Dairy Diary publish a new cookbook every year, which we sell to our customers. To ensure that these books closely reflect people’s needs Dairy Diary would love to hear your thoughts on a few ideas for future cookbooks.
Please complete the short online survey below, which is being run by Dairy Diary and their research partner, Step Beyond. It should only take a few minutes and is very interesting!
As a thank you, Dairy Diary will enter you into a prize draw for a £50 M&S Gift Card.
Please complete the survey by midnight on Tuesday 23rd August.
Thank you very much indeed for your help!
https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90477860/07333ee44f4a
With the summer holidays in full swing, it can be hard to think of new ways to entertain your kids each day. When you’ve exhausted going to the local park, you may start looking for activities that you can do at home. We’re going to talk you through some of our favourite, simple homemade activities that you can do with your kids this summer!
Cool down in the summer heat
With temperatures reaching over 30 degrees this summer, we’ve found ourselves reaching for icy refreshments to cool ourselves down. Although it’s very easy to pop to the local shop to buy ice lollies, the costs can start adding up, especially when you’re buying them for the whole family.
Making your own lollies is easy, and can be a fun way for kids to get creative with flavourings. First you’ll need to find a mould; these can be purchased ready-made online or in any homeware shops, or you can make your own using small plastic cups. For a simple lolly, fill it with your favourite juice, pop a wooden stick in each mould, and place in the freezer. Experiment with mixing flavours, or create a rainbow lolly by filling the moulds a quarter way with one flavour juice, pop them in the freezer until it begins to solidify, then fill with another flavour, and repeat this process until the moulds are full.
Or why not try making your own lemonade, and create a tasty and refreshing alternative to the shop-bought version. It can be made using 3 household ingredients – lemons, sugar and water. Your kids will be able to get involved with juicing the lemons whilst assistance may be needed to create the sugar syrup, which needs to be heated in a saucepan. Set up an old fashioned lemonade stall for your neighbours and passers-by, who may also appreciate a cool refreshment on a hot summer’s day!
Let your creative juices flow
If your kids have a creative streak, or just want an excuse to play around (and maybe you do too!), homemade air dry clay can be fun to experiment with. It’s made from store cupboard ingredients – baking soda, corn flour, and water. You can add food colouring to the mix to give the clay a bright, bold colour; or leave it white, and decorate your creations with paint once the clay has dried. Let yours and your kids’ imaginations run wild by making make-believe creatives, family figurines, or even more practical household items like trinket bowls and mugs!
Making and baking
We love activities that involve food, not only do kids love getting their hands dirty, but they get to learn some essential skills and feed themselves! Baking cupcakes is of course a favourite activity, especially getting to decorate the cakes (and eating them!). But when you want to create a less sugary snack, savoury baking can be simple too – cheese straws using shop bought pastry is an easy recipe for kids to do themselves (with a little assistance!).
Fruit salads are another great option that encourages kids to get creative with putting together different ingredients whilst encouraging them to eat healthily. Our fruit boxes are great for giving you a selection of fresh fruit to use!
What are your favourite summer activities to do at home? Show us your favourite creations, or share your top tips for entertaining kids this summer!
Early sunrises, long days and the sun shining through our windows can only mean one thing; summer is finally here. And with the arrival of the warm weather, you may have already found yourself spending more time outside. With the smell of barbeques in the air, it’s time to get your garden ready for days and evenings spent outside, family parties and somewhere for you to unwind and relax. We’re going to tell you our top tips for a healthy garden this summer…
Improve your lawn health
Our lawns can go through a lot; drastically changing weather conditions, being trampled on and kicked about during games of football and pesky weeds trying to take over. Having grass is not a low maintenance option, it requires regular attention and care and we often neglect it in the colder months. So if your lawn is starting to look a bit patchy, or it’s recovering from a cold winter or lots of use, you may need to spend a bit of time getting it back to its former self. We recommend sprinkling over some grass seeds to encourage extra growth, then topping it with our Premium Grade Topsoil to protect the seeds as they sprout. You’ll find that your lawn will soon return to a luscious full and healthy green.
Or for those less damaged lawns that may have dried out from the sun and need a little bit of help to bring back the colour, our Organic Fine Grade Lawn Dressing is a simple fix. Not only will it provide your lawn with a nutrient-rich feed, but it’ll also help to encourage new growth and protect it against hard wear and drought. With the unpredictable British summer, it’s best to make sure you get your garden ready for all weather conditions!
Revamp your garden
Perhaps you want to give your garden a bit of a revamp this summer? Do you have flower beds that are overgrown with weeds, or want to spend some time giving your garden a transformation? Adding flower bed surrounds to your garden will help to add some shape and definition to your lawn. You may choose to fill them with flowers, or more low maintenance ornamental trees or shrubs.
Top your flower beds with a layer of our Ornamental Bark Mulch; this not only works as a decorative way to cover soil, but also helps to improve the health of your garden. The mulch is an excellent way to fight away weeds; by covering soil, it deprives weeds of light, stopping them from growing. The mulch can also be used as an alternative for paving stones, by using it to carve out a pathway through your garden.
Bring birds to your garden
Whether your garden is a small terrace, a balcony, or even a large green space, it’s wonderful to be accompanied by the sound of birds singing, turning your outdoor space into a tranquil haven. Encourage birds into your garden by filling it with our feeders, ready-filled with peanuts or seeds so all you have to do is find a place to hang them. Or if you already have feeders that you need to refill, we supply a range of wild bird food, from sunflower seeds, peanut kernels to wild bird mixes; with options to order small bags and large sacks of different food.
So save yourself from having to make the trip to get all your gardening essentials and order directly from us, and we can deliver them straight to your door! Click here to browse our full range of garden products and make your next Plumbs’ order.
This June, the country will come together to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne as the Queen of England!
Over the bank holiday weekend, the streets will come alive as friends, families and neighbours join together in their celebrations, turning front gardens, pavements and roads into a communal space for parties.
After the streets are decorated with union jack bunting and front lawns are filled with garden seating and tables; you may be looking for ideas for traditional British food to serve at your party. We’ve put together a list of British classics that are great for gatherings…
Pimm’s O Clock!
Pimm’s is a classic British drink that will help to kick off any party; the perfect refreshing accompaniment for a hot summer’s day. Serve it up in big jugs so the guests can help themselves and add fresh fruit from our fruit boxes to complete the drink!
For those wanting a non-alcoholic beverage, our James White juices are a fruity, healthy alternative that will satisfy both adults and children!
Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea is quintessentially British, a tradition that’s been enjoyed around the country for nearly 200 years. So the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee feels like the perfect occasion to enjoy this tasty treat that most of us so rarely indulge in.
Fill a serving stand or platters with light and airy homemade Victoria Sponges, cut into bite size pieces, and freshly baked scones, topped with our Dorset clotted cream and scrumptious jam from The Bay Tree. Or for those who are not bakers, Barkers Bakery produces delicious cakes in a range of flavours, including lemon, carrot and chocolate.
Finger sandwiches are another afternoon tea essential that guests can pick at throughout the party. We love the classic fillings; egg and cress, ham and cheese, smoked salmon and cream cheese and cheese and pickle. Get creative with your fillings and provide a mix of options that cater to your guests’ food preferences and dietary requirements. Our bloomers from Barkers Bakery will create a lovely base for your sandwiches, ready to be filled with ingredients of your choice!
Then of course, you’ll need the star of the afternoon tea; the cups of tea! Get out your finest mugs (or even a Jubilee one, if you have one!), and fill your teapots with our Butterworth & Son Suffolk Gold Blend tea bags. Top up your tea with a splash of our freshly delivered milk (make sure you order extra milk if you’re expecting plenty of guests!)
Summer Salads
When preparing food for big groups of people, having a selection of salads is a great way to cater for lighter eaters and provide a healthy and fresh option for a summer’s day. Dress fresh leaves from our salad boxes with Yare Valley Oils Honey & Mustard Dressing. Order our vegetable boxes so you can make your own potato salad and coleslaw; two summer salad classics!
With less than a month to go, start planning your Platinum Jubilee street party and book your food order with Plumbs’ Dairy, so we can make sure you have fresh produce delivered straight to your door! Click here to view our full range of products.
Easter is soon approaching, and with balancing work with the school holidays and family get-togethers, there can be a lot to prepare for. With the first signs of spring having already made an appearance, we’re hoping for warmer days, easter egg hunts in the gardens, and the start of al fresco dining over the bank holiday weekend.
So get ready for Easter and stock up on store cupboard essentials… You may want to order some treats for the break too!
School break
If you’ve got little ones in the house over the Easter school break, you may want to stock up on essentials to keep them fed! It’s always surprising how quickly food seems to disappear from the cupboards when there’s lots of hungry bellies in the house!
Bread, milk and eggs are always top of our list when we think about store cupboard essentials. But we can also deliver fresh fruit boxes to your door too, to balance out all the Easter eggs! Our fruit juices are great to keep the kids hydrated, especially as we begin to see slightly warmer days.
Family get-togethers
Cooking for friends or family on Easter Sunday? A traditional lamb roast may well be on the menu and our vegetable boxes can provide all the veg you need to complete the meal. You can also order extra potatoes from us if you’re expecting quite a few guests and need a little bit more!
Or if you fancy giving yourself a bit of time to enjoy the Easter break too, our scrumptious readily prepared meals and sides by Fieldgoods can take the pressure off and let you relax. From Chicken and Leek Pie, Lamb and Apricot Tagine, to Beef Bourguignon, there’s something for every palate! We also stock a range of vegetarian options too, such as the Aubergine Parmigiana, which we love to accompany with a fresh salad from our salad boxes. You can complete the meal with one of their heavenly desserts… Sticky Toffee Pudding or Melt in the middle Chocolate Brownie, you’ll find them hard to resist!
Hot cross buns and other sweet treats
What’s Easter without a hot cross bun? We work with Barkers Bakery to provide you with freshly made buns, perfect for breakfast on Easter weekend or even as an accompaniment to a cup of tea. Why not try the Suffolk Gold Blend Tea Bags for a taste of a local brew! For those who are more coffee drinkers, we stock a variety of blends too.
If you’re looking for things to do over the break, baking can be a lovely way to keep kids entertained, and our free-range eggs and organic milk can help to make delicious tasting cakes! Or if you want to enjoy the treat without the work, you can order freshly baked cakes from Barkers Bakery too.
So indulge this Easter with good quality, local food, and celebrate a much deserved break and a start to another wonderful spring. You can browse through our full range of products here.
As the sun starts to reappear and provide some much needed sunshine, and the trees begin to blossom, we’re excited to see the first signs of spring arriving! Here at Plumbs’ Dairy, we can’t wait for warmer, longer days and more time spent outside enjoying the beautiful countryside.
So as the season begins to change, it may also be time to review your regular order at Plumbs’ by adding some seasonal items to your delivery. If you’re new to Plumbs’ or already a customer, keep reading to find out about some of our favourite products for spring!
Fresh, spring recipes
With the darker, colder days behind us, we start to welcome lighter mornings and evenings. And with that, we say goodbye to the comforting winter meals that kept us warm and full over the past few months, and we begin to serve lighter, healthy spring dishes.
It’s this time of year when we love our salad boxes the most, as we reintroduce fresh, healthy salads to our dinner plates. We enjoy serving them as a simple side dish to pan fried fish, or grilled chicken or steak. You can also get creative and spruce up your salads with homemade dressings (we love to make a honey and mustard dressing using Stour Valley Apiaries’ Runny Honey). Or for those who want an easier option, simply drizzle over Yare Valley’s ready made Honey & Mustard Dressing for a quick spring dish.
Bring wildlife into your garden
We don’t seem to be the only ones enjoying the lighter mornings, as many of us wake to the sounds of birds singing outside our windows each morning. It can be wonderful to watch different birds flock to your garden, so why not feed them a treat with our range of wild bird food. Recycled seed feeders, wild bird mix and sunflower seeds are just some of the products we offer. By feeding the garden birds, you’re not only attracting beautiful wildlife to your garden, but you’re helping maintain their population too!
Green fingers!
If spending time in the garden is your thing, you may be getting ready to get green fingered! We work with Field Compost LTD to deliver garden products straight to your door, so you can cut out trips to the garden centre and spend more time enjoying your garden. From soils for healthy growth to lawn dressing to give your grass a rejuvenating feed, we’ve got you covered!
For those that grow their own vegetables – whether it’s a vegetable patch in your garden or at the allotments – spring is the time to start sowing! Our growbags and vegetable planting topsoil will help to give your patches a nutritious start for this year’s grow. View the full range of garden products here.
So get ready for spring and browse our full online list of products on our website now! We’re happy to help and advise on the best products for your order so get in touch if you’d like to find out more about the products and services we offer!
Please note you will receive a letter if this change affects your area.
The last 18+ months have bought us all many challenges and whilst we have strived to maintain our service to you as best we can during these times they still very much remain as we go into 2022. There is currently a shortage of milk and packaging and some products are being restricted, de-listed by our suppliers or consistently not delivered to us with no notice. In addition to this we have had to deal with the huge increase in fuel costs. However, our biggest challenge remains to be staff shortages and recruiting drivers to deliver your milk. Aside from Covid, we are finding that those who worked so hard through all the lockdowns are having it catch up with their health now.
The culmination of all these pressures is that from week commencing 17th January we will need to permanently change your delivery days to Tuesday and Friday. We hope that this change will better enable us to attract and retain new delivery drivers, to help us manage to provide cover when drivers go off sick, along with giving our hard working team a bit more time for rest to make sure they stay fit and well so they can keep delivering to you.
We do hope you understand the reasons for this as it is not a decision we have taken lightly and will continue to support us with your valued custom. Thank you very much for bearing with us during this difficult time and for supporting local, family business.
Kind Regards,
Debbie & Justin Plumb
Christmas is all about bringing people together. Friends get together for drinks and nibbles; families sit around the table for a big Christmas feast; and our local communities work together to create Christmas markets, festive parties and celebrations. It’s when we connect with our local communities that we begin to see all the incredible things that are available on our doorstep, and all the talented people who are behind them.
When choosing where to buy your Christmas food, knowing who made it and the story behind it can make it feel that extra bit special. Knowing the processes behind its creation, where it was made, and what has gone into it can somehow make it more delicious. And when the product has only travelled a few miles down the road to get to your doorstep, you can count on it being as fresh as can be!
Here at Plumbs’ Dairy, we work with some of the best local suppliers to ensure that you know exactly where your food is coming from. We have sourced the finest produce available, making sure that every part of your Christmas meal is full of flavour.
Local farms for free-range meat
We offer a range of different local free-range meat from bacon, sausages to turkey, so you have plenty to eat over the festival period. We work with Waterhall Farm, whose succulent free-range turkeys are available to order in a range of sizes; so whatever size feast you are preparing, you can order for the right number of people. Waterhall Farm is a family business based in Sudbury in Suffolk who have been rearing turkeys for the past 70 years, so you can count on them for great taste! We recommend ordering the Bay Tree Cranberry Sauce too, which also tastes delicious in leftover turkey sandwiches – we also love it in a brie and cranberry sandwich for a meat-free option. Norfolk-based Broadland Hams supplies our bacon, Norfolk pork sausages, ham and Gammon, providing you with a selection of meat for breakfasts, lunches and dinners over the Christmas period.
Fresh, handpicked vegetable boxes
Often when buying vegetables at supermarkets, you have to buy them in large bags, leaving you with a bit too much of everything that can sometimes go to waste. At Plumbs’ Dairy, we can deliver you just the right amount of vegetables for your Christmas dinner. We work with local suppliers Hilarys, who have been delivering the finest produce across Cambridge for over 30 years, so you know that your veg hasn’t had to travel far to get to you. At Plumbs’, we handpick the vegetables supplied by Hilarys to create boxes to suit the size you need, whilst also checking for quality and freshness of the produce.
Oils and condiments for extra flavour!
The finishing touches and special ingredients are often what makes parts of the dish so special. Yare Valley Oils, which are made in the heart of the Norfolk countryside, help to create the crispiest roast potatoes; their Black Truffle and Garlic and Rosemary oil can add that secret bit of flavour that will have your guests asking for the recipe. Or why not try drizzling Suffolk’s sweetest runny honey from Stour Valley over your carrots before roasting, for a caramelized, honey-roasted taste. To make your Christmas food that extra bit special, make sure you place your Plumbs’ Dairy order by 3rd December using our order form. We can deliver a whole range of fresh, local produce to your door, with each order supporting our local com
There’s a lot to think about around the festive season, and sometimes the ‘to-do’ list feels never-ending. One of the biggest things we have to think about is food – who are we catering for, what recipes to cook, what to buy and when to go shopping for it. Here at Plumbs’ Dairy, we want to make things easier for you, so you can avoid the supermarket crowds this year and not worry about having to fight over the last jar of cranberry sauce on the shelves!
We realise that Covid-19 is still out there and lots of us still don’t feel safe going into busy and crowded areas. We want to make sure that you stay safe and don’t miss out this Christmas, so we are delivering our delicious locally sourced products to your door!
Local Christmas specials
If you want the quality of locally sourced meat without having to make a separate order at your butchers, then we can deliver it straight to your door. We are working with local suppliers to make sure you get fresh, high-quality food, without the effort of having to leave your home. If you are cooking for a large group of people this year, Waterhall Farm in Suffolk are offering small, medium and large turkeys that can feed up to 17 people! We are also working with Broadland Hams in Norfolk to bring you a range of gammon, sausages, ham and bacon. Our Christmas Dinner Vegetable Crates are full of the vegetables you need to complete your meal. The crates are available in small and large sizes, so whether you are cooking for 2 or 10 people, we can deliver the right amount of fresh produce to your door.
Let’s not forget the sweet stuff! Lillypuds, who are based in East Anglia, are our suppliers for our Christmas puddings. These delicious desserts are available in a range of flavours to suit all your guests’ preferences. Whether they like a sticky toffee pudding, their saucy lemon puddings, chocolate or even a traditional Christmas pudding, we’ve got you covered. Their puddings are all made from natural ingredients, giving you the taste of homemade without the effort of having to do it yourself! All Lillypuds products are suitable for vegetarians and they even offer some vegan and gluten-free puddings too! And what’s the festival season without mince pies? Barkers Bakery will be bringing us their freshly baked mince pies to get you in the festive spirit – they’re perfect for visitors popping by, or even for you to nibble on yourself!
Everyday essentials
As the shops get busier as we approach Christmas, we want to save you from having to brave the queues just so you can get your milk. So alongside our Christmas specials, we will be offering our usual delivery service so you can still get your essentials delivered straight to your door.
We are taking orders for our Christmas & New Year Delivery Service until Friday 3rd December. To place your order, please click here to download your Christmas & New Year order form, or give us a call on 01223 893033 so we can help you make your order.
The brand-new cookbook, More Taste & Less Waste from the Dairy Diary shares helpful tips on how to lessen food waste. And not only is that the socially responsible thing to do, but it can also save you money too!
Here are a few top tips:
STORING FOOD
Ensure that your fridge is set to below 5°C and the freezer is set to around -18°C. Read the instructions for your fridge: there are usually cooler/warmer sections that lend themselves to particular products.
Check use-by dates and arrange foods in your fridge with the shortest date on the top, so that you use it first. If something has a date before you’re likely to use it, consider freezing it.
Vegetables (except potatoes) keep for longer if they’re stored in the fridge. Also keep fruit (except bananas) in the fridge, with a few in a fruit bowl to ripen, if required.
THE FREEZER
What not to freeze. So many foods can be frozen, raw or cooked, that it’s actually easier to list what to avoid freezing. The following foods do not freeze well: cottage cheese and low-fat cheeses with a fat content less than 40 percent, cucumber, salad leaves, cooked eggs, mayonnaise, egg custard, and jelly. Cooked rice can be frozen, but it may cause food poisoning unless it’s reheated to a very high temperature and so it’s best avoided.
QUICK FREEZER TIPS
Read the label on meat, fish and seafood to check that it’s not been previously frozen. If it has, it should not be re-frozen unless it’s been cooked first.
Don’t freeze milk in glass bottles, as it may expand and shatter the glass.
Fresh herbs can be frozen, chopped, in ice cube trays, as can ginger. And also chop garlic before freezing; don’t freeze whole bulbs.
Freeze whole loaves of bread, or make into breadcrumbs in a food processor before freezing.
Leftovers from cans can be frozen in a freezer-proof container. Convenience foods should say on the label if they are suitable for freezing.
Ideally, freeze cakes and biscuits before they’re filled or iced/decorated.
Leftover wine can be frozen in ice cube trays to add depth of flavour to gravy or sauces.
Apart from ready-frozen ingredients, always pack foods in portions, so that it’s easy to defrost/use just what you need. Label containers with their contents and the date on which they are frozen.
Ensure that the food is well sealed: in foil, in lidded tubs or in Pyrex (or similar) dishes covered with a lid or with tight-fitting foil. Remove as much air as possible by lifting one corner of the lid and then sealing again.
More Taste and Less Waste cookbook shares many more tips on how to avoid food waste as well as 80 amazing recipes, all with a stunning photographs. Available to buy here today.