All these years later who would have guessed that I would now be having a thrilling, vicarious affair with the game...

My cooking colleague and friend is the mother of one of the England team players. During the past week the atmosphere in the kitchen has reached boiling point as this masterly, modest bunch of blokes have taken the world by storm, championing each match, coping with injury while playing like true gentlemen all the way to the 2010 World Cup semi-final.

The gang at OVF would like to wish the team continuing success. On their return home there will be a box or two of goodies winging there way to them as a small gesture of the pleasure and inspiration we have all taken from their courage.

We've just added to our range of fruit curds. Each of these are now available to buy online or from one of our stockists (please contact the stockists directly to confirm they have them in stock):

• Lime & Bergamot Curd
• Raspberry & Geranium Curd
• Blackcurrant & Vanilla Curd
• Orange & Rosemary Curd
• Chocolate & Orange Curd

Click here to view all fruit curds.

I remember reading a few years ago that marmalade sales were declining; not any more if Jane Hasell McCosh has any say in the matter. From her wonderful home in Cumbria, during February she hosts The Worlds Original Marmalade Festival; the highlight of which is The Worlds Original Marmalade Competition. 

For two years running we have been fortunate enough to have been selected as prize winners. Hundreds of hopeful jars of marmalade find their way from all over the world to Dalemain, were they run the gauntlet of the expert taste buds of the WI. This year we won a bronze for St Clements Marmalade with Whisky and were highly commended for Pineapple, Lime and Lemon Marmalade. Last year it was the turn of Quince & Lemon Marmalade that won a silver.  

I know I didn't win these gongs for encasing myself in lycra, lying on a small tea tray, and going 80 miles an hour, head first, down hill on an ice slick. Never the less we at OVF are equally proud to be representing our country…in the fine old tradition of marmalade making!

I'm typical of one of my birth signs Gemini (yes, I have two - I was born on the cusp of Gemini and Cancer). We are renowned for our contrary opinions so it's hardly surprising that I am the first to condemn soppy old Valentine and then get in a strop if my letterbox is empty and the florist forgets me.

Back in 270ad a somewhat racy holy man, Bishop Valentine fell in love with his gaolers daughter. On the eve of his execution, the besotted old cleric passed a note to his beloved declaring his feelings. The legacy of this delicious, illicit union is an estimated one billion tacky cards being sent to all ends of the earth by countless star crossed lovers.

Some might read into this rant a sprinkling of cynicism - not me! Just a touch of stoicism before my Cancerian romantic spirit is disappointed. Those who know me understand that I am never as happy as when I am in creative mode, stirring the pots. So at this time of the year, in tune with all you romantics, I'm kept busy by an upturn in demand for Passion Fruit Curd or jelly, Quince & Lemon Marmalade, hot and spicy Red Chilli Jelly, and Fig & Honey Conserve…perhaps thanks to D.H. Lawrence's, Women In Love

I love dreaming up the perfect gathering; budget free menus, cyber space guests, music, dance or whatever spontaneous and outrageous outbursts that come from the mix of wacky diners.

Today, I will cook for them a silvery, slithery wild salmon, preferably caught by my brother on the river Stinchar in Scotland. He is a beautiful, elegant, and fair minded sportsman and if I were a fish I would prefer to end my days on his line rather than any one else's. 

I find cooking a salmon in a fish kettle my preferred method. They look so snug, like a contented traveler in a couchette. I add rough chopped limes, bruised lemon grass, loads of sea salt, and a nobble of ginger. Star anise can also add another fragrant dimension.

So many foods I think, taste at their best when served warm, fish being one of them. Just eat with bowl-fulls of mayonnaise, both the traditional and the verte and a tremendous amount of crushed potato and spring onion salad. Apart from looking generous, the other reason I love investing in a whole fish is left overs. A great way of stretching them into future greedy evening dinners for one, is fish cakes. 

My suggested mixture heavily favours the fish in preference to potato and benefits from minimum handling. Two thirds chunky bits of fish, Charlotte potato mash, lemon zest, a sprinkling of capers, one dollop of OVF mayo and a glob of greenhouse chutney. The best ever bit on the side with them is Salsa Rossa and (to hell with the scaremongering about cholesterol)...more mayo!

For years I pretended that i didn't like sweet things or puddings. I look back now and think what a ridiculous waste of time that was. Now I keep a pot of curd in the fridge to stick my finger in whenever I get the urge. So todays pud is my current favourite; de-constructed and therefore right in with the trend setters!

Pile up a large mound of broken bits of our meringues, whip up double the amount of cream an average person would be likely to admit to eating, open up at least 3 or 4 varieties of curd: My suggested choice would be blackcurrant, lemon & lavender and the award winning lemon, honey & cardamom curd; the colours are complimentary and really pretty. Lastly choose at least 4 types of seasonal berries and then just sit back and watch your guests assemble what ever crazy mix they desire.

Now my guest list. I would like the party to consist of the clever clogs. They should appreciate the menu as fish is reputed to be good for the brain. I would hope they would see this as recognition for their superior intellect and perhaps an aid for us lesser mortals. Bernard Levin would be a cool dude and definitely cerebrally challenging. Perhaps A.C. Grayling, one of the Hitchens brothers, it would be a hard choice which one, Sarah Hogg; I was at school with her and I would love to ask her how the nuns found a way of stimulating her brain and not mine. I would love to ask my friend Serena who is breathtakingly beautiful and scarily brilliant and lastly I would include Venetia, the wisest woman I will ever know, who would manage to convey that wisdom knocks spots off intelligence.

Enough of my dreaming for one day! Must go and make some jam.

I perceived him or maybe her as a beacon of fortune, a vision  and a privileged symbol of unexpected hope. It made my day and for the rest of the journey I whooped with joy!

When I broke my exciting news to the team they were less impressed and the kitchen conversation degenerated into a discussion on the merits of eating squirrel and other lesser known game.

Each to their own; nevertheless I for one put game at the superior end of meat consumption and often recommend using jellies from our extensive range as the ideal accompaniment or addition to dishes and recipes.

Rowanberry jelly is a perfect balance with the metallic twang of grouse or venison. I love the myths attributed to the tree and its berries. Hebe, goddess of youth, dispensed rejuvenating elixir from her magical chalice. Having lost her vessel, an eagle was sent to recover the cup. A fight developed and the feathers and blood of the bird fell to earth where each turned into a tree. They say the leaves took on the shape of feathers and the drops of blood the bright orange red berries. The tree is often planted near the threshold of homes as it is believed to ward off witch craft and evil spirits.

Cranberry jelly enhances the sweetness of chubby little quail. Juniper jelly, along with a slosh of gin works wonders with braised pigeon. Quince jelly has a significantly scented flavor and goes particularly well with plump and crispy mallard. The owl and the pussy cat clearly loved each other and quince; "They dined on mince and slices of quince!" They were not the only couple to be tempted by this fruit as it is thought that it was not the apple that Eve tempted Adam with but the golden yellow quince. Maybe that is why it is sometime known as the "love apple".

Thyme jelly has a fantastic affinity with wild boar sausage casserole and soft, creamy mashed potatoes.

Last but not least..the squirrel. A delicious comeuppance, after fattening up on your bird seed, would be to serve it cooked to your liking, with a generous spoonful of spiced apple and calvados jelly on the side!

Please don’t get me wrong, my friend the albino squirrel is certainly not destined for the pot! Perhaps if it had a name that would help save the little thing from a succulent end...

As for it’s drab relations, if anyone out there has any tasty suggestions, then do share them in the comments.

View sale products

Hurry as these discounts are only whilst stocks last!

“What new things have you got for Christmas?” -- A question we have been asked quite a few times recently. Well, we are pleased to announce not only do we have our usual yummy assortment of treats including our newly created Fairy Queen Jellies, we also have a brand new website!

With the help of our friends at www.CherryInternet.com we’ve not only been stirring our pots and pans, we’ve also been secretly building and testing our new website. There are a number of features that we hope will improve your browsing experience and let you discover even more about our company and products.

New, fresh design
Our old website was great, however we felt it was time to unleash our creativity not only in the kitchen but also online. The Sussex downs background are exactly what we see from our kitchens every morning! We love the new design and we hope you’ll like it too - let us know what you think in the comments below.

Improved online shop and free delivery for orders over £35
We’ve worked hard to improve the online shopping experience on ousevalleyfoods.com. Now, when browsing categories you can find exactly the product for you by using the filter options on the left. All the products now have much richer imagery to depict how good they really look.  We’ve even added our personal recommendations that can also be added to your basket at the same time. 

Please note that, as always, you’re still able to find delicious treats available at our wonderful stockists throughout the UK.

No need to register, checkout as a guest
We hate having to fill in endless forms when registering on most websites these days. That’s why we’ve made it super simple for you to buy without being forced to register on ousevalleyfoods.com. You can even pay by PayPal, one of the most trusted and secure ways of purchasing on the internet. Of course you won’t have the added benefit of being able to view your previous orders as you can when you register, but at least you’ll keep your sanity in tact by not seeing a single registration form!

Stockists searchable by town and postcode
Our stockists are a great way to get hold of our produce. We have over 300 registered stockists which you can now find by a click of a button. To avoid any disappointment We recommend getting in touch with a stockist to confirm which of the products in our range they sell. 

News, Blog and Events
We much prefer a less formal, interactive, personal approach, that’s why we’ve introduced this new blog. From time-to-time we’ll be posting news, updates, random ramblings, show and event information and any other stuff we feel we can share with you. 

We love feedback too. Hearing what you have to say is great, so please, let us know your thoughts in the comments section of any post that interests you.

You can also follow what’s happening at Ouse Valley Foods by joining us on here on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ousevalleyfoods.com 

...and much, much more!
Have a browse around our site to see what’s new. As always you can get in touch with us or just leave a comment to this post.

You may notice that some of the site may have a few niggles here and there - if you spot one let us know by contacting us and we’ll get it fixed as soon as we can!

Lastly, our green Heron mascot seems to have flown off! Where has he gone?! We’ll be revealing more about this mystery before long – be sure to check back soon...

We've invented our exquisite jewel-like Fairy Queen Elderflower and Gold Jelly and Fairy Queen Cranberry and Silver Jelly in perfect stocking-sized jars (100g). These are made by hand with real edible gold or silver suspended in our crystal clear jellies.

Use the Elderflower & Gold in cakes, on scones or just on toast and the Cranberry & Silver is a must for the Christmas table.

Priced at £4.30 per jar they are the solution to the annual problem of decorating tables and stocking fillers. 

As usual if you have any problems with our site or need any help with matters technical or otherwise, please email Mike at info@ousevalleyfoods.com