Jeans for Genes

Seek It Out member Ludlow Nut Co. supports a worthy charity
in a unique and tasty fashion.

http://www.jeansforgenes.com

Visit The Ludlow Nut Co. Showcase

Opening your eyes to buy something unique!

Through my role as Head of Operations for Seek It Out I get to meet the most amazing people - albeit on the phone or e mail only sometimes. Out of the blue I got a call some months ago from the Highlands of Scotland, from what must be our most remote member. A wonderful lady with a unique and interesting business making candles Bespoke Crafts - not just any old candles but amazingly lifelike items from fruit to animals. As we worked to build the showcase we delighted at the wonderful pictures of her work - a talented lady to say the least. It is amazing just what talent there is hidden in every rural location in this country and Seek It Out hopes we can get more people to realise that there is an affordable and far more interesting option than the high street - small and especially rural business just like the candles. Buying from small businesses pretty well ensures you won't give presents that have been given before! So start looking through the showcase on Seek It Out and see the talent, visit craft galleries and markets, browse on line and keep your eyes open for something unique you will be amazed at the choices everywhere. Bespoke Crafts offers something that I have never seen before and would make the most fantastic gifts, support a really rural business and put a smile on the face of any recipient!

Ewes Frolic with Boutique Ale

At the recent Shrewsbury Flower show I was privileged to meet yet another pair of Seek It Out members face to face. Penlon Brewery and the delightful producers Stefan & Penny who work tirelessly on their farm in West Wales to produce a fantastic range of real ales in the bottle with wonderful names such as Ramnesia & Ewes Frolic.

There whole natural cycle and their happy livestock (you would be happy if you got the leftovers too) have always intrigued me and I hope one day to get to see it first hand, a real true on the farm cycle of production.
Boutique Beers, now there is an expression I have never come across till Penlon came along, but like all things in marketing a niche product deserves a niche title. Penlon is a true cottage industry, beers brewed on the farm not shipped off for someone else to brew, organic or not. So it makes sense to try to differentiate from other microbreweries but how to pick a title, a tough one indeed. I guess just following the guest houses that are a cut above the rest and now call themselves boutique, we once again associate boutique with small, independent and classy, seems we have returned to the 60s.

Penlon ales are all of those things and Frank (our regional coordinator) can verify that fact as over the months he has tried several from the range, a real ale buff he recommends Penlon to all those looking for a quality range of real ales. He did enjoy the tasting the brews, all in a days work for Seek It Out he tells me. So let's hope the already spreading Penlon stretches to a regular outlet in Shropshire very soon, that would certainly put a smile on Frank's face and no doubt increased production will make the livestock equally happy.

You appreciate good ale and want to make a cow ot two happy - now you know how.
NB: the labels are only a few of the complete range!!

Silver Gilt for Nicki Lewis-Smith

Nicki Lewis-Smith triumphed at the prestigious Shrewsbury Flower Show this week by winning a Silver Gilt for her lovely garden. A fantastic achievement being the very first time she has exhibited. Nicki won the chance to design a garden over stiff competition and it was so deserved. Her garden was visited, admired and praised by Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra, Chris Beardshaw and a host of press. Congratulations Nicki - I have a feeling we will be hearing a lot more about you and your all important Assistant husband Les.You can learn more about Nicki by visiting her web site or her Seek It Out Showcase.

About her design....
"The garden is entitled Synchronicity, showing how manmade lines can balance and harmonise with natural curves. "

An amature snapshot - this is just a snapshot to give you a idea no more!

Shrewsbury Flower Show and new talent

Seek It Out member Nicki Lewis-Smith won the coveted award ‘New Talent at Shrewsbury’ and is designing and exhibiting a garden at this years prestigious Shrewsbury Flower Show 10-11th August at the Quarry Park, Shrewsbury. This honour is well deserved and we hope you will all pop along and view her garden, remembering its taken months of hard work not only to nurture the plants but to raise the funds required.

Foot and Mouth

This is a very distressing time for farming and as many Seek It Out members are directly or indirectly involved in farming, this is a subject close to our hearts.

We can only hope that the outbreak is quickly brought under control and that farming can try to get going yet again. Remember some events are still on and as soon as the ban is lifted events with livestock will happen - so don't give up on these events, check right up to the day - they need your support to survive.

Many not connected with farming do not perhaps realise the effect even this, so far small, outbreak has had. Shows called off or restricted - that might be a years work lost for breeders who need their stock to win at shows - a win means that the beast is worth more and butchers much more willing to buy from that farm etc. In rural areas local and county shows are the highlight of the year and so to loose that when times are already hard is a huge psychological blow. We know that many who do not live rurally feel that farmers moan and actually have a good income - if only that were true. Disease, heavy regulations, flooded land, rotting crops, loss of farm means loss of your home, cheap imports undercutting UK producers, long hours in poor conditions with often no help are all reasons why farming is suffering badly in this country but it's a way of life and something critical to this countries wellbeing. So support farmers in every way you can - buy local, use there other businesses such as B&B, farm shops, outdoor centres etc and abide by every safety regulation you see during this outbreak. Foot and mouth is easily transferred between animals and can be carried between farms on boots, clothes, tyres, and just about anything - so please if you want to help keep this country a green and pleasant land do follow all the rules and keep animals and farms safe.

You can get more information from DEFRA and the latest news from the BBC.

Fordhall in Print - an amazing struggle against all odds

In 2005 Ben and Charlotte Hollins were faced an unimaginable task - raising £800,000 to escape eviction from their family home of 700 years and to save their livelihood.

Now you can read their inspirational story of hope and survival against the odds.

Published in hardback August 2007 £16.99 contact them (click link to find contact details) to purchase a copy.

Seek It Out is proud to support both the Farm Initiative and the Farm Shop!

http://www.fordhallfarm.com

http://www.seekitout.co.uk

Congratulations Be-Eco and the clever little bag

Be-Eco - Huge Congratulations to Michele and Justin of Fine Fayre for getting to the final of Tycoon with Peter Jones and for launching there brilliant Be-Eco bag. I had the pleasure of meeting them in the spring when this was all still very secret and I can tell you they are two of the most delightful and focused people you will meet. Somehow they manage to unite serious business determination with lovely personalities such a rare trait. Seek It Out wishes them every continued success with Fine Fayre and the amazing new global business Be-Eco.co.uk.

Many wondered why we would be so 'friendly' with Fine Fayre as they were perceived by others as Seek It Out's rivals. Well I learnt long ago that there are few direct competitors in this world, most have a niche, and so to embrace is far more pro active than to waste energy on fighting an unrealistic enemy. Let's look at it - they sell, we don't - they are all British made where as we embrace both maker sellers and on sellers and so the difference go on. So we are more than happy to have reciprocal links and to keep in touch with each other. To me it shows just how mature their business approach is and it will help them as they expand overseas into very different business cultures.

Rosie Beswick

www.seekitout.co.uk

Go East!

The Seek It Out Team has just returned from a trip to East Anglia to promote the site. Despite the rain and mossies we had a wonderful trip and the warmest reception possible. Drenched in Ely, washed away in Norwich but in Kings Lynn, Cley, Horsey, Old Beckenham, Mattishall, Southwold, Aldeburgh, Woodbridge and Framlingham and so many more places the sun shone.

In Kings Lynn we had the most wonderful accommodation right on the main quay - The Bank House - a real treasure run so professionally and with so much style by the delightful Nell. Taste is the key description for this wonderful 5 star B & B - somewhere you can be assured will be wonderful.

We had disasters along the way with the laptop dying on just day two - however never to be stuck Norwich's wonderful Millennium Forum Library saved the day - highly recommend a visit to the stylish plaza in central Norwich where you can watch the BBC in action, have a coffee and watch the world go by but most of all sort out your e mails for free!!

Rosie Beswick www.rosieconsulting.com using her small business consultancy skills gave talks to three business network groups during the trip. All were a success and the testimonials prove that. We found business people very positive and proactive everywhere we went.

In Kings Lynn - we would like to thank Kate and Claire of Active Media - a wonderful marketing company with two offices in Norfolk, for the talk arrangements. The venue was an excellent large hotel on the outskirts of Kings Lynn. The subject of the talk was Market Research and how all companies can benefit from knowing the facts not the assumptions.

Thanks to Sophie Jewry of Media 8, a graphic design & printing company from Dereham the next talk took us to a stunning new business centre in the heart of Norfolk, South Green Park Centre where we talked on the subject of firm foundations and systems ensuring safe and possible growth later on in a businesses life. We were joined by another speaker from Enterprising Women as fantastic organisation which assists women in business in East Anglia.
This talk allowed us to meet yet another Seek It Out member in the flesh - Julie Hurst who designs and makes hats in her Norfolk Studio under the name of Raffique.


The last talk took us deep into Suffolk and a wonderful Farm Park - Easton Park Farm where I met with the Woodbridge WiRE network group who were busy preparing for a Craft Fair. This group is run by the very energetic Isabel Smith. Again the choice of talk was Market Research and how use your own in house skills for research. The crafts on display were wonderful with yummy food, stunning jewellery, delightful garden arrangements and so much more. Just proving that being rural is no barrier to business!

We would like to thank all those who listened to our talks, showed interest in Seek It Out and most of all we would like to thank all those organisers who worked so hard to make these events happen.

East Anglia we will be back!