1000 Burritos Later

It’s official! The Mission has officially served a total of one thousand burritos in one week! It sounds pretty amazing doesn’t it?! Especially when you consider that they’ve been open for just a month, and even more so when you find out that all of the food is lovingly prepared by hand, with fresh ingredients, and not a freezer or microwave in sight!

The Mission has received an overwhelming response since officially opening on Friday 7th March this year. A queue formed on opening day, and the excitement on the independent Facebook group was at fever pitch by the time hungry burrito fans got to try out the food for the first time!

It’s been consistently busy since opening, and with a huge fan base amongst the American student community of Oxford, owner Jan Rasmussen can only imagine how busy the St Michael’s Street eatery is going to be when they return on April 21st.

“We are extremely happy that The Mission has answered the need for really good Cal-Mex food in Oxford. We knew there was a space for this, but the response from customers really confirms it. We are being told on a daily basis how fantastic the food is, and we’re extremely proud that it’s both the the ingredients and the way we prepare the food that are of the highest standard and reflect the San Francisco origins”.

The Mission burrito, named as it hails from the Mission District in San Francisco, was refined and embelished in the area and dates back to the 1960’s. The style has spread widely through the San Francisco Bay area, with variations spreading across the US.

The San Francisco burrito, often referred to as a Mission or Mission-style burrito is distinguished partly by the amount of rice and other side dishes included in the package and partly by the sheer size of the foil wrapped meal.

Some say that Mission burritos were inspired by burritos brought into the fields by California Central Valley farmworkers, and that they were adopted in the city from there. The cuisne is often referred to as Cal-Mex or Mexican-American.

Another key part of the success at The Mission is the well trained, and highly skilled burrito makers running the show. It takes practice to make the perfect burrito, with a flour tortilla crammed full of rice, meat, beans, salsa, cheese, gaucamole and sour cream – these people are professionals, and the secret in making a perfect burrito means that it stays neatly compact in its aluminium foil wrapping while you happily enjoy your way through it.

With staff making a burrito every five minutes, throughout the twelve hours The Mission is open each day, it really is an amazing achievement, proving that food to go really can be fast as well as fresh and wholesome.

Now in Oxford, The Mission is the only Cal-Mex eatery in the city, and judging by the amazing numbers and the happy, buzzy vibe you’ll find in the restaurant, it’s a very welcome addition to the town centre!

It really is all in the name with Greens Cafe

At a much loved neighbourhood café on St Giles in Oxford, owners Sharon & Jan Rasmussen are showing that there’s a lot behind the name Greens, and they are busy putting the finishes touches to an exciting event taking place next week.

For a week beginning on April 21st 2008, Greens will be showcasing the photography of close friend Jon Bradshaw, who in January of this year was part of the first ever Irish team to reach the South Pole. Like Jon, the Rasmussen’s are very much aware of the current issues surrounding global warming and are keen to do everything they can to make positive changes, and also raise awareness of the ever increasing problem.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Greens are showing how serious they are about helping to save the planet by rolling out a number of changes, and they hope to lead by example, showing that everyone can help to make a difference.

Greens currently recycle all of their kitchen waste, and are extending this to cover all customer waste such as plastic and glass bottles as well. Recycling in the town centre has often been a challenge for businesses but Sharon says ‘it’s really important to us that we do our bit, so we’re making much wanted changes into reality’. The café is also switching to the sole use of environmentally friendly cleaning products, again a decision not without its challenges, but Greens are determined to get it right and do as much as they can to be, as their name suggests – green!

In addition to the above, Greens will also be launching a new menu during the week of the exhibition, which will include the first ever Fair Trade organic ice creams in the UK. And now, locals will also be able to relax or work for longer, taking advantage of the extended opening hours to enjoy the spacious upstairs seating area and free wi-fi.

Sharon told us ‘When we opened Greens three years ago, the name stood for simplicity, fresh food and a healthy approach to life. Now, as we’ve grown it means so much more – it shows that we care about the environment and that we are prepared to stand up and do our part to protect it. We’re extremely proud to be supporting Jon by hosting the exhibition, and we’re very excited that Greens has been there too – well almost!’.

Included in Jon’s amazing photographs from the Pole, is a shot of him in full Antarctic weather gear, holding up the Greens Café sign. Following in the footsteps of Shackleton, famous for his Antarctic expeditions, Jon and his team reached the South Pole after 57 days, 4 hours and 5 minutes. Hauling a sledge weighing over 135kg, the trip wasn’t without its challenges, with each of the group losing over a stone in weight despite consuming 5000 calories a day. Throughout the expedition, the adverse weather conditions were friendly only to the local penguins.

Jon will be exhibiting thirteen amazing photographs from his adventure, as well as images from his trip to Greenland, all of which will be available to purchase. Come along to Greens, at the heart of Oxfords community, enjoy something from the new menu, marvel at the photographs, and show your support for the people that are making small changes that will have a big impact.

And yes, considering the weather we’ve had recently, you’d be forgiven for wondering if this wasn’t an expedition across rural Oxfordshire in the snow, but we promise, it’s the South Pole, and Spring is definitely on the way here in the UK….we hope!

The Date Outdoors has a fresh approach to dating!

There has never been a better time to be single! No more endless trawling through profiles and wondering if you really have anything in common. No more sitting through blind dates with someone who told you they love reading just like you, but actually they don’t know their Dan Brown from their Charlie Brown. It’s simple, for lovers of the outdoors, meet others who share the same interests in a fun and safe group environment – whether it’s for friendship, or more!

Offering a relaxed online dating service with a few differences, The Date Outdoors has a unique focus on a healthy lifestyle and the beautiful British countryside, and helps singles to meet and share their interests. It’s for people who enjoy getting out and about, trying different activities and making the most of the stunning scenery we’re so lucky to have, combined with the social benefits of meeting new people.

The Date Outdoors website allows members to view each others profiles, email each other and also create a list of favourites. The site connects people online, to get to know each other and then meet up at outdoor events running in the UK. It could be anything from a country walk followed by a delicious lunch at a local pub, to mountain biking, orienteering or kayaking. There is something to appeal to absolutely everyone.

It’s been a busy year for Julie Shields, the Managing Director of The Date Outdoors, following the launch in 2006. With new members joining all the time, additional events being added to the diary and more activity providers becoming partners. Having been single for a little while herself, Julie wanted to get out and meet people but was daunted by the prospect of ‘getting to know’ people online and then meeting them with no real idea if they were going to be well matched. Julie has always been a keen walker and wanted to meet someone who shared her passion. Over a muddy walk with friends, the Date Outdoors was born!

Since The Date Outdoors started, loved up couples have come back to tell the team of their success after meeting on the website. Last year members Richard and Milly spent their first Christmas together, and recently the lovely Dave & Liz stopped by at The Outdoors Show to spill the beans on their budding romance. Having met online they then arranged to meet at an walking event. “This is what we strive for, helping lovers of the outdoors meet and find their soul mate, its incredibly rewarding” says Julie.

The Date Outdoors provides a great range of activities and a place to meet that unites common interests. And with a website that’s also friendly, relaxed and helps people to start getting to know each other, it’s a winning formula! There has never been a better time to be single!

www.thedateoutdoors.com