Fablet-Fabulous Gourmet Tablet

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Wednesday, 23 July 2008

Ready!

As of about 10 minutes ago, everything is all set for this weekend's big event: Callander Highland Games!
We'll be in the craft tent for this fantastic event, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27.
Last year, Fablet's first outing at the Games, was a huge success - we sold out well before closing time on Sunday. So this year, to make sure no fan of fine Scottish butter tablet goes away disappointed, we've upped production a few notches.
The kitchen table was a tablet lover's dream tonight as bag after bag after bag was filled, sealed and labeled, ready to take along to Ben Ledi Park on Saturday morning.
It's been a busy few days, but it'll be worth it.
Callander Highland Games is one of our favourite events. Whether you're there for just one of the days or the whole weekend, there's a huge number of things to see and do.
Funfair rides, crafts, food, a dog show, police dog display, Highland dancing and, of course, all manner of implausibly muscled men and women throwing, hauling, tossing and otherwise manhandling many times their own bodyweight in felled timber.
The event is open from midday until 5pm both days, and the craft tent - which is where you'll find both Fablet and our lovely chums from the Longcroft Soap Company - is always full of fabulous things to see and buy from some of Scotland's leading craftsmen and women.
Of course, Fablet will have a wide range of favourite flavours to try and to buy, with plenty of free samples of our delicious Scottish sweets on offer throughout the weekend.
Classic Vanilla, Buttermint, Amaretto and Irish Cream are just a few of the goodies we've packed away for you this year, so come along and say hello!

Saturday, 19 July 2008

You get what you pay for

Fablet isn't cheap.
There, I've said it. It's out in the open at last.
Actually, it's no secret. Our famously fabulous Scottish butter tablet may cost a little more than some other brands out there, but there's a very good reason for that.
It's because it's better.
That's not just big-headedness or idle boasting. Our sweets are better because we don't take short-cuts. We don't use cut-price (and therefore low-quality) ingredients, and we don't leave it to machines to turn out vast quantities of confectionary.
These things make a difference. Buy some low-price tablet and take a look at the ingredients. Glucose syrup? What's that doing in there? Vanillin? Why use a cheap flavouring when real vanilla tastes better? Salt? Doesn't good salted butter give enough of a kick to the flavour?
The reason companies use these things, in just about every case, is cost. Using cheap, lower quality ingredients means they can churn out vast quanities of low-cost sweets. Cheap to produce, cheap to sell.
Which is fine, if you just want a quick hit of something sweet. But Fablet was born because I wanted more. I love tablet, and have done ever since I watched my gran make huge bubbling batches of the stuff.
I want every bite of tablet to taste like it was made with love and with the very best ingredients - not like it was thrown off a conveyor belt to stuff into the mouth of your average not-very-demanding five-year-old.
Sweets are a luxury. They won't save the world or cure diseases. When done right, though, they're a hit of pure joy. Good sweets make the world better. Bad sweets make you wish you hadn't bothered.
I discovered that, to my cost, this week. On holiday in the far, far north of Scotland, I stopped off at a newsagent for a paper and spied some little bags of tablet on the shelf. Partly to check out the competition and partly to satisfy my sweet tooth, I bought one.
One bite told me all I needed to know. It was salty, with an unpleasantly slimy, fondant-ish texture and a lingering aftertaste of fake vanilla.
It's the familiar 'almost-tablet' taste you get when a confectionery company has cut corners instead of following traditional recipes. A quick look at the ingredients told me all I needed to know - all the usual suspects were there, from glucose syrup to vanillin and extra salt.
Maybe I'm spoiled, but I prefer my tablet to taste like tablet, not almost like tablet. That's why I use organic Scottish butter, to give it a rich, smooth taste. That's why I use Madagascan vanilla instead of cheaper, but much less tasty, alternatives like vanillin. That's why I make Fablet in small batches, to make sure every single bag is as good as it can be.
Pay 99p for a bag of tablet and you'll more than likely get precisely what you pay for - something sweet, but without much flavour or texture.
Buy Fablet and you're getting a whole lot more than that. It's about quality, not compromise. It's about the flavour - and making sure you get exactly what you pay for.

Saturday, 12 July 2008

Summer break

It's summer time, so Fablet is taking a brief but hopefully well-earned rest. We will be unable to ship any orders received between July 12 and July 19.
The good news, though, is that we'll be in the craft tent at the Callander Highland Games on Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27. This will be our third year at the games, which is always a fantastic weekend out for all the family.
More details - and lots more lovely Scottish butter tablet - after our short break...

Thursday, 12 June 2008

It's market time again

This Saturday, June 14, is Farmers' Market day in Stirling - and Fablet will be there.
Stirling Farmers' Market takes place at Maxwell Place, a short walk from Stirling Railway Station and the Thistles shopping centre, from 9am until 2pm.
I've been busy stocking up on a few goodies to take along. Classic Vanilla's always a big hit, so I'll be packing plenty of that. This time around, I'll also have some White Chocolate and Macadamia - another oflavour that's always popular - as well as Irish Cream and more.
Irish Cream's a big family favourite here in the Fablet household, so if you haven't tried it yet, come along to Maxwell Place for a free sample - I'm sure you'll be impressed.
I'll also be selling one of my own personal favourites, and a previous Flavour of the Month ... Malted Milk. This one is absolutely stunning. If you like our Classic Vanilla Scottish butter tablet, you'll adore this one. There's a rich warmth to the flavour that's just out of this world - I'll be packing extra samples, because I know it's going to go down well.
As usual, Fablet will be sharing a stall with that notorious soap alchemist, Elizabeth of the Longcroft Soap Company (universally hailed as one of Scotland's finest soap crafters), and the market offers a great chance to pick up a wide range of foods and goods from across Scotland - everything from quality meat to baked goods, Italian deli treats, Fair Trade sweets and a whole lot more.
The weather forecast is promising some summer sunshine, so come along and make the most of it. See you there!

Saturday, 10 May 2008

Fablet in Stirlling today!

We'll be at Stirling Farmers' Market today, Saturday May 10, from 9am-2pm. The market will be in its usual site, at Maxwell Place, just along from Stirling Railway Station and the Thistles shopping centre.
Always well attended and packed with stallholders from across Scotland, it's a great chance to pick up top-quality produce ranging from meats and deli produce to baked goods and Fair Trade items.
You'll be able to pick up some of our best-selling Scottish butter tablet flavours, including Classic Vanilla, White Chocolate and Macadamia and - celebrating our recent run of fine weather - Strawberries and Cream.
Fablet will be sharing a stall with the lovely Beth, business brain, creative powerhouse and chief alchemist of the Longcroft Soap Company, who will have a variety of the finest hand-made soaps and cosmetics on offer.
So come along and join us - there might be a few free samples in it for you!

Tuesday, 22 April 2008

Praise from tablet-lovers

It's always gratifying to get a little feedback from satisfied customers - even more so when they're very, very satisfied customers!
Making tablet can be a tricky business, so it's always nice to know others are getting as much pleasure from the final product as Fablet's usual taste-testers.
At Stirling Farmers' Market recently, one customer commented: 'I'm not supposed to say it's better than my mum's, but ... it's better than my mum's!'
High praise, indeed.
Just this week, an email arrived from another delighted customer. I hope she won't mind if I quote a little of it here:
'Fantastic, I am actually overwhelmed by the quality of your sweets, and I have been a tablet fan for years!'
Very kind words, indeed, and much appreciated.
So, if you haven't tried Fablet's wonderful Scottish butter tablet yet, now's the time. It's fantastic - and that's official.
Oh, and to our happy Fablet fan, yes, we can ship to your family in Spain. We'll ship anywhere to bring Fablet to the deserving public. Just drop us a line and we'll get things moving for you.

Friday, 11 April 2008

Fablet at the Stirling Farmers' Market

Just a quick note to say that we'll be at Stirling Farmers' Market tomorrow, April 12, from 9am-2pm. Taking place at Maxwell Place, just along from Stirling Railway Station and the Thistles shopping centre, the market is an ideal chance to pick up top-quality produce ranging from meats and deli produce to baked goods and Fair Trade items.
We'll have a variety of favourite Fablet tablet flavours on offer, including Classic Vanilla, White Chocolate and Macadamia, Chilli Chocolate and a few bags of our recent new arrival, Dolly Mixtures.
So please come along and treat yourself to some of the finest Scottish butter tablet you'll ever taste - as well as an opportunity to pick up lots of other goodies to get your Saturday off to the best possible start.
See you there!

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