Project | Paint Your Own Candles

Bring your own artistic flourish to plain candles to light up dark nights.

You will need

Rubbing alcohol or surgical spirit
Candles
Acrylic pens (you can also use water-based, non-toxic acrylic paint and a paintbrush)

To make

1 Begin by preparing the candle’s surface by cleaning it with some rubbing alcohol or surgical spirit and a lint-free cloth.

2 Paint your design on your candle. You may need to do two layers, so have a slice of cake while your first layer dries, then go over it once more.

3 Allow to dry for a couple of hours before lighting. Remember to burn your candle on a flat surface away from other objects and never leave it unattended.

This project idea is taken from our feature ‘Craft-a-Peel’ in our November issue, which brings together recipes for snacks and drinks, as well as craft projects to enjoy with friends. The styling and recipes are by Kay Prestney and the photography by Rebecca Lewis.

More from our November issue…

More crafts to make before Christmas…

Sponsored Post | Q&A with Yawn

We catch up with Yawn founder, Alice Whiteley, for a bedtime cuppa and a little bit of
pillow talk, too…

Hi Alice, tell us a bit about Yawn

Well, I started the company back in 2014. I was working as a management consultant, not seeing nearly enough of my kids and I was tired – so it’s ironic that pyjamas were the answer. I wanted to create nightwear that helped women to switch off, sleep and rest; pyjamas that felt like a hug and could reassure women that it’s okay to slow down.

They sound like our kind of pyjamas!

Yes, luckily, I had a couple of like-minded friends – Phil and Roly – who own a design and branding agency, and knew what I was trying to achieve. Together, Yawn was born.

You’re literally in the ‘dream’ business

In many ways, although we could never have imagined the challenges of the past eight years, what with Brexit and Covid. It’s been a rollercoaster, but one that I am very happy to still be riding! I credit our wonderful customers and suppliers with helping us through the tough times.

You have wonderful customers then?

Oh my goodness, yes! We’ve a band of very loyal customers. They let us know their thoughts every time we bring out a new print, which is about four times a year. They also inform our new product launches and volunteer for photoshoots. We’re so proud of this amazing community – their enthusiasm and support keeps us going.

We’ve heard your prints are hand painted

Yes, they’re hand-drawn or painted and, while they’re beautiful, the real fun is in the detail – somewhere on the fabric there will be a quirky image, such as a whale in stormy seas, a forest fox, a sole trainer and even a skinny dipper! We source the fabric using GOTS-certified organic cotton and you never know where the hidden detail will be. Other details that we’re proud of are French seams, sustainable corozo buttons, reinforced buttonholes and pockets! Who doesn’t love a pocket, right?

You’re clearly incredibly proud of Yawn

We’ve won awards and have had some incredible press, however, what always makes me smile is our consistently high Feefo rating (4.9*) and our Feefo Platinum awards. We always try and deliver the personal touch and treat our customers like we’d like to be treated. My mum reads our reviews every week and tells me how happy they make her feel. To me, that says it all.

Wow, real care has gone into every detail

It really has, being responsible in our approach to product design and sourcing has been hugely important right from the outset. Our factories were selected based on their ethical credentials, while the paper packaging is FSC-certified, we use recyclable cardboard shippers and we even opt for sea freight rather than air. We completely believe in ‘slow fashion’ in every sense – it’s how we sleep soundly at night… that, and wearing super comfy jammies.

For more information, visit loveyawn.com, or follow on Instagram: @yawnlondon.

Reader Discount

The Simple Things readers can get 15% off at Yawn. See p109 of our November issue for details.

Playlist | Christmas favourites

We asked you to share your Christmas favourites and we made them into a playlist. Take a listen here. Find yourself a mince pie, sit back and enjoy.

If you want more Christmas tunes, you can listen to some of our previous playlists here, here and here.

Competition | Win a Lake District Shepherd Hut Stay

Enter for your chance to win a Lake District shepherd hut break, where you can immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the very best of home comforts

A new year is on the horizon, and with it there’s a blank canvas of fun and adventures to be had. If one of those plans is to enjoy more down time, relaxing in the best surrounds that nature has to offer, then Another Place, The Lake might just fit the bill. Set in 18 acres of Lake District National Park, this contemporary hotel has a private shore and views of Ullswater and the fells.

For the active, there’s open-water swimming, sailing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, cycling and walking, while those seeking a quieter pace of life can switch off at Swim Club – the hotel’s indoor pool and treatment rooms – or they can reconnect with nature at one of the many gathering spots found around the grounds. To top it all off, Another Place’s chefs are serving up the finest food and drink that Cumbria has to offer.

In addition to the spacious hotel rooms and the impressive architect-designed treehouse, there are six cosy and inviting Blackdown shepherd huts within the landscaped grounds, all making the most of the mesmerising views. As night falls, guests can cosy up around their firepit to watch the stars – a pastime that can be continued long after it’s time to retreat indoors, thanks to the stargazing roof positioned over the double bed.

If this sounds like your cup of tea, then Blackdown Shepherd Huts and Another Place, The Lake have joined forces to offer one lucky reader of The Simple Things a one-night Bed and Breakfast shepherd hut stay, worth up to £600. So the best of luck and you could soon be snuggling up under the covers watching the best twinkling light show that nature has to offer. Winter breaks don’t get much better than this.

How to enter 

For your chance to win a shepherd hut stay at Another Place, The Lake, enter our competition by clicking the button below and answering the following question by the closing date of 10 January 2024.

Q: Another Place looks out over which lake?

For more information and inspiration, visit blackdownshepherdhuts.co.uk, or follow at: @blackdownshepherdhuts; or see another.place, @anotherplacehotels.

Terms and conditions:

The comp closes at 11.59pm on 10 Jan 2024. One winner selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Excluding school holidays and subject to availability. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Learn | An Endangered Craft

Photography by Jeff Gilbert

Taking up a new craft is a delicious challenge and something that helps us feel we’re growing and developing. So imagine the glow of taking up a craft that is in danger of dying out. 

In our November issue, we met Elizabeth Ashdown (pictured above), who practises passementerie, the craft of making ornamental embellishments. She’s the youngest of only six people practising this craft in the UK, which inspired us to find out which other crafts were in danger of becoming extinct. 

Below are a list of crafts that Heritage Crafts have on their ‘critically endangered’ crafts list. Click on each one for information from Heritage Crafts on training opportunities, number of practitioners and more. You might be inspired to take a course or simply give it a go yourself. 

Critically endangered crafts

The crafts listed below are considered to be at serious risk of dying out in the UK (Heritage Crafts also a category of crafts that are only regarded as ‘endangered’. Crafts that are critically endangered might be due to a lack of craftspeople, reduced opportunities for training, being financially unviable or simply that there is no longer a way to pass on the skills and knowledge required. 

• Arrowsmithing 

• Basketwork furniture making

• Bell founding

• Bow making (musical) 

• Bowed-felt hat making

• Chain making 

• Clay pipe making

• Clog making

• Coiled straw basket making

• Coppersmithing (objects) 

• Compass and navigational instrument making

• Copper wheel engraving

• Currach making

• Devon stave basket making

• Diamond cutting

• Encaustic tile making 

• Engine turned engraving

• Fabric pleating

• Fair Isle chair making

• Fan making

• Flute making (concert)

• Fore-edge painting

• Frame knitting

• Glass eye making

• Hat block making 

• Hat plaiting

• Hazel basket making

• Highland thatching

• Horse collar making

• Horsehair weaving

• Industrial pottery

• Linen damask weaving

• Maille making

• Metal thread making

• Millwrighting

• Northern Isles basket making

• Oak bark tanning

• Orrery making

• Paper making (commercial handmade)

• Parchment and vellum making

• Piano making

• Plane making

• Plume making 

• Pointe shoe making

• Saw making

• Scientific and optical instrument making

• Scissor making

• Sieve and riddle making

• Silk ribbon making 

• Silver spinning

• Spade making (forged heads)

• Spinning wheel making

• Sporran making

• Straw hat making 

• Sussex trug making 

• Swill basket making

• Tinsmithing

• Wainwrighting

• Watch face enamelling

• Watch making

• Whip making 

• Withy pot making

• Wooden fishing net making

You can read about Elizabeth and her passementierie in our November issue, as well as others who are doing their best to save beautiful and rare things from extinction, from languages to red squirrels. Turn to page 66 to read The Preservation Society. 

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More from our November issue…

More crafts to try today…

Recipe | Chai Spiced Shortbread

This is a classic shortbread recipe with a little sprinkle of some of those spices you find in masala chai.

Ingredients

Serves 4

250g soft butter
70g golden caster sugar
250g plain flour
60g cornflour
Pinch of fine salt
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground green cardamom
¼ tsp ground black cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves

How to make

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/ Gas 5. Meanwhile, whisk together the butter and sugar until well combined and fluffy.

2 Sift in the flour, cornflour, salt and spices and mix gently – you don’t want to go crazy here as overworking the dough isn’t good.

3 Once combined, press the shortbread dough into a baking tray lined with baking paper. You can also use a sandwich cake tin if you’d prefer. Use a fork to make little holes and gently mark out the wedges or finger shapes that you’ll cut later.

4 Bake for about 1 hr. Remove from the oven and cut through your markings while still a little warm. Allow to cool and enjoy with a cup of masala chai.

This recipe is just one from our feature East, West, Home’s Best, which is taken from Modern South Asian Kitchen by Sabrina Gidda (Hardie Grant) with photography by Maria Bell. The other recipes include Aloo Gobi Hash with Fried Egg & Green Chutney, Tunworth Cheese Naan, Butter Chicken Pie and Ginger & Jaggery Pudding.

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More from our November issue…

More ways to spice up your life…

Wellbeing | Ways to Enjoy November

Photography by Stocksy

Lots of people find November a bit of a difficult month, with long nights, and cold weather to get through, too far from summer and too long until Christmas. But if you look carefully, there are lots of small celebrations to be had and important moments to mark. 

Making the most of seasonal moments is just one way to embrace the colder, darker days, giving you reasons to look forward to the month rather than to fear it. Browse our bumper ‘could-do’ list of ways to enjoy November below. You could do them all, pick just a few, swap them or customise them as you wish. Here’s to learning to love November!

1st: Celebrate Mexico’s Day of the Dead with paper flower garlands and a feast

2nd: Bake Soul Cakes for All Souls Day

3rd: Toast marshmallows on a firepit (or indoors if it’s too wet)

4th: Make a Guy from newspaper and old clothes for Bonfire Night

5th: Watch some fireworks and say ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’ as warranted

6th: Make autumnal squash or pumpkin soup

7th: Spend some time with your Teddy Bear for Hug a Bear Day

8th: Get some early mince pies in and start writing Christmas cards

9th: Compile a November reading list of cosy books

10th: Light a candle in the evening

11th: Wear a new, non-plastic, poppy for Remembrance Day, or just remember a loved one in your own quiet way

12th: Spend a day slow cooking, savouring the time simply spent on the task

13th: Go for a walk somewhere new at lunchtime to make the most of the daylight

14th: Start a new craft project to see you through winter

15th: Make up jars of toppings for porridge to make your mornings cheerier

16th: Tell ghost stories with friends

17th: As if you needed an excuse, it’s Homemade Bread Day, so get kneading

18th: Re-read an ‘old favourite’ book

19th: Make your bedroom cosy and winter ready with blankets and throws

20th: Mark World Television Day by cosying up with a box set

21st: Celebrate ‘World Hello Day’ by greeting 10 strangers

22nd: Collect colourful leaves on a woodland walk

23rd: Invite friends over for a board games evening

24th: Buy an advent calendar (a proper one with beautiful pictures) ready for next week

25th: Mark Thanksgiving with a meal for family or friends or just a quiet moment of counting your blessings

26th: Make your Christmas pud on Sitr-up Sunday

27th: See if you can spot the full moon today. It’s called the Beaver Moon, or Frost Moon

28th: Hug a tree to mark the second day of National Tree Week

29th: Embrace the dark with a night hike

30th: Cook a Scottish dish such as kedgeree or haggis for St Andrew’s Day

For more inspiration on feeling better about this time of year, read ‘How I Learned to Love November’ in our November (of course!) issue.

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More from our November issue…

More ways to enjoy November…

Tipple | Hot Cranberry Toddy

Boozy or not, this hot cocktail looks almost too pretty to drink and is a warming, wintry way to welcome guests or just to enjoy a quiet, dark November night at home. It’s a good way to warm up after you’ve been watching the fireworks, too.

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 satsumas, peeled and segmented
5cm of fresh ginger root
8 x star anise
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp juniper berries
4 x 10cm cinnamon sticks
1ltr unsweetened cranberry juice
2 tbsp honey
2 shots of whisky (optional)
for the topping:
2 tbsp unrefined golden sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon

To make

1 Place all the ingredients (except for the topping ingredients) into a large pan over a medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, while stirring, for 10 mins.

2 Meanwhile, mix the topping ingredients in a dish. Slightly dampen the top of each glass with a little water, then dip into the sugar mix.

3 Strain the hot spiced cranberry juice through a sieve into each glass, then add two star anise, a cinnamon stick and a few satsuma segments to each glass to garnish.

4 Add half a shot of whisky to each, if desired, and serve while still warm.

This Hot Cranberry Toddy is just one of the recipes from our November Gathering Pages, which we’ve called ‘Craft-A-Peel’. It’s a menu of snacks and finger foods to fuel you and a few friends while you make decorations for winter together. It also includes recipes for Pomegranate and Goat’s Cheese Bites, French Chestnut Soup, Spiced Flatbreads, Stollen Traybake and a Turmeric Hot Tipple. The recipes and styling are by Kay Prestney and the photography is by Rebecca Lewis.

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More from our November issue…

More tipples to try…

Make | a pumpkin beer keg

Because there’s lots more fun to be had with a pumpkin than just carving it

Fancy making this pumpking beer keg as a centrepiece for your own pumpkin party or Halloween celebrations? Of course you do! You’re only human! Inserting a spigot into a hollowed-out pumpkin will transform it into a keg that’ll give your favourite tipple a subtle flavour and keep it cool till pumpkin time.

You will need

Pumpkin Knife
Spoon
Ruler
Spigot (tap)
Sharpie
Drill
Seasonal beer

1 Cut off the crown of the pumpkin and set aside. Scoop out all of the pumpkin seeds (save the seeds to toast later if you wish). 
2 After measuring the diameter of your spigot, select a drill bit 2mm smaller so your spigot will fit snugly and be ‘beer tight’. 
3 Mark and drill a hole towards the base of the pumpkin. Insert the spigot into the hole. 
4 Fill with seasonal beer and replace the crown. 
5 Allow to infuse for a couple of hours and enjoy. 

This make was first featured in our Pumpkin Party ‘Gathering’ in our October 2019 issue, with recipes by Bex Long, including beetroot raita, parsnip soup, acorn squash with chermoula dressing, sausage rolls, kale, walnut and pomegranate salad and more. It’s so autumnal it’s enough to burnish your conkers. You can buy a copy of the back issue from our online store.

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More from our October 2023 issue…

More pumpkinspiration…

Sponsored post | Neptune's Natural Vision

Elegance and craftsmanship are at the heart of all Neptune creates, ensuring its designs will be loved for generations

As established furniture designers with a passion for sustainability, Neptune champions craftsmanship alongside modern engineering, to create homes that feel both timeless and contemporary.

Effortless style

With classic lines and natural materials, Neptune’s latest collection spans oak furniture, kilim rugs, brass lighting and textural accessories, and works effortlessly in any home, whether it’s a city, town, or country property.

Take the new Stratford table which nods to the clean lines of Mid-Century modern design, and features a uniquely engineered castellated pedestal base, or the gracefully proportioned Kenilworth dining chair with its slim birch frame and chalked oak seat, while, the compact Ardingly desk converts to an elegant console. And enveloping the whole season is Neptune’s subtle new paint shade – Potter’s Pink – an earthy hue with the textured look of raw clay and fresh plaster.

The Neptune Ethos

The Neptune vision is simple: a focus on using natural materials where possible, a spotlight on quality craftsmanship and joinery, and a commitment to excellence in both design services and customer service – something that’s evident in every one of its 30-plus stores throughout the UK and Europe.

However, what really unites every Neptune collection is an attention to detail that ensures the timber kitchens and homeware collections are designed and made to last. Indeed, Neptune’s mission is to create furniture that will last 100 years and beyond, supporting a sustainable manufacturing approach and bringing joy to future generations.

To find your nearest store and to see the latest collection, visit neptune.com or follow on Insta at: @neptunehomeofficial.

Recipe | Sausages with Green Lentils & Salsa Verde

Move over mash! Pair your bangers with lentils for a rich and filling feast with a little kick.

Serves 4

300g green lentils (we got ours from hodmedods.co.uk)

Olive oil

250g bacon lardons

1 onion, finely diced

2 celery sticks, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

2 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 pork sausages

A splash of cider vinegar

For the salsa verde:

1 small bunch of basil, finely chopped

1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 small bunch of mint, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp capers, rinsed and finely chopped

1 tbsp cider vinegar

4 tbsp olive oil

3-4 anchovy fillets

How to make

1 Rinse the lentils in cold water and leave to soak for 30 mins.

2 To make the salsa verde, place the herbs, garlic and capers in a blender. Add the vinegar, olive oil and anchovies, along with a good pinch of salt and black pepper, blitz to combine. Check the seasoning, adding more if necessary.

3 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the lardons and fry for about 5 mins, or until crispy and golden. Add the onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves and cook for 10 mins more over a medium–low heat, or until they’re very, very soft but without much colour. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 mins.

4 Add the soaked and drained lentils and 1 teaspoon of salt and stir until they’re well coated with the oil and veg, then add enough cold water to cover the lentils by about 1cm. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 mins, or until tender, topping up with a little more boiling water if necessary.

5 With the lentils cooking, fry the sausages in a little oil for 8–10 mins, or until cooked. Remove from heat.

6 Remove the lentils from the heat and add a splash of vinegar to taste. Check the seasoning. Serve the lentils with the sausages and a big dollop of the salsa verde.

This recipe is taken from Pipers Farm: The Sustainable Meat Cookbook by Abby Allen & Rachel Lovell (Kyle Books). Photography: Matt Austin. The sausages with lentils are just one of the ideas for autumnal recipes featured in our November issue.

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More autumnal recipes…

More from our November issue…

November | Things to Appreciate

A few things to see this month, and a thing to do, too

They say it’s not about where you go; it’s about the journey. A day out spent on a train is very much in that spirit. There’s something a bit romantic about a train journey, whether you do it alone or take a friend along for the ride. All you need is some good scenery, a travel board game (we favour Travel Scrabble) or a book and a train picnic. And we’re talking a Proper Picnic, here. Hamper, flask of tea, cake, sausage rolls, the lot. Perhaps leave the hard-boiled eggs at home for the sake of your fellow passengers, though.

A steam train journey brings instant atmosphere, with the sound of whistles, heavy carriage doors slamming and the smell of the coal. Almost wherever you are in the country there will be a steam railway near you, from the Bluebell Railway in West Sussex to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. But you don’t have to step back in time to enjoy a scenic rail route. Londonderry to Coleraine is arguably one of the prettiest train journeys in the UK, with fabulous sea views. An equally lovely coastal trip is the newly reopened Exeter to Dawlish line. Find a scenic rail route near you, but make sure you leave just enough time for tea and a scone in the station café at the other end before the whistle blows for the return leg. 

This idea for a day out was featured on our Almanac Pages, where each month we collate a few seasonal things to note and notice, plan and do. The nature table image above was taken by Alice Tatham of The Wildwood Moth who takes a photograph for our back cover each month, featuring things to appreciate in nature. She also runs workshops on seasonal photography and publishes seasonal journal stories from her home in Dorset.

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More from our back cover nature tables…

More from our blog…

Competition | Win a Janome Overlocker

Give your sewing a professional finish with a Janome overlooker worth £329

Take your home sewing to the next level with a Janome overlocker. Also known as serger*, an overlocker can sew a seam, finish the edge, and trim off the excess fabric all in one step, even on stretch knits and speciality fabrics, giving your projects a really professional finish. And we have one to give away to a TST reader.

For more than 100 years, since the company’s foundation in 1921, JANOME has strived to expand the sewing industry boundaries through the continuous development and creation of new and innovative machines and has just announced the production of its 75 millionth sewing machine. Did you know, And here’s a fun fact - if 75 million units of Janome’s latest quilting machine the MC9480QCP were lined up together, they would stretch all the way around the earth! (That’s 40,125 kilometres or 24,932 miles for those of you who didn’t know.)

That’s quite a journey! But wherever you are on your own sewing journey, JANOME has a machine for you. They work together with retailers, sewing groups and experts all over the UK to help inspire more people to take up the craft and to help those on the journey take their sewing projects to the next stage.

* The word ‘serger’ is used more commonly in The States. We tend to call it an overlocker. The term derives from an Old French word ‘sarge’ meaning a coarse, woollen cloth.

What you could win

We have one Janome 9300DX Overlocker to give away.

The Janome 9300DX gives you a wide range of overlocking features in a compact machine. Its sturdy design and precise Janome stitch performance ensures a professional finish every time. It comes pre-threaded and has a built-in rolled hem feature (no plate change) for easy changeover.

How to enter

To enter, simply click on the button below and answer the following question:

Q: In what year was the Janome company founded?

Terms and Conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 4th December 2023. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 of the magazine and online at at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Project | Make Seed Bombs

For an explosion of flowers in a neglected patch of land, seed bombs are a fun way of
guerrilla gardening.

You will need:

Seeds (1 part)
Peat-free compost (5 parts)
Powdered red clay (available online and at most craft shops) 2–3 parts
Mixing bowl Plates

1 How many bombs you make will depend on how many seeds you have. It’s easiest to do this recipe using cups (actual cups, rather than US measurements) – for one cup of seeds, you’ll need 5 cups of compost and 2–3 cups of powdered clay.

2 Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and mix, then gradually add cold water until it begins to bind together – you don’t want it too wet.

3 Roll the mixture into meatball-sized balls (making sure each ball has plenty of seeds in it). Place the balls on a plate to dry out in the sun.

4 Once dried, throw them on to soil and cross your fingers for flowers. They make great gifts, especially if you put a few in a hessian bag.

Maker’s note: You can make these using air-drying clay, too. Simply take a large lump of clay and flatten it into a circle, sprinkle over compost and seeds then squish it all together so the seeds are evenly distributed. Pull off lumps of the mix and roll into balls, or roll it out and cut shapes using cookie cutters before allowing to air dry.

This project was taken from our feature Gather, Grow and Gift in our October issue, a collection of ideas for makes involving seeds, including seed papers and seed packets as well as these seed bombs.

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More seed inspiration…

More from our October issue…

Sponsored Post | Meet the People of Cupsmith

We sit down for a cuppa with Emma Crawford, founding partner of Cupsmith, and find out when the idea for a hot drinks brand first started brewing…

Kettle’s on. Tell us, how did Cupsmith come about?

It started 10 years ago, when I was maternity leave. We’d moved from London to the countryside and I missed my favourite coffee shop and a proper cup of coffee. There was nothing that hit the mark nearby, so in desperation, me and my husband George learnt to roast our own! What followed was months of learning from mistakes and making tweaks until we got it right. That’s when we realised there was a gap for an easy-to-drink, brilliant-tasting coffee at home without all the baffling jargon.

You clearly love your coffee! Have things changed much over the past decade?

Oh yes, the hot drinks market has absolutely exploded. Fortunately, we’ve managed to keep pace – so much so, that we recently had to move to a larger factory as we’d outgrown our last one. We now have an extensive range of speciality coffees, teas and hot chocolates and we’re stocked in high-end retailers, such as Waitrose, Ocado and Selfridges.

What keeps you so passionate about the industry?

We’re just so proud of our brand. We will never compromise on taste as we believe that if we didn’t enjoy our drinks, why would we sell them. We’re particularly proud of the fact that we still make it all ourselves in small batches, overseeing everything from buying ingredients to roasting to packing and shipping.

And what is it that you’re most proud of?

I think it’s that we’re able to give people that ‘first sip bliss’ – you know, the moment when you pause, relax and go “ahhhhh” as that first sip touches your lips.

We know how busy people are and how they’re often bogged down by never-ending to-do lists, but we’re committed to slowing things down a little and giving our customers the opportunity to enjoy a few minutes to themselves with a truly exceptional cup of coffee, tea and hot chocolate. We’re also pretty chuffed with our eco credentials.

Oh yes?

Totally, we’re super passionate about our ethical and sustainability status. We only use speciality coffee beans to ensure that the supply chain remains transparent and that farmers are paid more than Fairtrade for their crops than regular coffee. We also only use single-origin Colombian chocolate, which is 100% slave-free and our teas are made with organic ingredients in a bid to protect biodiversity. All of our products are packaged in recyclable materials, while our hot chocolates and teas are 100% plastic-free, too.

So what’s next for Cupsmith?

We’ve been working on a new look and feel for the brand, which we’re really excited to share with our customers, so keep your eyes peeled. And, of course, we want to continue helping people to thoroughly enjoy that ‘first sip bliss’.

This sounds heavenly, Emma – can you share what your ideal ‘first sip bliss’ moment would be?

That’s easy, it would involve a cup of our Breakfast Coffee. I’m a morning lark rather than a night owl, so I love sitting at the kitchen table before anyone else in the house has stirred, listening to the countryside coming to life outside. Our Breakfast blend is bold yet smooth and really puts a spring in my step, meaning that I’m ready to tackle whatever the day has to throw at me.

Reader discount

See Cupsmith’s full range at cupsmith.com or follow on Instagram at: @cupsmith. Readers of The Simple Things can enjoy an exclusive 20% off any product. Simply enter SIMPLECUP at checkout. Offer only available at cupsmith.com. Valid until 31 Dec 2023.

Create | Fairytale Story Starters

We all love a fairy story. If you fancy getting creative and penning your own, all you need is a handful of fairytale tropes and a sprinkling of magic. 

Fancy yourself as a Brother (or Sister) Grimm? Fairytales lend themselves to rewritings and reimaginings, with their familiar tropes and age-old stories. Find a quiet spot, gather your writing materials (and a Thermos of coffee to sustain you) then choose three of the fairytale tropes from our list below as a starting point for a story. We’ll see you at ‘happy ever after’. 

Pick three of these fairytale tropes to inspire your story

1. A mirror

2. A castle

3. A princess

4. A deep forest

5. A stepmother

6. A witch

7. A child given up as payment by their parents

8. Royalty disguised as someone in poverty

9. Frogs

10. Enforced hardship and hard work

11. Humans disguised as animals

12. Wishes granted

13. Things happening in threes

14. Rules being broken

15. Animals being kind to humans

16. Dragons

17. Wolves

18. Damsels in Distress

19. Knights in Shining Armour

20. Loving fathers

21. Objects imbued with magic

22. Poison

23. Dances and balls

24. Long hair and long beards

25. Gruesome endings

If you’d like to learn a little more about fairytales and their roots, read our feature, Once Upon Some Times, in our October issue.

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More memories from childhood books…

More from our October issue…

Competition | Mark Pyjama O' Clock with a £250 voucher for Yawn

With the softest of cottons, considered design and unique prints, Yawn nightwear will have you preparing for an early night

Surely one of the best things about the nights drawing in is that we all have a good excuse to get into our pyjamas just that little bit earlier. Alice Whitely knew this only too well and it was the catalyst for setting up Yawn, her beautiful nightwear business, back in 2014.

Alice’s vision was to create pyjamas that felt like a hug – characterful and colourful designs that made women feel happy and comfortable, both whilst sleeping and relaxing at home. Along with friends Roly and Phil, they searched fruitlessly for the ideal fabric, eventually opting to make their own, sourcing organic cotton to produce a fabric that’s naturally supersoft, temperate regulating and breathable. Add to that thoughtful designs with attention to even the smallest detail, such as French seams, reinforced buttonholes, corozo buttons and pockets (who doesn’t love a pocket, hey?). But what really makes Yawn pyjamas extra fun are their hand-drawn or painted prints, each with a hidden quirky detail, from whales hiding in stormy seas, to a forest fox, to a cheeky skinny dipper.

If you’re already checking your watch, wondering if it’s pyjama o’clock yet, then you’re in luck. The Simple Things has teamed up with Yawn to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a £250 voucher each. So, you too could soon be snuggled in the softest of jammies and enjoying that extra special Yawn hug. However, if you’re not a winner this time, might we suggest that they make a wonderful gift (hint, hint), whether treating a loved one… or yourself!

To see the full collection, visit loveyawn.com or follow on Instagram at: @yawnlondon.

How to enter

For your chance to win one of two £250 vouchers, enter our competition at thesimplethings.com/blog/yawn2023by clicking the button below by the closing date of 6 December 2023 and answering the following question.

Q: In which year was Yawn set up?

Terms & Conditions

The competition closes at 11.59pm on 6 December 2023. Two winners will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. Subject to availability. The winners cannot transfer their prize or swap for cash. Details of our full terms and conditions are on p125 and online at icebergpress.co.uk/comprules.

Playlist | Threads

Our latest playlist celebrates the clothes that we wear. Take a listen here.
After more playlists? Visit our Spotify profile for a browse and find playlists on themes including Harvest and An autumn mood: both lovely for a listen this month.

Our November issue, THREAD, is on sale from 25 October. Visit picsandink.com to order a copy, or pick one up from your local shop.

Recipe | A Stir-Up Sunday Pudding

Sticky, sweet and steamy, this is a pudding packed with wintry flavours and spicy aromas to enjoy making now and then enjoy eating in a few short weeks.

Celebrating moments and traditions is a lovely way to mark the passing of the weeks in these last months of the year. One such tradition is Stir-Up Sunday, which this year falls on 26 November. If you fancy stirring up a pudding ready for Christmas, you might like this pudding with a fruity twist.

Ingredients

150g dried figs
150g Medjool dates
100g dried cranberries
100g raisins
200g Demerara sugar
3 tbsp rum, brandy or whisky
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
75g fresh white breadcrumbs
75g plain flour
2 tsp mixed spice
50g almonds
100g butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing
2 large eggs

Method

1. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to snip the dried figs into small pieces, about the size of a raisin. Squash the dates and pull out the stones, then finely chop the dates.

2. Pop the figs and dates in a large mixing bowl with the dried cranberries, raisins and Demerara sugar. Pour over the liquor and the juice of 2 oranges. Tip in the orange zest. Mix well and cover with a clean tea towel. Leave overnight (or for at least 6 hrs) to soak, so most of the liquid is absorbed and the sugar begins to dissolve.

3. Add the breadcrumbs, flour and mixed spice to the soaked fruit. Finely chop the almonds and add them to the bowl. Stir well to combine.

4. Add the room temperature butter to a separate bowl and beat till smooth and creamy. Crack in 1 egg and beat into the butter. Crack in the second egg and beat til combined – it will look a little lumpy, but don't worry. Add to the dried fruit mix and fold to combine. Try to mix in all the butter and not leave any unincorporated lumps.

5. Generously butter a 1 ltr pudding basin. Spoon the mixture into the basin. Cover with a pleated piece of buttered foil (the fold in the foil allows for expansion) with the buttered side towards the pudding. Push the foil down around the edges of the basin and tie it in place with kitchen string, so no steam can escape. Make a string handle so it's easier to lift the whole thing out of the pan.

6. Place the basin in a steamer above some water or stand it on a rack in a large pan. Pour water into the pan so that it comes half way up the basin. Bring to the boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 6 hrs for a light pudding, or 8 hours for a darker one. Check the water level now and then as it may need to be topped up.

7. If you're not serving the pudding straight away, allow the pudding to cool completely. Replace the foil with a new piece and make sure it is well sealed. Store somewhere cool and dry for up to 1 year. To reheat the pudding, steam or simmer it in water for about 1 hr. Turn the warm pudding out onto a plate and serve with cream, custard or brandy butter.

Photography by Abel & Cole

This recipe is by Rachel de Thample for Abel & Cole. You can find this and more recipes on the Abel & Cole website. In our November issue, Lucy Brazier embraces the joy of marking traditions and making your own throughout the year, and shares her Stir-Up Sunday memories.

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More Stir-Up Sunday traditions…

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Sponsored post | Visit Wales, the Land of Wellness and Wonder

Visit Wales during the quieter months for a getaway that will leave you recharged, refreshed and raring to return

As we navigate autumn and the ebb of seasons to cooler climes, it’s natural that our thoughts turn to a restorative getaway to lift the spirits ahead of the winter months. If you’re after a break that offers something different to the everyday, then forget waiting around in crowded departure lounges. Wales is easily accessible from all over the UK – in less than two hours by train from London, you could be enjoying great food, traditional delicacies, a rich tapestry of history and culture and dramatic scenery. You may be met with a cheerful Croeso i Gymru, too (that’s ‘welcome to Wales’ for those not in the know), as the locals proudly invite you to experience the best of their country.

Visit now and you’ll avoid the crowds while the mild weather means that you can still make the most of being outdoors. Whether it’s a gentle stroll or a more challenging hike that brings colour to your cheeks, 2023 is Wales’ Year of Trails and there are plenty of well-trodden routes to excite the senses. Perhaps you’ll head to Bwlch Nant yr Arian, near Aberystwyth, for the chance to spot a graceful red kite, now thriving in the area after successful conservation measures. Or perhaps navigate a stretch of the Wales Coast Path – there’s 870 miles to choose from – where you might catch a glimpse of dolphins or porpoises – Cardigan Bay is ideal for this. Autumn’s the time to try and spot new seal pups basking on the shoreline, especially around Marloes Peninsula and the islands of Skomer (also home to puffins), Skokholm and Grassholm, off the Pembrokeshire coast. Just don’t forget the binoculars.

And should you find the clear, rippling waters too tempting to resist, then a wild swim may help to blow away the cobwebs. Wild swimming has many benefits, such as helping to boost mood, immunity and circulation while reducing stress and inflammation – however, it’s vital to find an experienced group, such as Wild Swim Wales, which can offer guided adventures to help you enjoy the experience safely.

Somewhere where you can enjoy wild bathing under the watchful eye of experts is The Dreaming (thedreaming.co.uk) in rural Powys, the wellness retreat set up by Charlotte Church. Here, you can digitally detox, with sessions created to help you rest and reconnect with nature. With offerings such as sound healing, nature crafting and woodland foraging, you can do as much or as little as suits. If this sounds tempting, then see our prize draw below for a chance to win a wellness retreat for two at The Dreaming.

Meanwhile, if good food and drink forms the basis of your ideal break, then you’ll be spoilt for choice with a plethora of eateries serving produce that’s been grown, reared or caught locally. Several food and drink festivals are taking place this season, including the Mid-Wales Beer Festival, with organised events including the Real Ale Ramble, which kicks off from Llanwrtyd Wells. A walk with a well-earned drink at the end? Now that really does sound like something to raise a glass and say Iechyd da! (your good health!) to.

For more information, see visitwales.com

Win a Wellness Retreat for Two at The Dreaming

Enter the prize draw below and you could win:

• A three-day midweek or weekend retreat, staying in the Dawn Room

• All nourishing breakfasts, lunches and dinners included

• All refreshments

• Specialist retreat sessions and workshops

• Two natural plunge pools for wild bathing

• Free roam of all 47 acres, including ancient woodland

• Digital detox and cleanse

• Nature crafting sessions

How to enter

For a chance to win a wellness retreat at The Dreaming, enter at visitwales.com/simplethings by the closing date of 5pm on 7 January 2024.

Terms & Conditions

The competition closes at 5pm on 7 January 2024. One winner will be selected at random from all correct entries received and notified soon after. The prize draw is open to all UK residents aged over the age of 18 years. Subject to availability. The winner cannot transfer the prize or swap it for cash. Details of the full terms and conditions can be found at visitwales.com/simplethings.