A small confession and a big (50%!) discount

You may, on this occasion, wish to steady yourself, perhaps sit down with a nice cup of something calming, or alternatively a decent Bordeaux, (maybe not if you're reading this much before 9.00am), because I have a confession to make.

I took a day off this week.

This was Wednesday. Once again, therefore, I’ve found myself short of that most valuable of all resources we have at our command. Time. Before I get to the reasons for this excess, let me tell you that I’ve also got a range of Sabatier knives on offer at 50% off (somewhat limited stock) and appropriately timed grills from Le Creuset, to tempt you with later.

So, the reason that this missive maybe shorter than the norm is probably predictable, but if you’ve been following my meanderings for any length of time, you'll have picked up that there are very few things that would persuade me to take a holiday.

Firstly of course is that either Sigourney Weaver, Julia Roberts or Anne Hathaway demand that I whisk them away for a restorative break (no, not together, I have a strict moral code).

Second and entirely more likely, that my model railway in all its glory calls (Yeovil Pen Mill set in late spring 1922). You may be disappointed to hear that, in fact, it was the latter that was my reason for this unusual event. My chum Tim Peacock, a retired GP, also an excellent modeller, whose uncanny ability with a scalpel makes me think he had ambitions for loftier positions, came to impart his wisdom on Wednesday morning, arriving, as he is wont to do, on his Triumph 1100cc motor bike, that produces more power than my car!

We went over our plans for the day, principally to make the last baseboard (see photo) and overcome various design challenges, such as its island format and narrow width making it naturally unstable. By the time it came for him to leave, around four, we had addressed these issues and started to implement our decisions, having naturally made time for lunch (I knew you’d ask). We had Chicken Ceasar Salad, which as there are leftovers, I may pop home now and finish off for my lunch today (Thursday) as I write this.

Beginning of the day

End of the day!

This Chicken Caesar Salad was achieved in my favourite Demeyere Atlantis Uncoated Frying pan. "A pan of such magnificence that it ought to come with own Gospel choir” as one reviewer put it, a pan of such proportion, capacity and heat spread that you can do all the bacon and the chicken breast in one go.

This ability means one uses not only the bottom of the pan, but also the sides as well. The bacon handily sticks to this, leaving the chicken happily cooking, doing its stuff in the middle. Having sliced up the chicken with my go to Robert Welch Cook's Knife, chopped the bacon with my Robert Welch scissors (this is beginning to sound like a sales email!), all that remains is to put a generous measure of mayonnaise in a bowl, add garlic paste and lemon juice, deglaze the pan with a little hot water that adds nicely to the juices already there, mix well into the mayonnaise, giving me a thickish sauce. Some decent lettuce, hard boiled eggs and strips of anchovy complete the scene. Parmesan to taste.

And yes, even though I say it myself, it was bloody marvellous. Thanks to my daughter Jeanne (who learnt it from Babette) for teaching me all the tips and wrinkles that allowed this result.

So, with time ticking ever faster away, here are the two products (well one range and one product in two colours) that I promised you earlier.

Sabatier Edonist Knife Range

This is a modest range of high-quality knives from this well-known French manufacturer. With good deep blades on the Cook's Knives, so essential for saving one's knuckles, Bread Knife, Santoku Knife, a Paring Knife, a serrated Utility Knife, Carving Knife, Carving Fork and a Filleting blade to boot.

The handles on the knives, are smallish and roughly round in cross section, not dissimilar to Robert Welch. When I saw them for the first time, my gut reaction to their appearance was, “no, this isn’t a seller”, however one of the buying team insisted (that I was wrong!) on stocking them.

Sales have been underwhelming, so we're knocking them on the head, putting them out to pasture and retiring them. So, if you’ll take them off our hands we’ll reciprocate by giving you a 50% discount. The stock is now all ex-display, so may have the odd superficial mark or three. Don’t ask for more off, you’ll be getting a high-quality Sabatier blade with a slightly odd handle, cheap as chips, and you won't notice the odd cosmetic imperfection after a few days.

When all’s said and done, they are lovely knives, just with a somewhat odd design. Others might take a more charitable view, like another online retailer, who describes them as 'modern and unmistakeable'. I'll stick with odd and a bit niche!

Tell us who you are if coming into the shops or use code SAB50 if you are shopping online.

As with all sales of knives, Age Verified Delivery, at a cost of £6.95 will apply.

Le Creuset Round Grill 32cm

This offer is well timed as it happens, because amongst its more conventional uses of grilling steaks or fish on your hob, this grill shouts “put me on the BBQ”. 

They come in Volcanic and Cerise (Le Creuset's earliest and still most popular colours) and are 32cm in diameter. They have an RRP of £159.

We are currently selling them for £128 but for the next week at least, you may buy one for £98.00.

If your maths is a bit sketchy, that saves you over sixty quid off the RRP, or £30 off our current price.

That is that for this week.

May your knives stay sharp (they won't of their own accord, buy a Mino sharp) and your grills give you stripes.

I trust you have a pleasant and peaceful weekend.

Warm regards,

Andrew