I decided during my Winter break (for such I am calling it now) that we should raise our game further by replacing the small, stainless steel milk jugs (unbreakable but poor pourers) with white porcelain. I know, I know, I'm asking for trouble. And chips. And full-on breakages. But let me try, please.
Well I ordered the wrong size (teeny tiny), so it'll be a while longer before they arrive to be put to the test.
Jennifer (Mondays and Tuesdays) has sold as many necklaces as teacakes this week. There's a shelf of super shiny bling in the cabinet as apparently it's prom season.
Well.
I never.
Did.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Monday, 4 April 2011
Stellar
It was joy.
Mr Enviro Health has awarded us FIVE STARS. We are truly in the firmament.
What's more he said we have 5 star toilets, something you don't hear everyday.
He'll be sending us a certificate and says now we have to try to get 5 stars for 3 years running which would mean we would join the super élite.
I celebrated with a piece of coffee and walnut cake.
Mr Enviro Health has awarded us FIVE STARS. We are truly in the firmament.
What's more he said we have 5 star toilets, something you don't hear everyday.
He'll be sending us a certificate and says now we have to try to get 5 stars for 3 years running which would mean we would join the super élite.
I celebrated with a piece of coffee and walnut cake.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Rising Panic
It started badly.
The oven wouldn't stay lit. Mary and I tried 6, 7, 8 times and each time after 30 seconds there'd be a *pop* and the gas would blow out. I had visions of hundreds of Mothers, desperate for Afternoon Tea, being told there were NO SCONES and being disappointed in me. Because if there's one thing you want on a warm Mothering Sunday it's a freshly baked scone with cream. And jam.
I took the trays of unbaked scones home along the bumpy track.
I baked them in my tiny oven at too low a temperature.
They struggled to rise.
Anyway, it was an air lock. By the time I got back to the Tea Rooms the oven was laughing merrily at me and the next batch of scones was on its way.
We had a very busy day. By the end of lunchtime we had sold all the soup, all the jacket spuds, all the white bread and (a first for me) all the ham. That's good business, said a regular customer. No, I corrected, that's bad planning.
It's been a weekend full of surprises, trauma and lessons. I haven't even mentioned the flood from the new filter coffee machine.
And the environmental health man is coming tomorrow. Joy.
The oven wouldn't stay lit. Mary and I tried 6, 7, 8 times and each time after 30 seconds there'd be a *pop* and the gas would blow out. I had visions of hundreds of Mothers, desperate for Afternoon Tea, being told there were NO SCONES and being disappointed in me. Because if there's one thing you want on a warm Mothering Sunday it's a freshly baked scone with cream. And jam.
I took the trays of unbaked scones home along the bumpy track.
I baked them in my tiny oven at too low a temperature.
They struggled to rise.
Anyway, it was an air lock. By the time I got back to the Tea Rooms the oven was laughing merrily at me and the next batch of scones was on its way.
We had a very busy day. By the end of lunchtime we had sold all the soup, all the jacket spuds, all the white bread and (a first for me) all the ham. That's good business, said a regular customer. No, I corrected, that's bad planning.
It's been a weekend full of surprises, trauma and lessons. I haven't even mentioned the flood from the new filter coffee machine.
And the environmental health man is coming tomorrow. Joy.
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Life's A Gas
Another new concept for us - the Afternoon Tea deal - proved popular today. We're offering a pot of tea for two, two scones with jam and cream and two pieces of cake for the princely sum of £10. Bargain. And we used the tiered cake stands so it was even better.
It's really interesting to watch people digest the idea when they first read about it. Two different people asked if we'd wrap up anything they couldn't eat so that they could take it home? Of course we would. But nothing was left, so nothing was wrapped.
This afternoon the gas ran out.
Day 2 of the season and I've run out of gas.
What was I thinking?
All sorted now but at the expense of a number of items which were part way through cooking.
Lesson learned.
It's really interesting to watch people digest the idea when they first read about it. Two different people asked if we'd wrap up anything they couldn't eat so that they could take it home? Of course we would. But nothing was left, so nothing was wrapped.
This afternoon the gas ran out.
Day 2 of the season and I've run out of gas.
What was I thinking?
All sorted now but at the expense of a number of items which were part way through cooking.
Lesson learned.
Already in a pickle
Made the first Americano (and second) and it was like we'd never been away.
Our first customers waited in the car until the church clock chimed 11 and then headed in, the first of a steady stream of dream customers. Dream customers because between them all they managed to order everything on the menu.
Including the **all new** Ploughman's Lunch.
I asked the gentleman guinea pig for feedback and he took his role very seriously using lovely descriptive words as if he were writing a foodie column - just the right bloke. And, what's more, he loved it.
My follow up question concerned pickle/chutney. Was he disappointed, I asked, to find we'd served Branston with it? (I'm considering finding a local chutney)
"I'd have been disappointed," he replied, "to find anything else. I love Branston."
So that's made me think.
The fella who made it also reckons Branston is best.
So am I being a pickle snob?
Our first customers waited in the car until the church clock chimed 11 and then headed in, the first of a steady stream of dream customers. Dream customers because between them all they managed to order everything on the menu.
Including the **all new** Ploughman's Lunch.
I asked the gentleman guinea pig for feedback and he took his role very seriously using lovely descriptive words as if he were writing a foodie column - just the right bloke. And, what's more, he loved it.
My follow up question concerned pickle/chutney. Was he disappointed, I asked, to find we'd served Branston with it? (I'm considering finding a local chutney)
"I'd have been disappointed," he replied, "to find anything else. I love Branston."
So that's made me think.
The fella who made it also reckons Branston is best.
So am I being a pickle snob?
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Say Cheese
Spoke too soon.
The big shop alone took the whole morning, then back to furniture moving and food prep, and then I went to pick up the new signs and then realised I hadn't ordered my local tomatoes or made it to the farm shop to pick up the celery, eggs and apples.
What exactly did I buy this morning? Well, I can say with confidence that I won't be needing to buy pedal bin liners until 2014.
This evening we took delivery of two and a half kilos of cloth-bound extra mature cheddar for our all-new Ploughman's Lunch. It's SO local it was delivered by the man who made it on his way home. Lightwood Elgar Mature Artisan Cheese.
Now that's more like it.
The big shop alone took the whole morning, then back to furniture moving and food prep, and then I went to pick up the new signs and then realised I hadn't ordered my local tomatoes or made it to the farm shop to pick up the celery, eggs and apples.
What exactly did I buy this morning? Well, I can say with confidence that I won't be needing to buy pedal bin liners until 2014.
This evening we took delivery of two and a half kilos of cloth-bound extra mature cheddar for our all-new Ploughman's Lunch. It's SO local it was delivered by the man who made it on his way home. Lightwood Elgar Mature Artisan Cheese.
Now that's more like it.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Crumbs
The carpets have been cleansed today by Andy Wall of Wall to Wall Cleaning. All sense of last season's boots, shoes and flipflops has been erased, sucked up, washed away. It looks (almost) like new.
There are still a number of jobs to be done but the biggies are sorted so I don't feel too traumatised. There's some furniture which needs moving and some food prep to do tomorrow and then on Friday morning we'll open. Ta-da.
Earlier this week one of my friends told me about a café which is closing down. It was displaying signs saying that everything must go. I went along feeling a little like a vulture. I needn't have worried. Everything had gone.
I had a good chat with the lady running the place. They'd been outbid for the franchise so were reluctantly leaving, though secretly grateful to be getting their weekends back.
Said she'd have time to come and have a cup of tea at my tea rooms now...
There are still a number of jobs to be done but the biggies are sorted so I don't feel too traumatised. There's some furniture which needs moving and some food prep to do tomorrow and then on Friday morning we'll open. Ta-da.
Earlier this week one of my friends told me about a café which is closing down. It was displaying signs saying that everything must go. I went along feeling a little like a vulture. I needn't have worried. Everything had gone.
I had a good chat with the lady running the place. They'd been outbid for the franchise so were reluctantly leaving, though secretly grateful to be getting their weekends back.
Said she'd have time to come and have a cup of tea at my tea rooms now...
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