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Hen Corner

  • About
  • Courses
    • Online/Virtual Courses
    • Business Start Up
    • Retreats
    • Chickens & Bees
    • Bread & Baking
    • Artisan Food & Drink
    • Preserving
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Hen Corner

2020 – Our Best Nine

Blog
| 30th December 2020
Whilst we could have simply looked back at ‘the year that was’ sadly remembering all the events and celebrations that were cancelled, I’ve been reminded that, by publishing the year as it evolves on social media, we have an instant ‘scrapbook’ of snippets to look back at, as a record of the good times in all their photographic glory…

This recent trend to share our #BestNine, the nine Instagram posts that attracted the most likes, is a great way to look back with thankfulness at the little highlights that our followers applauded with a little ‘double tap’.

So let me explain the stories behind our most popular photos, from top left:

1 – Introducing our new Online/Virtual courses (297 likes)

If you’d told me this time last year that I’d be teaching guests in America how to make sausages, people in France how to keep chickens, new friends in Switzerland how to bake bread and families in Scotland how to to make Christmas wreaths – I would never have believed you!

2 – Teaching bread to hundreds of virtual guests in their own kitchens (199 likes)

Seeing myself explain the techniques of working the dough, live in someone else’s kitchen is really quite surreal! But something we are going to continue doing through our range of Online/Virtual Courses for the foreseeable future…

3 – Celebrating my 50th Birthday in lockdown (187 likes)

Superbly organised by my wonderful husband Andy – Thanks, I had a great time!

4 – Beautiful eggs from our lovely ladies (173 likes)

The Hens at the Corner continue to be the stars of the show, especially when eggs were on the ‘hard to get list’ earlier in the year…

5 – Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Hen Corner (158 likes)

With a lovely new portrait from Country Living Magazine! We also released a fab new film looking back and forward:

6 – Festive fun with my newly discovered passion for Open Water Swimming (153 likes)

Who would have thought that I’d be swimming in a lake in December??? I’m so glad to have discovered this new hobby, it has been such a gift especially this year…

7 – Starting a new Christmas tradition: Harvesting vegetables for the festive feast fresh from the allotment (145 likes)

So thankful for my other new hobby this year, it’s given me fresh purpose and challenge outside of the house

8 – One of our favourite hens; Nandos the Pekin Bantam (139 likes)

Sadly she died of old age later in the year, but will always remain a pin up girl!

9 – Harvesting the first crop down the plot (136 likes)

After months of clearing brambles, rubble and fly tipped junk. We’ve achieved quite a lot at the allotment this year, but there’s still a long way to go. My aim is to have food available to harvest throughout the year; something to bring to the planning meeting with my plot buddy next month.

All through this challenging year, I’ve tried to maintain an #attitudeofgratitude, literally counting my blessings every day and thanking God for His faithfulness as I’ve tried to do my best for my family, my customers and my local community.

My #TopNine this year has no famous faces, well we couldn’t go out to meet anyone could we, but it definitely reflects another year of adventure and celebration.

Other highlights, not featured in the photos, are the three significant awards that we won:

1 – Named as one of the Top 100 Changemakers of 2020 by The Big Issue, see more here

2 – Winning TWO Bronze Medals at the World Marmalade Awards, see more here, and check out our new season marmalade courses both in person and online/virtual

3 – Seeing our Christmas Pudding receive a Great Taste Award, full story here

Not forgetting the mountain of flour that we used whilst baking for hundreds of local households throughout the most challenging months of the year…

As the calendar page quietly turns to reveal 2021, with a significant lack of pomp and ceremony, I have much lower expectations, no grand plans, but a peaceful sense of carrying on with my family by my side.

What more could I ask for?

2020 – Our Best Nine was last modified: December 30th, 2020 by Sara Ward
#2020#AttitudeofGratitude#BestNine#NewYear#TheYearThatWas#TopNine
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2 comments

Pia Larsson 4th January 2021 at 1:40 pm

What a wonderful round-up of the year, despite all the challenges faced! I really enjoyed my Virtual Introduction to Beekeeping course and am looking forward to booking more in this new year 🙂

Reply
Sara Ward 4th January 2021 at 2:31 pm

Thanks Pia, it was great to have you join us last year and, for many good reasons, the virtual courses are here to stay, along with small group face to face sessions as and when allowed!

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SOME OF OUR COURSES:

Family Feathers & Fun

29th May 2016

An afternoon for the whole family in the garden at Hen Corner… You will be welcomed with home made refreshments and introduced to the joys of keeping chickens!

Bagels & Rye (Virtual Course via Zoom)

2nd October 2020

Pop on your pinny and roll up your sleeves, this special course has been designed to help develop your artisan culinary skills as we create beautiful bread together from our London kitchen…

Christmas Wreaths

19th September 2016

Using trimmings from the garden and a selection of ribbons and decorations; this special course has been designed to bring together friends as we make a Christmas Wreath at the beginning of the festive season…

Christmas Puddings (Virtual Course via Zoom)

3rd October 2019

Bring your pinny and roll up your sleeves, this special course has been designed to help us usher in Advent as we make our Christmas puddings together...

Stir Up Sunday – Christmas Puddings

22nd September 2016

Bring your pinny and roll up your sleeves, this special course has been designed to help us usher in Advent as we make our Christmas puddings together...

Marvellous Marmalade (Virtual Course via Zoom)

19th November 2020

Whilst the ground may look cold and barren in midwinter London, it's a different story in sunny Spain - the Seville oranges are in season...

Toast and Marmalade Day

20th October 2016

Whilst the ground may look cold and barren in midwinter London, it's a different story in sunny Spain - the Seville oranges are in season...

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About Hen Corner

We are Hen Corner. We love the bee keepers, the veggie bed diggers, the jam makers and cider drinkers, the chicken fanciers and the real bread bakers. But not just in the deepest darkest countryside or the far, far away villages but right here in our cities and towns.

Recent Posts

  • It’s a new dawn, It’s a new day…
    In Blog
    11th January 2021
  • 2020 – Our Best Nine
    In Blog
    30th December 2020
  • Merry Christmas from all at Hen Corner!
    In Blog
    22nd December 2020
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    In Blog
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Sorry to share two dinners in a row, but these #Fo Sorry to share two dinners in a row, but these #Fowey mussels from @abelandcole were so amazing!
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🥖🍞🥯🍞🥖
Here at the Hen Corner Bakery it’s New Year, New Here at the Hen Corner Bakery it’s New Year, New Breads!
Today’s tough job is baking trial loaves to 1) taste 2) photograph for the website... Here is our new Sunflower & Honey loaf, using fabulous flour from @wessexmill and local honey 🍯 
Yummy yummy, pass the butter please 🍞🥖🥖
On one of the coldest days of the year, confident On one of the coldest days of the year, confident that it hasn’t been warm enough for the queen bees to have laid eggs recently - so no babies, we open the hives briefly to treat the honey bees for the nasty varroa mite.
I’m so excited, and relieved, to see a good amount of healthy happy bees in all three hives today 🐝🐝🐝 Yeah! 🤗
A little stroll to the plot for a New Year roll ca A little stroll to the plot for a New Year roll call...
Pleased to see so much food ready to harvest, especially in @saranov59’s beds!
In love with the huge artichokes and looking forward to the broad beans, garlic, leeks & carrots...
Whilst we could have simply looked back at ‘the Whilst we could have simply looked back at ‘the year that was’ sadly remembering all the events and celebrations that were cancelled, I’ve been reminded that, by publishing the year as it evolves on social media, we have an instant ‘scrapbook’ of snippets to look back at, as a record of the good times in all their photographic glory… Here’s my #bestnine with the story behind each picture in our recent #blogpost (link in bio)
#topnine
✨ Happy Twixmas ✨ Finding a little joy in eve ✨ Happy Twixmas ✨ 
Finding a little joy in every day... 
Looking back with thankfulness, looking forward with hope...
A new Christmas tradition with @wardybits - Stroll A new Christmas tradition with @wardybits - Strolling down to the #allotment to harvest the veg for the festive feast and take time to count our blessings over a mug of @teapigs tea... #attitudeofgratitude
✨🎄✨Merry Christmas to all our wonderful fri ✨🎄✨Merry Christmas to all our wonderful friends and followers ✨🎄✨ 
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Illustration by @macyward.art
Don’t be left in Tiers with your last minute Chr Don’t be left in Tiers with your last minute Christmas Shopping - Check out our wonderful range of online/virtual courses (from £25). Learning a new skill, from the comfort of your own home, is the gift that keeps on giving ✨🎄✨🎄✨🎄✨
Jolly festive fun in the lake this morning! ✨🎄❄️🏊🏻‍♀️❄️🎄✨ #christmas #swim #openwaterswimming #attitudeofgratitude #thankful
Fancy joining us for a *Free* Christmas Cookie Wor Fancy joining us for a *Free* Christmas Cookie Workshop (via Zoom) this Sunday, 13th Dec, 3pm? Register with @pobrentford (link on their website)...
#christmasbaking #christmasonline
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