Tag: lifestyle

4 Things Exotic Animal Owners Need To Know

By on 5th October 2015in Lifestyle, Local Biz, What's New?

Kevin Stevens, owner of Coast To Coast, the North East’s leading exotic animal dealer and breeder, shares five essential tips for first-time owners…

 

Reptiles, amphibians, tarantulas and invertebrates aren’t everyones cup of tea, but for many people they make an ideal pet or hobby. There are now more reptiles in UK homes than cats and dogs!

But education is paramount, and in no particular order, these are the five most important tips that we at Coast To Coast always give to budding exotic animal keepers…

1. Always Maintain Reptiles In Purpose-Made Vivaria

Housing your reptile correctly is critically important. By keeping them in purpose-made vivaria, you can be sure there are no rough edges to harm them, or to make cleaning out difficult. Plus, there are no means of escape!

Think about whether you’d like a vivarium made from glass, melamine or plastic. They all have various advantages and disadvantages, so choose the best for you.

2. Consider The Associated Foodstuffs

You’ll need a separate area in your freezer for frozen mice, and if you have a lizard (not all but most) you’ll need to look after live insects too. Make sure crickets and locusts are kept in a purpose designed plastic tank and fed correctly to ensure they are ‘gut loaded’. This means that added vitamins and minerals can be eaten via the insect’s stomach contents!

One bonus to using a purpose made livefood tank is that you don’t need to handle the insects. They have an ingenious hiding tube that enables you to move them from the tank into the vivarium! Plus, you’ll save money by looking after your livefood correctly because they won’t die quickly!

3. Don’t Handle Newly Acclimatising Reptiles Too Often

This is especially important for baby snakes and lizards. Handling too often can cause them to become stressed, stop feeding and ultimately become ill. For the first week, handling should be limited to once or twice for five minutes, with a gradual increase over the following weeks.

After handling, clean your hands with a good quality anti-bacterial soap, as like all animals, reptiles have been known to carry Salmonella. Likewise, don’t kiss your reptile!

4. Take Advice From The Experts…

…and not from a local ‘expert bedroom breeder’. For example, the correct heating and lighting is critical, and this kind of knowledge can only be gathered from years of contact with thousands of reptile keepers. Did you know that a heat mat is perfect for a Leopard Gecko, but detrimental to a Tortoise’s health? We do, because we have the experience to back up our knowledge.

Coast to Coast Exotics is one of the UK’s finest and oldest exotic animal stores, and has been providing excellence in their field for the last three decades. It is owned by Kevin Stevens, well known herpetologist who sits on the committee of the IHS, FBH and REPTA – the three main organisations involved in the reptile hobby and industry.

Find Coast To Coast at 122-124 North Road, Darlington, County Durham, DL1 2EJ. Call on 01325 283 756, or email info@coasttocoast.co.uk.

4 Things To Consider Before Starting A Business

By on 2nd October 2015in Lifestyle, Local Biz, What's New?

The North East business sector is a thriving landscape at the moment. We’ve all got big ideas and bigger ambition, but starting your own business isn’t always easy. It can be extremely challenging, but also very rewarding.

So before you set up shop, here are four things to consider…

 

1. Are You Financially Secure?

Things don’t always pan out as intended, and a Plan B is nothing less than a necessity. What happens if things go wrong? Do you have something to fall back on? Are you putting all your eggs in one basket?

If it’s possible to do so, consider setting up your business while you’re still employed. If things take off, then consider moving over to it full-time.

2. Are You Doing Something You Love?

Owning a business isn’t your usual 9 to 5 job. You’ll be putting in hours of work and incredible amounts of energy, so it had better be something you’re passionate about. If it isn’t, then don’t be surprised when your motivation begins to dwindle.

Devote your efforts to something you really care about.

3. Do You Have A Business Plan?

Diving headfirst into a new business unprepared is one of the worst things you could do, but that doesn’t stop people doing it. You probably wouldn’t be surprised by what happens to most businesses that opt for such a strategy.

You don’t need an enormous 200 page business plan to begin with, but you do need a defined direction and strong idea of where you want to be in a year’s time. Focus on the basics, set yourself clear targets, and make sure you achieve them on a time scale that works for you.

4. Is There A Market For Your Product?

Before you even think about spending money on supplies, staff, premises, or anything at all, you need to think really hard about what the chances are of your business being successful. Who are your customers? Who are your competitors? Does anybody out there really want what you’re selling?

Do yourself a favour and investigate the market. Browse the internet, social media, and see what people are talking about. You may well have identified a gap in the market, but maybe the gap is there for a reason.

Have you launched your own business? Are you thinking about it? Leave a comment below!

5 Things To Know Before Going To University

By on 2nd October 2015in Lifestyle, What's New?

Starting university is a bittersweet time.

On the one hand, there’s the coming-of-age and the independence, but on the other hand… do you really know what you’re doing?

 

Before you leave home, check out these five essential tips. They’re guaranteed to come in handy!

1. Learn To Manage Your Money… Fast.

When you’re out there on your own for the first time, the pennies don’t always stretch as far as you thought they would. Toilet paper gets expensive, you know?

Plan a budget and stick to it. If you’re sensible, you’ll be able to save enough to get by and have fun.

2. Learn To Love Doing Laundry

If you’ve never left home before, you might never have wondered how your clothes appear fresh and folded in your wardrobe on a regular basis, seemingly of their own accord. The thing is, they don’t always do that when you’re at university.

Become a student of the process. Nobody likes sharing a room with somebody who wears the same t-short for a week at a time.

3. Hate The Snooze Button

The snooze button is not your friend. It is your enemy. Don’t give in to the temptation.

Seriously, it isn’t easy to wake up at 8am when you didn’t get home from the pub until 3am, but it’s a skill that can be learned. The first step is learning to hate the snooze button, followed by remembering to keep a stack of energy drinks by the door.

 

4. Find The Work/Play Balance

Uni is an important time in any person’s life, and not only for the education. It’s the perfect time for a bit of self-discovery, so no student should avoid indulging in the nightlife and socialising.

But don’t let it take priority over everything else. Find the balance between having fun and getting things done. You’ll thank yourself come graduation.

5. A Far-Off Deadline Is Easily Forgotten

It’s not unusual to be given an assignment that isn’t due in for weeks or months, which is typically cause for great jubilation. However…

It’s not hard to tell yourself you’ll ‘get round to it’, but we all know that doesn’t always happen. Procrastinating turns into forgetting, and forgetting turns into failing. Keep track of your work, schedule what needs to be done, and keep on top of it.

Recipe: Scallops With Prosciutto And Granny Smith Apple

By on 20th September 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle, What's New?

One of Gareth Kyle’s earliest memories is being caught by his mother in the kitchen at 8 years old, with a pan on the stove cooking… lemonade soup!

“I had a frying pan on the go, and in it was chopped cucumber, tomato and lemonade! I was inspired by Keith Floyd to make that concoction, and I’m glad to say my skills are a bit sharper now!

I’m a self-taught cook, and I’ve taken part in a number of cooking competitions. I was a winner of the 2012 EAT! NewcastleGateshead Trial Shift Competition, and the 2011 Masterchef Live competition at the BBC Good Food show. I then went on to win a Masterchef ‘Champion of Champions’ event at the London Studios. In 2010 I was a final regional contender on ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish.”

 

– 3-5 scallops per person
– 8 slices of prosciutto
– 3 granny smith apples
– 1 lemon
– 50ml water
– 30g sugar
– 150g plain flour
– 2 eggs
– 250g panko breadcrumbs
– vegetable oil for frying
– knob of butter

To finish…

– olive oil
– garlic, cress, or chives

To make the apple purée, peel, core and chop one of the apples, and put into a saucepan with the water, sugar and juice of half a lemon. Simmer until soft, and purée using a hand blender.

Core and chop the rest of the apples into matchsticks, and dress with the rest of the lemon juice to stop them from going brown. Set aside.

Prepare the scallops by removing the orange coral. Cut the coral into smaller pieces and pané them (coat in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs) before frying in Vegetable oil until golden.

In a frying pan with a little oil, fry the scallops for two minutes each side. Add a knob of butter to the pan for the last minute, and baste the scallops in butter before leaving to rest in the pan (off the heat), while plating the rest of the dish.

Place the prosciutto on the plate with apple sticks, and puree round the outside. Add Scallops, the crumbed roe, and garnish with garlic cress and a drizzle of oil.

Have you made this recipe? Leave a comment below!

ADVERTISERS