There will be all sorts going on in the town including activities for the children, cooking demonstrations by popular chefs Sophoe Grigson & Andy MacKenzie.  There will be Food and Festival Markets for you to browse as well as all the restaurants, teashops and pubs that Alresford has to offer.

A great day out for the whole family!

Alresford Chamber member Rachel Drewer, a millinery designer, has been selected as one of four finalists in both the Entrepreneur of the Year and Rural Business of the Year award categories.  Rachel started her millinery business in 2010 while still at college, and now designs and makes hats and headpieces for brides, wedding guests and racegoers from her studio near Micheldever.  She also offers millinery workshops, and her latest venture, Millinery & Make-up, sees her join forces with local make-up artist Victoria Brown of Beauty Attitudes to offer a mobile creative party service for events such as hen do’s and birthday celebrations.

Rachel said “I’m so excited and honoured to be chosen as a finalist in these Awards!  The local business community has been a great source of help and inspiration to me, and I’m delighted to fly the flag for innovative local enterprise”.

The Awards winners will be announced at a black tie evening at Winchester Guildhall on 15^th June.

“We have created the opportunity for two young people to join our team and to train with us and qualify as nursery nurses” commented nursery manager, Nicola Baxter.  “We took on our first apprentice just over a year ago and this has been a great success.  We are keen to help youngsters into work and the apprentice scheme provides a great break for both them and us.”

Based at Perins School, Patchwork Day Nursery & Pre-School offers full time and sessional childcare places for children aged 6 months to 5 years on a not-for-profit basis.  The apprentice nursery nurses will train on the job whilst studying for their NVQ level II qualification.  Their progress will be monitored by assessors from a training provider and the Patchwork manager.

Jasmin Green who started as an apprentice nursery nurse at Patchwork in 2011 added “I have really enjoyed working and studying at Patchwork and hope to stay with the team once I have qualified later in the year.  The apprentice scheme has really helped me with my career and I think other young people will be glad to get a chance like this.”

Patchwork is looking to appoint two full-time apprentices who need to be aged from 17 to 19 year to qualify for the funded training.  Young people interested in applying for the positions should contact the nursery manager on 01962 737286 or email patchwork@perinscommunity.co.uk.  No experience is required and full training will be given.

BEST FOR FOOD Chosen by Rose Prince, Telegraph food columnist

Caracoli Broad Street, Alresford, Hampshire, plus two other branches (01962-738730; caracoli.co.uk)

All the strengths of a great deli lie in this year’s winner, the Hampshire-based cafe-deli Caracoli. James and Gail Nichols (pictured) opened the first branch in Alresford in 2005, creating a polished yet accessible place for locals to sit and have a relaxed, homemade lunch, as well as somewhere to shop for their kitchens. The interior is brightly lit, and counters are kept stocked with food that exudes vitality and colour. I loved the mix of cultures represented here. Caracoli is loyal to Hampshire food producers, selling the amazing Tunworth cheese and using Hampshire ale in its fruit cakes, for example. But it also brings specialities from other shores to its customers, understanding their eclectic, well-travelled tastes. Cakes and biscuits are freshly baked on site – I especially admired a pistachio and fruit star-shaped cake I tried. There are artisan breads, charcuterie and a range of antipasti that changes constantly with the seasons. Wines, well-made coffee, fabulous T2 teas from Australia, pasta, rice, honey and the shop’s own muesli and granola… it sounds like a lot, but this is actually a carefully edited shop that truly respects their customers’ right to have the best.

Information taken from Telegraph website.

7pm for 7.30pm start

The purpose of the meeting is to put local Job Seekers and Employers in touch with one another. Candidates can receive guidance on the experience or qualifications needed to meet the requirements of the positions available. It is hoped, where relevant, local education establishments will be able to assist by adjusting their subjects to obtain the knowledge or experience that employers require.

Especially invited:

• Those currently, or, within the next year seeking work in or around Alresford
• Current and potential local employers in all business sectors including Accountancy, Retail, Estate Agents, Motor, Building and Construction Trades, Agriculture and Farming. Service industries e.g. Doctors, Dentists etc. and many more
• Local Employment Agencies and Job Centres
• Local Senior Schools, Colleges and Universities.
• Those that have provided mentoring services to School leavers in Alresford over the past few years (i.e. Rotary and the Alresford Pigs)

For further details please contact:

Vicky Othen on 07703 436996 or alresforddp@yahoo.co.uk

Arranged by ALRESFORD & DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP
(A Community Forum allowing local people to express how they would like Alresford and District to progress and develop over the coming 20 years)

Please click the link below and fill in the questionnaire, as soon as you get this email, it takes just a couple of minutes.

Your views are very important and will shape the outcome, thank you.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CDYVHCS

The News

Caracoli have something special to shout about – they have reached the short list in the food category of the prestigious national competition: the Telegraph’s Best Small Shops in Britain Awards. Customer votes were counted and the independent shops with the most were shortlisted to the final three in each category. The winners are then selected by a panel of expert judges from the Telegraph, and the results announced in late February.

The Caracoli team work hard to make exceptional food and drinks and it is fantastic to have received recognition in the form of votes, from those who are most important to us – our customers. We should like to thank everyone who voted for us.

The Background

The Telegraph Magazine’s Best Small Shops in Britain Awards have been running for six years but in 2011 they were endorsed by Mary Portas (of ‘Secret Shopper’ fame).  She champions small independent retailers and all that they have to offer in terms of top quality products and exceptional, personalised service.

The awards have 10 categories:
womens fashion, mens fashion, children, books, interiors, food, wine, gardening, health and beauty, best corner shop.

This coveted Award is presented each year to a Alresford Chamber Business that has demonstrated customer service over and above the norm.

“The very helpful staff in the Co-op helped source a product that they didn’t list for a very important event. I thought they went out of their way to get what I needed, keeping it to one side for me until i could get there “ Says Mrs Read of Alresford, whose vote for the Co-operative was the chosen as the winning entry.

A bumper year for entries, the Over & Above Award is the award to win in the Alresford business community. The Co-operative were presented with the Shield by Simon Evans, Chairman of the Alresford Chamber of Commerce.

If you think your business could be deserving of next years’ award, why not become a member of the Alresford Chamber of Commerce to be eligible to enter? To find out about the full benefits of membership, contact the Alresford Chamber of Commerce Chamber Secretary on 07769 722985.

For further information please contact: Liz at Alresford Chamber of Commerce on info@alresfordchamber.co.uk or 07769 722985

Photograph shows Derek Hawkins (Southern Co operative, Alresford) Kayla Mulligan (Southern Co operative, Alresford) , Clare Read (Nominator) and Simon Evans (Alresford Chamber of Commerce) outside the Southern Co operative, Alresford.

Christmas is a busy time of year for everyone, including the criminal. Most break-ins are opportunistic burglaries and Christmas is the time when many thieves are looking at the insecure home or vehicle.

• Keep your presents under wraps this Christmas by following these simple steps:
• Do not leave your presents under the tree, especially if it is by the window.  Keep your presents from prying eyes.
• Hide any boxes before and after Christmas.  Empty boxes for the rubbish collection, shows thieves what’s new.
• Be on the lookout for purse snatchers in crowded shopping areas.
• If you are away over the Christmas period, use automatic switches to turn on lights, or a radio to give the illusion that someone’s home.

Developed because its customers like to take home some of the delicious foods that they have enjoyed in Caracoli stores, the ‘Caracoli Kitchen’ brand is going from strength to strength.

2009 saw the first gold award for their Chocolate Fondant cake, 2010 saw two gold awards for their Cereal bar and Mincemeat – this year its a hat-trick with three gold awards.

Now they have a more extensive range of foods under the ‘Caracoli Kitchen’ banner and they are over the moon to announce that these three products have won gold awards at the 2011 Great Taste Awards.

They are delighted to have ‘Caracoli Kitchen’ foods endorsed by the rigorous judging procedures of the Great Taste Awards which is organised annually by The Guild of Fine Food.

This years gold star winners for Caracoli are:

Passionfruit and Orange Cake

Passionfruit and Orange Cake made with almond and polenta then drizzled with passionfruit glaze.

Sweet and Spicy Nuts

Moreish mixed nuts and seeds with tiers of salty, honey, chilli flavour.