An Evening of Wine Tasting at Shekelton Wines

In the beautiful town of Stamford, you'll find a gem of wine shop known as Shekelton Wines.

Located in Chapel Yard, this gorgeous wine shop stocks a variety of interesting and unique wines to buy and also try when booking a tasting session. Naturally Chris and I decided to get a group of us together to try our hand at tasting which I thought I'd share it with you!

The lovely owners of Shekelton Wines; Charlotte and John, host both online and in store events to cater for all needs with a variety of tasting packages available. From cheese and wine tasting to Italian wine tasting or English wine tasting; there's a taste for everyone. You can check out the upcoming tasting events in store or alternatively book a private wine session. Each event is guided by a tasting expert with 6 lots of 50ml servings for each person. We opted for a private classic cheese and wine tasting for a group of 10 within the shop which was a wonderful inviting space to be in. The shop is decorated in a beautiful red colour and lined with an array of wonderful wines, selected personally by Charlotte and John. 

We started the evening with welcome drinks of prosecco and an introduction to the shop which we discovered was launched in lock down! At each seat was a had a tasting sheet detailing each wine and cheese we were sampling and an area to write notes and score the selections. The first wine of the evening was a champagne, paired with Charouce cheese.

Having never been to a wine tasting event before, Charlotte guided us through this first glass with how to taste the wine; covering the glass with your hand and swirling the contents to release the flavours before smelling it. It really makes a difference and from there we were able to pick out the key notes. I also then learnt that when tasting the wine it's good practice to inhale a little before taking a sip to again get the aroma of the wine, prior to swilling it around your mouth and savoring the flavour. 

After enjoying a sip of wine, we were then encouraged to try the cheese (which took very little persuasion on my part!), before tasting the wine again. It was amazing how much the cheese enhanced the flavour of the wine and added a new dimension to the palate. This was especially so when sampling the Chianti Superiore with the Pecorino cheese as many of the group found it left a spicy, tingling sensation at the back of their tongue. With this classic cheese and wine tasting we were able to sample both red and white wines from around the world- from , Spain, Italy, Portugal, to South Africa, with each wine tasting different due to the climate, soil and other environmental factors involved. 

The majority of the group found their favourite pairing of cheese and wine to be the Cabernet Sauvignon and Vintage Lincolnshire Poacher cheese. I too loved this combination, especially with the cheese being local but the real under dog for me had to be Aged White Port! Firstly, who knew there was such a thing as white port and secondly, Ferreria Dona Antonia White Reserve  Port is just delicious! Teamed with the Colston Basset Stilton cheese it, had a wonderful mix of sweetness whilst being smooth too. Overall my favourite pairing of the evening was the Champagne Georges Lacombe, Grand Cuvee Brut NV and Charouce, so much so that I bought a bottle of the champagne to enjoy at home!

Once the tasting had finished we sat back and enjoyed a top up of our favourite glasses from the session whilst perusing the shop, with many of us picking up our favourite wines from the evening. 

Shekelton Wines is a wonderful place to sample wine as well as buy it, from a couple who have a true passion for wonderful tasting wine. We all felt so welcome and relaxed in their shop and would highly recommend everyone pay a visit when you're next in the Stamford area!

Opening times:

Tuesday 11:00 - 18:00
Wednesday 11:00 - 18:00
Thursday 11:00 - 18:00
Friday 11:00 - 19:00
Saturday 11:00 - 18:00

Holly Lodge Dog Fields & Cafe

Tucked away in a tiny village called Upton Cambridgeshire, there's a hidden gem for dog lovers and cake lovers alike! Holly Lodge Dog Fields and Cafe is a wonderful place that I wish I could take credit for finding but Chris was the one to discover it on one of his cycle rides!

The Holly Lodge Cafe is a cute, rustic, welcoming place as well as a cake lovers dream. It opened in 2021 and is the perfect pit stop for cyclists or a welcome cake break before taking the dogs into the fields. 

With indoor, outdoor and marquee seating, there's plenty of space for everyone to come and enjoy the cafe with doggies too.

The food here is incredible and will certainly take you over your calorie count for the day but trust me- it's so worth it! Chris will also concur...

Not only is the food delicious, it's locally sourced from a 35 mile radius of Holly Lodge, supporting other local businesses. If sweet things don't do it for you, there's some incredible savoury bites like chipotle scotch eggs and pork with pickle pies!

Once full of cake and caffinated, you're ready for the fields. 

There are two secure dog paddocks to book- the North Field and the South Field. On this occasion we chose the North Field; a 3 acre field with wooded area and gorgeous views of the Cambridgeshire countryside. The South Field is an incredible 6 acre field with plenty of open space for dogs to run wild. 

From tyres and tree logs, hay bales and plenty of dog toys; it's a doggie's dream. I've not come across a place like this in Cambridgeshire before and think it's such a great place to bond with your four legged friends!

From a dog owner's perspective it's wonderful to watch your dogs run free in the knowledge that they're completely safe and secure. With recently getting another puppy, it was also a great place to let her off lead for the first time and socialise her with other dogs.  

The fields are also a great place to take children too. On this visit we brought our friends with their dogs and children who enjoyed the fresh air and play time with the pooches too. Both fields provide dog bins and waste bags, running water for doggy drinks and cleaning. Booking of the paddocks is available here.

Our hour in the field flew by so fast and before we knew it, it was time to leave but we will definitely be back very soon for more exercise and cake at the cafe! If you're interested in visiting for yourself, the opening hours are as follows:

The Farm Cafe

Thursday 9am-4pm,

Friday 9am-4pm

Saturday 9am – 4pm

Sunday 10am – 4pm

Monday 9am – 4pm

Will you be visiting Holly Lodge Dog Fields and Cafe?

Bumbling About in Brighton and South Downs *Ad Gifted

At the beginning of June, me, the husband and hound set off on another trip in an epic Bumble Campervan!

Having visited The Peak District, The Lake District and The New Forest on our previous bumble adventures, we thought it was time we head somewhere a little different so for this trip we ventured to Brighton and the South Downs!

As usual, we had hardly any packing to do as Bumble Campers provide everything you need for the perfect camping trip! On board we had:

- big plates, small plates, bowls, cups ad cutlery for two people

- kettle pan set, chopping board, knife, jug, tin, opener, spoon

- self-lighting camping stove and two gas canisters

- sofa/bed with storage, a table. rear kitchen with sink & tap

- powered coolbox, on-board power, inverter, USB/aux-in stereo

- campsite guide & discounted rates for 100's of campsites

- blackout blinds, camping chairs, safe for cash, passports/wifi

We found the perfect camping spot called Southdown Way Caravan & Camping which gave us the best of both worlds; being close to Brighton but also the South Downs scenery. 

One of the beauties of a Bumble camper is the fact you can drive to your destination and there's minimal unpacking to do. Say farewell to deciphering which tent pole goes where, instead Chris and I were wondering- shall we set the bed up now (which is super easy to do) or enjoy the van as a seating area for a while? 

We opted to set the bed up ASAP as it was lovely just laying and admiring the views. The bed itself comprises of the van table transforming into part of the base of the bed and the futon mattress unstraps and roles into place- simple! Chuck on some snuggly bedding and you're good to go!

Another thing to note is Bumble Campers are very much dog friendly, which means your four legged friend can also come camp with you! Harry pawsitively loves coming away with us, enjoying the different sights and smells and it's an adventure for him as well as us too!

So what next? On our first night it only seemed right to enjoy some beverages that had been nicely cooling on our journey down in the van's fridge, play cards and enjoy the gorgeous sunset.

And to finish off an already perfect evening, we snuggled down in to watch some good old Netflix in the comfort of the van. 

The following morning we woke up bright and early and thoroughly refreshed after a comfortable nights sleep in the van. The next thing to do was sort breakfast!

Equipped with a fridge teamed with bacon and eggs, I got to work making a breakfast of champions ahead of a day out in Brighton. Having a kitchen station at the back of the van is so handy and practical. There's no fishing around on the floor of the tent to find all your cooking equipment.

Once fed, we packed up the van and headed for a day of adventure, stopping off first at the Jack and Jill Windmills in Clayton. 

We'd seen the windmills in the distance from our campsite and were intrigued to go take a look. They were a lovely sight to see and if we'd not had Harry with us we'd have taken a look inside. It's also a great stop off point if you're walking to Devils Dyke- somewhere I'll mention later.

The views from the hill of the windmills was also spectacular. Here we could see the gorgeous landscape of the South Downs.

Next up we headed into Brighton for the day. One thing I will note is check where to park ahead of your visit if you're in a camper. There's plenty of parking but a lot of car parks had a height restriction which limited where we could go and meant we were driving around looking for a parking spot for longer than we'd have liked. Brighton was a cool place to visit and there's so much to do, so much so that I forgot to take photos!!! I'd recommend a trip down The Lanes and a visit on the Pier as just some of the things to do.

The next day we headed to Devils Dyke for a spot of walking and fresh air. It's a real beauty spot where you can admire the Sussex countryside on dedicated trails.

After admiring the stunning views and enjoying a lovely walk, we headed off to find the Ouse Valley Viaduct.

Located between Haywards Heath and Balcombe, Ouse Valley Viaduct offers quite the dramatic view. A structural marvel, the viaduct was originally built in 1838 to carry the London-Brighton line over the River Ouse.

It has been estimated that around 11 million bricks were used in construction. Once a treat known only to locals, it is now an Instagram hotspot! Visit early or later for a quieter experience and bring your camera!

So that was our trip to Brighton and South Downs in a Bumble Camper! It was lovely to explore some of the south of the UK and I'd love to head back that way for more walking in the future. The camper van experience was wonderful as ever and I can't rate Bumble Campers enough. If you haven't tried one yet, do it- you won't be disappointed, especially having used a Bumble Camper since 2017 myself!

Have you been to Brighton and South Downs? Let me know where I need to visit when I next go!

* I was very kindly asked to photograph of the Bumble Camper van in exchange for a gifted trip. I was not asked to write a blog post but I wanted to because I love this brand so much and think you guys will too!