A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU and all your friends. I hope that 2011 is not quite so dire as the pundits are claiming

WE ARE MOVING

There are a lot of things happening that is going to make the next year very exciting!

Firstly, we are moving our pressing facility. We have taken the offer of a much larger space than we have at present, at Kailzie Gardens (just forget about the ‘z’ and say it as ‘Kailie’). If you are not sure where that is, then go to our Home page, find Kailzie Gardens in the Friends of Cuddybridge, and hover over the section that says Kailzie Gardens and up will come directions and a map. In short, it is 3 miles out of Peebles on the B7062 and you can’t miss it,honest!

The Gardens are well worth a visit.Firstly there are fishing ponds as well as one of the Osprey Watch huts, a superb Walled garden with top class  deep border flower beds. There is also a unique collection  of hen houses in the shape of a church, a prison and others.

Secondly the ‘hub’ of the gardens is The Courtyard, the very place that Cuddybridge Apple Juice is moving to .

The Courtyard is also where you will find’ The Restuarant at Kailzie’. Run by Stuart Clink, this newly open  venture is doing very well. The food is excellent with a wide range of smorrebrod delicices as well as exciting main dishes. d Stuart is determined that the Restaurant at Kailzie will be one of the best eateries in Southern Scotland (actually he really means all of  Scotland!)

It is also where you will find the very best handpressed apple juice in Scotland(actually I REALLY mean all of the UK!!). Because we will have larger premises it is hoped to have a small exhibition of’ many things apple’ and when we are there, visitors will be most welcome to  watch the pressing process and taste some juice straight from the apple.

The Vistors Shop, which is also in The Courtyard, will have bottles of juice for sale.

It is also the year in which I  retire from Royal Mail and so we will be looking at ways to ensure that the Juice is able to weather the impending ”financial hurricane’ that some forecasters are suggesting. I think that 2011 will be a tough year, but hopefully the better the product the more likely it is to be purchased. Certainly we could do with less of the dire warnings from all sorts of people who probably don’t know any more than I do, and more of the  successes and stories of companies and people, who are making a go of it!

WE ARE IN THE NEW PREMISES and everything is working very well.

NEW CUSTOMERS

Since Christmas, we have gained a number of  excellent, top class customers to our growing list of such places.

HARVEY NICHOLS

Perhaps one of the best known stores in the UK  is Harvey Nichols, and I’m pleased to say that they now stock  Cuddybridge Apple Juice right across their famous 4th Floor restaurants and Food Market. That also includes their superb Cocktail bars that are now using Cuddybridge juice in some of their delicious cocktails.

If you can control your excitement for just a bit longer-in fact until Saturday 9th April- I will be doing a tasting day there and will have a range of vareities for you to try. There is something else that might tempt you along, because  I have joined forces with a young man – Ben Robertson – who is making a name for himself  as a very good forager. Between ourselves, we have come up with what could the next great juice, but I’m not going to tell you what it is . If you  come along on Saturday 9th I will have some samples and all you have to do is tell me what’s in it, and if you are correct, then you will win 6 free bottles of the juice when it is released! Wow, sometimes I am all heart!!

THE SCOTTISH CAFE

Overlooking the Princes Street Gardens, the Scottish Cafe can also be approached through the National Gallery. It is a delightful cafe with wide windows that open fully in the summer. They have recently planted a new herb garden right outside the windows- how fresh is that for a cafe to have a large herb garden at their disposal?

They have both the small Cuddybridge Apple Juice and the large bottles that are perfect for parties or a lazy Sunday morning with all the family.

CENTOTRE

Centotre-or 103 George Street now has the juice available for those who don’t drink alcohol or who maybe the driver for the night. The juice is just as tasty as wine, has no side effects, and don’t fall over if you have ‘one too many’!

ZANZERO

A  most relaxing Bar in Stockbridge that is just the right place in which to sit and read the papers and enjoy a glass-or two- of pure, 100% hand-pressed apple juice safe in the knowledge that it really is only apple juice you are drinking-no extra water or additives.

COLTMAN’S RESTAURANT & DELI

A great new addition to the already growing number of quality places to eat in Peebles. Coltman’s Restaurant and Deli opened in the late Spring and is already an established and excellent place to eat. Yes, Of course they stock our apple juice-both the sweeter Braeburn as well as the superb Granny Smith juice. The owner is Kenny Coltman, who until very recently, was the Executive Head Chef of the Caledonian Hotel in Edinburgh. This is his first restaurant, but I doubt it won’t be his last!

The deli is stocked with a wide range of top quality products and, if you have the  time,  have a coffee or tea whilst browsing the day’s newspapers.

The excellent restaurant is open for lunch as well as evening dinner. If you are in Peebles give Coltman’s a try-it’s at the end of the High Street not far from the Church.

HOPETOUN HOUSE FARM SHOP 

This excellent, brand new, Farm Shop has very recently opened on Monday May 23rd. It is situated just through Newton on the right hand side , next door to the New  Hopetoun House Garden Centre. The place is packed with some of the very best that Scotland has to offer in the way of food. Of course  Cuddybridge Apple Juice is available, in both the 330m bottles as well as the new 750ml. We have introduced the larger bottles for parties or just for the whole family to enjoy. Parking is adjacent to the new Shop which has been fitted out to the highest of standards and of course you can stay as long as you like and don’t have to worry about Traffic Wardens1.

Watch this space for more additions to where you can get Cuddybridge Apple Juice!

BEAUTY of BATH

Does anyone have a tree- or trees- of Beauty of Bath? It is a superb apple and I am trying to get my hands on some! It would be for next year (does anyone have a store of them?) and I would not only pay for them but I would come and pick them up! If you know  of anyone with such a tree please let me know and I’ll gladly have a chat with them.

BOTTLE FILLERS

I’m looking for bottle fillers. If you have old bottle fillers and are looking to replace them, then I will gladly take them off your hands. I am after the simple gravity type, preferably with 4 spouts.

GENERAL APPLE STUFF

At the new pressing place at Kailzie I want to have a small area that is dedicated to apples. Not the actual fruit off a tree, but things that are related to apples. It need not be equipment to do with apple growing, but every day things that have some connection to apples. For example, my daughter found a great ‘mouse mat’ in Australia that was of an apple, so she sent it to me. What about wrapping paper, notelets,gift tags,teething rings…..anything at all.

I only want one item of each thing to show how apples dominate a lot of our conciousness through everyday items.

All will be gratefully received and all will be suitably credited to the sender.