< Previous40 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY HEALTH & FITNESS padel is proving to be a standout way to stay active without the pressure or intensity of more traditional sports. A Lincolnshire first Lincoln is now home to one of the region’s earliest dedicated padel facilities, helping establish the city as an early supporter of the sport’s growth in the UK. With high-quality courts and inclusive programming, it caters to everyone from curious beginners to seasoned players. While padel is usually played in doubles, some venues now offer singles options, making it easier for newcomers to get started without needing a full group. This smaller format also suits children, teenagers, and older adults who want a more accessible introduction. From workshops to social matches, there are plenty of ways for people of all levels to join in and get involved. Fitness that doesn’t feel forced One of padel’s biggest strengths is its accessibility. You don’t need to have a sporting background to get involved. The serve is underhand, the court is enclosed (so there’s less time chasing stray balls), and the learning curve is short. For anyone who finds the gym monotonous or running too high impact, padel offers a functional, enjoyable alternative. It’s also a workout that works. A typical hour-long session can burn hundreds of calories, improve coordination, and build strength and stamina, especially in the lower body. Short bursts of movement mimic interval training, which is excellent for heart health and endurance, while constant changes of direction help build agility and balance. Yet it doesn’t feel like exercise in the traditional sense. The social, fast-paced nature of the game keeps your focus on the play rather than the effort, making it easier to stay engaged over time. Unlike solo training routines, padel’s doubles format means you’re always playing with others, adding a layer of connection and accountability that many fitness regimes lack. © stock.adobe.com/Travel WildLINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 41 HEALTH & FITNESS 42 Á Mental fitness benefits The wellbeing benefits of padel go beyond the physical. Like other sports that require concentration and coordination, padel helps clear the mind and reduce stress. The game is absorbing, which makes it a natural mood booster and a mental reset. The social aspect also carries real value. Whether you’re attending a workshop, joining a weekly match night, or simply rallying with friends, padel fosters a sense of community. A sport on the rise across the UK While padel has been a mainstay in Spain and Latin America for years, it’s only recently taken off in the UK. The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has backed the sport’s growth, with plans to develop hundreds of courts nationwide in the coming years. There are already thriving padel clubs in nearby cities like Nottingham and RememberUnitedLincolnshireHospitalsCharity inyourWillandhelpfundgroundbreaking treatmentsforcancerpatients. Leavealastinggift.Givehope. www.ulhcharity.org.uk/wills RegisteredCharityNo:1058065 Helpmorepeopleface cancerwithconfidence Floislivingwithcancer withdignitythanksto theexceptionalcareat ourhospitals Sheffield, and Lincolnshire is now part of that expansion. Nationally, the sport appeals across generations. Schools are beginning to introduce it to pupils, while older adults are picking it up for its joint-friendly, non-intimidating format. Why Lincoln is the right fit Lincoln’s active community and growing interest in inclusive sports make it an ideal home for padel. The local appetite for leisure activities has grown in recent years, and the sport’s arrival reflects that shift. With opportunities for casual play, coaching and community events, padel is becoming more than just a new pastime. It’s a way for people to stay active, connected and engaged. Workshops help new players build skills and confidence, while social matches and friendly tournaments offer something for every ability level. No barriers, no excuses Getting started with padel is refreshingly simple. Trainers and comfortable sportswear are all you need. Equipment is typically available to hire at venues, and taster sessions or group coaching offer a low-pressure way to begin. Beginners often find the game’s rhythm surprisingly forgiving, thanks to the enclosed court and cooperative doubles format, rallies last longer, and there’s less downtime between points. It keeps you moving, engaged and learning, without ever feeling out of depth. Not just a fad Padel doesn’t rely on a gimmick. Its growing popularity is tied to real outcomes: better fitness, stronger community ties, and increased accessibility. It offers something rare — a workout people want to keep coming back to. Unlike more solitary routines that require high levels of discipline or motivation, padel’s built-in sociability keeps things consistent. You’re less likely to skip a session when you know someone’s waiting for you on court. And when exercise is fun, it becomes a habit rather than a chore. As Lincolnshire looks for ways to support public health, especially in more active ageing and youth engagement, padel ticks many of the right boxes. It’s low impact but effective, competitive but inclusive, and well-suited to year-round play. If you’re looking for a reason to get moving again, padel could be it. Local, accessible and endlessly engaging, it’s the kind of sport that turns effort into enjoyment and makes sticking with it that much easier. © stock.adobe.com/DavidPrado Struggling with your hearing but not quite ready for a hearing aid? We have the answer for you… The brand-new Nuance Audio glasses. Hearing is an essential sense for daily functioning, but it also helps us get the most out of life, allowing us to fully experience everything from work to safety, music to nature. Hearing loss is a common sensory impairment that affects millions of people worldwide. Combining sound engineering and world-class smart eyewear design for a stylish, high-tech solution engineered to transform lives. Nuance Audio glasses enable people ages 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss to maintain their active lifestyles with confidence. The key benefits of this groundbreaking technology are many: • Seamlessly blends vision and hearing with comfort and style • Provides natural and discreet open ear sound • Improves speech clarity in noisy environments • Improves sound quality, which can help reduce hearing fatigue How does it work? Ustilising computational audio, beamforming microphones, and open-ear speakers, Nuance Audio glasses provide a natural and discreet experience. They connect to the Nuance Audio App which is essential for activating and personalizing the glasses to the user's audiological needs and preferences. You can choose where to focus your hearing whether it’s all around you or directly in front of you. Customize the strength of background noises in your environment as well as choose between four presets that adapt to your hearing needs and environment for the best sound experience based on the type of hearing loss you have. They can be controlled using either the eyewear itself, the app, or a separate remote control, particularly beneficial for people with fine motor challenges or difficulty manipulating small objects. The glasses are stylish, lightweight and comfortable so you can wear them all day and turn them on and off as needed. 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Call in or book an appointment for a demo experience - so good you won’t believe your ears!44 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY FOOD & DINING reviving the retro Modern recipes Spring Vegetable Quiche Serves 8 Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Allergens: Gluten, eggs, dairy, mustard You’ll need: • 320g sheet of Ready Rolled Shortcrust Pastry • 4 eggs • 100g gruyere cheese, grated • 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated • 130ml milk • 1 tsp Dijon mustard • 50g Opies Mini Silverskin Onions, halved • 8 Asparagus Spears, ends trimmed • 2 slices Parma Ham, ripped into largeish pieces What to do: 1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan / Gas 6. 2. Unroll the pastry sheet and drape over a flan dish or shallow tin approxi- mately 25cm in diameter. Trim off any excess pastry that overlaps the edges. 3. Line the pastry with baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes or until the pastry is lightly golden, then remove to cool slightly. 4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs then add the gruyere, cheddar and milk, reserving a small handful of each cheese for later. Mix well and season to taste. 5. Pour the egg and cheese mixture into the pastry shell, then scatter over the cocktail onions and cherry tomatoes. 6. Top the mixture with the asparagus spears, arranging in any way you like. If they don’t quite fit, dice up the ends and sprinkle the chopped pieces over the quiche too, along with the spears. 7. Top with the Parma ham and reserved cheese and bake in the oven for 25- 30 minutes until golden and set in the middle. Retro is a key food craze, but traditions are being revamped with a focus on flavour. Here are some recipes tapping into the trend. This deep-dish quiche combines asparagus, crunchy onions and salty Parma ham all encased in a soft, silky, cheesy egg mixture.FOOD & DINING LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 45 Mini Coronation Chicken Pies with Serves 12 Prep time: 1 hours (plus 4 hours marinading time) Cooking time: 40 minutes Allergens: Gluten, dairy, egg, nuts, mustard You’ll need: For the Coronation Chicken Pies: • 6 chicken thighs, bone and skin removed • 1 ball of Opies Stem Ginger, finely grated • 1 tsp cumin • 1 tsp turmeric powder • 3 tbsp korma paste • 125g yoghurt • Pinch of salt • 2 sheets shortcrust pastry • 1 sheet puff pastry • A 400ml can coconut milk • 2 tbsp mild curry powder • 1 fresh mango, finely diced • 100g fresh spinach • 1 egg, beaten • 1 tsp nigella seeds For the Spiced Walnut Chutney: • 250g apples, peeled, cored and chopped • ½ large onion, thinly sliced • 75g soft brown sugar • ½ tsp cayenne pepper • 1 tsp mustard seeds • 1 tsp salt • 75ml Opies Pickled Walnuts pickling liquor • ½ jar of Opies Pickled Walnuts, finely chopped What to do: 1. Place all the chutney ingredients except the pickled walnuts into a large pan. Allow the sugar to dissolve over a low heat, bring to the boil and continue until the apples are soft and broken down. Take off the heat and stir in the pickled walnuts. Place into sterilised jars and set aside. Note: The chutney can be made in advance, or you could simply add chopped pickled walnuts to your favourite chutney for a shortcut. 2. In a bowl mix the chicken thighs with the ginger, cumin, turmeric powder, korma paste, yoghurt and a pinch of salt. Ensure they are well coated, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. 3. When ready to cook, place chicken in a deep pan over a low heat and cover with coconut milk. Simmer for 30 - 40 minutes until the chicken is tender and falling apart. Remove with a slotted spoon and finely shred with two forks. Set aside. Add the curry powder, mango and spinach to the coconut milk and simmer until thick. Remove from the heat then add the chicken back to the sauce. 4. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / Gas 6 and grease a 12 hole muffin tin. Unravel the shortcrust pastry and cut out 12 circles around 10cm in diameter, then repeat with the puff pastry using an 8cm cutter. Line the muffin tray holes with the shortcrust pastry circles then bake blind in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove then add an even layer of pickled walnut chutney to the bottom of each. Top with the chicken mixture then pop the puff pastry circles on top to encase the filling. Crimp the edges with a fork then brush each pie with egg. 5. Sprinkle with the nigella seeds then bake for 25 - 30 minutes until golden and well risen. Coronation chicken shouldn’t be reserved as a sandwich filling. These delicately spiced mini pies are best served with a tangy walnut chutney. Pickled Walnut Chutney46 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY Serves 18-20 Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 50-60 minutes You’ll need: For the sponge: • 300g Self-raising Flour • 60g Ground Almonds • ½ tsp Baking Powder • 350g Caster Sugar • Pinch of Sea Salt • ½ tsp Almond Extract • 250g Soured Cream, at room temperature • 4 medium Eggs • 220g Butter, melted For the frosting and decoration: • 1 jar Opies Cocktail Cherries with Maraschino Liqueur • 250g Unsalted Butter, at room temperature • 250g Icing Sugar, sifted • Splash of Whole Milk • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract • 1 jar of Opies Summer Berry Compote Lambeth Celebration Cake What to do: 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC / Gas 4 and grease and line two 8” cake tins (we recommend loose bottomed ones). Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl then add the almonds, baking powder, sugar and salt. Lightly mix together and set aside. 2. In a separate bowl whisk together the almond extract, oil, soured cream, eggs and melted butter then add to the flour bowl. Beat until smooth. 3. Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake tins then place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, keeping an eye on them for browning. 4. Remove from the oven and using a skewer lightly pierce each cakes’ surface a few times, then glaze using a pastry brush dipped in the Opies cocktail cherry maraschino syrup. Leave to cool in their tins. 5. To make the frosting: beat the butter until soft and creamy then add the icing sugar, whisking until combined, followed by a dash of milk. Add the vanilla extract and half of the syrup from the jar of cherries and beat again until pale and soft (adding more syrup if the frosting feels stiff) 6. To fill and decorate the cake: trim the surface of the cakes to ensure they are perfectly flat on the top- this will help you achieve a level cake. Place your first layer on the cake board and using your piping bag (no nozzle required at this point) pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the cake, leaving a gap approximately 1cm from the edge of the cake. Add desired amount of summer berry compote to the centre of the cake within the circle of frosting. We like to chill the cake for ten minutes at this point to firm up the frosting ring before adding the next layer, but this is optional. 7. Place your top layer of cake bottom facing upwards onto the prepared base layer. Lightly press down to ensure the cake is straight, before adding frosting to create a crumb coat layer over the whole of the cake. Chill for 20 minutes to let the frosting set. 8. With your chilled cake, repeat the frosting process again but this time ensuring a thick layer covers the whole surface and no bits of cake are visible. Using your palette knife, smooth the surface and edges of the cake until you are happy with the result. 9. With a piping bag, select your nozzle and start by piping a ring around the base of the cake in swirls, before repeating above it. Decorate the cake with your own design of ruffles and swirls before adding some drained Opies maraschino cherries to the cake as a final decoration. Chill until required. This vintage style of cake is resurging in popularityFOOD & DINING LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 47 Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes A favourite pudding gone miniature; these cupcakes have the caramelised pineapple and vibrant pop of cherry reminiscent of the cult classic. Makes 24 muffins Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs You’ll need: • Cooking spray • 115g butter, melted • 225g brown sugar • 24 Opies Cocktail Cherries • 1 can (about 560g) crushed pineapple, drained • 1 package (about 430g) pineapple cake mix • 315ml pineapple juice • 80ml vegetable oil • 3 large eggs • Icing sugar, for dusting (optional) What to do: 1. Preheat oven to 175°C and position the rack in the middle. Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. 2. Spoon 1 teaspoon melted butter into each muffin cup, then add 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Place an Opies Cocktail Cherry in the centre of the brown sugar, and top with a heaping tablespoon of crushed pineapple, pressing down to make an even layer. 3. In a large bowl, mix the pineapple cake mix, pineapple juice, vegetable oil, and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds, then increase to medium speed for an additional 2 minutes. 4. Pour batter over the pineapple mixture, filling each cup almost to the top without overfilling. 5. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. 6. Allow muffins to cool for about 5 minutes. Place wax paper on a surface, invert muffins onto the paper, and serve with the pineapple and cherry side up. Lightly dust with icing sugar before serving, if desired. Recipes courtesy of www.bennettopie.com / @opiesfoods48 LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY LOCAL PRODUCE pork specialties like haslet (a pork loaf flavoured with sage) and stuffed chine (pork taken from between the shoulder blades, salted for up to ten months, stuffed with parsley and served cold). Meanwhile, plum bread is a key county export, with the first commercial batch crafted in 1901, perhaps now best served with a slice of Lincolnshire poacher cheese. Moreover, with a long culinary history, Grantham Gingerbread is said to be England’s oldest biscuit recipe, using the same secret recipe today as in 1740, and at Whiteloaf Hall in Freiston, our county became host to the country’s first white loaf of bread, baked in 1614. Building on this heritage, today a wide selection of both traditional and modern award-winning goods, fresh fruits and vegetables are ready to be gobbled up in Lincolnshire. At a time when like us consumers food producers are facing rising costs and inflation, from both the ‘cost of living crisis’ and the ‘cost of doing business crisis’ — with increasing input costs for food production — the importance of supporting our local firms has never been greater, to ensure they can continue to make the high quality food they are known for, and maintain Lincolnshire’s delicious reputation. Many benefits come from shopping locally, starting with A county well-known for its bountiful agricultural output, Lincolnshire is bursting with variety when it comes to locally produced food and drink. From sausages and fish to plum bread and sparkling elderflower, to fruits and vegetables, there is a vast array of delectables to sample. So much food is produced here — indeed Greater Lincolnshire produces an eighth of England’s food — meaning home-grown delights can be found in every town, across restaurants, coffee shops, farm shops, bakeries, butchers, and markets. Such is Lincolnshire’s prestige, there are even food maps available offering self-guided trails of locally made food, to take in farm reared beef and poultry, craft beers and gins from distilleries and breweries, famous cheeses, and seasonal produce. The county is home to many renowned delicacies such as the Lincolnshire sausage, created in the 19th century and perfect for bangers and mash or breakfast, as well as other Lincolnshire’s bounty The larder of Lincolnshire is full of delectable delights to devour. Lincolnshire’s bounty LINCOLNSHIRE TODAY 49 © stock.adobe.com/Martin Lee a boost to the local economy. Purchasing regional produce keeps money within the community, supports county farmers and businesses, and creates and secures jobs. But buying local also means the food you eat is often fresher and more nutritious, with produce harvested closer to the time it is eaten for peak flavour. Being grown and made nearby additionally enables a reduced environmental impact for your purchases, with shorter distances travelled by food meaning less fuel consumption and lower carbon emissions from transporting, packaging, and storing goods. Consuming Lincolnshire-made products also feeds the soul, bringing us closer to our landscape, connecting us to the people who grow and sell our food, and building a sense of community and relationships with our food producers, who are often able to offer their expertise on their products, how best to cook them, as well as answer questions on their practices to develop a deep understanding of where our food comes from. As the larder of the UK, a taste of Lincolnshire can be enjoyed across the country, but here on home soil, there is so much more to discover, supporting our hard- working local businesses while devouring quality delicacies. © stock.adobe.com/neillangan© stock.adobe.com/David Pimborough © stock.adobe.com/DC Studio Woolliss & Son Butchers –– AWARD-WINNING LINCOLNSHIRE BUTCHERS –– LOOKING FOR A TOP QUALITY BUTCHERS IN LINCOLNSHIRE? Look no further, we have a proven track record when it comes to providing top quality cuts of meat and home made pastries at a competitive price. We are proud of our locally sourced produce and our 5 star hygiene rating. 29-31 Mercer Row, Louth LN11 9JG. T: 01507 603230 E: orders@woolliss-butchers.co.uk W: woolliss-butchers.co.ukNext >