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Alex Blair 18/12/2018 Alex Blair 18/12/2018

Kitchen Closed

The Big Gay Al Presents kitchen is now closed for the holidays! A massive thanks to everyone that got their last minute orders in - these will be dispatched tomorrow and should arrive in time for Christmas.

Still need that marmalade fix before Christmas? The good news is that there are some lovely stockists across the U.K. that have stock (albeit limited stock) available and are open for a few more days. There are a number around Catford, SE London and SW London, as well at at Lytham in Lancashire. Thanks to all my lovely stockists for your faith and support in 2018!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you that have bought marmalade from, tasted preserves with, eaten, drunk, partied or workshopped with The Big Gay Al in 2018. It’s been a phenomenal year in so many ways, and yet 2019 already looks to be bigger and better! If you haven’t already, sign up on the website to become a #BigGayVIP and you will receive the latest news first, exclusive offers and my eternal gratitude.

I’d like to pay special thanks to Matt, my long suffering fiancé! He’s had to get used to being surrounded by marmalade 24/7, everything smelling of marmalade, the pervasive smells of pickles and potions, my occasional whinge, and my frankly manic behaviour! He does so without complaint, and even cooks dinner for me occasionally when I’m working late. Not only that but he ferries me around like the Queen of Sheba, dragging me and my jars around town or making deliveries on my behalf.

We are away over Christmas and the kitchen will return, refreshed and reinvigorated in early 2019. See you soon!! xx

ps. Remember, #NotJustForToast !

Alex Blair 12/11/2018 Alex Blair 12/11/2018

The Stockists - Web Page Update

New Stockist Page

I’ve been working on the website some more today, cleaning a few things up and adding some new pages.

This includes the addition of a new Stockists Page with details of all the current stockists of my marmalades, preserves and of course the soaps too.

Initially you could only buy from me direct when I did a fair or market. Then I extended to an Etsy shop so that you could buy online, and then I finally got to grips with the website that I’ve been paying for for a year and couldn’t work out how to get it working!

You can still buy direct when I appear at fairs and markets of course, see the Events page to see where I am next. You can now also buy direct online from me here on my website, but also from stockists here in Catford and further afield. This includes Catford Cornucopia and Wild Cat Wilderness, Heima at Lytham St Anne’s, Archibald’s cafe, Bottle Bar & Shop with an exclusive, and new stockist Good Food here in Catford who are stocking me as part of their Christmas range.

I have another two local businesses that will also be stocking products shortly - sign up to the BIG GAY VIP mailing list to hear first! I’m also looking for some stockists further afield. Cute little deli shops; gift shops and seaside cafes. If you think you know somewhere that might be suitable, ask them. Then if they are interested tell me and I will see if we can arrange supplies! There’s a potential finders reward of a jar of marmalade for any introductions that result in a wholesale order or 12 jars or more.

In the meantime, please go out there and support the small independent retailers. Christmas is make or break time for many of them and buying just some of your gifts and treats with them makes a big difference and helps keep money in the local community too.

Alex Blair 07/11/2018 Alex Blair 07/11/2018

Gift Idea - Probably Paddington

Well, not that bonfire night has been and gone, all eyes in the U.K. now look towards Christmas with it’s sparkly lights, cheesy music, fine food traditions and gift giving. Here’s a great gift idea that you can get sorted now and that will thrill the recipient.

Who’s this cute bear? Probably Paddington!

The perfect gift for the Paddington fan, marmalade fan, or even better, the fan of both in the overlapping area of the Venn diagram of little bear and marmalade fans! Here I’m offering an 8oz jar of Seville orange marmalade which will be personalised with the name of the recipient and dispatched to arrive before Christmas. Enclosed in the package will be a covering letter from none other than Aunt Lucy, direct from the Home For Retired Bears In deepest, darkest Peru. There is the option to include a personal message within this as part of the ordering process.

No one seems to know the exact location of the Home For Retired Bears other than it is in Peru

This marmalade is definitely the favourite marmalade of a particular bear, Probably Paddington. Bears are very partial to marmalade sandwich’s and always keep one in their suitcase or under their hat. This marmalade is equally delicious on hot buttered toast or on top of a glorious steamed pudding. Adults might even want to use a teaspoonful in a measure of vodka to make the Probably Paddington Martini - but that’s only for the adult bears please. Little bears are mischievous enough without martinis!

Usually £10, there is a special 25% off early bird offer on this package if you order before the end of November. Head over to the Shop Online page to order today and secure your discount.

PS. Don’t keep marmalade sandwiches under your hat, it can get very messy!

Alex Blair 06/11/2018 Alex Blair 06/11/2018

New Stockists Required

.....I need a marmalade army!

I have several AMAZING stockists locally here in Catford and also in Lytham. I’m putting together a list of stockists and their details for the website. I hope to do a little feature on them all next year too, so you can find out a little more about them

I will expand operations next year and want to have a number of gift stores & delis stocking my items a little further afield. I’m looking for new stockists for my range of marmalades and soaps - somewhere in Wales, somewhere in Scotland, somewhere in the South West and somewhere on the South Coast. Anywhere in the U.K. really! This makes it much easier for you to get the products locally without having to pay P&P charges. It also means that both you and I are directly supporting small, independent businesses which is so important.

So, that’s where you come in. I need a Marmalade Army to help find these lovely places and ask if they would be interesting in stocking a couple of varieties of my home made, small batch marmalades. Do you know somewhere that would be interested? Perhaps you run a business and would like to stock some marmalades? I am offering a complimentary jar of marmalade for any introductions that result in a confirmed and fulfilled order or 12 jars or more.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Alex Blair 04/11/2018 Alex Blair 04/11/2018

Christmas is coming.....

I know - we are only just into November and already it seems like businesses are trying to force Christmas upon us all already! It’s ok - this will remain a tinsel and Slade free zone until December 1st at least.

*One of the seasonal specials that’s perfect for Christmas.*

However, for lots of businesses, they will have been thinking about Christmas for MONTHS! Back in my restaurant and pub days, we would pretty much start planning the following Christmas in January. It is such a key period for many businesses that they just can’t afford to get it wrong.

I have been rather taken by surprise by the success of what was a little hobby this year, and is growing into a little cottage industry - if you can call my little flat in Catford a cottage! This means that I hadn’t really done any planning for Christmas and so I’m now trying to play catch up!!

There are some seasonal specials coming very soon. The Fig & Vanilla Jam is made with some very fine Turkish black figs I managed to get. It is great on toast or with a croissant of course, but it’s also great in baking (use to fill little tartlets and top with chantilly cream) and it’s equally at home on the cheeseboard. A great Christmas treat for yourself or your loved ones.

Breakfast Fizz as featured in Issue 14 of SELondon Journal - The Food Edition

There will also be a special batch of my Breakfast Fizz - a celebratory Seville Orange marmalade made with Prosecco and Cointreau. Perfect for your Christmas Day breakfast, mixed with a glass or Prosecco before lunch and a dollop with cream on the leftover Christmas Pudding in the evening! This was recently listed in the delicious Food Issue of the South East London Journal so is sure to be even more popular than ever!

Would your Paddington fan like to received a pot of the little bears favourite marmalade from his Aunt Lucy at the Home For Retired Bears in Peru (via Catford)? Coming soon with delivery in time for Christmas!

Coming soon to my Etsy store will be an enhanced range of marmalades and jams including some ‘micro-batch’ jams of less than 6 jars. Get them while you can!! I’ll also be listing a fantastic gift for your young (or older) Paddington Bear fans! How would they like to receive a personalised jar of Aunt Lucy’s Marmalade sent all the way from the Home For Retired Bears In Peru (via Catford)? Rumour has it that it’s Paddington Bears favourite marmalade. Don’t forget, if you are local and can collect from Catford, use code COLLECTIONONLY and you won’t be charged for shipping so we can then arrange for you to collect direct.

i have lots of plans for next year including some pop up supper clubs, prohibition tea parties, new stockists, new products, etc etc etc!

There have been some exciting collaborations with other local businesses recently too. Please support the businesses below, they are all great local independents and your support makes all the difference.

I’m proud to support The Wild Cat Wilderness again, most recently transforming some of their wild blackberries and wonderful apples into delicious Blackberry and Blackberry & Apple Jam. This is available exclusively from them direct so do go along and support them. I will also be hosting one of my popular pickle workshops where we will make Rainbow Pickles with them very soon. Check out the website and then come and get In A Pickle With Big Gay Al!

Long time supporters Catford Cornucopia down on Catford Broadway continue to stock a range of both my marmalades and my soaps alongside a range of quality locally made gifts and merchandise.

Bottle Bar & Shop are stocking the Amalfi Breakfast Marmalade - currently an exclusive to them. It’s a bright, fresh lemon marmalade with a good splash of the Bottle Bar Limoncello. If you haven’t checked this bar out yet then you must! Their infusions and bottles cocktails are delicious!

Archibald’s in Catford now have some of the Catford Honey & Oat Soap as part of their lovely gift range in store. This rich soap is made with Shea butter, oats and honey produced locally here in Catford, fragranced with some Lebanese Orange Blossom Water Go sniff it out while ordering a wonderful brunch.

Good Food grocery and deli (which I assume is short for delicious as all their carefully curated products are) will soon be stocking several of my marmalades and jams as part of their gift range.

I’m delighted to have sent some marmalade stock up to scenic Lytham, where Jo will be Christmas stocking (pun intended) my preserves as part of her ‘Hand Made With Love’ range. Her vintage and gift shop Heima is full of wonderful and exciting things. Jo is also my first non-London stockist. I’m no longer just local - I’ve gone National sweetie! If you find yourself in Lancashire then pop in and tell Jo that Big Gay Al sent you!

After a wonderful It’s All Gone A Bit Abigail’s Party event with the dynamic duo that are We Do Good Disco , we are working together again for the official Retro Catford Chrimbo Party at the Broadway Theatre, Catford, where we will party like it’s 1979! I’ll be providing gorgeous nibbles and retro treats on the night. The last event sold out so get your tickets here soon to avoid a disappointment more bitter than granny’s boiled sprouts!