January's Beatons Bod: Tonie

Each month we dedicate a section of our monthly Bulletin to a new member of staff, our Beatons Bod. We like to do this as it introduces them to you, our customers and we all get to find out a bit more about them. This months Beatons Bod is Tonie, a member of the team in our Wellington location. 

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

Hi, I am Toni and my role is cook in Wellington. I enjoy my position, particularly the cake making and decorating aspect. I love hearing the customers lovely comments when they have eaten a slice of cake.

What's your favourite drink or item from our menu?

I really enjoy the Tropical smoothie as I find it really refreshing. I also like the Spicy Tuna Melt.

And how about your favourite book from our shelves?

‘Be your Best Self’  written by Local Author Danielle Brown  MBE — Double Paralympic Gold Medallist. It is aimed at children, giving them advice on loving themselves, feeling confident and achieving the things that they want to do. Even though this is aimed at children I found the advice to be good for adults too.

Which of the ways we like to go about things at Beatons means the most to you and why?  

I love the fact that we have a really good team here at Wellington. We have gelled together really well, which makes for a great atmosphere in the tearoom. The customers notice how well we all get on and are always happy which they love to see. I also like the customers to leave full and happy; it gives me great job satisfaction.

Finally, if you were an animal, what would you be?  

A tiger. They’re fierce, strong, independent and able to adapt in different situations. 

January's Tea of the Month: Genmaicha

Our tea of the month is always a little easier on your purse and usually has great health benefits.

Can we can tempt you to try something a bit different today?

What is it?
Genmaicha

Genmaicha is called ‘popcorn tea’ because of the popped, toasted rice that gives it a distinctively nutty flavour and natural sweetness.

It’s a great tea to help us with all the post - Christmas health promises that we made for ourselves, as it’s made up of high-grade Japanese sencha leaves; providing not only a great flavour but are also great for our health! Green Tea has a higher level of antioxidants than black tea and even more than some vegetables.

Another great benefit is that Genmaicha has an active ingredient called theanine which communicates with your brain and has a soothing, relaxation feeling...perfect to enjoy whilst indulging in some quiet ’me time’ at Beatons.

December's Tea of the Month: Winter Mulled Spice

Our tea of the month is always a little easier on your purse and usually has great health benefits. Can we can tempt you to try something a bit different today?

What is it?

Winter Mulled Spice

If Christmas could be captured in one warm Beatons blend, Winter Mulled Spice Tea is it! 

This flavoured black tea comes from the mountain of Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Its festive tones come from the cinnamon and cloves, subtly blended to give a warming robust tea to revive. 

A perfect choice for cold winter days, perhaps unsurprisingly, we’ve discovered it goes well with poultry. It’s also a great accompaniment to our Afternoon Tea, our lemon polenta cake and our festive Cream Tea!

December's Beatons Bod: Jack!

Each month we dedicate a section of our monthly Bulletin to a new member of staff, our Beatons Bod. We like to do this as it introduces them to you, our customers and we all get to find out a bit more about them. This months Beatons Bod is Jack, a member of the team in our Tisbury location. 

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

Hi, I’m Jack and I’m a waiter here in Tisbury. I thoroughly enjoy my role and in particular enjoy conversing with our regular and new customers!

What's your favourite drink or item from our menu?

By far, my favourite drink is a flat white as it never fails to deliver, whatever the time of year.

And how about your favourite book from our shelves?

My favourite book on our shelves at the moment has to be ‘Death & Co’, which is eye-catching to say the least! Despite the ominous name it is a really classic cocktail guide with a good selection of drinks.

Which of the ways we like to go about things at Beatons means the most to you and why?  

For me, the personal relationships built between staff and customers is what I like most, as it’s not only nice for the customer to feel welcome but it also makes the job much more enjoyable for us too.

Finally, if you were an animal, what would you be?  

The animal I would be is a chimpanzee. Like me, they like to be sociable and around other people. They also can be very active, again, just like me!

Perfect Gift Giving at Beatons

It’s the run up to Christmas and we’ve got some wonderful titles on our shelves that we think you’ll love and will make the perfect gift!

For ‘little bookworms’

‘Milo Goes to The Seaside’ by Rachel Jane. Though we highlight ‘Milo’ here, we cannot   recommend Rachel’s other books ‘Lil’s Cupcake Delivery’ and ‘Tallulah Goes to The Festival’ enough. With a captivating story written in rhyme, we follow VW Campervan Milo on his adventure to the seaside with the help of his campervan friends. It’s fun, easy to follow and enjoyable, and we have no doubt it’ll be a hit with children!

For ‘the kitchen lover’

Next, we have ‘Simple’ by Yotam Ottolenghi.  Bursting with colourful photography, Ottolenghi SIMPLE showcases Yotam’s standout dishes that will suit whatever type of cooking you find easy – whether that’s getting  wonderful food on the table in under 30 minutes, using just one pot to make a delicious meal, or a flavoursome dish that can be prepared ahead and then served when you’re ready.

Thought provoking…

‘Brief Answers To The Big Questions’ by  Stephen Hawking. Wide-ranging, intellectually stimulating,  passionately argued, and infused with his characteristic humour, Brief Answers, the final book from one of the greatest minds in history, is a personal view on the challenges we face as a human race, and where we, as a planet, are heading next. Hawking takes you on a journey of answers to some of the biggest questions answering them in his usual easy to understand way.

For nature lovers

‘Wilding’ by Isabella Tree. Isabella Tree tells the story of the ‘Knepp experiment’, a pioneering rewilding project in West Sussex, using free-roaming grazing animals to create new habitats for wildlife. Part gripping memoir, part fascinating account of the ecology of our countryside, Wilding is, above all, an inspiring story of hope.

October's Beatons Bod: Florence!

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

My role is front of house and I love working with my friendly co-workers, as well as chatting and getting to know our lovely customers. I also enjoy making our different teas and coffees, especially our Chai Latte.

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

My favourite dish on the menu has to be either the spicy tuna melt or the mushroom medley.

And how about your favourite book from our shelves?

My favourite book on the shelves has to be ‘Off Her Facebook’ by Robert Windsor. It tells a deep story of the real life tragedies some families deal with when a member of the family is faced with addiction.

Which of the ways we like to go about things at Beatons means the most to you and why?  

I really love greeting customers at the door and seating them where they’re most comfortable. It’s lovely to know that each customer gets treated with respect and elegance.

Finally, if you were an animal, what would you be?  

If I were an animal, I would definitely be a house cat! I find a lot of the situations I go about in my day-to-day life is handles the way a house cat would. I am loving and cuddly, however, like a cat, they know how to handle tough situations well.

Seasonal Changes at Beatons

Menus and market research go hand in hand here at Beatons. Hopefully they create that ‘Mmm’ which means delicious! We thought we’d give you a bit of insight as to what and who is behind our menus this month. Last month we gave you a glimpse into some upcoming menu changes and we’re pleased to say that they have arrived and are full of flavour. The brains (and the brawn when it comes to mixing quantities of scone dough or preparing meat) behind our menu changes is Ben.

Ben – our highly trained chef who loves the challenge of producing hot and cold canapés for a hundred people at our launch soirées – is at the heart of menu selection and creation. He draws on ideas from outside and within the tearooms, some of them from you! You’re always welcome to add suggestions and comments at the bottom of our feedback cards. We read every one and suggestions are given back to Ben ready for when he considers the next set of seasonal changes.

Our central team also contribute, as well as our growing number of Franchisees. Naturally, all the Beatons Central team – Ben in particular - are on the look-out for new developments and inspiration externally.

If Ben thinks he's found something, he’ll then apply his creativity to give the dish a dash of Beatons originality. After that? It’s trialling, recipe writing, and testing, testing, testing!

So, what new additions do we have to our menu this month? 

Brunch

You’ll notice we are now serving our breakfast as brunch and you are now able to enjoy it until the later time of 11:30am! 

Firstly we have our granola bowl — Greek yoghurt topped with granola, fresh fruit, chia seeds and a drizzle of honey. A delicious bowl with which you start your day. Next we have the addition of our waffles and pancakes, all available with one of three different toppings: American (two slices of bacon and maple syrup), fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, Greek yoghurt and chocolate sauce) and Banoffee (banana, Belgian chocolate chips, Greek yoghurt and toffee sauce). Finally, we have our ‘Beatons Baked Beans’. Ben has created a delicious three bean recipe that we know you’ll love, served on toast. 

Lunch

Autumn calls for warm, comfort foods but this doesn't mean it should lacking in flavour. Ben has created some amazing dishes that will keep you warm over the colder months!

Our first addition is our Lamb Hotpot, served with green beans and crusty sourdough, perfect for those chilly days. Next we have a Three Bean Salad, served with roasted vegetables, basil pesto and Greek feta— a light lunch that will still keep you full and satisfied. A firm favourite on our menu was our Mushroom Risotto, however with the change of seasons and new produce available, we have replaced it with a warming  Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto! Our risotto is also gluten-free and vegan friendly. Finally, we have a Ham Hock Terrine with spicy tomato chutney, toasted sourdough bread and fresh salad. 

Don’t worry, we still have our classic rarebits, croques, sandwiches and jacket potatoes on our menu, but there are some additions  there that we think you’ll love - so keep an eye out!

You can let us know what you think of our new menu items by filling out our feedback cards.