ve taken a letter each and got it all jumbled up, so we can’t even remember what it’s supposed to say any more!

So, we’re asking visitors if they can give us a helping hand to find the rabbits and unscramble the word. If you manage to do it, you’ll get as Easter treat – as well as being entered into a prize draw to win a Lindt Easter goody bag. And believe us – that would be something eggstra special to unwrap!

The bunny hunt will take place from Monday 26th March to Monday 2^nd April.

We’re grateful for any assistance you can provide, and there’s no pressure to contribute, but running alongside our bunny hunt, we’re doing a voluntary donation of 50p for charity. The charity we’ve chosen is the Helmsley Open Air Swimming Pool, which offers affordable outdoor swimming for the local community, and is so important to local families. It needs to raise funds for essential maintenance and renovations, so every penny helps.

As an aside for mums and dads - hopefully the missing bunnies will keep youngsters entertained for a little while, leaving you to shop in peace – hoppy Easter all round!

A most eggcellent Easter

Sorry – it’s that time of year when we get over eggcited and the Easter puns come out in force. We try and resist, but then we crack. We’re not even yolk-ing.

Easter, like Christmas, is a time of good food and the coming together of family and friends. Perfect. And for those people who gave something up for lent – it’s the chance to enjoy whatever it is they’ve been missing. The most popular thing to give up is chocolate apparently – so what luck that Easter Sunday is one of only two (possibly three) days a year when it’s acceptable to eat chocolate for breakfast.

Here at Hunters we love looking for unusual Easter Eggs and treats – if you’ve done 40 days without, you want your first taste to be something eggstra special. We’ve searched the globe for the very best sweet treats to make your Easter.

All the way from Australia, we have a stunning box of nine chocolates from Xocolatl – master chocolatiers and fine artists. With a combination of six different colourful speckled eggs, and three chocolate Easter chicks, they are as beautiful as they are delicious.

Montezuma’s are one of the best British chocolatiers and they have some really lovely products this year.  The Eco Egg range comes in innovative eco friendly packaging – after all, those Easter eggs boxes and plastic shells can really mount up. The Eco Egg packaging is made of a sturdy biodegradable paper outer shell and a foil wrapping - no plastic in sight! Try the organic white chocolate with raspberry variety for a taste sensation.

Also from Montezuma, there is the Absolute Black Egg. Ideal for those who avoid dairy, sugar, gluten or soya, or who are just trying to make healthier food choices. It definitely has a dramatic cocoa hit – you have been warned!

Looking for something a bit sweeter? The Nutty Filled Chocolate Hen’s Eggs are lovely - three Hen-sized chocolate eggs filled with richest, decadent Praline - milk chocolate with orange and hazelnut, dark chocolate with almond and white chocolate with peanut butter.

If you’re not bothered about it being egg shaped, how about Peters Pecare Cassis Marc de Champagne, from Germany? Coming in a lovely tin, the slender, creamy white chocolate shell combines wonderfully with the zesty cassis and champagne centre. It’s making my mouth water!

Made in Cornwall, the handmade Buttermilk Artisan Confectionary eggs are delicious. The Caramel Sea Salt Egg is a Belgian chocolate egg, decorated with indulgent butterscotch chips and filled with a bag of buttery Caramel Sea Salt fudge which melts in the mouth.

So whatever Easter treat takes your fancy – we’re pretty sure we’ll be able to rustle something up to keep you happy! After all, we wouldn’t want any hot cross bunnies.

Get a pie-ce of the action this British Pie Week

It’s British Pie Week and we couldn’t be happier!

We know there seems to be loads of these awareness weeks – celebrating everything from clam chowder to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We think anyway, we haven’t checked those two specifically…

But PIE WEEK! Everyone loves a pie, surely? A dish that dates back to the Ancient Egyptians and the Romans. A family dinner that everyone can agree on. A dinner party pleaser. A midweek lunch eaten cold on the run, or eaten warm and savoured! However you eat them, there’s nothing quite like them for Britishness. Probably most of us have fond memories of our grandparents and parents making pies – sweet or savoury.

So, this being Pie Week and all, it’s the ideal time to get your fix. And we’re not bragging or anything (ok, well maybe a little bit) but we have some truly amazing flavours to tickle your tastebuds…

From the wonderful Yorkshire Baker at Malton, how about traditional and ever popular steak and ale or chicken, bacon and mushroom? Or for something a little bit different, we are the exclusive stockist of the amazing Slow roast pork in cream and cider sauce, with cider provided by the fantastic monks at Ampleforth Abbey. Perfect for a treat for you, or we can also offer its family size frozen pies which you can order at any time.

Johnsons of Thirsk provide us with amazing pork pies of all shapes and sizes. There’s the traditional pork pie sold as it comes, then how about pork with apple, or red onion marmalade and wensleydale? Or maybe you’re partial to a bit of piccalilli? There’s also the lattice pie sold by the slice or whole – pork, black pudding and apple. Mouth watering yet?

We also have game pie and a family steak plate from Johnsons – ideal for a winter warmer dinner idea, or a Sunday lunch.

If any of these pies take your fancy, once you’ve had a little try we can also take orders for them in a larger size. Up to 4lbs of loaf pie – plenty to feed your extended family and more! Although given the World Record for munching a 10cm by 3cm meat and potato pie is just 32 seconds, being as tasty as it is, maybe it won’t take that long to get through it…

Food of love

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food” – George Bernard Shaw

So, according to flower delivery company Bloom & Wilds, Yorkshire is the third least romantic region in the UK.

Ranking 10^th in its survey to track the most loving regions in the country, only East Anglia and Scotland trailed behind.

Come on Yorkshire – we can do better than that! And what better time to show you care than Valentine’s Day (although to be honest, any day is a good day to do that. But with February 14^th on the doorstep, it’s an easy starting point!)

It doesn’t have to be about expensive gifts. How about making your partner their favourite meal, or cooking something that reminds you of a great holiday you shared together? That amazing pasta you enjoyed in Italy, or a Thai Green curry you had from a beach cafe – you know your loved one best, but we can help with the ingredients to pull it all together! Whether you’re a top notch chef, or someone who needs a bit of assistance (it doesn’t all have to be made from scratch) – have no fear.

If cooking really isn’t your thing, how about taking them on a picnic (it might have to be indoors looking at the weather!), or making them a thoughtful packed lunch to take to work? No cooking involved, and again, plenty of opportunities to show you know what they enjoy. Pork pie, roast beef sandwich, humous, cheese, pickles, fruit cake – whatever tickles their tastebuds, you can create something unique for them.

Of course, if you want to treat them to a little gift, the thought would no doubt be appreciated. Perhaps they’d enjoy a bottle of fine wine, or some of our miniature SLOEmotion gins to sample. If they love chocolates, take a trip to our fresh chocolate counter and hand pick them their very own box of Hunters or Lauden chocolates, tailored to include all their favourites. And then don’t ask them to share!

We also have boxed chocolates from fantastic brands such as Charbonnel and Walker and Prestat – which come in gorgeous packaging.

Maybe they don’t have a sweet tooth. Hand select them a box of pies and sausage rolls! Or how about a little hamper of cheeses, with some seeded oatcakes and a jar of tangy chutney?

If nothing makes them happier than a good cup of coffee or tea, treat them to some of the finest available, and make sure they wake up on February 14^th with the perfect cuppa to enjoy straight away.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach – pretty sure that’s the same for women too!

The end of Dry January – Cheers!

If you were one of the estimated 3.1 million people who did Dry January this year (can’t be just us who went for Ginuary instead?), the turning of the calendar last Thursday marked the end to your endeavours!

There can be lots of great benefits to giving up alcohol – many people find they lose weight, some save money and for others they just feel better in themselves. And as we’ve discussed before, there’s so many great soft drinks on the market now, you don’t need to feel like you’re missing out when everyone else opens a bottle of wine or pours a measure of gin – Seedlip is lovely with a glug of tonic, and from elderflower cordial to alcohol free Shiraz, there’s lots of choice out there other than the usual fizzy pops or boring orange squash.

But if you are one of the two thirds who apparently stuck to their resolution, you may now be feeling like you deserve to celebrate with one of your favourite tipples.

If you’re bonkers about beer, why not try one of the locally produced ones from the Helmsley Brewing Company? Striding the Riding or Helmsley Honey, you can take your pick. Or one of Wold Top’s wide range – from IPA and blond to bitter and even a wheat free variety, something should hit the spot!

If you’ve been craving a glass of claret – or any other wine – we’ve got some beauties in store. How about Le Charme Merlot or Monastier Shiraz? Or if you prefer a glass of Rose, why not go for Route 66 Blush? Of course, we also have a great supply of prosecco and champagne if you like a few bubbles!

If spirits are more your cup of….erm….booze…. then never fear, we have a well stocked supply! For Gin lovers, how about a Sloe or Damson gin? If Whisky is more your thing, then why not try Sloe Motion Sloe Whisky. Fans of Vodka, have no fear – we would highly recommend Masons Yorkshire Vodka.

We also have Port, Sherry, Brandy, Liqueurs and much, much more. Just go easy – if you haven’t had a drop since New Year’s Eve, you might find it goes to your head, so perhaps pick up a few snacks while you’re here to balance it out!

So long Dry January – welcome to fizz-filled February!