Tiddleywink Treats

I had a little trip down to the lovely county of Wiltshire last month.
Now that the wedding season has ended, it was the perfect opportunity to take a long overdue visit, to see my sister and her partner.
It’s always a weekend packed full of little ‘treats’, but this weekend turned out to be full of them! Tiddleywink Treats was launched onto the lovely people of Chippenham.
Ali (sis) and Trin (partner) have been making superb jams, pickles and chutneys for quite some time now and after trialling there goods on friends and family, (we’ve all had some scrummy Christmas pressies over the years), they’ve decided to venture out!
It all started when they picked some sloe’s from land that Trina’s family own, in the village of Tiddlywink (yes, there is such a place) and they made their first batch of sloe gin (Very good, I must say).
From then on Trin was ‘hooked’ on foraging the surrounding hedgerows and sourcing locally grown produce to make into new and different culinary delights..

It was an early start on the Sunday, packing everything into the cars and taking the drive to the two fairs’. Trin headed off into Chippenham to stand at the first ever Farmers’ Market whilst
Ali and I headed off in the opposite direction, to the picturesque village of Castle Combe. (The backdrop of many a period costume drama…so quaint).
Would we sell anything? It was a grey, damp morning, would this put off our potential customers?
Not in the least! In fact it was quite the opposite, huge success, nearly all stock was sold out.
The few bottles of Blackberry vinegar (a new trial product) sold immediately, Trin had made this from an old recipe that my mum used to use. Blackberry vinegar is brilliant as a soothing cold remedy, a cordial, drizzled over ice-cream or used in sauces over meat…and…no, it’s not vinegary, either, it’s simply, summer in a bottle!)
You don’t see many of these around anymore…..I can remember them, can you?

Well done ladies, Tiddleywink Treats has proven to be a huge hit.
Good Luck with your new venture!
(Sorry to everyone who doesn’t live in and around Chippenham, but, it is hoped that Tiddleywink Treats will at some point be available online).
And…..my other little ‘treats’ Mpeople in concert, a little shopping trip and some fabulous food at The Bridge Brasserie!! Lovely! Can’t wait to do it again soon.