Defrost mode

Season Nine of the saga that is The Garden Tea Rooms starts tomorrow. Cast members remain the same for the most part. A few cameos from past stars are hoped for. A few new names will be introduced.
I wonder what effect the winter opening will have on our feelings about the summer. Throughout November - March we’ve been multi-layered in vests, roll necks, jumpers and cardigans. We’ve sat by the fire with a coffee or huddled around the oven while the scones and jacket potatoes cook.
In the summer we can’t wait to turn the oven off.
The first thing we do is open all the windows and turn on the fans.
Putting on the layer of an apron is undesirable.
This evening, with more snow forecast for the Easter weekend (it won’t happen, surely) the idea of being warm enough to shed the cardi seems remote. Summer is a long way off.

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I sent a text to Nancie this morning telling her not to attempt to make the journey to work.
This afternoon she rang to tell me that she’d been thinking about it and that she thinks Putin is to blame for this weather. And that, in retaliation, we should get a tearoom in Russia closed for the day.

Get a grip

Yup. Snow.
Snow and freezing temperatures.
Accentuating the positive at least it didn’t snow on Mothering Sunday.

Time Marches On

Over the past few days I’ve been working on the Easter rotas.
It’s two weeks away but it’s never too early to look ahead to a bank holiday weekend and convince people they really really really want to work.
Easter starts in late March this year.
We are currently in mid March and there’s more snow forecast for this weekend.
That would be the fourth snowfall of the winter.
Enough now. Thank you.

The mother of all Sundays

If ever I forget, remind me to open on Mothering Sunday every year.
We were wonderfully busy. It reminded us of a summer day in every way except the weather.
The conservatory tables were all reserved (new table coverings- dotty smoke) for those who’d booked the special Afternoon Tea - 36 in total.

We decided we wouldn’t take any other reservations. Space is more limited over the winter months and after a flurry of phone calls over the past week we could have reserved every last table in the main room but then disappointed regulars or those just coming on the off chance of a cuppa.
The special afternoon teas were served between 1.30 and 2.30.
Tea, a glass of elderflower presse (or ginger beer or raspberry lemonade), finger sandwiches, red onion and Stilton tartlets, then scones with jam and cream, lemon drizzle cake, tiffin, carrot cake, chocolate mousse and lime cheesecake. The cheesecake recipe called for the zest of three limes. I used five. I like citrus flavours to be good and strong. The chocolate mousse trial during the week had gone disastrously wrong but I changed to Charlotte’s granny’s recipe and it saved the day.
My feet hurt by the end of yesterday.
A good sign.
And the shape of things to come.

Snow business

This is the winter I choose to stay open.
The one with three big, proper deluges of snow. One in December, one in January and one just as I started to see light at the end of the tunnel, as February met March.
The one with a storm called Emma which hit from one angle as the beast from the east came in from another. Days of freezing temperatures when we either couldn’t or wouldn’t open.
We’ll reopen on Wednesday.
We’ll light the fire.
We’ll hope the pipes haven’t burst.
We’ll hope the roof hasn’t leaked.
We’ll prepare for our first Mothering Sunday.
Come on, Spring. We’re waiting.