We were all very proud of Camilla this week because the lovely people at Mumpreneur UK gave her a mention in the 2011 Mumpreneur awards.
James, Camilla and Mark were at Hampton Court to stand up and present to a panel of entrepreneurs and bankers for the HSBC business thinking awards this week. They were pretty nervous but completely thrilled to discover afterwards Higgidy had been chosen as winners from hundreds of entries across the South of England.
As you may have noticed it's beginning to get quite cold outside. The leaves are dropping off the trees, making orangey heaps here and there, and the little Shoreham seagulls have taken to standing clumped close together, all facing into the wind.
With sideshows and stalls, hoopla, a hook the duck game, bubbles, a balloon man and an enormous red football, this year the higgidy picnic was bigger than ever. Over 150 higgidy cooks and their families boarded two big yellow busses and zipped out into the Sussex countryside for a day of fun, food and little ducks.
As if Mark’s life wasn’t busy enough with organising a wedding while being higgidy’s "Pie Merchant" and whatnot he still found time to be roped into being Father Christmas at a local tots and toddlers group. Not all the children were completely convinced though, and his niece Lily, like us, was little bit frightened by this unusually tall, rather skinny looking father Christmas.
We like a bit of a show here at higgidy, and so it was that we embarked on a grand higgidy pie tasting challenge. Our three galant contenders, Lecia from the office, Dean from the warehouse, and Barbara, representing the kitchen, took their places in front of an eager crowd of cooks and admin staff. Once blindfolded, the pies were revealed, one higgidy, and three pie imposters.
Lecia, and the higgidy festival team have been having some summer fun trundling up and down the country, visiting festivals in the little higgidy kitchen, and making friends. They’ve been having a little competition to see who can meet the nicest celebrity. So at Camp Bestival when the lovely Jo Wiley wandered past with her family, Lecia was a little star struck.
James and Camilla took a trip to Seattle recently on a pie discovery mission. They visited little markets full of excitable, whooping Americans, and rode on a Duck, a sort of amphibious adventure vehicle. The highlight of the trip for James was a visit to a rather unusual pie company, High Five Pies.
Kate started school this week and she loves her new uniform. She is particularly proud of her shoes which she you would know about if you met her. At school Kate gets gold stars for good behavior but this week it’s her mum Camilla whose been collecting all the stars.
A Battle Prom is a big day out featuring a classical orchestra with a live battle, cannons, cavalry, fireworks, plus lots of picnics, gazebos and Champagne.
So it was with great excitement that Philippa, Lecia, and the Higgidy team packed up the little Higgidy Kitchen and zipped up to Northamptonshire last weekend for the Althorpe Park Battle Proms.
Our Lecia has packed up a trailer full of pies, and is taking the little higgidy kitchen up to the Cornbury Festival this weekend. It's going to be an exciting event full of music, laughter, entertainment and pies.
Roll Up, Roll Up, it's time for the Big Higgidy Tombola. Just pop your name in the hat for the chance to win some pies. This month we're giving away a lovely big bag of £30 worth of pies, plus an apron.
There are also 4 runners up prizes of a pie voucher each. It's free to enter and we'll be picking the winner on the 11th of July. If you'd like to enter our higgidy tombola (and we'd love you to), please do click here and we'll write you out a ticket.
As the clouds started to gather, and the rain started to fall, we feared the Big Higgidy Lunch would be a washout. Thankfully though St Peter's threw open it's doors to the soggy higgidy picnickers with their baskets and blankets and the afternoon took an unexpected turn...
Oh Higgidy, oh Higgidy
you’re pies are quite biggidy
though some are quite small
I do love them all
On the 5th of June, we’ll be joining in the nationwide festivities of "The Big Lunch". You can't beat a bit of old-fashioned community spirit so we'll be taking the little higgidy kitchen out to the grassy bit of the Old Steine in central Brighton (just outside St. Peter’s Church - see here on the map). There’ll be pies (for free), fun and games and hopefully some sunshine.
It's National Vegetarian Week, so we thought we'd do something a little bit special. These Homity Pies were invented by the Land Girls in the Second World War using the ingredients they could grow in the fields. We've updated them a little to make them extra delicious.
Today is a very exciting day for us down in the higgidy kitchen because we have just sent our first van load of a new higgidies to the shops... and it’s not a pie, it’s a slice.
A problem shared is a problem halved and a pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled. Whether it's a ride in the country, bread for the ducks, an umbrella in the rain or a tasty pie for tea. So when we were trying to think up ways to make our chicken pot pie even nicer one thought kept coming back to us. "Let's just make it big enough to share" said Camilla, so we did.
A garlicky vinaigrette can pack a real punch. Tossed over crunchy salad leaves such as cos or little gem this is the perfect partner for our Bacon and Cheddar Quiche or our Potato, Bacon and Cheddar Tartiflette.
Our Little Quiches are 'made for summer'. They make perfect picnic food but we love warming them in the oven or even wrapping them in some tin foil and popping them on the bbq for a few minutes. Make this quick simple summer salad and you have a stunning meal literally ready in minutes!
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I opened the door and on the shelf
Sitting proudly; by itself
Was my dream, I shed a tear
My perfect, perfect, cornucopia
Olga interviewed Camilla earlier this year and just for fun we sent her some pies. Here's what she did with...
