With just a few days left of January we are hoping that we have seen the last of the snow chickens for now. Real hens will soon start laying fully again and the beekeeping season is almost upon us, but for now here's another newsletter to add to your Friday feeling!
Puntastic Product Review
We receive some great customer reviews of our products and from time to time we find one that really stands out. This has to be our most puntastic review ever and we think Edward would be the perfect candidate for a job at Omlet!
“I’m no YOKer but I’m not EGGSactly an EGGspert in customer care but nevertheless I must say the service I received from Omlet UK was EGGcellent,I’m sure my family will be EGGstatic when they receive their gifts. It bEGGar’s belief that people would shop anywhere else as Omlet UK certainly isn’t home to any BootlEGGs.
Anyway I will enjoy my weekend listening to rEGGae music whilst riding around on my sEGGway. .
Take care, EGGward”
Health Products
Great news! Our range of chicken health products is eggspanding! Having listenened to your requests we have now introduced lots of new products, including Aubiose Bedding, Orego-Stim Complete, Barrier Anti-Pecking Spray and Nettex Tonic with Seaweed, as well as lots of new lice and mite treatments, vitamin supplements and housing disinfectants. Keep an eye on our website over the next few weeks for more new items.
We want to become your one-stop-shop for all your chicken keeping needs, so if there is anything you would like to see in our shop please let us know and we'll see what we can do! Just email stephanie@omlet.co.uk.
Competition
Does anyone else feel like January is dragging on forever? It's cold, it's gloomy and we don't get another bank holiday until April, disaster! We all need a bit of cheering up and we're hoping that you can help us out. We want you to send in your photos of your colourful Eglus, your chirpy chickens and your beautiful selves to brighten up our dull Winter. Pose with your purple Cubes, eggsibit your finest eggs and say cheese with your chickens. We will put together a gallery of your fabulous photos and our top three will win vouchers to spend in the online shop.
Send your photos to stephanie@omlet.co.uk by Sunday 20th February. Good luck!
Valentine's Day
In case you had forgotten Valentine's Day is in just over two weeks. The shops are full of teddy bears, chocolates and roses, but if you are looking for a gift with a bit of a difference why not have a quick peak at our Valentine's section!? You'll see a few of the fun and funky items on offer at the bottom of this newsletter, but there are lots of other unusual ideas to choose from.
Although Easter is more our thing, we are feeling just a wee bit soppy and this year we would like to know your romantic stories. Did you meet the love of your life on a chicken keeping course? Did someone win you over with a dish of poached eggs? Did you put an Eglu and chickens on your wedding gift list? Whatever your story let us know. We are also on the look out for a special couple to feature as our Valentine special's Eglu Owner of the Month so if you are interested please email stephanie@omlet.co.uk.
The Omlet Team
A hentastic photo of Dolly and Amber, sent in from Jeremy.
No wonder she's looking pleased when she's just collected all those eggs!
The chickens have been working over time to produce enough eggs for the wedding reception.
Barbara and I are becoming a dab hand at storing vegetables and fruit for use later in the season. We always bottle fruit in vast quantities and our garage now has more shelving for jars of tomato sauce and jams.
Last year, we took a leaf out of John Seymour’s Complete Guide to Self-sufficiency and built a vegetable clamp in the flower bed of our back garden. It involved digging a trench all the way round, which was easy in a raised bed. Filling the bed with carrots, parsnip, beetroot and swede, separated by layers of straw. We then covered the whole pile with more straw and topped with a thick layer of earth. Leaving some of the straw sticking out, meant that moisture could escape. We were a bit apprehensive at first, so backed up our plan with a few boxes of roots in sand and stuffed the freezer full, just to be safe. So far it has worked well and we are still using up the parsnips and carrots from last years bumper harvest.
After the Artic weather in December, a warming soup is just the ticket during the cold winter months. We always have a pot on the go.
Winter Soup
1 large onion
1 medium potato
1 leek
Large head of broccoli
1 pint good chicken or vegetable stock
butter/oil for frying vegetables
salt and pepper
Milk/single cream to taste
1. Start by frying the diced onion and leek in a small amount of butter/oil until softened.
2. Add the stock.
3. Add the peeled and diced potato and broccoli florets. Simmer until the potato is soft.
4. Season well and place into a blender or use a stick blender to get a smooth consistency.
5. Add the cream or milk and heat gently.
6. Serve with crusty bread.
Any vegetables will do, try substituting the leek and broccoli for parsnips and a pinch of curry powder, or leaving out the potato to make a thinner soup. It freezes well too!
Tom's soup is the perfect Winter warmer!
Katy Dumble
Where and with who do you live?
I live with my boyfriend James, two cats and four hens in Exeter.
How many chickens do you have and what are their names?
Our hens are Polly, Fenchurch, Marty and Agatha.
What's your favourite thing about the Eglu?
It's hard to choose one thing! The classic eglu has been ideal for us because it fits in so well in size and design to a city garden. It's also easy to clean out and use.
Why did you decide to become a hen party host?
We noticed that there are very few courses available in this area of the country. When we got our eglu we didn't know anyone else with hens and it would have been great to have someone give there to give us some tips and practical information. Plus we'd love to meet more eglu owners!
What do your courses include?
Details on how to get started with hens, the best places to get supplies, how to look after them. Tips on how not to make the same mistakes as us and cake!
Why should people attend a course?
There is a lot of information available but nothing is quite the same as seeing how it all works practically. A course gives you the opportunity to ask about the exact problems that worry you and to get suggestions that you wouldn't have thought to ask for! You can also make friends and contacts that could help your new venture well into the future.
Upcoming Courses:
Hen Party for Beginners
Saturday 5th February
10:30 - 12:30
Exeter
Katy Dumble-dore's school of hencraft and chickenry.
Star Products!
Here is just a small selection, go online to see the full range.
Love Hearts Egg Cups and Cosies Set
Bring a bit of romance to the breakfast table with this love hearts themed egg cup set. With an egg cup for you and one for your other half this set is perfect for sharing and they will last a lot longer than real love hearts. The matching egg cosies are a cute addition that will keep your boiled eggs warm and snug until you're ready to tuck in.
Perfect for a Valentine's Day breakfast in bed.
Valentine's Cookie Cutters
Everyone knows that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and you can't get any more romantic in the food stakes than a batch of heart and cupid shaped biscuits.
These cookie cutters will help you create lots of lovely treats quickly and easily and then all that's left to do is serve your feelings on a plate! We promise they'll be well received!
Heart Shaped Measuring Cups
They say you can't measure love but this kitchen essential will help you do eggsactly that. Choose from a measley quarter to a full cup depending on how your heart's beating and add a little love to your baking. Perfect for rustling up some romantic treats this Valentine's Day!
There are four heart-shaped measuring cups in sizes 1/4, 1/2, 1/3 and 1 cup. They are solid, long-lasting and dishwasher safe.
We think this would also make a lovely gift for someone that loves baking.
Measuring spoons also available.
Love Hearts Toast Stamps Set
Want to treat your other half to a romantic breakfast this Valentine's Day? Not very eggsperienced in the cooking department? Starting to plan how to sneak to McDonalds without your partner waking up? Stop! Before resorting to buying a breakfast and fobbing it off as your own, consider this...toast stamps. The ultimate gadget for transforming an everyday breakfast into something really special.
Simply stamp your pieces of bread with the two love heart messages, pop in the toaster, et voila. Add butter, jam and marmalade for a breakfast that will melt someone's heart. Not convinced? Just remember - calling your spouse 'hot stuff' first thing in the morning (when they're not looking they're best) is bound to score you brownie points!