An Gleann News
Autumn ? again!
Date added: October 2011
Where is the time going? Scrolling down our news page gives a feeling of déjà vu, especially as our autumn photo is of this years honey harvest!
One business development this year has seen us embrace social networking with our facebook page where we can post up to date news and happenings. While we have found it fun (if at times perplexing!) not everyone uses it so our news page will continue to run in tandem.
Work started here this spring as our old byre was demolished, replaced with a (soon to be finished!) one bedroom holiday cottage. We have had a very busy season to date. Business continues to grow year on year which makes the work planned on extending An Gleann itself a priority. This will start next spring hopefully, a year earlier than intended. We will be displaced for a few months but it will only affect our outlet here. Well worth the disruption!
Spring here was early and unusually warm. It saw us running after our bees who thought the May bank holiday a good time to swarm! Luckily we caught the swarms and still managed to harvest some honey. Our hives have multiplied to four. Next year we will be better prepared! Planning ahead to Christmas now with some new packaging and possible new flavours - keep your eyes open for our christmas products available online from the start of December!
Best wishes from all at An Gleann.
Happy New Year!
Date added: January 2011
A very happy new year to all our family, friends and customers old and new. We hope that 2011 brings you peace, prosperity and good health.
We have had a lovely Christmas here (complete with snow!) where we enjoyed catching up with family and friends and relaxing with the girls. One of their best presents has been a bird feeding station that attaches to the window with suction pads. The birds quickly got used to it and it is great to watch them so close up as we sit working.
Like most businesses this winter we suffered from the weather conditions which brought the country to a standstill. Visitors to the island were fewer and even the locals were kept at home with the snow, especially over this side of the island. While the outlet at An Gleann was quiet the shops were busy selling our stock and, thanks to some National advertising, our online sales more than doubled this Christmas which was wonderful. Many thanks go to Royal Mail who despite the adverse conditions managed to deliver everything on time!
January and February is that quiet time when we can sit and plan for the year ahead. In the pipeline are some changes to our packaging in the spring and some tasty additions to the flavours available next Christmas? we'll keep you posted!
Best wishes for a quick winter from all at An Gleann.
Autumn at An Gleann
Date added: October 2010
Winter is fast approaching as we near the end of October. It stayed dark until 7.30 this morning. The leaves are struggling to stay on the trees and we have a bumper crop of apples this year, mostly blown down before they could be picked! Robert, who sold them to us, has had a last check of the bees (thank you!) and proclaimed them fit to see their way through the winter. We harvested around 15lb of honey in September, some as cut comb and some pressed and jarred. What hasn't been given to friends and family will be sold in our outlet at Christmas time along with our pure beeswax candles. Drop in for a taste if you are passing!
While business remains steady we are making time to prepare for the Christmas rush, putting our advertising in place and stocking up on essential supplies and packaging. Our Christmas selections will be available from the start of December. This means we need to think about decorating the outlet soon, Christmas arrives early in this house!
Extended opening hours of 2pm to 5pm on a Sunday take place here in December for locals and visitors alike to call in, sample our festive tablet flavours and see our lovely Christmas ideas. This year we will be offering our usual delivery service complete with gift messaging designed to take the strain out of Christmas for our customers.
Enjoy the run up to the festive season!
An Gleann News - Summer 2010
Date added: September 2010
This is being written in the middle of September now that our ever busy summer is quietning into autumn. We have had a very successful year to date, especially rewarding has been the number of visitors coming to see us here, many of whom are returning customers from previous years, lovely to see you all!
The Islay Show in August was hectic but great fun. Our new range of single malt tablet is selling well which is very satisfying - worth all our hard work! Earlier in July we had our plans for expansion here approved by the local council. The byre (originally a cottage) behind our house is being turned into a small holiday let with work starting on that hopefully next spring. Our house is being extended the following year, with our much larger kitchen eagerly awaited! The holiday let will add another dimension to our business, which we are looking forward to, while the increase in space here will allow us to take on more business than we have the capacity for at present.
As both a business and a home we are constantly striving to be as environmentally friendly as possible. We recycle waste, use discarded whisky boxes from Bruichladdich distillery to deliver our tablet in and combine orders to make as few journeys as possible when delivering around the island. Last winter we installed a woodburning stove to replace our open fire to provide heating and hot water. This summer we have installed a solar panel to our south facing roof. This has proved excellent in providing us with all the hot water needed for cleaning our mountain of pots and trays during the busy summer months! It has saved a lot of fuel and it won't take long to pay for itself. We would definitely recommend it.
Cream, our Silkie hen, hatched out her brod of 10 guinea fowl at the end of June. They all survived and she is still acting as mum to them now - despite the fact that they are looking and sounding distinctly un-henlike! The bees have been a fascinating experience so far, any spare time has been spent watching them and reading up on how to care for them. One hive swarmed so will have no spare honey this year but the other has thrived and has a good few pounds of delicious (already tasted!) comb honey which we will be harvesting soon, mostly for friends and family. The bees will get fed sugar syrup in replacement and will be getting tucked up for the winter soon. Next year we hope to add cut comb honey and jars to our shelves here. While enjoying the last of the summer weather, we are already planning for Christmas. It does seem to come around earlier every year. Watch our shop page for some gourmet gift ideas coming soon!
Best wishes for a good autumn from all at An Gleann.
An Gleann News - June 2010
Date added: June 2010
With May past we now have a bit of time to catch our breath before the Summer season starts in earnest. May, and the week before and during the Feis in particular, has been our busiest yet with us clocking up ridiculous hours and horrendous stress levels! Despite that, we managed to have great fun and enjoyed meeting everyone who visited the open days, many returning friends and customers from previous years.
We ran an 'alternative' whisky tasting competition at the brewery open day in Islay House Square during the Feis. Customers had to guess the malt in our new range of tablet to qualify for a chance to win a bottle of their favourite Islay or Jura Malt. Sad to say that out of over 50 entries not a single person got all nine right! All the more reason for eating lots more tablet to hone your taste buds we say! Nancy Wright from Stirling came closest - the only person with 4 out of 9 - well done, a bottle of Ardbeg is on its way to you! The answers were as follows for anyone interested:-
1. Bowmore 12yo
2. Bruichladdich Peat
3. Lagavulin 16yo
4. Caol Ila 12yo
5. Kilchoman 2009 release
6. Bunnahabhain 12yo
7. Jura 10yo
8. Ardbeg 10yo
9. Laphroaig 10yo
Mark Unsworth is celebrating 10years of business on the island with an open day at his studio in Islay House Square on Saturday, July the 3rd. Along with other events we will be there with tablet tastings and a re run of the competition for any intrepid customers desperate for a second chance (numbers WILL be changed so forget copying the list above!)
The garden here is blooming, our resident broody hen is sitting on a clutch of guinea fowl eggs and THE BEES HAVE ARRIVED! I've been told that not everyone will find this as exciting as me but I can?t see why not! The only problem is my bee gear has not arrived and just now I can only watch them. I'm looking forward to a weekend beekeeping course later in the month on Colonsay and while this season will be spent building up the colonies, next year will hopefully see us with some delicious comb honey for sale from our outlet here.
Best wishes for a warm, sunny Summer from all at An Gleann!
An Gleann News - April 2010
Date added: April 2010
This month has shot by; holidays over and children back at school. An excellent month weather-wise, the garden is coming back to life with daffodils and primroses emerging. The birds have enjoyed lazing at the front of the house, soaking up the sun and entertaining visitors.
Business has been brisk from the middle of March with high demand from the shops, distilleries and ferries in preparation for Easter and over the holiday. We had an excellent reponse at the launch of our new 'Whisky Connoisseur Collection' at the start of April with many favourable comments and lots of sales on the day. A great follow up came in the form of the many visitors who found their way here on their tours around the island. This year we are advertising on the Islay map for the first time and it seems to be having the desired effect. Our online sales have been good with America leading the demand for the new whisky range, luckily all sent before the chaos caused by volcanic ash! Now we are getting organised for May and the Feis Ile. We will be attending Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain open days and will be at Islay Studios for the open day in Islay House Square.
On the home front we are busy getting the garden in order, planting the vegetables and dreaming of summer with the ice cream colours used to paint the sheds and bird houses! All being well, I am expecting our bees to arrive at the end of May. The hens are laying steadily, now joined by the guinea fowl. We are overrun with eggs! To use up the eggs and while speaking of ice cream, we are looking in to that possibility -tablet flavoured of course - to sell over the Summer months. Watch this space!
Best wishes from An Gleann.An Gleann News - Easter 2010
Date added: March 2010
An Gleann Tablet "The Whisky Connoisseur Collection"
An Gleann Tablet have spent the winter developing their new range of gourmet tablet. Nine varieties flavoured with a Single Malt from one of each of Islay and Jura's nine distilleries. With a whisky content of 1.5%, each is distinctively different. Available in individual 250g gift bags or a 500g gift box containing all varieties for those who find it difficult to choose! Launching next Saturday 3rd April with a tasting event at Islay Studios in Islay House square in Bridgend, the collection will then be available exclusively from the An Gleann outlet here at An Gleann and from our online shop. Visit www.angleann.co.uk/shop
Best wishes from all at An Gleann.
An Gleann News - January 2010
Date added: January 2010
Happy New Year to all our friends, family and customers old and new! We hope 2010 will see everyone happy, healthy and prosperous. As you will notice I have failed miserably in keeping our news page updated. My new New Years resolution is not to make promises I can't keep!
This has been an excellent year for business where our customer base has expanded and our outlet here at An Gleann has become established. From April through to Christmas we are now working to full capacity. In order to grow, we need more space to develop and to employ help at the busiest times of year. We are presently submitting plans to extend An Gleann and develop a derelict dwelling to the rear of the house. Although this will take a few years to complete, it is an exciting expansion to look forward to!
For the many customers who drop in when passing you will know that I sell the glut of hen and guinea fowl eggs that our birds produce between now and September. I hope to supplement that with the addition of comb honey in the not too distant future. This is something I have intended doing for a few years now; the quiet Jan/ Feb spell is the perfect time to study up on bees and order hives and equipment. I have joined the SBA and local beekeeping association but advice and tips from any experienced keepers out there is very welcome!
Our Peacock numbers grew (unintentionally!) during the summer. Anne and Bluebell disappeared into the forestry behind us and returned a month later with chicks, 7 between them although one didn't survive. It has been fascinating to watch them grow and witness the great care given to them by the females. Anne's chicks were both white, quite unusual, although their feathers are changing as they grow and we're not sure what they will be like as adults. Our adult boys trains (tail feathers) are now growing daily in preparation for their fantastic displays during the breeding season. Once we have ringed the chicks they will be ready for new homes next summer - if anyone has space for a pair please get in touch!
The lovely sunny, frozen spell that we enjoyed here over Christmas and New Year has been replaced by heavy skies and cold drizzle. Perfect for planning for spring while sitting in front of the fire!
Best wishes from all at An Gleann.
Happy New Year
Date added: January 2009
Our news page has fallen slightly by the wayside since Summer - one resolution is to correct that this year and make it at least bi-monthly. We hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas and we wish you all a happy and prosperous 2009!
Since we last wrote time has run away with us and Autumn passed in a flash. September and October saw us taking part in a promotion of Islay food and whisky arranged by the Whisky Coast in conjunction with Calmac. This involved holding weekly tastings on one of the ferry journeys to and from the island. It was very useful in promoting our products with the added bonus that MV Isle of Arran now stocks our tablet. Severe storms in October meant that some of the sailings had to be cancelled, par for the course here at times!
I decided after the Summer to give up the craft fairs on Islay at Christmas and beyond. Much as I enjoy them and will miss the company of my fellow stallholders, the pressure of work means I can no longer afford the time they require. I will still take part in the Islay show and various distillery open days in the summer so will catch up with friends there.
November saw us emptying out and redecorating our sunroom at the front of the house. We opened it as a small outlet at the end of November in time for Christmas. Half of the room is used for the storage and display of my stock while the other half serves as somewhere comfortable to sit and have a coffee from our Gaggia (my husband has spent many hours playing with this new toy and can now make a mean cappuccino!) The outlet has been a great success all round so far;- I am able to display my full range of stock, I can store a lot of my packaging materials closer to hand and customers coming in to make or discuss orders can do so in comfort! Business in the run up to Christmas, although perhaps slower than last year, has been brisk. This was the first year of trading with our online shop and we weren?t sure what to expect. It did very well and we had fun (with an edge of panic!) keeping up with orders and trying to post them out quickly.
December was a lovely month with clear, sharp weather and snow for the girls to enjoy! We had it here one Saturday when we woke up and it lasted all weekend although at Octofad and in Portnahaven it was nowhere to be seen. Christmas and New Year have been lovely and peaceful, with days spent having fun with the girls and enjoying the company of family and friends.
The start of this year will see us being quiet and having the chance to catch up on the things that have been neglected! Stocktaking and ordering for next season, sorting out labelling and getting paperwork in order, arranging next seasons advertising etc, etc. A never ending list! Our outlet is closed until the Easter weekend. If you are planning on visiting Islay this year, please drop in to see us and have a cappuccino!
Best wishes from all at An Gleann.
Summer at An Gleann
Date added: August 2008
Hello everyone, Summer has flown past in a blink and I haven’t managed to do a monthly news letter as we have been so busy. Not something I will complain about!
Now most of the festivals, galas and open days are over the Island will quieten down. The schools are back now and the visitor numbers will decrease into Autumn although we still keep busy supplying the distilleries and shops. A couple of new outlets which we are delighted to supply are Laphroaig distillery which, of course, uses their own whisky in the bars they order and the Port Mor centre in Port Charlotte. A great place to have a coffee and sit and watch the world go by!
Having had a lot of queries about where to go to buy our tablet, we have compiled a list of stockists for customers visiting Islay. The list can fluctuate according to the season and not every outlet stocks a complete range of our products, so if you are after something in particular please phone us at An Gleann and we will do our best to get you what you need before you leave Islay! We hope to have our own outlet open for Spring next year, watch this space!
Our girls have had a great Summer and returned to school, reluctantly, yesterday. Our bird numbers increased a month ago with the addition of four peacocks, two boys and two girls. They were let out of their pen last week and are now getting used to the pecking order in the garden. They appear when you whistle for them and are being spoilt on a diet supplemented with bananas and grapes! They will be mature next Summer which is when the males develop their tail feathers during the breeding season and they will start their haunting calling, a sound you either love or hate!
Our excitement this month has been the Stormcats tope fishing festival which was held over the weekend of the 9th/10th August. Our eldest daughter (aged 10) came in first with a 46lb tope which she caught and reeled in herself. The fish was tagged and set free. In a field of 90 anglers and 28 boats Millie wiped the board of prizes although she would have been happy with the junior prize of a sea angling rod! We are very proud of her determination and perseverance!
We are enjoying the last of the summer weather while noticing the evenings getting dark earlier, it will soon be time for the geese to return. I hope Summer turns slowly to Autumn for all of us this year!
Best wishes from all at An Gleann,
May at An Gleann
Date added: 27 May 2008
Hello everyone, it’s testimony to a busy Easter that I haven’t had time to update our news! While having to work hard we still managed to enjoy some good weather and take the girls to revisit beaches that we last visited in the autumn.
April saw us sending 500 bars of Islay malt whisky tablet down South to be distributed to the bursars of independent schools. We were also happy to be asked to provide Bowmore Distillery with welcome packs for their holiday cottages for the season. Now we are gearing up for the Feis Ile, which takes place at the end of May. We take a stall at Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhain Distillery open days as well as at the craft fairs, which restart then for the summer season. The first one is on Thursday, May 22nd in the Columba Hall in Port Ellen. The second is on Tuesday 3rd June in Bruichladdich Hall, both from 11am to 4pm. There after every Thursday and Tuesday at those venues over the Summer months. If you are one of the many visitors planning on being here for the festival of music and malt please drop in, we would be delighted to see you!
On the home front, no more Golden eagle visits. The one we saw was possibly, as Jeremy thought, chased away by its parents who were starting to nest again in this vicinity. Sadly, our female goose died two weeks ago, a few days after our resident broody hen, Ginger, hatched out more chicks for us. The girls are consoled with the thought that perhaps her spirit lives on in them a wee bit. We have 3 new light Sussex chicks with another broody sitting on 12 more eggs – lots of fun!
Summer seems to be coming early after a wet spring. Last week saw the return of the Swallows, which nest in our byre and on Sunday we heard the first Cuckoo in the forestry behind us, good luck apparently. I hope it brushes off and we can all look forward to a sunny, warm, May!
Best wishes from An Gleann
March at An Gleann
Date added: 13 March 2008
Hello to all our friends, family and customers old and new! That is February over with and leap year has ended with a bang. We supplied the favours for our nieces wedding, she got married on the 29th on what was arguably one of the worse days weather-wise of the month. As you can see it didn’t dampen her spirit and even in green wellies she looked gorgeous!
March hasn’t started much better with, unusual for us, heavy snow on the 3rd. It was lovely and picturesque though the birds didn’t know quite what to make of it!
The bad weather has given us no excuses for not getting on with work in the house. We’ve been busy with online orders, planning and stocking up with supplies for the season ahead. For any visitors arriving on Islay for Easter, the first ‘Made on Islay’ art and craft market of the year takes place in the Columba Hall, Port Ellen on Saturday 22nd March. As well as my tablet you can also find some stunning jewellery, original paintings and beautiful cards among many other things. There is a cafe in the hall, which sells homemade soups, filled rolls and delicious home baking - so you can have your lunch in between browsing!
For anyone interested in our Golden Eagle sightings we experienced a direct hit (almost!) last Tuesday. Needless to say we didn’t have a camera handy but we’ll be better prepared in future! My husband gave Jeremy from Islay Birding a good account of it so I’ll leave you with an excerpt from his email. Best wishes for a sunny March from all at An Gleann!
…thought I'd let you know of a scary sight today. Whilst sitting looking at a gardening book pondering what expensive plant next to buy to supply the geese with some fibre, I caught with my peripheral vision out the front window a direct attack straight towards me by what could be described as a low flying plane. I could only make an incoherent sound towards Jane who was looking out the side window towards the bird feeders. As I made the sound the plane climbed over the roof, which was when Jane noticed a huge shadow followed by a Golden Eagle heading towards a crowd of screeching guinea fowl and geese. Fortunately for the guinea fowl, raised by a chicken, they knew what to do when the odds were stacked against them and dived for cover under various hen houses. This is the closest we have ever been to an Eagle and the sight of such a huge thing flying is truly wondrous. Only problem is we may well be targets for regular visits until the food has all gone! Hope you are all well and will let you know if the flying machine continues its quest for our birds…
February at An Gleann
Date added: 29 January 2008
Hello and a happy New Year to all family, friends and customers old and new!
With January over we are hoping it is also the end of the dreich, wet weather and the storms, which have seen us stranded on the mainland once already this year. The days are lengthening slightly and snowdrops are out in the garden and in abundance in Bridgend woods.
We are using this quieter time of year to stock take and plan ahead for the coming season. Look out for pretty, Spring themed gift bags and boxes available from mid February. Take the work out of Mother’s day and Easter by forwarding them complete with a special message to friends and family!
On the home front, our girls have just completed the RSPB big garden bird watch. Plenty of Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Siskin, and Collared Dove, Blackbird, Robin and Wren. No sign of the Golden Eagle, which we have been lucky enough to watch hunting down in the glen.
Our Guinea fowl chicks are coping well with the stormy weather. As they are now roosting in the trees the high winds have been a bit of a worry! At four months old they are mixing well with the hens and geese but still flock around mum, Ginger, the Silkie hen who raised them. Funny to watch, as they are now larger than her!
Our female goose has been suffering from an inflamed leg joint over the Winter. The penicillin we have been treating her with seems not to have much effect so we might need to think of some sort of padded splint to allow her to get around. We’ve been putting her in the burn as physiotherapy, which she loves! We had to rescue her recently as the burn in spate managed to send her down almost to the sea before we noticed! I am hoping that better weather might improve her leg.
Best wishes for February from all of us at An Gleann!
Copyright © 2011 An Gleann Cottage Produce, Port Charlotte, Isle of Islay, PA48 7UE, phone: 01496 860220