On the 15th March we held our very first Oxfordshire pudding club. Twenty two people sat down to a light main course…..slow roasted Fallowfields Tamworth pork and then followed the main event…..

Six desserts, in the following order:-

Frozen lemon posset with red grape fizzy jelly in a caramel hoop
White chocolate parfait with pecan and dark chocolate macaroon
Chocolate and espresso mousse with gru de cacao
Smoked ice cream with cherry and chocolate soil
Lemon meringue pie
Orange marmalade soufflé with toast ice cream [my favourite]

Do tell me in the comments below, which would have been your favourite.

There is a link to the full article below, but couldn’t resist a couple of quotes from Christopher Gray who reviewed us a few days ago.

“I write this on a date that occurs only once every four years. This is appropriate since it is likely to be another four years before I am able to sound off as enthusiastically again about a meal enjoyed in the service of The Oxford Times”

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/9561150.Fallowfields_Hotel__Southmoor/

[If you click on the above link, please do come back to us]

“Throughout the meal were displayed cooking skills of the highest order, with seamless service to match. This was a huge treat”.

The Search might be over!

I have been searching for a replacement for my Tamworth Boar [Thriller] since he sadly departed this mortal coil last November 2011. With rare breeds, finding the right blood lines is  difficult [because there are fewer of them than in commercial breeds].

The search was also made more difficult in that Thriller and I had developed an affinity I did not believe possible when I launched us into this farming [field to fork] regime. He was seriously special….and I was not prepared to replace him with just any old boar.

This chap has a great pedigree, he is manly without being overly aggressive, his equipment is all in the right places, and although he has never been with the ladies, his father was producer of good strong litters.

Well….this is the new chap. What think you of him? I can’t get the name “#ThrillerToo” out of my head.

ThrillerToo... a very handsome chap indeed

Please do tell me what you think of him in the comments below. I would love to hear your opinions

We are looking to give our restaurant its own identity. It is a delightful light airy space during the day and becomes intimate and romantic at night.

Most importantly of all, we serve simply superb food.

We were inundated with wonderful naming idea when we asked for suggestions on Facebook and Twitter. This below is the short list of names.

Would you please help us make the final selection please?

And the proof is here, We received today a beautiful plate to commemorate our “Best Small Hotel Award” and, a plate from the AA for our 2 x AA rosettes for culinary excellence.

It is always customary to say it was the team…..but in this case, it really was the team as every aspect of the hotel’s business is investigated, every department is marked. Well done Fallowfields Team….you are awesome.

SUCCESS….WITH BOTH THE AA AND IN

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 2011

The week’s good news started on Wednesday morning when, one of the businessmen checking out informed us he was the AA Inspector. Head Chef Shaun and I duly sat down with him to review his assessment of the hotel and more importantly Shaun’s food.

As it was the first time Shaun had been reviewed, we knew the most the inspector would award would be two rosettes. Compliment after compliment and eventually, with us sitting on the edge of our seats he makes the announcement.

This is a really significant award for us, as it is the start of our food journey to being one of if not the top food destinations in Oxfordshire. I know I am totally biased but I do think we are already up there among the top three.

On the Hotel side of the inspection, he praised our Housekeeping as well as the welcome and passion for our business demonstrated by our Reception team – they rate every aspect of their contact with the hotel from booking to the way they are treated on departure. We passed with flying colours and an increase in their scoring system.

On Thursday night we had been invited to the finals of the Beautiful South Awards. We knew we were either Highly commended, silver or could it even be gold. We have won the gold award before in both 2005 and 2007 and wondered if they could possibly give it to us again. Both the reception and award dinner was at Denbie’s Vineyard just outside Dorking in Surrey. It is amazing how the nerves and the excitement build up….I could not tell you what we had to eat or whether I enjoyed it. Finally the time came as they awarded many of the other categories…we were about half way through…by this time I was down to the quick I can tell you. At last……our category. Two hotels were awarded the third place, Highly Commended and then they announced the winner. As soon as I heard the Tourist board Chairman saying “and the gold award goes to a hotel in 12 acres of its own ground………………” I knew it was us at that point and a few minutes later, Peta and Alexi, my youngest daughter took the stage to receive the plate.

*TSE + Tourism South East, the Tourist organisation for the whole of the South East of England.

Having previously posted some fantastic food shots by my great friend Mike Samuels, we were approached by Shoot Studios too and here are some of their photos.

You could start your meal here at Fallowfields with this little appetiser. This is a divine garden beetroot and juniper soup.

Then perhaps a dainty and delicious starter: hand dived scallops with fennel marmalade and orange glaze.

Then to follow, maybe garden herb crusted halibut, English mustard gnocchi and asparagus [this was taken in June 2011]

Or maybe a ballontine of corn fed chicken, smoked bacon, chicken jus

Or this gorgeous garden risottl, basil cream

After a moments pause, you simply have to try this - Dark chocolate tart with apricot sorbet, poached apricot, candied pistachio

Now is the perfect time for an expresso…..dopio please…..oh yes and petit fours, for me our own Turkish delight and the mango jelly, but I know my wife will go for anything chocolate

If you like these photographs and the look of the dishes, please comment below. BTW, our menus are ever evolving with the seasons and chef’s originality, so you are not guaranteed to see any of these dishes when you come for dinner.

Dear everybody at Fallowfields,

We had a very good journey home after our wonderful holiday [seven days] in Kingston Bagpuize.  We loved Fallowfields – the staff are all so friendly and helpful – especially with Ian and his current difficulties.  The service was wonderful – as were the the marvellous food, the grounds, surroundings and the aviary.  I cannot think of any way our stay with you could have been improved – even the weather was kind to us.

Please make sure that all the staff and owners know how much we enjoyed our stay.

Best wishes to you all.

Barbara H.

Here is a link to a blog post by Russell Allert, who provides business owners a resource to grow their business using social media. He is the owner of Baked Social Media

http://bakedsocialmedia.com/social-media-small-business-success-story-anthony-lloyd-fallowfields-hotel/

These lovely short clip videos have been created by Chris Smith of the Oxford Media Factory, please check out his details at the end of this post. 

1 Quail Corner - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSFe9_akCdk

These little birds provide eggs and of course meat for the table. They need to be caged, as, they are incredible escapologists and, to protect them against rodents. This clip also takes you into the brooder, where we rear our young poultry in a safe warm environment.

2 Kitchen Garden - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvki28liE24 

Our walled kitchen garden provides much produce for the table, all year round. We are not self sufficient, but at times of the year get as close as 75%

3 Falconry - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTjfs1RURIM

A great Oxfordshire attraction this. Why not book a falconry session and then have lunch or afternoon tea in the hotel restaurant. Even better – stay over the night before, have a wonderful meal in our restaurant, and take a falconry lesson after a leisurely breakfast the following morning.

4 Orchards - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSvuvTJNbjc

Peta and I planted these two orchards in 1994 and 1995. All on dwarf rooting stock. We have around 200 trees. From Medlars and mulberry, quince, gages, walnut and crab apple, to humble apples, plums and pears. None of the varieties names will you recognise from our supermarket shelves. We grow these for the flavour of old varieties no longer widely available.

5 Thriller’s House - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmwVeObHfgc

Thriller is yet another of our hidden secrets. he is a magnificent 5 year old Tamworth boar, in his prime, and father to all the pork we rear for the table. We are pretty much self sufficient all year round. Wonderful sausages, pork and sometimes our own bacon too.

6 Dexter Cattle - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xl5kF_mW5Xo

My favourite beef. Dexter was introduced into England into Oxfordshire in the 1850′s and has spread countrywide. Our small herd of 7 of these beautiful animals gives us much pleasure as they graze and calve and generally enjoy life. Always gleaming with health too, so we have obvioulsy got their husbandry right.

7 Duck Pond –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igS0ImFDM4U

Here is where we keep our Aylesbury ducks together with their protector, a solitary gander [ a left over from Christmas past]. Quail and duckling terrine, succulent breast of duckling.

I would love you to add your comments in the box below

Chris Smith

Tel: 0845 680 5461

Mob: 07818 090 801

www.oxfordmediafactory.co.uk

chris@oxfordmediafactory.co.uk

And finally, here is a link to a YouTube video of me givng some insights to a group of Oxfordshire business people in the use of social media….. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2lnxeWpNrc