Cheshire Independent Issue 186

APRIL 2024 14 grassy hills, a tradition that can be traced back more than 150 years. The rolling of the eggs down hills symbolises the rolling away of the stone on Christ’s tomb and is associated with his resurrection. Originally the eggs will have been dyed or decorated. Easter eggs are associated with Christ’s new birth in the resurrection, however it is a symbolism that pre-dates Christianity. Ancient cul- tures, including the Greeks, saw eggs as a sign of fertility and new life. Chocolate eggs are said to have originated in France and Germany in the early 19th century. Bristol chocolate maker JS Fry and sons is said to have produced the nation’s first chocolate egg in 1873. While Easter eggs remain a favourite, hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. Each bun is decorated with a cross made from flour paste, which represents the cross on which Christ died. The spices in hot cross buns are also said to repre- sent the spices that were used to embalm Christ after his death. The bun also marks the end of Lent and fasting. According to one ancient tradition, if you bake your buns on Good Friday, they won’t go mouldy during the following year. Another super- stition saw one bun from the batch kept in case anyone in the family became ill. A small piece of it was said to help them recover. They may also have pre-Christian origins. ‘Cross Buns’ were baked to celebrate Eostre, a Germanic goddess of fertility, after which the season of Easter is said to be named. The four quarters of the cross were said to represent the phases of the moon, while the cross itself symbolised rebirth after winter. In the UK the tradition may originate from St Albans, where a 14th-century monk at developed a recipe called an Alban Bun and distrib- uted them to the local poor on Good Friday. Moving forward to the present day, supermarket group Asda’s 2024 range includes 10 different varieties of hot cross buns, including a new twist on the seasonal classic – orange marma- lade flavour. Zoe Czelecki, product devel- oper at Asda, says: “We were inspired to create this new Independent FOOD & DRINK EASTER FUN DAY Castle St, EDGELEY SK 3 9 AR Saturday 6 April 10.30-2.30 LOCAL ARTISAN MARKETS APRIL ARTISAN MARKET Broadstone Mill Shopping Outlet, Broadstone Rd, REDDISH SK 5 7 DL Saturday 27 April 11-3 Fun Dog Show, Live Music, Free Crochet Workshop, 40 + craft and food stalls 50 + craft and food stalls, lunch, coffee, bar and much more workerbeemarkets.co.uk THE Taste Cheshire Food and Drink Festival will be back this Easter weekend with organisers promising it will be bigger and better than ever for its 24rd year. This year’s event will run from March 30-April 1 with the layout taking over the entire central section of Ches- ter racecourse. The festival will include more than 100 exhibitors of food, drink, and lifestyle items plus free adult cooking classes for those who want to brush up on their culinary skills. Kids cooking workshops remain a feature of the fes- tival and entry to the festi- val for children under-five is entirely free. Three-day roamer tickets are available so visitors can take their time and see all the headliners over the weekend as well as one day tickets either in advance or on the door. Tickets are available now at chesterfoodanddrink. co.uk The line up of celebrity chefs this year includes Brian Mellor, who will be taking to the stage with a demo on Easter Monday. Festival aims to serve up a treat Enjoy a cracking Easter! LOOKING like it has jumped out of the pages of a Harry Potter novel, Wizards Thatch has been described as ‘One of England’s most romantic places to stay’. This magical hotel in the heart of Alderley Edge is a 400-year-old haunt which allows you to step back in time – to relax and let the centuries old aura cast its spell on you. It has recently gained over 1,000 excellent Tripadvisor reviews – not too bad for one of England’s smallest bou- tique hotels. Let romantic Wizards Thatch cast its magical spell on you stars, famous actors, renowned writers, sports personalities, Fleet Street jour- nalists and even a government minister have all come to Alderley Edge to stay at Wizards Thatch. Wizards Thatch took part in Channel Four’s popular Four in A Bed series. Its episodes featured Dom and Steph Parker ‘the Posh Couple!’ who made their TV debut at Wizards Thatch. Visit the website www.wizardsthatch. co.uk or call Ian 07951 602969 for res- ervations. Book direct for the best pos- sible tariff. Everything is five-star luxury – it combines the ancient with every mod- ern convenience, making your stay is a truly unique experience – “A little piece of heaven on earth,” they say! Situated less than a minute’s walk from Alderley’s famous street of restau- rants and bars that now adorn this celeb- rity Cheshire turf. The village is noted for its notable clientele - David Beckham being a former resident - who enjoy the lifestyle it has to offer. “Romance is always in the air at Wiz- ards Thatch - honeymoons and romantic breaks make up most of our bookings” says owner, Ian Lambert. With medieval sounding suites, Camelot, Merlin and The Wizardry, guests are treated to pure nostalgia in fairytale surroundings. There are oak beams everywhere, the place is packed with memorabilia and the four poster beds are to die for – super comfy, draped in red and gold tapestries - some 7ft long! This luxury retreat is a favourite for those in the know. So much so that international rock Name: ________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ Telephone: ____________________________________________ Email: _________________________________________________ WIN AN OVERNIGHT STAY IN THE HEART OF ALDERLEY EDGE To enter, simply fill in your details opposite and send to: Ian Lambert, Wizards Thatch, Macclesfield Road, Alderley Edge SK9 2BG Please note: Entries can also be sent via email. Simply send your email, quoting Wizards Thatch Competition along with your name, address and phone number to: ianlambert2000@aol.com The editor’s decision is final. CLOSING DATE: APRIL 12th zesty product because insight showed that during Easter, customers were often buying hot cross buns and marma- lade together - so we thought we would combine the two! The retailer predicts it will sell 5.7 million buns this Easter, as Brits continue to go wild for the traditional Easter treat It sold 152 hot cross buns a minute during Easter 2023, with Havant, Hampshire, being the UK’s hot-spot with 45,000 buns sold in total. EASTER is a time filled with tradition – not least when it comes to some tasty treats. Nothing says Easter like a chocolate egg. And as a result, egg hunts have become popular over the years. More than 80 million Easter eggs are sold in the UK each year with reports that the nation spent at least £457.6 million on the choco- late treats last year! In the city of Preston in Lancashire thousands of people flock to the city’s park to roll their eggs down Advertiser’s announcement