Happy Holidays

Pack up the picnic hamper and head off to share, catch up and enjoy a day with friends. Let’s settle in the leigh of a beached fishing boat, spread out our goodies galore – and feast.Apparently, the French started the modern fashion for picnics when they opened their royal parks to the public after the revolution of 1789.

So, leave your phones in the car and your laptops at home and head for the hills, woods, parks, riversides and beaches and ‘fait le picnic‘.

Basic Bliss.

Stir our Real Mayonnaise into gently boiled eggs for rich, smooth, creamy egg & cress sandwiches.Spread Red Onion Marmalade on your rolled out pastry, add the sausage meat, roll, bake and slice to bite-sized meaty rolls, sweet, gently caramelised onions, and bursting with flavour.An Italian platter or English Ploughman’s with relishes, and chutneys galore:  Fig Relish or Beetroot Relish; or creamed cheese and our Spiced Green Tomato & Apple Chutney, rolled tightly and sliced for delicious morsels to share and enjoy.Take a tub of humus, our Sicilian Lemon & Dill Mayonnaise and mix them well together; then make jars of yummy dips with delightful vegetarian crunch.You will find our Mayonnaise collection – HERE and Relishes – HERE.

And, round it all off with a homemade Rainbow Salad – Chef’s Recipe ideas: HERE, including his delightful Sauce Dijonnaise.

Our family of BBQ sauces offers fine specimens of yumminess, just waiting to greet your family & friends.

Each offers something a little different from the normal shop-bought offerings. Original BBQ Sauce is thick and smoky with natural blossom honey and a molasses-style sweetness that can be used as an accompaniment, a marinade or a dipping sauce.Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce is just that. To balance the heat of the chillis, it has even more molasses and honey to sweeten the initial smoky BBQ flavours. This cleverly lets the spicy heat develop as an after flavour.Sweet & Sticky BBQ Sauce is another flavoursome variation, this is deeply sweet with a sensational, warming kick of British horseradish and bitter sauce to balance the sticky maple syrup.Korean BBQ Sauce is a sweet and fruity barbecue sauce with rich dark brown sugar, soya sauce, and sweet Mirin wine. The perfect sauce for marinating meat & vegetables, adding to a quick and healthy stir fry or to enjoy as a dipping sauce.

And there’s more.Our BBQ Essentials Collection offers a superb range of natural flavours to enhance any BBQ – all this for just £16 (+p&p) HERE.

At the top middle of the picture you’ll see the rooves of The Old Stables where unique recipes are developed and tested before being produced, bottled and despatched to discerning foodies around the world.

Here, Rick is settling a young Rhea down. The little guinea fowl in his arms adopted his large friend and has been showing her the ropes.

“…because our planet is precious…”

We have once again been awarded the coveted Carbon Charter GOLD, an accreditation of Stokes’ passionate commitment to the environment.

“Our planet is precious, we don’t own it, we share it and have a responsibility to protect it.” Rick.

The Old Stables, Rendlesham, is a unique, inspirational environment, an artisanal idyll – perfect for creating exceptional sauces.We care about our people and, unusually, our animals. The walled gardens behind the Old Stables is home to a growing menagerie of rescued animals.Pigs, sheep, peacocks, hens, geese; rheas and emus, cats and dogs; Bennetts wallabies, cattle and goats all happily sharing their peaceful new lives.

It’s a great place to make great sauces too.

As part of Rick’s drive to carbon neutrality, as well as his love for trees, he has undertaken a large replanting project on the estate.

Read more about our Environment & Community thinking – HERE.

Some 21 or so years ago, Rick was running in the ‘primeval oak woodland’ of Staverton Forest.

It was here that Rick found peace and inspiration. He could reflect on his core values of quality, compassion and excellence – and the home of fine sauce-making was born.

“You really can ‘love’ the products you make and be ‘passionate’ about making them as superbly as they really should be. This is something that gives … pure joy.”

But what to call this fledgling business?

‘Staverton & Oaks’. Too long they thought, what about St-Oaks.

No, they said … try ‘Stokes’.

And, if you haven’t already … go on – try Stokes !

This beautiful image of ancient woodland so typical of Staverton Forest, is the work of Gill Moon, who kindly gave us permission to use it. It’s no wonder Rick found such inspiration there. And, so clearly Gill does too.

Thank you Gill.