The luscious gardens at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa certainly have much to smile about, with the promotion of Mark Robson, otherwise known as Smiley, to the position of Garden Manager.

Having been a part of the Granny Mouse team since 2011, initially cutting his teeth in the maintenance department, before moving over to the Gardens team, Robson’s passion for all things horticultural started from an extremely young age. He recalls being captivated when he was growing up, by the beautiful vegetable garden that was cultivated by his domestic worker, and being in awe of how so much food came from one small seed. This caused him to get his hands dirty from an early age as he assisted in the planting process and taking much pride in the finished product.

He admits that when he initially began to study, he never thought that Horticulture could be so rewarding, and hence embarked on obtaining a degree in Forestry, as well as pursuing courses in anti-poaching and rock climbing.

Having never felt at home in the forestry field, Robson always had a passion for working with plants and animals, and believes that the most spectacular part of his job is being able to transform a dull area into something truly beautiful. Adding to this, he loves that the topography at Granny Mouse varies from area to area allowing he and his team to create different zones on the property, and loves nothing more than having guests and members of staff admiring what he and his gardening team have done.

Although spending most of their time during the Autumn months raking up never-ending leaves, Robson feels blessed to be given the opportunity to lead the Granny Mouse Gardens team, and will spend his time striving to ensure that the much-revered Granny Mouse gardens remain breathtaking.

The pressure of cooking a magnificent Valentines Day meal can be extremely daunting for some, but Granny Mouse Country House & Spa is here to make things simple. Chef Shaun Dampies has come to the rescue, offering a chocolcate and mixed berry tower that will not only impress, but will make you looking like a professional chef!

 

Chocolate and mixed berry tower

1pk Oreo biscuits

200g milk Chocolate

250ml Whipped cream

1 can Caramel treat

200g Cream cheese

1pk Short bread Biscuits

350g Mixed berries

30ml Balsamic vinegar

50g sugar

20g icing sugar

 

Method:

To make the Oreo crumb, remove the biscuit outer sections, leaving behind the centre. Using a rolling pin, roll over the biscuit, reducing it to crumbs

Melt the chocolate and add the cream.

Once cooled down place in a squeeze bottle

Take the cream and whip until almost stiff.

Add in the icing sugar for sweetness and continue whipping until stiff  and fluffy

Place into a piping bag

Take the caramel treat and fold in the cream cheese. This will reduce the sweetness, but still keep the colour and richness and consistency of the toffee

Take some short bread biscuits and using a rolling pin, crush the biscuits to make a crumb

 

In a sauce pan place 300g of the mixed berries, cover with water; add some sugar and balsamic vinegar, cook until berries start releasing its natural juices, blend the mix and strain, removing the pulp from the liquid.

Place the liquid back into the pot and continue to reduce until the liquid starts to thicken up

 

Presentation:

In the sexiest glass you have, drizzle some chocolate sauce in it which will give it that melted look

At the bottom of the glass add in the Oreo crumbs

Add in the toffee and cream cheese mousse and keep layering it with crumbs and mix

Once the glass is almost full, pipe in the cream and then the berry coulis /syrup so that it will run through the shape of the cream, and finish off with a last layer of toffee mousse

Add the remainder of the 50g mixed berries, garnish with basil leaves and a sprinkle of biscuit crumbs

Serve and enjoy !!!