Real Food Festival

Giuseppe & I had a great time at the Real Food Festival, Earls Court, earlier last month. We met lots of other foodies, both producers and consumers and were delighted to introduce Veru to so many new people. For all the people we met from London, we can now announce our first London stockist - Bayley & Sage, Wimbledon Village, definitely worth a trip to stock up on semolina flour etc and all of the other wonderful goodies stocked by this fabulous food shop. And for discerning food shoppers in the Cotswolds, Veru can now be found at Le Petit Croissant in Chipping Campden.

Exhausted by our London adventure, we swept the children off to Sicily for some rest and relaxation - not to mention some of Nonna Rosanna's home cooking! I made some fresh pasta with semolina flour straight from the mill, which Giuseppe filled with ricotta (straight from the sheep, literally!) and delicious young broad beans. We took Sofia & Dante to see the shepherd, Giuseppe (another one), make 'primo sale' cheese followed by piping hot ricotta, it was quite magical seeing the ricotta rise to the top of the whey before being scooped into baskets ready for delivery. In fact, we delivered a basket to Nonna Pipina and Zia Pina to save the shepherd a trip up the steep cobbles of Via d'Azeglio. All the good food was accompanied by hot sunshine and plenty of village gossip, so all in all a perfect Sicilian holiday - next time we'll be hard at work picking the olives, can't wait!

Semolina Flour

Our semolina flour is finally here! If you've never made pizza or pasta with it before, you will be delighted by the beautiful golden colour and delicious fresh taste. Finely milled by the Santalucia brothers in Siculiana, it is ideal for baking too. My mother-in-law, Rosanna, buys it in 10kg bags and uses it for her bread, cakes and pasta (my father-in-laws' waistline is a testament as to just how good they are!). Giuseppe just couldn't find semolina like it here in the UK, which is why it had to be part of the Veru range. Free from preservatives, it is a fresh product which needs to be stored in cool, dry conditions and consumed within 9 months - ENJOY!

Long Crichel Bakery

A visit to Long Crichel Bakery was a real treat - Jenny opened a jar of crushed lemon marmellata and spread it thickly on a newly baked campagne, the result was just heavenly. The scent of fresh bread entices you into a warm and inviting shop, nestled just in front of the bread oven. If you haven't visited before, make a point of driving down the winding country road to find this foodie gem nestled in the Dorset countryside. Giuseppe and I are delighted and honoured that Veru will be available in the bakery shop at Long Crichel and at the tea rooms in Wimborne (opposite the minster). It was a pleasure to meet Jamie, Rose and Jenny at Long Crichel - make sure you do the same soon! www.longcrichelbakery.co.uk