#beatonsbod: Blandford's Kelsey who only panda's to peace!

What's your role and what do you like best about your job? 

I'm Kelsey and I'm one of the youngest members of the team at Beatons Blandford, usually tucked away in the kitchen. I most enjoy creating delicious food and baking the cakes.

What's your favourite edible or drinkable from our menu?

My favourite drink is our chai latte - the charity version of course where we give 50p to our local charity for the year. It's creamy and spicy at the same time, with a lovely kick to give me some extra energy.

And how about your favourite book from our shelves?

Hmm... there's a book about doing a new thing every day that scares you, by Robie Rogge, I love to challenge myself! I also love dipping in to the graphic novels and children's books we have - they are full of sparkle.

Which of the ways we like to go about things at Beatons means most to you and why? Gracious hospitality without a doubt - because it makes you feel good to be giving, and I love to make people smile!

Kelsey - the lovable panda!

If you were an animal, bird or creeping creature what would you be and why? I'd be a panda because they always look so laid back, calm and peaceful...always useful qualities over a busy lunchtime!

What - outside work - makes your skin tingle? I love creating art, I'm actually hoping to be a tattoo artist one day.

If you could do one thing to change the world for the better what would it be? 
It might sound too obvious but I don't care, it would be really amazing: I'd stop war and create world peace.

#beatonstearooms: Elegant Option for the vegan, gluten and dairy-free

Kelsey enjoys seeing a guest enjoying
our Gluten Free delights at the Soiree
to launch Beatons Elegant Options Menu

Our Elegant Options menu is available in all tearooms. See how we're honouring those who have special dietary preferences below - even the protein rich/low carb lovers...

A special 'elegant options' menu has launched at Beatons Blandford at a Soirée celebrating the Queen's Birthday to meet our customers' 'dietary desires! It adapts as many items from our classic tearoom menus for those with medical or dietary preferences. Included is the  '3G' - our Gracious & Gloriously Gluten Free High Tea.

We've been listening, then concocting and testing in the kitchen in order to serve our gluten-free, dairy-free, protein rich/low carb, vegan and vegetarian customers... almost all our most popular dishes are accessible one way or another although we have drawn the line at sugar-free cakes!  We've also added a few new items to all our menus which Ben - who's in charge of new recipe creation - came up with during this exercise.

So what can you expect to tickle your taste-buds?

Well, we think the Queen - who prefers a protein rich/low carb diet - would enjoy our Prawn & Crushed Avocado or Chicken Caesar Wrap. And Beatons' #tweetmistress (who's blogging this) is relishing being able to enjoy the range of Irresistible GF Rarebits.

We'd recommend 'Cream Free' Scrambled Eggs with 'No Butter' Sausages and Bacon for our dairy-free 'breakfasters'. In fact Breakfast at Beatons has just become a really restorative experience whatever your dietary desires. And we know two gluten-free members of the Beatons team are already relishing being able to enjoy all but one of our  Irresistible GF Rarebits (Worcestershire Sauce and ale include gluten so sadly we can't include our cheesy Rarebit).

For best enjoyment make a date with your diary from 16th May and invite yourself and any of your gluten free, dairy free, Vegan or Vegetarian friends to come in and indulge.

Liz

Beatons Central

P.S. Don't forget when it comes to Afternoon High Tea you can always book to be sure of a table then it will be laid up waiting for you. It would also help us prepare for you if you let us know if you're going to try the '3G' so we can start the delicate GF scone baking process ready for your arrival! 

#Crowthorne: Virginia Macgregor book launch

Virginia Macgregor  (who was Guest of Honour
at our Opening Soiree (left) with Liz, Press Officer

We're delighted to host our first literary event at Beatons Crowthorne mid-morning on 24th May, with our favourite local author - Virginia Macgregor - full details below. 

Both Virginia's books have been best-sellers [reviews here], but this sparkling writer is much more than the sum of her books! Our Press Officer, Liz, went to one of her talks and came away with inspiring life tips as well as writing tips - and her partner was touched by Virginia's deep understanding of the complexities of family life.

We're hoping the Crowthorne novelist might also give us the inside track on what she's scribbling about when she's writing in the tearooms!

When:  Tuesday 24th May 2016 at 11 am - please (as we find works best for these events) order your tea, coffee, soda or/and cake from the counter (you might like to arrive a minute or two early as Virginia will start promptly at 11.15!)

Cost:    Since this is our first event, it's FREE (you just pay for what you eat and drink)

What:  Virginia will give a brief talk about the writing of What Milo Saw and The Astonishing Return of Norah Wells followed by Q & A

Please note! while the event's on we will suspend service, but we'll be back serving lunch by 12.30

#tea: anti-inflammatory pick-me-up for Olympic atheletes!

What is it? Masala Chai

A great anti-inflammatory, immune strengthening and revitalising chai - new to our Tea Menu!  Take a sip and South Indian spices dance across your tongue boosted  by this robust black tea. Cardamom and ginger punctuate this tea with health-giving properties and can be clearly distinguished on tasting. It's lovely with or without milk and sugar - a rich, sweet and smooth choice.

Masala Chai includes a mixture of spices - clove, cinnamon, and ginger. Naturally these all have their own individual health benefits (did you know clove is known to have painkilling properties?). But what makes masala chai perfect to beat inflammation is that these spices work together to help ease symptoms in conditions such as asthma and arthritis. They become more than the sum of their parts.

When you add the revitalising effects of caffeine and discover it improves digestion, it's unsurprising  to hear that Olympic athletes choose to the drink as a pick-me-up. Perfect to start a Spring or Summer healthy eating campaign, order today and let us know what you think!

#beatonsbod: Patrick who rides a white swan!

What's your role and what do you like best about your job? 

I'm Patrick and founded Beatons in 2011. Occasionally - to remind myself what we're all about - you might still see me serving customers at both Tisbury and Blandford! I most like enjoy seeing our managers and Franchise Business Owners getting excited about their businesses thriving and sharing their understanding of what fuels that - doing things 'the Beatons' Way'.

What's your favourite edible or drinkable from our menu?

I've just tested and given the thumbs up on our new Protein Rich/Low Carb Prawn and Crushed Avocado Wrap (from our Elegant Options Lunch Menu). It's tasty AND keeps me trim!

And how about your favourite book from our shelves?

Patrick Duffy,
Founder of Beatons Tearooms Group

It changes frequently because I'm always tempted by the new titles when we're selecting our 'tailored for you' curated book selection. However, right now I'm absorbing the best-selling 'Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less' by Greg McKeown so we can grow with greatest speed AND ease.

Which of the ways we like to go about things at Beatons means most to you and why? Hmm... too difficult to choose! Although our core reason for existence is to deliver 'generous value, a restorative experience and gracious hospitality with heart and passion, elegance and attentiveness', you could sum them all up with the word 'integrity'. It's the bedrock of the values based business Beatons is.

Gracious except when taking off!

If you were an animal, bird or creeping creature what would you be and why? The team will be unsurprised to hear it would be a swan.

I've used this beautiful bird's way of taking off as a metaphor for when we launch a new tearooms - a huge amount of effort and rather ungainly flapping and thrust for quite a long stretch to lift a noble bird into graceful flight! They are so elegant and yet strong too.

What - outside work - makes your skin tingle? It could be a dream, activity (printable!) or piece of music! Perhaps there's a clue in the answer to the last question... I love flight in all its forms. Getting my pilot's licence would give me a huge thrill, once we've got our first ten franchises under our belt!

If you could do one thing to change the world for the better what would it be? You'll have to settle for two:  I'd find a way to eliminate corruption from politics and shift perceptions of the hospitality and catering industries so that it was viewed like it is in France, as a serious profession.