...we need to invite, encourage, and celebrate the wildlife in our gardens. A recent report by Buglife and Kent Wildlife Trust confirms what we all have observed (or rather, have not observed) on our windscreens and number plates: insect numbers have declined dramatically. My friend drives to Scotland each year in August. In a Landrover. …
Poultry, Bees, and Gardening
Way back in 2019, I used to run a great sourdough course with my friend and fellow fermenting enthusiast, Vicky, in her fabulous kitchen at Starnash Farmhouse. Fast-forward to now, and the philosophy behind our baking - to bring the wild levain process to anyone who wants to make their own bread - has been …
Sourdough Recap
I was contacted by someone who was asking if we would be resuming our Sourdough Tales workshops at Starnash Farmhouse, and I had to tell him that sadly we no longer had the available space, but that I had vlogged my sourdough baking back in one of the Shawpits Diaries, so I thought I would …
New Look Wayward Bee
If you've been following me for a while, you'll notice a new layout for the website and possibly a few other changes too. As for most of us, the past 18 months have given me an opportunity to think about how best to use my resources and share my knowledge. Beekeeping has always been about …
Apple & Marmalade Cake
This is a recipe I have adapted from River Cottage Fruit, where I have halved the quantity and substituted dried apricots for the sultanas. I thought apricots would work well with the marmalade, whisky and the apples...and I was right! I made a huge amount of marmalade this year, but I adore it both on …
Parsnip & Ginger Cake
As many of you will know, I am a huge fan of baking and just because my courses are now on Zoom, I still want to have an opportunity to make cakes. So, here is the recipe for the cake I will have on Saturday for my first online Introduction to Sustainable Beekeeping course. This …
Earl Grey Tea Loaf
Here is the recipe that features on my weekly vlog, The Shawpits Diaries. Head over there for the method, but here are the ingredients: 250g prunes250ml hot Earl Grey tea Steep overnight. 1 egg250g plain flour1tsp baking powder 150g soft brown sugarZest of 1 lemon (preferably a bergamot lemon) Mix the dry ingredients gently in …
Botanical Bread
My kitchen smells fabulous. I saw an Instagram post on Hodmedod's feed about an interesting new grain blend from Venessa Kimbell, founder of The Sourdough School. As she rightly points out, even whole ancient grains and heritage wheats to grind at home are sold cleaned and graded, unlike the inclusions our ancestors would have inevitably …
Spiced Apple Bundt Cake
In this week's vlog I tackle another bundt cake, which I have pinched from this website: the naptime chef. I realised it was a large amount of batter and I have so few eggs I decided to halve the amount, and actually it fitted the bundt pan I have perfectly, although mine is an 8" …
Sourdough September 2020
It's a very different Sourdough September this year. To me, flour and bread baking have been emblematic of Lockdown, and perhaps an appreciation of the fact that flour needs to be sown, grown, harvested, and milled before it can be brought to the shelves of our supermarkets and farm shops has filtered in to the …
Wayward Bee 