Wine, food, cooking and accessories

The inaugural Cavendish Cancer Care Pancake Race 2010 took place at Coghlans Cookery School on Shrove Tuesday 16th February at noon.

Contestants from local companies ran in relay formation to the perimeter of The Gilder Group premises, all to raise money for Cavendish Cancer Care, raising over £600 for the centre.

Team Gilders led the way after the first leg with Chrissy Broughton getting a flier, Simon Lilley hot on her heals (head Chef of Coghlans) and TSG also getting off at reasonable pace.

As the race stretched out the Coghlans team developed a lead of maybe 100 yards, with final leg pace man Mark Price setting off 70 yards ahead of Team Mancake from TSG Media.

At the finish Coghlans landed their pancake onto the platter just 1 second before TSG as runner up. The bonus of the Coghlans team winning was that the £600 prize was donated back to Cavendish Cancer Care so doubling the amount raised for the event to well over £1200.

Teams are already being entered for the 2011 race when its promised an even bigger field and more pancakes to be tossed,

Competitors were treated to a Pancake buffet with savoury and sweet versions washed down with a cup of fresh Coghlans’ Blue Mountain Coffee

A Pantastic Day for all and a lot of money raised for an extremely worthwhile charity!

Team Coghlans captured before the race and before turning bright red. Rumours of our team using Rangemaster omelette pans and the other teams being given cast iron Le Creuset frying pans were sour grapes.

Team Gilders were all smiles before they saw the length of the course and the steep incline up Bridge Way.

Team TSG in confident mood.

Team “Mancake” sponsored by Battleship Grey.

Team Cavendish brought along a ringer with more energy that the rest of them put together.

We will soon wipe the smile from their faces when they receive their instructions.

Paying close attention to the instructions – told you the smiles would go!

Making the pancake was the key stage – cook too quickly and you would be out first but it would disintegrate mid race – cook it too long and you would be last out but it would stand the course. Team tactics were in much debate.

Gilders Financial Director Peter Williams sets off at a blistering pace.

Russell Housley ran 2nd leg for Team Coghlans caught mid-air and not even out of breath!

Team TSG makes it up the deceptively steep stretch of road and still managing to smile.

The 3rd leg for Team Cavendish convinced the others that running downhill was definitely more difficult.

We are pleased to announce the Barrels & Bottles Wine Club which brings you fantastic wines at even better prices than ever before .

With a minimum saving of 30% and no obligations to buy any further cases we have fixed all our offers at only £58.50 for 12 bottles. We understand that 12 bottles may be too much for some so are making a 6 bottle version also available. If you are having a party or you simply like a particular wine you can buy additional supplies and save 15% off the RRP.

No increases down the line. No commitment to buy – just a genuine saving on top quality wines.

Cutting a carcass to size is a dangerous business – have you seen the size of the knives and hatchets they use?

Our top tip to prevent loss of finger, hand or arm when using a saw is to place you hand through the saw as shown above during our recent butchery demonstration. Should you slip or the saw snag there is far less risk of the teeth coming into contact with you.

Barrels & Bottles were pipped in the Innovation category at the 2010 Off License of the Year Awards by Majestic. Our scrappage scheme saw us through to the final three alongside Tesco.

Having won the 2008 & 2009 awards we were disappointed not to make it three in a row but are more than pleased to be ranked up there with the giants.

Today’s random thought – is gruel legal?

Have fun and raise money for charity with our pancake race on Tuesday 16th February 2010.

In relay teams of 4 we are setting off from our cookery school at 12.00 noon on Bridge Way at Sheepbridge down to VW Gilders car showroom next to the A61 slip road and back again… about half a mile in distance with pan in hand. Fancy dress is optional if you fancy a bit more of a challenge.

The cost of team entry is just £15.00 and includes pancakes and refreshments with a pancake buffet available for team supporters.

The winning team wins £600.00 worth of cookery lessons at Coghlans and all money raised goes to Cavendish Cancer Care who provide free emotional support to those affected by cancer.

The Cooking Expert website (www.cookingexpert.co.uk) has undergone a major face lift with a softer colour scheme, better images and most importantly lots of new and exciting cookery courses including:

• Level 2 General Cookery Course
• Chocolate Course
• Saucey Sauces
• Steak Night
• Easter Egg Workshop
• 6 week course for Children

… and new additional dates for all our existing cookery courses.

The sausage making course is proving popular with sausage expert Chris Wildman coming down from Malhamdale to provide hand-ons tuition on different meat cuts, special recipes and making the sausages.

We are pleased to announce the presence of Geoff Schrappel – founder of Bethany Wines in Barossa Valley (Australia) – on the 10th February at Barrels & Bottles to host a tasting of their fantastic wines.

Some of you may recall the Bethany wines from about 13 years ago when we we based under the Wicker Arches in Sheffield. The memory lingered long – especially with the
and we re-listed the range towards the end of last year after too long a gap.

This is a great chance to revisit the memories or to discover these wines for the first time and add them to your must drink list.

With mobile devices and laptops being ever more popular we have introduced WiFi internet access at Barrels & Bottles and Coghlans Cookery School.

2 connections are available – a conference connections and a BTOpenZone connection allowing quick and easy access to the internet and your email.