Now as soon as I mention the fact that I think Spring is here the sun will of course go back in, the rain and winds will start and we could even be considering snow… Now that’s one view, but people operating B&B’s are a lot more positive than that, so here comes the sun.

The snowdrops are out all over the garden, the dafodills are starting to poke through and some are even about to open. The buds on the hedges are getting close to open, so lets hope the work over the winter in the garden, means it will look beter this year than ever.

Over the winter, no matter what you do, the garden always looks less than its best so I really love this time of the year when nature kicks in and everything starts to grow again and as soon as possible, we’ll add a new viewing area in the garden for the guests to sit and relax round by the studio.

Bookings are coming in strongly for half term, we have a great booking system on the web site, but there is also a check availability button that is on the right of all the pages, do check this out first as its updated daily…

We’re looking forward to a busy old year, with returning guests and of course new guests, so look forward to hearing from you.

We’re so pleased to be able to let you know we’ve won an award for our commitment to free range eggs, not only for the use at breakfast, but also in using free range as part of the ingredients in other items such as cakes… British Hen Welfare Trust has recognised our commitment to wards this…

From their own web site “The British Hen Welfare Trust (formerly the Battery Hen Welfare Trust) is a national charity that re-homes commercial laying hens, educates the public about how they can make a difference to hen welfare, and encourages support for the British egg industry. Its ultimate aim is to see consumers and food manufacturers buying only UK produced free range eggs, resulting in a strong British egg industry where all commercial laying hens enjoy a good quality life.

So we are clearly delighted with this and hope it bodes well with the Flavours of Herefordshire awards that are due to be announced in October.

We move at such a pace these days with technology, small business finds it hard to keep on top of it. I know we do but we are computerised for bookings, we have our own web site that we are constantly reviewing and trying to add new information and we are now tied in with Twitter…. We are getting more technically minded but does it help business and what has happened to that face to cafe conversation and the pleasure in being able to speak to people to let then know how lovely we are and what a brilliant stay the are going to have.

It’s just not there so the work needed when people arrive is so much more important now to give a great first impression and we certainly feel this is done. Following on from this we are also looking at added value and with free WiFi, Digital TV’s with DVD, an on site PC for guest use if required, we hope these small extras are helping and is certainly us getting more technical. Just going to press my web chap this next week and get a video of the house and grounds put together for the web site, so whilst we have less interaction on the phones, you will in fact be able to see the property before you arrive, hopefully giving you the confidence that we are what we say on the tin…

With all this said, we are still a traditianal  4 star Farmhouse and look forward to receiving your booking from any system and if you have stayed, please do leave a review, we’d be delighted…

I have over the past few months listened with interest to various conversations about tourism in Herefordshire and worry about the cuts that have been made in the county to what I would believe is a fairly major player in such a rural county. I believe the income reported at the tourism forum in 2010 was around £415 million into the county, which to me is a massive amount of money.

We have 180, 000 people living in this county and this is swelled massively in the main season by tourists who need help and guidance and yet our council deemed it a cost effective measure to close all but one TIC. However with these cuts to the TIC’s it was trumpeted that Ross-on-Wye would be the counties hub, but most local people in the area knew that it was closed for much of the last long bank holiday due to staff shortages – is this the real way forward for such an important contributor to this magnificent county??

A further decision was to dispose of the tourism operation in the county into the private sector and this has started with great gusto by Sir Ben Gill and the team now operating from Kings Street in Hereford. This body whilst being a membership organisation, is not accountable to anyone at present and whilst the team are making great strides to marketing the county, it is absolutely vital that everyone who operates in tourism in the county joins up as members to ensure that the marketing of the county is undertaken and the ethos of Visit Herefordshire is continued from the success of the past.

Whilst Sir Ben’s speeches decry the past in order to try to become more strategic, the Association for the Promotion of Herefordshire & Visit Herefordshire were very successful considering the constraints they worked in, something the new visit Herefordshire does not have to worry about, so long as it can keep the funding coming in.

Tourism in Herefordshire is not just about Visit Herefordshire as we all have to play our roles in promoting the county and being positive about this, but whilst we can do this when the guests arrive, we still need that single body to be out their championing our cause to the rest of the UK.

It is vital therefore that, despite these major changes to what we have been used to, that we get on board support, question, encourage and push Visit Herefordshire to make sure the future is rosie for years to come.

Some years ago we gained a “silver” green business tourism award for the pub we were operating and since leaving the pub to develop the B&B, we have always worked within the standards that we set in the pub, but who exactly do you work with now with regards to getting recognition for all your efforts towards saving the planet. David Bellamy Conservation Awards, Green Business Tourism Business Scheme, Visit England Better Tourism, Green Achiever… and these are just the ones we have heard about.

Its really getting as bad as when the star grading system was different to each assessment company and the prices for being green seems to range from £120 to £500, so the question has to be in this time of financial hardship and austerity, if it worth being green, or at least trying to get recognition for your business being green. Well the jury is out on that one as I wade through the different forms and make the decision but I sincerely hope that we’ll be registering with some one.

Even Visit Herefordshire has not made a decision on who to work with on this, so its clearly a bit harder for smaller operators to then make these decisions without any guidance. I convinced there is a need to be Green, to protect the environment, to look at food miles, to use free range and organic produce, to recycle and to know about our weekly costs on energy, but if there is a further cost to this, how long will it be before people start to look at this as not being necessary for their business.

Would really appreciate feedback if people have the time and more blogs soon…

We live in an area that is well known for its food, but the more precise description would be England’s Larder, offering everything from superb Hereford Beef to Strawberries.

We have won awards for the superb breakfast that are offered using all local produce and with our other hat on in our catering business, the recognition we get is always excellent. with this in mind and being a few miles from most pubs and restaurants we feel it may be time to push forward with our original plans we had for Treaddow in opening a small exclusive restaurant.

Something hidden, something special, a bit of a secret, daily changing menus, maximum dining for twenty people, guest chefs, seasonal produce, basically something a bit different to the traditional restaurant more like popping round to friends for dinner and to compliment this, we’re sure there will excellent drinks including local ciders…

There is a bit of work to complete over the next few months to get the kitchen completed as we will need it and of course the dining area so hopefully 6 months and we’ll be able to announce that we’re open so please do watch this space…

So the snow came in the early part of the year and less than 10 months later, the big chill is back and whilst the countryside looks really pretty and we all wait to see if we get real snow, Little Treaddow and Herefordshire is open for business… OK so it dropped to minus 11 last night and the Guinea Pigs have put in an official complaint, but the wood burner is lit, the heating is working really well and the farmhouse is in fact really cosy.

We’re really hoping that the snow does not arrive as it has in the North and forecasts are changing daily, but this time of the year is just our most favourite time of the year, with the countryside looking so festive. Our special place is Symonds Yat, which is the picture we have added and this is certainly a place to visit at the moment and whilst a little cold is so quiet and serene a great place to clear your head of life’s stresses.

As a quick update to finish this blog, we have just added a new “On Line Booking” button onto the  web site, which also has all the discounted rates for the winter period that will change on a daily basis as bookings come in.  Do check availability and really look forward to seeing you all soon.

Slightly late from when it was awarded but nether the less this has been a really good year for the Bed & Breakfast, culminating in Tee gaining a Commended Award for her breakfasts. All local produce, all cooked fresh and recognised as one of the best in the county, so you will appreciate that we are absolutely delighted. The award was presented by non other than the Hairy Bikers, who we are fortunate to not only have met on several occasions but had also spend a day filming with them when they toured the UK  and looked at Herefordshire food.

Now that we have gained this, the decision has also been made to revamp the breakfast room in the next month, so hopefully for next year we will be able to step up again. Huge thanks must of course go to the suppliers, such as Pengethley Farm Shop, The Stowe Herd and Trumper’s Tea to name a few, without their excellent produce, it would be so much harder….

Another new supplier that we are using for the bed and breakfast, is the Stowe Herd located in Gloucestershire which is run by Steve and Kelly Turley. They provide us with superb sausage and bacon from their pedigree gloucester old spot pigs and its this product that we have been using at Little Treaddow for the past few months with some brilliant feedback from the guests…

We’re just so delighted to have them on board as a supplier and when you find time, they also have a facebook page, which you do need to visit !!!

“Trumpers Tea is passionate about producing great tasting, high quality products for our customers but also about making a difference to our friends in the tea producing countries by trading fairly”

Now that’s the wording from their web site, so you would expect positive comments! However every word of this is absolutly spot on and when we were researching local suppliers for Little Treaddow, it was a refreshing surprise to find that there was a local company truely committed to providing a fantastic procuct. In fact not just one but several types of tea including Assam, Orange Rooibos, Green Tea and Ceylon to mention a few.

As I sit and wtite this blog, I being suitably refreshed by a pot of Fennel Tea, which is part of the Herball Teas they also offer. Run by Claire Trumper from Hereford, I’m sure she’ll be delighted to hear from you so visit her web site www.trumperstea.co.uk and mention where you heard of her business.