BaRnby's

24/07/2024

We often say that we don’t have very many photos of the two of us … here’s a few that we do have …. In no particular order 🤣

Wishing the amazing person that is Laurel Cottingham the VERY BEST of birthdays .

Love you more than you could ever know …

🎉🥂🎂🎈🥂❤️

19/06/2024

Nectarines baked with maple syrup and lime 🍋‍🟩 … occasionally they make their way into a Bistro meal but today they were on their way to a local business as part of their buffet lunch … served with a blend of double cream and Greek yoghurt, which counteracted the sweetness perfectly … oh yes and some almond biscuits for those who wanted a bit of crunch 😍

🍴

16/06/2024

Greek Bistro Night … 13 July 2024.

If you would like to partake please get in touch …

I’d absolutely love to cook something special for you 😍

19/05/2024

It’s only taken 60 years to get into this decorating malarkey… fair to say so far so good 🤣🤣🤣

14/05/2024

I don’t sew very often but when I do do it all the off cuts are saved and eventually make their way wrapped around the menus that I include with my Bistro Meals 😍

My current creation in terms of clothes is a summer linen skirt (made on a not so summery day) ☔️ 🌧️☔️ … and my next in terms of Bistro Meals will be on Saturday 25th May and will have a Spanish theme to it … talking of which here’s one I made earlier 😍

03/05/2024

I’ll be making a 5-7 course Spanish themed Bistro Meal on Saturday 25th May 🇪🇸
I’d love to cook for you 😍

02/05/2024

And the text conversation went …

Me “I’ve just sent my stool test off (because I’ve reached a certain age) … and booked a smear test (because I’m not yet too old for one of those ) … I think I’m probably due to have my b***s done in the next month or so (not too sure about that to be honest)🤣

Whatever your age … get checked out whenever you are asked to … could make ALL difference 🥰

28/04/2024

Recently it has been … and continues to be a busy time in the kitchen 🥰 … so to get to spend some quality time with my mum ‘in between work’ is a much needed joy 😍😍😍

17/04/2024

Just because I haven’t said much about them in recent months doesn’t mean I’ve stopped making them 😮

Today I’ve made a batch to freeze … Next week I’m catering for a local company who has some very important guests visiting them and also making food for a leaving ‘do’; again for a different local business 😍

Having a supply of these beauties means that I can easily bake them frozen as and when required … it’s also pretty cool to have a ‘freezer stash’ so that when I’m stuck for something to have for tea I can just pop one in the oven … I make an array of sexy salads and the like for my customers but to be fair I’m quite happy to have mine with a great big dollop of chutney with mine 🥰

13/03/2024

I’ve had the absolute pleasure of cooking for a local business this week.

I made Florentines for them … my grandma used to bake them and whilst I don’t know how true my recipe is to hers … I do know that EVERY time I make them I ALWAYS think of her ❤️

The feedback was fabulous and I was told that the guests (who had travelled a long way) loved them that much that they asked to take the leftovers home for their families .

I’d like to think my grandma was proud 😍

08/03/2024

Seen on my travels in Spain a few years ago on International Women’s Day …

“You can be whatever you want to be”

Loved it then … still love it now.

Sending lots of love to all you fabulous women out there.

💜💜💜

01/03/2024

French Bistro meal.
9th March
5-6 courses
£37.50 per person
(with a Cary twist of course ) Please get in touch if you’d like me to cook for you. X

01/03/2024

I’m tickled pink to have been able to celebrate my 60th birthday in this Fabulously Frilly Frock 💕

Thank you Kindred of Ireland for helping make the day so memorable 💕

21/02/2024

I’m going to be doing one of my Bistro Meals on 9th March. I’m not quite sure what the theme is going to be but seeing as it will be my first foray into the kitchen after my BIG ZERO birthday this weekend … well maybe /probably it’s OK have a ‘Cary’ theme for the first time ever 🤔

5-7 course (depending on how you decide to eat it)

All freshly made and whilst never the intention some lovely customers make it last all weekend. Delivery will be Saturday (PM) but as everything is made to order it will be perfect to eat the day after.

Priced at £37.50 per person.

If you fancy trying my food please get in touch as I’d love to cook for you 🥰

18/02/2024

This week is a bit of a week for me in more ways than one !!!

It’s packed full of anniversaries … both personal and business.

I’m conscious that I’ve been quiet on Social Media lately … lots being sorted out in my little head to be fair … however it just wouldn’t be right to not mention the anniversary of 7 years since I opened baRnby’s at the back of the Memorial Hall in Blyth. I may be quiet but I’m still going strong and today I have been busy prepping for a big business lunch that I will be delivering in Worksop tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s meal is an anniversary in itself as it’s a year since this fabulous company came into my life. Tomorrow’s meal will be jammed pack full of my specialities … with one exception … the sausage rolls are being replaced with veggie slices 😮😮😮 …

On a personal level there’s a milestone ahead … where canapés are order of the day … maybe /probably teeny weeny sausage rolls are called for 🤔🤔🤔

24/12/2023

There might be some changes next year 😮… but for now I’ll leave you with a glimpse into how this year’s Christmas Eve Posh Picnic menu went …

“Aunty Jean’s chutney with the Guest Chef’s Marrow” … made me smile 😃

🤣🤣🤣

19/12/2023

I always include a British cheese in my Bistro meals … some people prefer to have it as a ‘course’ … others (like The Guest Chef and I) prefer to have it before our meal with a selection of nibbles and a glass of something chilled (with bubbles in my case).

My New Years Bistro Meal will be a Mezze so you may prefer to lay all the food out on the table and have it as and when… but if you’d prefer to split it into set courses it will come with my serving suggestions 😍

I’m still taking orders so if you’d like a 5-6 course extravaganza to enjoy on New Years Eve or Day please don’t hesitate to get in touch as I’d love to cook for you 🥰

16/12/2023

For those of you, turning your thoughts to New Year’s Eve, you may be interested to know that I will be making one of my 5 to 6 course bistro meals.

It will be Mezze style with lots of different flavour sensations.

Freshly prepared to order I will deliver on New Years Eve so it will suit those of you who are choosing to see the New Year in at home and those of you who will be out and about partying and fancy something easy to prepare on New Years Day.

My meals are £35 per person. If you would like to order or to find out more please get in touch as I’d love to hear from you.

Cary x

15/12/2023

It was lovely meeting up with some friends from 3Cs Networking last night.

When the conversation went … “What exactly are you doing nowadays Cary?” I do admit to having gone on … and on … and on … for flipping ages …as I have a tendency to do 🤣

When it would have been much easier to say “I do some teaching and I do some cooking. Some days I do both. Today for example I made some specially requested gluten free sausage rolls for a customer and then put my teaching hat on and spent a couple of hours with a boy who I’m currently tutoring in his home”

Makes for a varied life 🥰

14/12/2023

Usually when I get my cheese from my friends at Sharpham Cheese I make a quick e mail / phone call to Greg to place my order and then ask my Guest Chef (who lives nearby) if he can go and collect it for me. If I’m REALLY lucky I get to drive to the magic cheese making workshop myself.

Time and distance were against me this week and as I shan’t be having any face to face Deep South interaction (🤪) until after Christmas I ordered on their website.

I have to say I felt as if I was missing out because I like the personal interaction and a bit of chit chat and all that sooooooo much.

Pleased ( but in no way surprised … I knew it would be) to report that their on line service is AMAZING, delivery was prompt and the lovely delivery driver told me he liked my hair so I got a bit of chit chat too and felt quite good about myself in more ways than one 🤣 😍

I recon I was almost old enough to be his grandmother but I’ll take that compliment any day of the week … I don’t get it when The Guest Chef delivers my cheese that’s for sure 🤣🤣🤣

13/12/2023

My lovely daughter Laurel was the inspiration for my Posh Picnics when six years ago the conversation went something like this…

“What I’d like is some of your food to enjoy when the girls are tucked up in bed and fast asleep, everything’s ready for Christmas and I can finally relax on the settee in front of the TV”

Opening a Posh Picnic is like unwrapping a stocking on Christmas morning. The contents are always a surprise so you are never really sure what you are getting but you will know that it will be full of lots of freshly prepared delights, quirkily presented in eco friendly containers.

Nowadays I make my picnics all year round but the festive ones are always extra special. If you’d like some of my food on Christmas Eve please let me know. I’ll stop taking orders at 8pm on Saturday 16 December … 😍

Cary xx

13/12/2023

Calling all budding apiarists out there 😍

***UPDATE*** Thank you everyone. We have had a few people get in touch so hopefully we will sort something in the New year.

We are on the search for a budding apiarist. We would love to find someone who would like to sight some hives around the farm and then sell their honey through our farm shop.
Unfortunately we just don't have the time to do it ourselves and Matthew's uncle who we currently get it from only has limited stock and is at an age where he doesn't want to increase production.

We have numerous wild areas filled with wild flowers, brambles, trees etc. We are planting an orchard, loads of herbs and other bee friendly plants. We also have herbal leys in 3 of our fields at the moment, which come spring are full of clover, chicory, vetch, phacelia and many other bee friendly plants. We also don't use any pesticides, herbicides or other sprays on any of the land we farm. We obviously can't guarantee the bees will stay on the farm but we definitely try to make it as appealing as possible for them and are happy to work with the right person to plant other bee friendly areas etc.

If you or anyone you know may be interested please get in touch.

11/12/2023

Something rather strange has been happening in my kitchen today … I’ve been making pastry … it will be batches of sausage rolls next … it must be Christmas 🎄 😍 🎄

02/12/2023

Today I had the pleasure of making and delivering some Bistro Meals … I’d been specifically asked for a set meal so with that in mind the theme was ‘loosely French’.

Got me thinking to one of my first ever French meals … here’s the original menu (when people used to come to my pop up events rather than me deliver to them as I do now)

It still hangs in my dining room as does the girlie. Aunty Jean made her out of recycled packaging for our opening day (she looks like me … when my hair had colour 🤣) … and nowadays there’s a photo of my dad hanging alongside it ❤️

Lots of happy memories at the end of a busy cooking and delivering few days 😍😍😍

01/12/2023

Getting French (ISH 😮) Bistro ready … there’s some serious lemon zesting going on in my kitchen 😍😍😍

19/11/2023

When you’ve delivered your Poshest Picnics and get comments (and accompanying fab photos) like this …

Amazing food courtesy of you! Your food tasted stunning and my friend said ‘This is a taste sensation and an explosion of flavour with every bite’. Thank you so much my friend x

It makes you feel all warm and gooey inside… I’ll next be making my Posh Picnics on Christmas Eve … if you’d like to enjoy some of my food before the Christmas Day activities start please get in touch as I’d love to cook for you … you’ll have a relaxing night and I’d like to think I’d have another warm and gooey moment 🥰🥰🥰

14/11/2023

By special request… I shall be cooking on 2 December. My guests have asked specifically for a ‘creamy chicken’ main course so I have created a 5-6 course Bistro Meal around that theme . I guess if you’d like me to be more specific it will be loosely French.

My meals are all freshly prepared and come delivered to your door with a full menu and simple instructions ( which basically involve no more than a bit of gentle reheating). They are wrapped in a quirky way in eco friendly packaging and are priced at £35 per person.

If you would like me to cook for you please get in touch as it would be my absolute pleasure 🥰

Cary xx

❤️

02/11/2023

I had a chance meeting with someone I have occasionally cooked for today. We had a lovely chat about this and that during which she told me how much she enjoyed reading the stories about The Guest Chef from The Deep South.

I’ve just had a FaceTime call with the afore mentioned Guest Chef and I was telling him about my day. When it came to the part about the Social Media posts the conversation went …

Guest Chef “I actually think your followers like me more than you” 😮😮😮

Well these two certainly do (most of the time) thats for sure 🤣🤣🤣

02/11/2023

I was lucky enough to spend some time with this beauty today 💕

Over lunch it all went quiet for a few minutes and then the conversation went …

Averie “Mommar! Can you remember when Steve dropped red wine and the pasta sauce all over his carpet and he had to clean it up ?”

Me “I can” … another pause and then …

Averie “I think he loves his carpet more than he does you” 😮

When I was retelling this story to The Guest Chef from The Deep South (occasionally also known as Steve) he didn’t disagree with Averie’s conclusion.

I wouldn’t be so hurt but for the fact that it was ME (not him) who did the clearing up and as you can see from the photo it’s not the best of carpets to spill red things on … any more comments like that he can do it himself next time 🤣🤣🤣

💕

30/10/2023

The Bistro feedback that went …

“That was an amazing carrot. Wow. I'm going to peacefully fall asleep very swiftly after this mmmmmmmmmmm x”

… didn’t half make me chuckle 🤣🤣🤣

Cooked gently with star anise they were the perfect accompaniment to slow cooked beef and some really creamy mashed potatoes… just part of the 5 - 6 course meal I delivered to some absolutely fabulous customers this weekend. 🥰