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Well after thousands of entries across the country I’ve made it down to the last 12 and in with a shot to have Deborah Meaden as a business mentor for a year. I’m representing the North East of England and couldn’t be more proud.
The final is to be held in London at the end of next Mouth. The last time I was there I was working 12 hour shifts as a plasterer in a pair of scruffy overhauls. This time I’ll be in a dinner jacket. I still have to pinch myself that this is all happening.
This is a brilliant boost for Fudge Fancies, even if I don’t win, but a 12 to 1 shot isn’t bad odds so who knows.
Wish me luck
Fudge Fancies is really looking forward to this event and I just might have some new flavours to temp you with.
‘TheBiggest Eclectic Boutique Rolls into Town’
Thursday June 7th 6- 9pm @ mima
The biggest eclectic boutique rolls into Middlesbrough as part of ‘FashionRules’ a free to attend show and shop event at iconic gallery mimaon the evening of Thursday, June 7th from 6pm until 9pm.
Cool Brit style comes to life for ‘Fashion Rules’ acollection of mini fashion shows & pop-up shops to create the biggesteclectic boutique in town where you can find an elegant choice of clothing,jewellery, designer goods,accessories, home wares, flavorsome foods, drinks & desserts and fabulousgifts.
Whether you are a fashionista looking for the latesttrends, in search of beauty & hair tips, love pretty vintage pieces orsimply wish to admire the arts, this unique event offers something foreveryone.
Theretail initiative supported by Middlesbrough Council and Middlesbrough Life andStyle brings together the town’s independent retailers, designers and highstreet brands to work in collaboration with one another. Retailers includeVintage Vogue, Lots of Loveliness, Psyche, Yukza, Kate Fearnley, Box Clothing,New Look, Topshop, House of Fraser, Debenhams, Boots, BHS, Marks & Spencerare all signed up with more beingannounced daily.
“ While economic conditions arechallenging Middlesbrough Council is committed to supporting retail trade said:Karen Shields, Middlesbrough Council. “ 2012 celebrates the Queens’s Jubileeand the Olympic Games, when speaking to the town’s retailers about putting onan event around the celebrations it was very clear they all felt the need towork together and collaborate to create an experience where the retailcommunity and shoppers alike could come together for a night out with adifference.”
“For one night only mima will be transformed as Middlesbrough’s biggest eclecticboutique as Fashion Rules roles into town. A jam-packed night, Fashion Rules will provide shops andshoppers alike the opportunity to watch a selection of mini fashion inspired byBritish & American icons from the 1950’s through to present day. Students of CCAD (Cleveland College ofArt and Design) will be exhibiting collections from their Graduate FashionShow, along with students from Middlesbrough College who will also beshowcasing their creative collections. Added: Karen.”
mima’s Director Kate Brindley said: ” mima is delighted to be hostvenue and partner for this exciting high profile event. Fashion Rules is agreat way to profile Middlesbrough’s retail offer, which includes mima’s own shop,and mima is keen to work with other retailers and partners to contribute theeconomic success of the town.”
For more information about Fashion Rules you can contactMiddlesbrough-based event organisers We Do on 01642 224706
As the Fudge Fancy brand name grows so do the stockists, here are a few of the fabulous places you can now buy our Gourmet Fudge.
Cafe 1901
Located in Jesmond Cafe 1901, is an independent, vintage-style eaterie housed in a Church Hall just off Acorn Road.
The cafe, which is housed in a handsome old hall dating back to 1901,adjacent to Jesmond Methodist Church on St George’s Terrace.
It’s something of a retro charmer with cavernous interiors and high ceilings.
Mink coffee shop and tattoo studio
Based in what was once an ugly and derelict building, Mink is a character-filled venue on Corporation Street, Middlesbrough.
It offers a quirky coffee bar atmosphere as well as tattoos, tattoo removal and piercings.
The bar has been built from old Riverside bricks and fairground waltzers which were going to waste are now trendy booths.
12 Harland Place, Norton
A new face on Norton’s High Street is 12 Harland Place.
The restarant and deli is most definitely worth a try.
Stepping inside you’re first greeted by the deli, with a counter offering delicious treats including the Fudge Fancy range plus shelves packed with tasty-looking delights.
A recent visit by my wife’s sister got me experimenting in the fudge factory with an old favourite of mine cheesecake. This is something I always had time for even in my busy days as a plasterer I had time to knock up a lemon Cheesecake for visiting family and friends.
With a kitchen full of fudge something clicked in my head a combination of fudge and my favourite desert might just work so I set about making a lemon cheesecake, adding a small quantity of my lemon and lime fudge.
Pictured right, was the result, my first Lemon and Lime Fudge Cheesecake! I kid you not it was something special and a definite winner for the visiting family!
Fudge Cheesecake Fancies!
The next stage for me was to refine the Cheesecake and make it more pleasing to the eye and make it look more like my Fudge Fancies.
After a long day in the Fudge Factory this is the end result a trio of Fudge Fancy Cheesecakes with a white chocolate spoon to eat them with. The fudge cheesecake can then be topped with fresh ingredients as it is more of a desert then a fudge.
I’m really pleased with the end result the combination has resulted in something that will work well for wedding deserts and other functions. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, and taste buds at bay and you may be seeing these more often!
A Trio of Deserts
The new Fudge Fancies Cheesecake compliments some of my other fancies really well. So here we have a Trio of Cheesecake deserts which are Strawberry, Lemon and Lime and Eton Mess, with a white chocolate spoon for each!
Haven’t done a blog post for ages so thought I’d leave it for a special occasion and this is it!
I have Just found out that Fudge Fancies is one of the lucky regional winners of the business accelerator scheme backed by Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden, and Prime Minister David Cameron. Fudge Fancies were initially shortlisted with 10 other business who all had to pitch about plans and future goals in front of a panel of local successful entrepreneurs, they then whittled it down to 3 lucky winners. The regional winners receive a prize package which includes advice from the local business mentors, substantial advertising space in the local gazette and last but not least going through to the national final with a chance to work with Deborah Meaden.
Full details of the competition can be found at this link http://goo.gl/VMMeH still cant belive it.
With Middlesbrough’s Christmas Market just about organised I thought it just right to mention some of the fantastic traders we have on board.
Dragonfly Bakery
Dragonfly Bakery, specialises in delicious cupcakes in over 30 flavours, handmade with quality ingredients including farm fresh free range eggs. The Dragonfly Bakery has a colourful stall, which also makes celebration and wedding cakes for all occasions, and you will find a range of delicious treats available at market including their unique ‘Sunshine Fruitcakes’. All of the cakes are derived from traditional English Farmhouse recipes.
The Dragonfly Bakery also does Vintage Tea Parties where they provide a savoury range but the Christmas Farmer’s Market in Middlesbrough will see the exclusive market launch of a delicious savoury range, The Farmhouse Savoury Collection, including traditional recipes for pies and quiches along with some more contemporary flavours and styles. The Farmhouse Savoury Collection includes a range of delicious preserves and chutneys, including some mouthwatering winter warmers and spicy Christmas treats.
Burtons Bangers & Bacon
At Burton’s Bangers all the meat in there sausages is pure British shoulder and belly pork ONLY , with no hidden ingredients that customers might otherwise find unsavoury.
There bacon is NOT injection cured (the commercial method which is quicker but bulks up the product with water). They instead use the older, slower technique of immersion curing (also called “pickling”). This method takes longer – a few weeks in fact. Once cured, the bacon is dried and then matured in there chiller before being sliced and vacuum packed to seal in it’s freshness.
Adams Apple
Chris Carabine of Adam’s Apple makes freshly hand pressed apple juice which is a big hit with Market shoppers “perfect for making mulled apple juice for Christmas’ I for one will be byeing some
Chris named Adam’s Apple after his 13 year-old son Adam.
d.a.n.i.delights
Danni makes raw vegan organic nurture foods which include energy bars, chocolates, desserts, nut butters and cheeses, crackers and savoury dishes. Danni is also hoping to have some holistic cards and artworks for sale on the day.
Danni’s products can also be found in local health food shops
The One Stop Hot Shop
Quality award winning chilli products from extreme hot chilli sauce to chilli chocolate – your one stop shop for all things chilli – perfect for the chilli lover.
Hand made in Yorkshire by Andrea Wood one and two star wining products in the 2010 and 2011 Great Taste Awards.
Andrea will also be serving hot soup on the day.
The Gingerbread House
The Gingerbread house specialises in delicious handmade Gingerbread, made to Liz’s own traditional gingerbread recipe and using only the freshest spices and the finest ingredients to create beautiful hand made luxury gingerbread houses, gingerbread biscuits and personalised wedding favours.
To ensure freshness all of there products are baked in small batches and delivered by hand to a small group of specialist food retailers.
The Gingerbread house is based in the hamlet of Egton Grange high in the hills of the North Yorks Moors.
Chilli Cake Deli
Chilli Cake Deli is a new buissnes soon to appear in Middlesbrough. At Middlesbrough’s Christmas Market they will be serving freshly cooked food all day.
This is only half of the traders that I’ve listed (all the foodies) the rest I will tell you about on my follow up post.
Nearly forgot Fudge Fancies will be there also LOL
With Christmas fast approaching I’m constantly thinking of the Fudge Fancy Christmas Range and I will be bringing back some of the best sellers from last year. One being my ‘tree treats’ which can be hung from your Christmas tree.
I will also be doing the new Fudge Fancy Chocolate Toppers in Christmas pudding flavour, imagine all the taste of a Christmas pudding in a chocolate bar.
A Giant Fudge Fancy Christmas pudding will also be available which, once again, will have all the flavours of a traditional pudding but in a Gourmet Fudge version, this will be perfect for sharing. My Christmas Truffles making their first appearance are Chestnut and Mulled Wine Flavour, the chestnut will be a white truffle and the mulled wine a dark one.
I am constantly experimenting and thinking of new ideas for Christmas so this range can only get bigger and better.
Keep a look out online and the local farmers market in a few weeks were you will be able to purchase the Christmas range.
Little did I visualise myself some 16 months ago running a confectionery business, from self-teaching myself the ups and downs of making my product.Since then things and opportunities just seem to come my way.
One of the latest projects I have the pleasure of being involved in is ‘The Chocolate Challenge’ run by Will Mclean from the’ The Entrepreneurs Forum’. A project that visits schools helping students appreciate what is involved in the thought process of setting up a business based around chocolate. As a judge for the challenge I spend the day going between the groups and classes, listening to their ideas and offering advice, as well as judging the final presentations at the end of the day.
The winning group will then spend the day recreating their chocolate with Gareth James a Chocolatier based in Tynemouth.
The latest challenge was held at Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.
I always wondered why Middlesbrough never had a farmers market, Stockton has, plus some of the smaller towns on the outskirts of Middlesbrough like Stokesley, Saltburn and Guisbrough. As a regular attendee at the Breakfast Exchange held by the council, I approached Karen Shields from town management and she was very positive about the idea. I made an appointment with her to discuss things further.
A few meetings later we have managed to set the ball rolling. Instead of a traditional monthly farmers market we have decided to hold a two day market every 3 months, the first of which will be the Christmas market on the 2nd and 3rd of December in the town centre.
As market co-ordinator my part in this has been to locate and approach traders to take part, which will be twelve initially but hopefully this number will increase for next year.
I have also approached some local designers and offered free fudge for them to design a logo for the market, as I feel the market should have an identity. The response has been brilliant and we have some fantastic logos for the market.
Lots of other ideas and projects in the pipeline will keep you posted.
It’s been a busy few months here at Fudge Fancies and we have been to some great venues displaying our products. One particular event was held by Middlesbrough Fashion Week at La Pharmacy in Middlesbrough an ‘evening with Kate Fearnley’, a talented local fashion designer. I had the opportunity to talk to Kate later on in the evening and she introduced me to her PR, Sarah Blenkinsop who I am delighted to say is doing some work for Fudge Fancies.
Within a few weeks Sarah got in touch with me about a possible sponsorship deal with ‘Big Brother’s Bit On The Side’ I quickly got in touch with Laura Edwards the Production Secretary for the program explaining about my products in turn Laura explained that the fudges would be placed in the green room for all the presenters and guests who take part in the show. We will also get a link from the Big Brother website to the Fudge Fancy website.
We will be supplying the show with 80-100 fudges a week from now until November, this is a fantastic opportunity for Fudge Fancies and who knows where it might take us.
The local paper have also ran a story which can be viewed here http://bit.ly/nYpSWU
