How are we already talking about Christmas!?

I know, we've barely had time to get over Halloween and Bonfire Night, but here we are, and the countdown to Christmas is officially in full force at Choowee!

I thought it would be a good time to give you all a peek into what really goes on behind the scenes. Because although you might see the finished cookies, the gift boxes and all the events we attend, there's actually a whole lot of other stuff happening that you don't see. 

From creating new flavours (some successful, some not so much!), meeting our lovely customers and planning months ahead for Christmas, there's never really a dull moment. So, grab a cuppa, get comfy and let's have a little catch-up.

One of the best things about running my own business is that I can pretty much do what I want when it comes to experimenting with new flavours. There's no big rulebook, no one telling me what I can and can't make. Sometimes I just have an idea and think, 'I wonder if that would work?' And then I give it a go and see where it leads me. 

Some ideas turn out brilliantly, others need a little tweaking, and occasionally they end up in the 'let's not do that again' pile! But that's all part of the fun. 

I absolutely love being able to create flavours that are a little bit different. You won't necessarily find some of our combinations on the supermarket shelves or in the bigger high street chains, and that's what makes it so special to me. 

We also love using ingredients that are grown much closer to home. Did you know that our autumn Caramel Apple Cookie included apples grown right here in our own garden? It feels so special that so many of our cookies have such a lovely story behind them. 

It's all about being able to play around, try new combinations, listen to what you lovely lot enjoy and create something a little different. Sometimes those little bakery experiments turn into some of our favourite flavours!

Here's something I do say a lot, but I mean it... one of my favourite things about owning Choowee is actually getting out there and meeting you all. Whether it's at a big event, a little pop-up, dropping off orders or visiting our wholesale stockists, I am so lucky to meet so many wonderful people along the way. 

Places like Doddington Hall in Lincoln and Uncle Henry's in Gainsborough have introduced me to some wonderful customers, and it's always great seeing familiar faces too. 

I love hearing what you think of the cookies, understanding which flavours you enjoy the most and having a good old chinwag. Sometimes it's a quick hello, sometimes it's a much longer chat, but every time I love hearing your feedback. It really does help me to think about what to bake next, which flavours to bring back and what we could introduce. 

After all, you're the ones enjoying the cookies, so I think it's only fair that you get a say!

So, back to Christmas...

Now, you might actually be wondering when Christmas planning actually starts at Choowee. Well, probably a lot earlier than you think! While most people are enjoying the last of summer, I'm already thinking about Christmas flavours. August and September are usually when the ideas really start coming together. 

What did everyone love last year? Which flavours shall we bring back? What new combinations could we try? And what would our wonderful customers love to see in this year's Christmas boxes? 

There's lots of tasting, experimenting and making changes before we settle on the final selection. Then, once Halloween and Bonfire Night are out the way, it's pretty much Christmas all the way!

November is when things really start to get busy. We've got festive events to prepare for, Christmas orders to organise and LOTS of baking to plan. 

November also brings two of our biggest Christmas events of the year, and they are just around the corner. First up, we'll be at the In Good Hands Festive Artisan Market at Healing Manor from 13th - 15th November, followed by the Lincs Food and Gift Fair at the Lincolnshire Show Ground on 27th - 29th November. 

We're really looking forward to both events and can't wait to bring along plenty of our festive cookie flavours. So, if you're visiting either event, come and say hello, have a little browse and pick up some festive treats. It's never too early for a Christmas cookie, is it? 

It's a busy time of the year there's no denying that, but it's also one of my favourite times of the year. I love getting creative with festive flavours and seeing everything come together. 

And talking of Christmas, have you seen that our Christmas Boxes are now available?

Of course, I couldn't write a blog about the countdown to Christmas without giving you a sneak peek at what's baking this year...

• Ferrero Rocher Cookie Slabs
• Gingerbread and Chocolate Cookies
• Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies
• Mince Pie Cookies
• Chocolate Orange Cookies
• Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies
• Coconut Snowballs

And yes, our very popular Caramel Cookie Christmas Puddings are back too! 

We've got different gift box options available for collection and postage, depending on what's inside. Some of our cookies are a little too delicate to travel through the post, so we've made sure there's an option to suit everyone. 

Whether you're looking for a Christmas gift for a friend, something lovely for your colleagues in the office, a box to share with the family or just a little treat for yourself (because why not), there's plenty of festivities to choose from. And remember, cookie calories don't count at Christmas! 

You can find all the details and order your Christmas Boxes on our website, and if you're anything like me, it's never too early to start thinking about Christmas treats. 

So, that's a little look at what goes on at Choowee HQ. There's always something happening, whether that's experimenting with a new flavour, planning our next event, catching up with customers or getting everything prepared for the festive season. I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. 

As Choowee approaches its seventh Christmas, I feel incredibly lucky to have so many lovely customers who keep coming back, support us at events and follow along with everything we do. 

So whether you've ordered from us once, visited us at events, picked up cookies from one of our stockists or you simply follow us on social media, thank you!

Right, I'd better get back to baking. Christmas isn't going to organise itself, is it?!

Sian x