How to Cook Aga Toast

Aga-made toast is out of this world because it tastes …. well, like toast should taste! Toasting bread in an electric toaster or even under a grill in a conventional oven just isn’t the same.

Take toast to higher level with Simon Brown’s demonstration of how simple it is to do. All you need (apart from an Aga!) is a piece of equipment that looks like a large table tennis bat made out of mesh. We’d be surprised if your holiday cottage doesn’t have one but do check in advance as we’d hate you to miss out.

Five of the Best Market Towns in England

Staying near a good, thriving market town is often a key factor for many families who are thinking of holidaying in the UK.

There are numerous towns that can be described as a ‘market town’ but just what is the definition of one? Life After London describe market towns as attractive towns with a well-defined centre and market square and one which holds regular, weekly markets. They will have plenty of independent shops, including cafes and restaurants, clothes shops, a hardware shop, a delicatessen, a butcher, fishmonger and green grocer.

A thriving market town will have a good community spirit and be small enough to recognise fellow residents but large enough to provide cultural entertainment, health facilities and social clubs. Rural peacefulness is often close by, but facilities including a library, a gym, a good bus service and a good cross-section of residents is also apparent.

Here is our pick of the best, based on the locations that our website visitors are looking to spend quality family time together, buying local produce, enjoying good, wholesome food and breathing clean, fresh air.

Marlborough, Wiltshire

According to ‘Your Essential Guide to Marlborough‘, Marlborough has the second widest high street in the country which regularly doubles up as a market place. There’s an extensive choice of highly individual shops as well as elegant, unique and proprietor-managed boutique establishments are thick on the ground on both sides of the High Street and off it. Most of the higher end street fashion chains are here as well.

As well as a choice of formal restaurants, you’ll also find the quintessential English tea room, pubs serving excellent and inexpensive dishes at lunch and dinner, delicatessens producing first class take-away as well as eat-in food, ethnic restaurants of all kinds and the slick, value for money High Street restaurant chains.

Sherborne, Dorset

Sherborne is, without doubt, one of the prettiest towns in England. It has an abundance of medieval buildings, a superb Abbey and two Castles. It is perfectly located on the Dorset and Somerset border and has it has excellent transport links enabling the town to flourish. Sherborne a fine centre for those wishing to explore the delightful and unspoilt Wessex area of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire.

Sherborne is a busy business and market centre for a wide area. It still retains small and specialist businesses and has a delightful shopping centre with a large choice of handcrafted goods and elegant fashions. It has also become an important town in the region for Art and Antique Dealers.

Winchcombe, Gloucestershire

Often referred to as the ‘walking capital’ of the cotswolds. It is so popular with walkers that there are weekly guided walks around the town every Sunday between Easter and end of october. Winchcombe Market Town is a thriving town with country values and When it comes to eating and drinking you will be spoiled for choice. Winchcombe has ‘Fair Trade’ status and has a high number of good, quality restaurants, a wine bar, pubs, tea shops and a contemporary delicatessan/coffee shop.

With a vibrant Music & Arts Festival in May/June, a Country Show in August and a Christmas Festival in December, Winchcombe also has a busy cultural and commercial schedule.

Ledbury, Herefordshire

Ledbury Market Town has so much charm and tradition to offer. It is one of the finest ‘Black and White’ towns in the country with it’s beautiful, stunning architecture. Situated on a crossroads, this vibrant town has evolved to meet the demands of moden day living but still retains its beauty and character. The Market Hall is Grade I listed and was built by John Abel in 1653 and still hosts two markets every week.

Ledbury is also proud to have its own theatre offering high quality productions and also hosts the internationally acclaimed annual Ledbury Poetry Festival in July.

Tavistock, Devon

Tavistock can best be described as unspoilt, friendly and surrounded by rolling hills. Situated in North Devon, the town is thriving with its ancient Tavistock Pannier Market which was granted its royal Charter in 1105 and is still going strong today 900 years later. Don’t miss the traditional ‘Goosey Fair’ which is held mid October every year too.

How to make the perfect AGA meringue

Alice McIlhagger, of Brambleberry Jams knows a thing or two about cooking on the AGA and here she shares her secrets on how to make the perfect meringue.

Alice grew up with an AGA in the kitchen but it wasn’t until she was in her 40’s that she felt she had the right sort of kitchen to accommodate one. She now has a lovely pillar box red AGA which is at the heart of her jam and sauce making business, brambleberryjames.com. All her jams and sauces are cooked in a large stainless steel jam pan, firstly on the low ring to slowly dissolve the sugar and then boiled on the boiling ring which stays at a steady temperature to ensure it never burns. Alice says “When I’m baking for a craft fair, I can bake 8 loaves of bread in the hot oven simultaneously, while making meringues in the bottom oven. I can honestly say I would not have my business Brambleberry Jams without the AGA.”

Stay and Learn!

aga-demos
Are you thinking of getting an AGA or Rayburn and would like to know more about them and the way they cook?

Why not attend a cooking demonstration at Darts Farm AGA Shop in Devon on Tuesday, 26th January. They are holding a cooking demonstration focusing on ‘Start the New Year, the healthy AGA way’. Make the most of your cast iron cooker and learn new techniques. It costs just £22 per person. David Pengelly, a local AGA accredited chef, will talk you through the ovens and hobs, creating delicious dishes in front of you, all for the tasting!

If you are not local to the area, stay in one of these nearby AGA holiday cottages and practice afterwards what you learn!:

Barn near Exeter
Chideock Cottage in nearby Dorset

We’d love to know what you think

The redesigned AGA Cottages website has now been up and running for a month. We hope you like it’s new look.

We are continually adding new properties and covering more parts of the UK but realise that some areas are better covered than others. If you are thinking of holidaying in a specific area of the UK and there are not many AGA or Rayburn cottages listed, then please get in touch and we will concentrate on finding more cottages in that area.

We’d love to hear from you if you think we could improve the website further. We want to make it as user friendly as possible and need your feedback. If you have any ideas then do get in touch at info@agacottages.co.uk

Thanks for browsing!

Keep Track of Your Favourite Cottages

images-7We’ve made it easier for you to keep a list of your favourite cottages. On each property page, you will find a heart with a link saying ‘add to my favourites’.

Next time you visit us, you will see list of your favourite cottages on the home page sidebar on the left, as long as you do not delete your browser history cookies!