Day two began with me putting oil which was meant for my hair onto my face.
Such are the perils of too many bottles of liquid stuff. I own them more in hope than expectation. Hair oil on the face might prove to be the best beauty discovery yet....
I made it to the tea rooms just before 9, sliced onions for the red onion marmalade, set them to caramelise and turned my attention to the new till.
The shiny new gadget has clearly given the old card machine the hump because it refused to turn on properly and kept displaying threatening messages.
I called the card machine people.
Bad news - It's a goner and they'll send a new upgraded terminal.
Worse news - It won't get to me before Tuesday.
While on the 'phone to the very sympathetic-but-unable-to-help-further man the onions over-caramelised, or burnt if you will.
Crisis passed, we had a quietish but lovely day catching up on what the university students have been doing over the winter.
When I came home I realised I had only done half my make up this morning.
Let's move on, shall we?
Saturday, 28 March 2015
Friday, 27 March 2015
One down.
The bread arrived.
A huge relief and a lesson for next year which I shall probably forget.
Day One is now over and a host of old friends & customers came to witness our battle with the new till. I think we are winning although there's a long way to go.
I have signed up to a till telephone helpline which has already proved valuable although my heart beat a little faster this afternoon when I realised there won't be anyone to answer the helpline phone over the weekend. Our busiest time.
The coffee machine is struggling to get back in the swing. Frankly so am I.
Naomi brought us a new quiche to try - Beetroot, Feta and Red Leicester.
It's red, and it's good.
A huge relief and a lesson for next year which I shall probably forget.
Day One is now over and a host of old friends & customers came to witness our battle with the new till. I think we are winning although there's a long way to go.
I have signed up to a till telephone helpline which has already proved valuable although my heart beat a little faster this afternoon when I realised there won't be anyone to answer the helpline phone over the weekend. Our busiest time.
The coffee machine is struggling to get back in the swing. Frankly so am I.
Naomi brought us a new quiche to try - Beetroot, Feta and Red Leicester.
It's red, and it's good.
Doh
This could prove to be a very interesting start to my 6th season.
We've cleared, cleaned, steam-cleaned, pressure-washed, altered layouts, set up new displays, edited the menu, cooked a ham, ordered tomatoes, cakes, milk, apple juice, honey, fudge, gifts and cards.
What I forgot to order was bread.
When I finally remembered, long after the deadline for orders, I rang the baker.
On the fourth attempt someone who wasn't a baker, but who knew a man who was, picked up the 'phone to a desperate sounding woman who couldn't remember the word "panini".
It will therefore be interesting to see:
a) whether a delivery comes and if so
b) what's in it.
We've cleared, cleaned, steam-cleaned, pressure-washed, altered layouts, set up new displays, edited the menu, cooked a ham, ordered tomatoes, cakes, milk, apple juice, honey, fudge, gifts and cards.
What I forgot to order was bread.
When I finally remembered, long after the deadline for orders, I rang the baker.
On the fourth attempt someone who wasn't a baker, but who knew a man who was, picked up the 'phone to a desperate sounding woman who couldn't remember the word "panini".
It will therefore be interesting to see:
a) whether a delivery comes and if so
b) what's in it.
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Electric Shock
The tea rooms are closed from the end of October until the end of March so we don't use a great deal of electricity over those months. I have one freezer running, the storage heaters are kept on, the phone is plugged in, the gardener boils a kettle when he's around, but apart from that our energy consumption is pretty low.
Or so I thought.
Last night I had one of those knee-buckling moments.
I opened the latest electricity bill.
Total amount due for Dec-March - £3,321.45.
The electricity charges amounted to £315, then there were standing charges of just under £20.
Then something called the Renewable Source Electricity Charge - £2,767.88.
Whaaaa? Some small print I'd missed?
I confess to a certain level of panic.
This morning I rang them.
A young lady called Leanne breezily told me the bill had been "sent in error".
As you were.
Or so I thought.
Last night I had one of those knee-buckling moments.
I opened the latest electricity bill.
Total amount due for Dec-March - £3,321.45.
The electricity charges amounted to £315, then there were standing charges of just under £20.
Then something called the Renewable Source Electricity Charge - £2,767.88.
Whaaaa? Some small print I'd missed?
I confess to a certain level of panic.
This morning I rang them.
A young lady called Leanne breezily told me the bill had been "sent in error".
As you were.
Monday, 23 February 2015
Quiche sera sera
I've had several pieces of news to digest in the past few days, not least that my small but lovely business will be paying a significant amount of money to the bank from June for the pleasure of depositing cash in the account. I'm not sure why. Surely it takes more effort to sort out the funds from a cheque than it does to weigh ready-counted cash?
In better news this evening we have been chosen by the good people at World Book Night to give away copies of...erm....books.
This year we applied to give away a detective mystery by MC Beaton called Quiche of Death.
I wonder how many quiche orders we'll take on 23rd April....
Tuesday, 27 January 2015
Eggs is eggs
In December new food labelling regulations were introduced.
Which mean that my most important winter job is to find a way of telling customers exactly what's in our food. Or rather whether any ingredients from a list of allergens are involved anywhere.
I gave myself a deadline to do this.
End of January.
I started today.
I do have a question, though.
Do I need to write "contains eggs" after "Egg Mayonnaise"?
The law now demands it, but is there a better way of doing it?
Perhaps I should just insert the word "obviously".
Which mean that my most important winter job is to find a way of telling customers exactly what's in our food. Or rather whether any ingredients from a list of allergens are involved anywhere.
I gave myself a deadline to do this.
End of January.
I started today.
I do have a question, though.
Do I need to write "contains eggs" after "Egg Mayonnaise"?
The law now demands it, but is there a better way of doing it?
Perhaps I should just insert the word "obviously".
Monday, 12 January 2015
Present and correct.
Yesterday I set out on a new path.
I have been thinking for a while that we should stock gift items at the tea rooms. Not souvenirs, but pretty tea towels, scented candles, boxed soaps - that sort of thing.
For when you're sitting having a cuppa with a friend, realise that it's your sister's birthday tomorrow and the options are a) leave the lovely surroundings and your cup of tea and your friend to drive into town to trawl the shops for a present or b) buy a perfectly lovely thing right here and pick up a card while you're at it.
Yesterday I went to the Top Drawer show at Olympia with a friend who fortunately knows about such things. Whilst my husband is keen to help, his knowledge ("noone buys those diffuser things, do they?") could be improved.
Now I'm sitting at the kitchen table (with a cup of tea) surrounded by brochures, catalogues, leaflets and price lists trying to make decisions.
I am enjoying myself thoroughly.
I have been thinking for a while that we should stock gift items at the tea rooms. Not souvenirs, but pretty tea towels, scented candles, boxed soaps - that sort of thing.
For when you're sitting having a cuppa with a friend, realise that it's your sister's birthday tomorrow and the options are a) leave the lovely surroundings and your cup of tea and your friend to drive into town to trawl the shops for a present or b) buy a perfectly lovely thing right here and pick up a card while you're at it.
Yesterday I went to the Top Drawer show at Olympia with a friend who fortunately knows about such things. Whilst my husband is keen to help, his knowledge ("noone buys those diffuser things, do they?") could be improved.
Now I'm sitting at the kitchen table (with a cup of tea) surrounded by brochures, catalogues, leaflets and price lists trying to make decisions.
I am enjoying myself thoroughly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)