Latest news with #MarkBennett
The Herald Scotland
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Best sandwich shops to find in BCP according to readers
Luckily, there are a fair few in the BCP area that can deliver on that, but where is the best place to go? With various well-received options to potentially try, we thought it might be best to ask Daily Echo readers for their recommendations. We put out a Facebook post asking the question, and here are the responses we got. Best sandwich shops in the BCP area according to readers More than 170 comments were left on the Facebook post, and a few establishments received multiple recommendations. Lord Sandwich in Bournemouth was one of those, with it getting a few mentions in support. One of them in particular was a big fan, as they wrote: "Lord Sandwich. I've been getting the same sandwich for 20 years and it's always amazing." Other customers generally seem to agree with that sentiment, as it has earned a 4/5 score on Google Reviews from 132 ratings. JoJo's Cafe over in Kinson also had plenty of recommendations, with lots of people praising its food offerings overall. One person shared: "JoJo's cafe in Bournemouth, they do a lovely BLT yum." Another said: "JoJo's cafe absolutely the best sandwiches." A third posted: "JoJo's cafe does a good sandwich, hot or cold." Bournemouth spots in general were getting a lot of love, as Idah's over on Christchurch Road also had a few mentions. One person said: "Idah's been going there since my college days of the late 90's, which is certainly testament to them still being around in these more than challenging times." The bakery has been well-received overall, with it earning a 4.1/5 score on Tripadvisor from 14 reviews. Rolled Up on Ringwood Road was also a favourite of some readers, as one person posted: "Rolled up Ringwood Rd 100%!" Responding to another reader mentioning the spot, another said: "yeah, without a doubt". Patisserie Mark Bennett, which has a couple of eateries around BCP, was highlighted by a couple of passionate readers. One said: "Patisserie Mark Bennett is the best so much fillings and the quality is first class!" Another commented: The best sandwiches are served in Mark Bennett cafe, excellent quality adequate to the price, you will not be disappointed." Recommended reading: Mammy's Baps over in Poole got a few comments praising it, as one happy customer shared: "Mammy's Baps blow the rest out the water." Meanwhile, another said: "It's Mammy's Baps all day fellas." Some places had a single comment of support, such as Reeve the Baker over in Wimborne, as one person wrote: "Reeve the Baker wimborne amazing Filled rolls and breakfast rolls to die for."
Telegraph
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
How to buy a cheap luxury car
Fancy buying a used car for a lot less than you might normally pay? It's possible but with catches: you'll need to do some work to find the car you're after. If you do discover a motor made for you, it may be slightly damaged. And it will almost certainly have an 'interesting' history. More people than ever are choosing to buy cars that have been seized and then re-sold by the authorities, often using either the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) or the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE). You can get some real bargains I spotted a 2018 Audi SQ5 Quattro on the RAW2K Vehicle Auctions website. It was deep metallic blue, had done only 31,000 miles and I could overlook its 'bling' side steps for an initial high bid of £13,600. For comparison, on a popular sales website, a similar 68-reg SQ5 that had done 57,000 miles was selling for £28,320. Others were £30,000-plus. With half an hour of its auction to run, the SQ5's price remained encouragingly low. Then the sale lit up. Increasing in increments of anything from £10 to £200, bidding eventually stopped at £17,310. Including VAT plus the 6 per cent buyer's premium and £25 release fee, the total cost was £22,048 – so at least £6,000 cheaper than buying a similar example from a dealer. At the same time, a 2019 Citroen Relay 35 van that had done 48,000 miles was going through. Bidding started at £180 and it eventually sold for £3,260 (£4,248 including VAT and fees). Although tatty around the edges, that's still only about two thirds of the price of a much higher mileage version on a van sales site. There are big savings to be made On the face of it, an Audi with structural damage for 20 per cent less than a cheap 'legit' one might not look that appealing. But it starts to make sense provided you can carry out any remedial work yourself. And in terms of 'seizure bargains', the Audi looks like an outlier; the Citroen more usual. Mark Bennett, head of RAW2K, told us: 'Typically you can get a car for 60 per cent of its CAP value [the guide most dealers use]. Some will have a full MOT, be in very good condition and have a standard mileage. 'We get a lot of private individuals buying and fixing them up as a side hustle, plus businesses which turn them round and sell them.' And with seizures frequently being high-end models from prestigious makes such as BMW, Audi and Bentley, they can be an attractive potential money maker. Addison Pye, the director of auctioneer John Pye and Sons, revealed: 'We're selling more vehicles on behalf of the government and police authorities each year, both due to increased supply as well as our success in securing government contracts.' But there are catches… If you're considering going down the route of buying a police seizure, it's not all cheap cars for no effort. The Audi I was interested in was a Category S write-off, so requires professional repair before it can be legally put back on the road. And since these are online auctions, the website is clear that you can't see the cars in the metal – let alone drive them – before bidding. Also, both the Audi and Citroen were located in Preston, so not particularly convenient for where I live on the south coast. And if you win the auction, the cars cannot be driven away so you need to arrange transport to your home or workshop. But at least both cars had keys with them, which isn't always the case. Bennett said: 'You'd think we must have the keys but actually about 50 per cent of the cars we sell don't. They often get lost in the process [by the police] or perhaps the car's owner wants to be a nuisance and throws them away.' Cars will also have a variety of damage. Bennett added: 'Some will be clean, others will have minor damage, some major. But it's often just cosmetic bumper damage or similar.' Where do cars seized by the police end up for sale? There are a number of auction houses that feature sales of vehicles seized by the authorities. RAW2K disposes of seized cars from 26 of the UK's 45 police forces. According to Bennett, around 18,000 cars a year go through its sites around the country, about 95 per cent of them being police seizures. John Pye and Sons works with more than 25 police and government authorities. These seizure contracts make up around 75 per cent of the 15,000 vehicles it sells annually and the number is growing. Some police forces even have their own Ebay shops for selling POCA seizures and other surplus equipment. Sussex Police, for example, had a set of Skoda Octavia locking wheel nuts for £10, although it doesn't sell complete cars this way. 'Cars that can be re-sold as working go through Brightwells (auctions),' a spokesperson told us. How can police sell stolen cars? Pye explained: 'POCA enables authorities to seize and sell assets, including vehicles, that are linked to criminal activity. This can happen through confiscation orders (after conviction) or civil recovery (without conviction). 'John Pye auctions sells these vehicles on behalf of UK law enforcement agencies, such as the police, HMRC and the National Crime Agency (NCA). The proceeds from these sales are typically reinvested into crime prevention, law enforcement or public services.' Auction houses also get vehicles that are taken as evidence through PACE but are never reclaimed. And, of course, as these vehicles come via the police, you're never going to buy a cloned car from one of these auctions. There can be downsides, however. 'We did have one car that had a turtle in a tank in its boot,' Bennett said. 'And vans tend to have lots of rubbish in them.' The auction houses clear out personal belongings and retain personal belongings such as driving licences and bank cards in case they are reclaimed. But they do draw a line: 'Cars with needles from drug users in them are crushed, as is any vehicle that's got blood splattered around it,' Bennett said.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Poole baker takes home gold medal for 'interesting' loaf in national award
A baker from Poole has won a national award for his unique loaf of bread. Mark Bennett's Thai Focaccia was awarded the Gold Medal for Innovation Britain's Best Loaf 2025 at the NEC Birmingham on Tuesday April 8. He said: 'It means a lot for me and the business, because although it's me making the bread, it's the business that means everything really. 'You've got to keep pushing, keep trying to go forward with new flavours and ideas otherwise your customers will get bored,' he joked. Mark Bennett (Image: Mark Bennett) The loaf made is with chilli, garlic, ginger, lemongrass and toasted sesame oil and customers can purchase it at Mark Bennett Patisserie over the Easter weekend. Mark began baking at 15-years-old and worked in his family's bakery business, Bennett's Family Bakers in Poole, before opening his own business in Penn Hill 2012. Mark said he was inspired to make the loaf after his love Chinese and Thai flavours. 'I thought it was quite an interesting loaf when I first made it, but I practised it, and everybody seemed to think it was something special and very different.' Mark's Thai Focaccia won the Gold Medal Award for Innovation in Britain's Best Loaf 2025. (Image: Mark Bennett) He has won 58 bakery awards over his career and has previously baked cakes for the Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee cake, and the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson. 'I've competed all my life and I love competition. I just love the bakery trade and I'm very lucky it's not just my job, it's a hobby,' said Mark. 'When I compete it gives me time to come up with new flavours that get passed on into the shop. 'I've been out of competition for a few years so to come out of retirement in a way and win a gold medal, I was very pleased with that.' Even with the recent success of the award, Mark said he is not resting on his laurels and will be submitting three new bakes for the upcoming Baking Industry Awards: a French onion soup Loaf topped with Gruyère cheese, caramelised onions and thyme, a chai and chocolate babka and a yet-to-be-determined third submission. Mark Bennett Patisserie has six locations across Poole and Christchurch, open throughout the week.
