FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
PLUM PUDDINGS
Are they suitable for vegetarians?
What allergens do they contain?
Do you make a pudding without alcohol?
Can they be microwaved?
What is the shelf life?
How do I store them, can I freeze them?
LABELS AND ORDERING
How long does the whole process take?
What about reorders?
Do I have to pay in advance?
Are there any extras to pay, what about vat for example and label design?
Will I get a proof of my label before you send the puddings?
Do I have to wait for my label proof before I send my order?
Can I order over the phone?
Can I have a part case so I get exactly the number of puddings I need?
DELIVERY
How are they delivered?
What do I do if my puddings don’t turn up when you say?
OTHER PRODUCTS
How much are the sponge puddings and what is the shelf life?
Are the labels like our Christmas pudding labels?
What is the shelf life on the brandy butter?
Can it be personalised like the pudding?
FOOD SAFETY
Do you have a certificate to prove that you manufacture safely?
AND FINALLY
Do you eat your puddings on Christmas day?
What do you do for the rest of the year?
PLUM PUDDINGS
Are they suitable for vegetarians?
Yes, but not vegans as they contain eggs.
What allergens do they contain?
Eggs, wheat (gluten), nuts, (almonds and walnuts)soya (there is a small amount of soya flour used in the starter of the bread we crumb). Now we make Sri Lankan chutneys on the premises we also have to add a 'May contain mustard' warning. They are lactose free.
What about hydrogenated fats?
We have changed over to non-hydrogenated fats. Our vegetable margarine is has been non-hydro for some time and the veg suet is not only made with non-hydrogenated palm oil it is from a supplier committed to sustainable production. see www.sustainable-palmoil.org for more information.
Do you make a pudding without alcohol?
No, but we can do labels which don’t shout about it. We are considering developing one so tell us if this is something which would interest you.Can they be microwaved?
Yes, no problem. They are fully cooked and only require reheating so they can be very quickly microwaved. They can also be traditionally steamed to reheat. Purists insist that steaming is better for Christmas puddings but as ours is designed to be light in colour and flavour a short reheat in the microwave works very well.
What is the shelf life?
2 years. We make all year round but your puddings will always have 2 Christmases on them when you buy them. During this time they just get better. Even after the best before date they are still OK to use (but not to sell in case the weight has dropped below the stated weight on the label). They will have dried out a little but a little extra brandy soon perks them up.
How do I store them, can I freeze them?
They only require cool and dry storage. However, if your only storage option is the cupboard beside your boiler then freezing may be a good idea. Please keep them upright - the lids are not tight and syrup could leak out if you store them on their sides. The packaging is not airtight, at room temperature the puddings need to breathe so if you are freezing a pudding seal the whole pack tightly in a plastic bag.
LABELS AND ORDERING
How long does the whole process take?
If you want a special label then usually about 3 weeks. It gets very busy through November and lead times may lengthen. After the end of November the whole process can be completed much quicker – in a few days after December 5th. Gold pack puddings are usually in stock for immediate dispatch.
What about reorders?
A maximum of 2 weeks but we can often do them much faster. If you are genuinely tight for time call and ask .
Do I have to pay in advance?
No, we send you an invoice when your puddings are dispatched and you have 2 weeks to pay by cheque or bank transfer. Our bank account details are on the invoice.
Are there any extras to pay, what about vat for example and label design?
All our products are food items and are not subject to vat. Delivery is free on orders over £150. Below this level there is a delivery charge of £5 plus vat. We charge £10plus vat to design a label if you want your own image - logo, drawing or photo - on it. There are ways to avoid this charge - either choose a standard image or use your own dtp skills to design your own fill. Full instructions are on the download page .
Will I get a proof of my label before you send the puddings?
If you are having a special label designed we will email you a proof which you must confirm is OK before we put your order into the packing schedule. The colours on your screen or any print out may not be exactly the same as on the finished label. Do I have to wait for my label proof before I send my order?
No. You can send your label specification first or you can send it with your order. If you send your spec in first then send in your order as soon as it’s ready whether or not you’ve had your label proof. As long as you’ve met the deadlines it’s up to us to meet the delivery date even if there is a delay in the label design.
Can I order over the phone?
You can mail your order, fax it, email it or phone it in. If you are a new fundraiser customer we need all the details on the order form so phone isn’t the best method. The best method is to use the electronic form on the fundraiser download page. With your first order you will be allocated an ACCOUNT CODE. Once you have this then placing another order is easy because we just need the code, what you want and when you want it.
Can I have a part case so I get exactly the number of puddings I need? Almost. For a small extra cost per pudding you can now order sponge puddings in multiples of 4 rather than in whole dozens. Also we do a pack of 9 on the 120g christmas puddings as well as the full case of 36.
DELIVERY
How are they delivered?
We send them out with parcelforce on a 2 day service. We can’t guarantee a delivery day or time and we’re sorry but we really don’t have the resources to call customers and let them know when their puddings have been dispatched. We do send out your invoice by email (or by first class mail if you have no email) on the day we despatch so theoretically you should have a days notice of your puddings arriving. Fundraisers should choose a delivery address where there is usually someone in and please ask for delivery the week before you need your puddings not the day before then if you are not in you can arrange with parcelforce an alternative delivery time. We find that parcelforce are very good and reliable in over 99% of deliveries. Like all carriers they can have nightmare consignments which go wildly astray and unfortunately these tend to occur near Christmas when they have agency drivers in so please try to have a safety margin built into your delivery date.
What do I do if my puddings don’t turn up when you say?
You call us straight away so we can track them for you and if necessary shout at parcelforce. Fundraisers - please don’t wait until the Friday afternoon before your Saturday Christmas fair and leave us helpless to rectify the problem.
OTHER PRODUCTS
How much are the sponge puddings and what is the shelf life?
They are the same price as the 454g Plum puddings. You will have a minimum of 4 month shelf life when we despatch. Your customers can freeze them to add a further 3 months. But what’s the point of keeping a chocolate pudding for 7 months?
Are the labels like our Christmas pudding labels?
Yes. We now design labels that work for all our puddings. We just design you a personalised 'fill' and then swap the size and variety details around that fill to create personalised labels across the range.
What is the shelf life on the brandy butter?
1 year from manufacture but we make it all in the summer. We won’t sell it to you with less than 6 months shelf life.
Can it be personalised like the pudding?
No, it comes in our gold packaging only. It looks really nice though!
FOOD SAFETY
Do you have a certificate to prove that you manufacture safely?
Yes, we have been externally audited and certified as conforming to the British Retail Consortium Food Standard since 2002. We are accredited at the highest level. The BRC is as good as it gets and is used by the major multiples. Needless to say we also have 5 star score on the door from our local EHO.
AND FINALLY
Do you eat your puddings on Christmas day?
Yes we most certainly do and we like to think about everyone else who is enjoying them too.
What do you do for the rest of the year?
We make Christmas puddings and sponge puddings andthese days we also make fantastic Sri Lankan Chutneys. We liked the product so much we bought the business!
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