I don’t like to wish away time, but I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the Christmas Market!  The planning is going great and there will be a wonderful selection of places and producers from the fabulousplaces.co.uk website.  There will be something for all the family and will be a fabulous start to the festive season!

Christmas Market
Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd November 2009
11-5pm
Blackbrook House, Belper, Derbyshire

Here are the fabulous places and producers attending to date:

Quirky Cookies & Cakes – novelty cookies, biscotti & much more
eco eco – ethical & eco friendly gifts for home & garden
Studio 61 Gallery Boutique – ceramics, bath & body, cards & more
the loaf – amazing artisan bread & festive handmade food.
Anney Grace Jewellery – handmade unique jewellery
The Blossom Tree - festive flowers & fresh door wreaths
The Beetroot Tree – hand crafted gifts and art
Housley & Co – handmade cushions pictures, bags & more
Bow at the printworks – home accessories & gifts
Vintage & Cake – homemade cakes
Elaine Lim-Newton – East Asian inspired ceramics
Lavender grey – home accessories & gifts
I Should Cocoa – artisan chocolate gifts
Jack Rabbits – gorgeous home cooked food
HWR Designs – handmade textile accessories
Havoc Jewellery – handmade jewellery
Usborne Books – fab books for little ones
Bluebells Dairy & Farm Shop

Blackbrook House will also be offering an outdoor German-style food market with hot offerings. You will also be able to preorder your Christmas Tree.

As with the Summer Fete, there will also be lots to keep the little ones entertained, from face painting to craft corner.

The Christmas Market is all about the fabulous independent places and producers featured on the website, so you can be rest assured that the quality and array of products on display will be the best Derbyshire has to offer.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Looking for something to do this weekend?  Why not get out and about and visit some fabulous places in Derbyshire?  fabulousplaces.co.uk is the perfect ‘where to go’ resource if you’re looking for an extra special visit into Derbyshire.  This blog post is looking at the A6 journey into Derbyshire, starting from Duffield and ending at Avant Garde in Baslow.

Gifted is a lovely gift boutique on the main road in Duffield.  From jewellery to bags and homwares to childrens traditional toys.  Gifted is open 7 days a week.

Next on the A6 is Belper which has lots of fabulous places:


I Should Cocoa – a must see for all chocolate lovers.  This is artisan chocolate at its best and the selection is to die for…there are even a few surprising chocolates for the adventurous chocolate fan.  I Should Cocoa also have a lunch menu which is perfect for a light bite at a great price.  I Should Cocoa is open Monday to Saturday.

Fresh Basil – a fab deli eatery offering a great range of carefully selected local and continental deli produce, homemade cakes, bread, meats, eggs and lots of other tempting fresh goodies.  They also have a great menu, which I’m working my way through…delicious!  Fresh Basil is open Monday to Saturday.

Definitely worth a visit is Sweetings Interiors.  On several floors, this interiors shop is a wonderful place to lose an hour wondering round getting  lots of inspiration. Sweetings is open 7 days a week.

The next must see is Lavender grey.  This little shop is fabulous, each time I visit I know there will be something to tempt me.  Run by Lucy, an interior designer, who is always happy to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.  Lavender grey is open Tuesday to Saturday. 

Next would have to be Bow at the Printworks in Cromford.  I wonderful little shop full of accessories for the home, jewellery and cards.  What I love about Bow is that each item is carefully selected by the owner, Susanna, and the prices are very reasonable.  Susanna also sources locally and stocks lots of products made from all over Derbyshire.



Heading a little further towards Bakewell, I always stop off at Caudwells Mill.  The Mill has such a lovely atmosphere on a sunny day and the eatery is great….the hommity pie is delicious and the cakes always look and taste fab.

 After Caudwells Mill I would go for a wonder around the Chatsworth Estate.  A mid afternoon walk around Chatsworth is a treat.  The best walk, in my opinion, and it’s totally free, is to head up through the car park and follow the track past the farm yard and round to the right.  This takes you up to the back of the house, a great view and there are also magical-looking lakes, waterfalls and woodland – the perfect place to head with doggies and it’s normally very quiet.

Our Chatsworth ritual is to finish off in the farm shop to get sausages and other goodies to cook for tea when we get home…or in the case of the caramel slices, to eat in the car on the way home!

I’m not sure how much time you’ll have left, but Avant Garde in Baslow is one of my favourites.

This is a pretty full on day and it can be done with children and/or doggies…especially if you’re lucky like I am and have a partner who’s happy to wonder around with the dogs while I nip into browse round a shop!  ) 

Have fun!

On Wednesday I went to Blackbrook House in Belper to start planning the website’s Summer Fete on the 26th July.  On my way back I decided to stop off in Belper and nip to Fresh Basil to say ‘hi’ and also to get some inspiration for my evening meal. As soon as you walk into Fresh Basil the wonderful array of smells hits you, from bread and homemade cakes to cheeses and olives, this is always followed by a warm welcome.  As always, I went straight to the free range eggs (my favourite), then a piece of coffee cake and I then noticed some brie on the counter top.  I have to say, that brie was the most delicious brie I have ever tasted!  Grilled, it was perfect sat on top of mushroom, chilli and tomato pasta, yum!  If Sam from Fresh Basil is reading this…please can you let me know what it was called?  I’ll definitely be back for some more!

I then called in to see Sid at I Should Cocoa across the road.  I Should Cocoa is one of my favourite places – I love chocolate and coffee, so this place is pretty much heaven in my book!!  I bought a piece of rocky road, a chocolate brownie and a coffee to go…the rocky road is naughty, but far too good to be missed!

Above are images of the brie from Fresh Basil and the rocky road and brownie from I Should Cocoa….I’m afraid I didn’t have chance to take a photo of the coffee cake as my partner, David, immediately took it from me as I entered the house and that was the last I saw of it!!

So, if you’re looking for somewhere to go this weekend…I recommend a stop off in Belper for some food shopping.  While you’re there you can also call into The Little Gallery, Clare’s Beautiful Beads, Lavender grey, Fresh Ground and Sweetings!

 

fabulousplaces.co.uk Summer Fete

A traditional fete with a fabulous twist!

I’m super excited about the website’s next event…the Summer Fete.  I’ve found the perfect venue and I have lots of fabulous places and producers from all over Derbyshire coming along.  From artisan bread and cupcakes to art and eco products….there will be something for all the family.

Blackbrook House
Sunday 26th July 2009
11.00am – 4.00pm 

If you would like to come along, join the FP Club and I’ll keep you up to date with all the latest developments!  Also, if you are a fabulous place or producer and would like to come along and exhibit, please contact me.