You’ll speak to your Fingerprint adviser at least once a year, during your annual review. You might speak to our mortgage advisers for an extended period when selling your house or remortgaging, say. And we’re in contact with you each month via our newsletter.
But do you know what we get up to behind the scenes?
In the last few months, the team here at Fingerprint have celebrated birthdays, raised money for charitable causes, and marked National BBQ Week by sharing our favourite recipes.
Keep reading for your Fingerprint Financial Planning team update with all the latest news from the business and beyond.
An inflatable run for an incredible local charity, Growing Hope Maidstone
On 17 May, a brave three-strong team representing Fingerprint Financial Planning visited Brands Hatch to take part in a 2.5K inflatable run. The team – comprising Joseph, Adam and Rebecca – did a great job, completing the challenging but enjoyable course and raising £595 (so far) in the process.
Our charity partner for this year is Growing Hope Maidstone. This amazing charity offers free therapy for children and young people with additional needs in partnership with local churches across the UK. The Maidstone branch works in partnership with St Luke’s Church.
They currently offer music therapy to help children and young people reach their potential. They also provide support for parents, carers and siblings through groups and courses.
A huge “well done!” to those who took part and a massive thank you to everyone who took the time to sponsor them.
If you haven’t had time to donate and you would like to, there’s still time to visit our JustGiving page and leave any amount you can afford for this great cause.
The Fingerprint team are cooking up a storm this National BBQ Week
The UK was treated to a mini heatwave recently, just in time to whet our appetites for this year’s National BBQ Week (26 May – 1 June).
We’ve been swapping recipes all week here at Fingerprint HQ. So, with summer on the horizon, here are seven the team swear by.
1. Jack’s spicy burgers
Our sales manager, Jack, loves all things hot and was quick to recommend this simple recipe, which can be tweaked depending on your tolerance.
- 500g lamb mince
- 2 teaspoons asafoetida (perfect for those who are averse to garlic or onions)
- 2 teaspoons fenugreek
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon dry chilli flakes (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Finely chopped and softened onions and garlic (optional)
- Finely chopped fresh coriander
Simply combine all the above into a bowl, shape into burger-size patties and cook as burgers – with a glass of milk on the side!
2. Steak and asparagus kebabs
Jack won’t let you take control of his BBQ, but he is willing to share his recipes. Hence, this second addition to our Fingerprint BBQ recipe book.
It requires:
- Thin-cut steak (use a tenderizer to make the meat as thin as possible)
- Blanched asparagus spears
- Parmesan cheese
Simply add salt to season your steak and then lay the blanched asparagus spears on top. Cover this with a layer of parmesan cheese and then roll tightly and run a skewer through to hold your concoction to cover and cook as a kebab.
You can thank us later!
3. Nikki’s veggie halloumi kebabs
While BBQs are great for meat lovers, there’s plenty of scope to enjoy the slightly burnt and charred taste of British summer as a vegetarian or vegan too.
Nikki is a veggie and is keen to share two of her favourite recipes, beginning with halloumi kebabs.
- Place drained and cubed halloumi into a bowl.
- Add diced vegetables (Nikki recommends peppers, mushrooms, and red onions) of a similar size to the halloumi.
- Add crushed garlic, olive oil, mixed herbs and any other of your preferred spices.
Let the halloumi marinate then place on either soaked wooden or metal skewers. Place on the BBQ and cook as kebabs.
More from Nikki later….
4. Adam’s piri piri prawn kebabs (gluten-free)
Sticking with the kebab theme, Adam is a firm believer that you can’t go wrong with spicy prawns… and who are we to argue?
You’ll need:
- 15 large prawns
- Olive oil
- Diced red chilli
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- Small handful of chopped parsley
- Small handful of chopped coriander
- Salt and pepper
Simply mix the above in a bowl and add the prawns last to marinate. Then skewer and BBQ.
5. Joseph’s corn on the cob with smoky paprika garlic butter
Joseph has spent the week extolling the virtues of this buttery corn dish:
- Remove corn from the husk and place on metal skewers.
- Combine room-temperature unsalted butter with smoked paprika, crushed garlic, salt and pepper.
- Brush the corn with the butter and place on BBQ.
Most importantly, rotate the corn regularly and keep brushing on the garlic butter during cooking. Once cooked, brush on more butter.
6. Rebecca’s vegan-friendly baby potatoes with rosemary
This vegan-friendly recipe from Rebecca might not be one for the purists. Rebecca confirms that parboiling is simply recipe prep and absolutely not cheating. With that in mind:
- Parboil baby potatoes
- Place in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper, and either dried or fresh rosemary.
- Add to metal skewers and cook on the BBQ.
Simple, effective, and sure to be a real winner come BBQ season.
7. And finally, Nikki’s brandy butter bananas
Every BBQ should end with fruit and ice cream and thankfully, Nikki is on hand to provide just that.
- Keep bananas in their skins and slice them lengthwise.
- Place a few knobs of butter along the banana.
- Sprinkle soft brown sugar and drizzle brandy over the banana.
- Close the banana back up.
- Wrap them in tin foil and place them on the BBQ.
Once the butter has melted and the sugar is bubbling, you’ll know the bananas are ready. Nikki confirms that these bananas are best served with a scoop of ice cream. Quite right!