Due to staff shortages in our catering team (congratulations to our Head Chef who has just gone on paternity leave), over the weekends of the 11th/12th and 18th/19th May we will be serving BBQ food only from outside our Stables Restaurant, as well as cakes, sandwiches and ice cream in our cafe. A limited menu will also be available from Monday to Friday over the next two weeks. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
There has been a severe lack of gardening on my part in the last week as I changed venues to work at the Hestercombe stand at the Taunton flower show.
The flower show is such an amazing event for a small town. Held in the beautiful surroundings of Vivary park, slap bang in the centre of Taunton, it appeals to all ages and all walks of life. It is high brow enough to appeal to the serious plants folk as well as providing entertainment for families. Apparently it is the oldest flower show in Britain- quite a claim.
Hestercombe has a stand there every year to help promote awareness of the gardens. It never ceases to amaze me how many local people have never been to the gardens and this is our chance to encourage them with a 'two for one' entry voucher. It gives us a chance to engage with the public, encourage them up, and answer their questions.
Sounds like a jolly doesn't it... but believe me it was harder work then gardening! On Friday I was there from 8.30 am - 7.30 pm and even I got tired from constantly talking! We had to take on plenty of coffee and luckily we were right next to the food tent. On Saturday I had Ben and Ben (not the flower pot men) with me and if it wasn't for the supersize pasty pictured above I think they would have keeled over.
Massive well done and thanks to Ben Whitworth, Leanne Anderson, Hannah Phillips, Ben Knight and Emily McCoy for all their stamina and promotional help. We gave out a dizzying amount of leaflets so lets hope everyone comes up to visit us.
Also thanks to all the Friends of Hestercombe who came to say hi and give us moral support.
