I Want to Bake Free

Turn the Page

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 14:41:00 +0000

WHAT A YEAR!

If you've taken the time out to read this, there's a fair chance you'll know that we are at a historic moment for the Bakery.

It is a calm moment sitting here writing this, I feel focussed and optimistic. I rediscovered a couple of kinda negative ‘draft post musings’ sitting in my inbox since I last posted in 2016 that never saw the light of day and never will.

It's cathartic for me to take this moment to look back, acknowledge the last few years, then crack on.

This week we'll finally be letting you know what we have in store for you this summer at Pettigrew Bakeries, so keep an eye out on @pettigrewbakes

Where are we now?

We have earned your trust, loyalty and respect as a fiercely independent family run business in the ‘burbs of the Cardiff community. We are a humble bunch, working our butts off for consistency & advancement, to be the best we can be and maybe even inspire others. To you who champion us, thank you. We put everything into the Bakery, hearing your stories and seeing your joy keeps us motivated and hungry for success.

Acknowledgements...

There are too many people to list individually so I won't do that, but a massive THANK YOU to team Pettigrew Bakeries & Tea Rooms past and present. You know who you are because you're either still with us (several of you for 7+ years), or you know the Pettigrew revolving door is always open to you :o). You like minded workaholics put your soul into making ideas come to life.

Surviving the past 5 years, and getting to the point we are at today, would not have happened without Rhys. To save him embarrassment I'll keep it short. Rhys carried the Bakery production in those early years as we learnt together (usually the hard way) with a ton of trial and error and within the confines of trading 7 days a week (under a mountain of debt). I got stuck back into baking at this time in a way that (naively) I thought I wouldn't be doing. Spending hours, then years, baking together and bringing on a team of self-taught bakers.

It turns out that doing this from scratch creates the strongest foundation to whether even a global pandemic!

A few years back Rhys started working on his own Bakery project and took the plunge over the summer last year to go all in on Carrot Top Bakery. Do yourself a favour and give him a follow @carrottopbakery, find him at weekly farmers markets, and various cafes/venues that proudly serve uncompromising hand-crafted baking. This guy is the real deal & does not, cannot & will not compromise.

Rhys is a friend and a huge inspiration to me, thanks Rhys for everything you poured into helping build up Pettigrews.

Family

Quick thanks go to our families for unwavering love and support, including investing to make our dreams a reality! We lost our dad Steve earlier this year, but we know how proud he was of his sons and all his family, we could not have opened without his support.

I’m so proud to see how many people's lives have been touched by Pettigrew. One of those absolutely smashing it right now is Gareth who is proudly living his dream next door to us at Let Them See Cake @letthemseecake. Gareth & Ryan put everything into their vision and seeing it alive and kicking, and our neighbours, is awesome.

Thank you to our amazing wholesale pals, who over the years have fiercely supported us and championed our produce. It is really tough to say goodbye for now and not see what you do with our products in your own artistry. It is a travesty how little wholesale choice there is for real bread made in Cardiff. One day we will be back in the market I hope.

Cardiff Bakers/Bakeries

The emerging Real Bread baking scene of Cardiff is such a joy to see! From my experience Bakers are good people who get a kick out of making other people happy. You just won’t hear a bad word uttered about our competitors in the City. There is room for all of us and we are all different & champion each others learning and success. Basically if you hear someone chatting crap, running one of us down it'll always tell you way more about them.

“If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it.

A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”

― Roald Dahl, The Twits

The current team of Bakery heroes make me proud every day; every baker, every server, everyone supporting us behind the scenes. It is such a privilege working with you all. We are building such a cool unique business together and the next chapter is going to be even more exciting.

Thanks for taking a minute to read this, to understand what we are grateful for, and indulging us as we put the past 5 years to bed and reinvent Pettigrew Bakeries for the years to come.

See you soon

David & Lee - June 2021

Pettigrew Bakeries, Cardiff - Our Journey in Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 15:27:00 +0000

So the order for these images may be a little bit out... but follow along and you can get an idea of the progress in rescuing and restoring our stunning property 595 Cowbridge Road East, Victoria Park, Cardiff

Opening Pettigrew Bakeries in Spring 2016

www.facebook.com/PettigrewBakeries

www.twitter.com/pettigrewbakes

Counting on Counter Service

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 08:43:00 +0000

So we bought a building... a shop that has been trading for 82 years selling hardware, pet food and everything in between. It was 1933 when Arthur Oliver Janes opened the doors of 595 Cowbridge Road East as a gardening shop. His sons, John and Cliff, took on the business following their fathers death and they managed it right up to 1984.

Image courtesy of Wales Online 2015

From 1984 to 2015 F Janes Sons has been in the loving and capable hands of Mohammed Saddique, or Sid as everyone locally knows him. I first met Sid when wandering into the shop on my way to Pettigrew Tea Rooms one day back in September 2014. I had coincidentally been talking to Rhian next door in Fablas Ice Cream about the area.

Sid had put up a handwritten sign in his busy shop window, announcing the sale of his shop due to his retirement. Anyone who knows Sid knows he has been struggling with his knees for the last couple of years and being in the shop every day seven days a week was taking its toll, Sid is also a workaholic!

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/one-stop-hardware-shop-new-10051047

I first fell in love with the Shop front of 595 Cowbridge Road East. The stunning green tiles, the large open doors and fantastic glass windows framing the shop and inviting you in from the busy street. I strolled in that day to be greeted by Sid who is one of the kindest, genuine business men I have ever met.

Sid has run his business and kept it relevant in a Cardiff which is unrecognisable from when he took the keys in the mid eighties. A World of Pets At Home, Supermarkets, DIY superstores and of course the Internet for online shopping. I have met so many shop owners who have talked of this 'Death by a Thousand Cuts', from the way shopping habits have changed. Sid offered something pretty amazing that I agreed to continue when we shook hands on the sale of 595. Sid kept his business relevant by providing a friendly, professional, personal counter service that went above and beyond for his customers. Sid delivered to the door where others wouldn't bother to offer, he knew his customers by name and could always find a solution to their problems, often finding it hidden deep somewhere in the shop.

A very apt sign in Sids shop read "we stock much more than meets the eye, please ask we aim to please"

Sid has now taken his well deserved retirement, although you can find him still servicing several local clients and he will be a regular face in Victoria Park for many years to come. It has been a pleasure getting to know Sid, his lovely wife Farukh and their family.

The traditional shop keeper and service

A traditional Bakery shop serving a traditional style of counter service is our goal. Sid's success was on having what people wanted, and giving it to them in a unique way that made people want to visit. Our bakery will give back counter service and wholesale delivery to our customers looking for both traditional and innovative baked goods.

Image courtesy of Wales Online 2015

We have learnt a great deal from Pettigrew Tea Rooms, our home inside the West Lodge has meant that our working areas have always been fully on display. Everything we do at the tea rooms is on show and we have turned this into a strength, you may have enjoyed all those cake baking smells! That is why our new bakery will be wide open. When you come through our doors you will be able to see our professional bakers at work right there behind our counters baking your daily bread. Our head baker was so excited with the idea of having the bakery open, he is looking forward to getting to know you and talking about his passion for all things bread.

Whether you are dropping in for your morning coffee, freshly baked breads, patisserie, cakes, sandwiches or hand-picked deli items, there will always be someone on hand for a chat over the counter.

In addition to counter service Pettigrew Bakeries is about the wholesale supply of bread and bakery produce to the incredible hard working independents of South Wales and beyond. We have already been meeting independent business' to discuss what they want in a product that reflects their quality, consistency and expertly crafted produce. Hopefully it won't be too long before you spot a Pettigrew Bakery loaf on the menu of any one of the incredible restaurants, hotels, cafes, tea rooms, pop-ups, street food superstars, deli's and shops in the City.

We can't wait to get started!

The handshake handover Summer 2015

Thanks for the warm welcome to Victoria Park

We now have a Facebook Page full of pictures of the building works as we breathe new life into this stunning community shop, which we would love if you LIKED just click HERE https://www.facebook.com/PettigrewBakeries/

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Pettigrews

Pushing Change Pushing Doors - Pettigrew Bakeries

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Sun, 29 Nov 2015 10:52:00 +0000

"Work on the business not in the business"

Pettigrew Bakeries is the name of our new bakery which is going to open in 595 Cowbridge Road East, Victoria Park, Cardiff this coming spring 2016.

The brief is straightforward, we are expert bakers, we love all things baked, we make as much as we can ourselves from awesome local producers in our (very) little home in Pettigrew Tea Rooms, Bute Park. We use a serious amount of bread and have always wanted to bake our own but never had the space.

We are equally passionate about World class produce made right here in South Wales, served for the community in Cardiff and further afield. West Cardiff has a wonderfully vibrant community who support real local producers. We cannot wait to play our part in that local place, serving our style of traditional British baking on our doorstep, Ely, Canton, Llandaff, Fairwater, Victoria Park & beyond!

The builders move in tomorrow to start work in the regeneration, restoration and general transformation of this beautiful traditional Victorian shop.

I am going to document exactly what we are planning and how it will work out over the coming weeks, but first off here is some background about how we got where we are today. Sunday 29th November 2015.

Change!

A year ago my major concern was what would happen to the operation of Pettigrew Tea Rooms if I wasn't there, knowing that some major personal changes were looming meaning I wouldn't be able to continue managing my business and serving customers.

If you open your own business, success can hinge on how you embrace change. I cannot stress this enough. The tea rooms have demanded change that I could never have envisioned or predicted. To do the business justice we chose to embrace and adapt, often making painful changes along the way. This has been tough on everyone at the Tea Rooms, we keep our staff and they experience the difficulty and uncertainty change brings. There is one big benefit of continual change for improvement; when change comes, as one team, we are ready to embrace it with both hands.

A year ago my Supervisors became Managers taking the position as head of our family leading Pettigrew Tea Rooms. Our 4th year of operation has been the busiest by far, welcoming more people than ever, adding more complexities to our menu, cooked breakfasts, better ingredients, new local suppliers, more team members, challenges and triumphs.

Our Breakfasts have been a huge challenge to make a reality but a huge success, thanks to everyone who helped. Have a read about them here http://gourmetgorro.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/pettigrew-tea-rooms-bute-park-hunt-for.html

Image Credit Gourmet Gorro @GourmetGorro

Nothing is perfect and there are many challenges ahead of us, but we have kept what we have always had, a passionate collective of skilled people who care about where they work and responding to make it better.

Gareth Davies Sugarcraft Artist November 2015

LIKE GARETH'S PAGE HERE https://www.facebook.com/Gareth-Sugarcraft-Artist-1431233547192965/

Standing still is not an option!

From the moment I knew that the Tea Rooms were a success there was a palpable expectation of "what's next?". So alongside the changes in my life and the establishment of the Tea Rooms I have been on a search.

How do you decide what to do next? There have been no less than 5 serious expansion opportunities in the past 4 years that have peaked my interest. Tea Rooms, Cake Business', Wholesale. I have a rule that if a door appears you need to give it a little push just to see where it leads you. From this plethora of possible expansion possibilities and having sat here writing (and deleting) for hours this morning, our final decision really comes down to this...

I LOVE BAKERIES. The tea rooms exist, because I LOVE TEA ROOMS.

I adore bread, I love the magic of making it, the science, the alchemy, the variety, the technique, the spectrum of complexity to simplicity.

There is burgeoning talent in Pettigrew Tea Rooms and now I have the opportunity to give that talent a showcase.

Wholesale bread supply in Cardiff is under competitive. There is an opportunity for quality bakeries in South Wales who can supply quality and consistency not just to a local community but to the explosion of wonderful independent business' craving quality and consistent locally baked craft products. (Note I am NOT saying there are none, but there are certainly NOT enough!)

It is an honour and an adventure to become a supplier, I hope for Pettigrew Bakeries to join the ranks of incredible Welsh suppliers bringing craft, expertise and talent to our local market here in South Wales.

We have an opportunity ahead, it is a risk, a change beyond any we have embraced before. This is one door that pushed all the way open and this time we have leapt across the threshold, screaming I WANT TO BAKE FREE!

In the coming days the builders will move in to 595 Cowbridge Road East, Victoria Park and I will keep you updated on the progress of the works as we go. Breaking news is always delivered first on Twitter @PettigrewBakes

Peace x

David

A Family Business - What gives you the right?

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 13:02:00 +0000

The first time I described Pettigrew Tea Rooms as a 'family run business' in early 2012 I felt bad.

I questioned my right to that claim for our business.

A family run business evokes a sense of local-ness, integrity, control, care about the customer, belonging, community, honesty and many more things. I have always believed these things are true for Pettigrews and help to make this place special, but saying those words felt odd.

Why the unease?

It is an honour to be an employer where your employees become family. Today I can hold my head up, look you in the eyes and talk about the Pettigrew team as a family outside the ties of blood. Way back in 2012 we started more like pals muddling through. The family we have now was not expected, hoped for yes but never presumed. The discomfort I felt reflects how I felt at the time about myself, my now husband and the fear of putting our name to something untested.

A family business can be a great gift, it is not for every family. Lee and I lived together worked together with scarce few hours of the week where we were not in each others company. The stresses, tears, paranoia, fear, arguments, love, joy, success and contentment all shared. Pettigrew has evolved and we always treated it as more than just us, asking what does Pettigrew deserve? It always deserves more than we can give, all we can do is our best. Part of that is knowing when our best isn't good enough but if we keep trying we can improve.

Living those years together forged us in a way I cannot say I would recommend or want to relive, it didn't make our relationship, I believe that our relationship survived what was genuinely a gruelling test. The unanticipated gift of this experience was the knowledge that our relationship can survive and strengthen through experiences that most people will not endure. That was a revelation and is certainly part of why I write this as a married man.

Lee and I could be found at Pettigrew Tea Rooms nearly every day for the first 3 years and that is part of what established this ethos of a family business. We put in more of oursleves than we should have at times, but it was always in the pursuit of what Pettigrew deserved.

I have had cause this past week to look back at what makes a family business a family business and before we go further I realise that I need to thank my family. My mum and mum2 still remind me of the mornings they happily wiled away washing dishes in our suitably inadequate makeshift potwash of the early days.

It is incredible to think how things have changed from those early days, but the all hands on deck support we had was incredible. I was so caught up in the next three years that I don't think I ever stopped to say thank you properly. Thanks mums! you guys saved our bacon! x

The first cup of tea made in the tea rooms was by my sister! and my other sister scrubbed labels from pans with my dear friends too! Helen, Nan, Gran, Jo, Steve, Di, Karl, Kath, Manon; the list goes on and I could spend this post just thanking people who helped me and Lee in those days.

To look forward sometimes you need to look at where have you come from and what you have learned.

What has put me in mind of family and specifically this new chapter of the Pettigrew family happened three weeks ago when my Dad died.

You may or may not know that the specific catalyst to me quitting my job in 2010 was the diagnosis of my Step Father, Don, who suffered from cancer in his brain and passed away in January 2011. I was inspired not to let life happen and chose instead to turn the fear that this would become my life's great regret, into the fuel for I Want to Bake Free and Pettigrew Tea Rooms. Bringing us tidily to Sunday 25th July 2010 when I sat down and wrote my first blog post which you can read here.

My Dad, Robert James Le Masurier, was diagnosed with mesothelioma over two years ago, which is a type of cancer from working with asbestos when he was young. He passed away in July this year, just a few short weeks ago.

This is not a blog post about cancer, sadly you probably have your own story to tell about that disease, but it is about family and inspiration. My Dad was brilliant. He was the middle son of Stella and Jack Le Masurier, my Grandad Jack being the entrepreneur who started Fitzroy Joinery Ltd which he then handed on to my Dad to run as our family business.

As boys, me and my brothers grew up as the sons of the boss that ran a company in Plymouth known for quality, precision and skilled joinery professionals. Dad worked almost his entire adult life making Fitzroy Joinery Ltd prosper, through the recessions and the good times. Talk about an inspiration. Mum and Dad never once pressured me or my brothers to think of taking on the family business and as each of us left home, we never did.

When I came to Dad with my plans in spring 2010 we analysed and discussed them in great detail, it was like a pitch to Dragons Den, but with Dads unique calm inquisitive and precise business mind. With the love, support and encouragement of both my Dad, my Step Mother and all my family, I made the leap and quit my job. Pettigrew Tea Rooms opened on the 29th March 2012, over 20 months later.

Being a hands on guy working in the building trade for his entire life, Dad advised me through our fit out. He sat in on the meetings with the contractors at West Lodge and helped me to install our kitchens and pot wash. Famed for his saying 'Measure Twice, Cut Once!' that is a favourite saying to this day at the tea rooms and one we will always try to live by.

Dad has done so much for me and he always said it was his privilege to be there for us boys and help us grow. Pettigrew was born from my family and now is its own family, beyond our team it may well include you.

In the last conversation alone with my Dad on Thursday 9th July 2015, he didn't have much energy to speak, but was hanging on every word as we discussed the pros and cons of the purchase of the shop in Victoria Park for Pettigrew Bakeries and the possibility of another tea room elsewhere. Sat up watching England winning the first leg of the Ashes in Cardiff, I was chatting away about all of the things that could go wrong, all the difficulties and the possibilities. Unable to waste much energy with words he simply said
"...ah, but you won't let those things happen, you will do it right" all with his smile.

I am so proud to have known this man and benefited from his love and guidance. We both knew in that moment, that this time I wouldn't be able to ask him for his help again, but he left me with the knowledge that he trusted I would do it right. There is not a gift a Dad can give to his Son more than that, at 33 i'd rather have my Dad here, but knowing he trusted me was his last precious gift. We made a video for Dad which me and my brothers shared at his funeral. He did so much for us and for me and Pettigrews. As we embark on this new adventure of inventing Pettigrew Bakeries I had to look back at where we came from, what is important, what does it mean to be a family, to have a family business.

I will try and do it right Dad, thank you for our family, I promise that our future family will honour you in all we do at Pettigrews

Yesterday I exchanged contracts on a beautiful shop building in Victoria Park overlooking the entrance to Victoria Park itself, laid out of course by W W Pettigrew. Pettigrew Bakeries will honour the family that gave us Cardiff's stunning parks by growing our family. I hope you will come along for the ride!

As always I will try and share the best information here on the blog and through @want2bakefree

What you Want, What you Really Really Want

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 07:00:00 +0000

I think that I should win an award.

Now before you go thinking that this will be some long, conceited, rambling self congratulatory blog post about Pettigrew Tea Rooms hold on and move your mouse well away from the angry cross.

The award I deserve is "Longest Period of Maintained Procrastination Followed by Complete Digital Silence". This probably needs a little work, but I am sure there are many other writers out there feeling the January pang of guilt for the lack of input on their blogs, who would be up for a nomination.

Now to business. I have been asked quite a few questions about the Tea Rooms particularly from those who aren't lucky enough to live in or around Cardiff and haven't made it to us yet, but who followed my story up to the point of opening the doors.

For my first blog post in a wee while I thought it would be good to answer some of those questions. This will as ever be a candid and personal view that you won't catch anywhere else. If you have questions let me know in the notes at the bottom, or on my varied Pinterest, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter outlets and I will answer and add them to this post.

What did I feel during 2012?

Petrified. I decided this morning to chart my three main emotions to give you a visual representation here:

I adore excel, it is the backbone of my business.

Now to give this come context, I did not spend this year a gibbering wreck on the edge, well not often. There were only two times to memory that members of my team had to physically retrain me (now that is a good story perhaps an additional question). But fear is a great motivator for me. As I have gown up I have come to know fear and use it to get things done. Fear stimulates momentum and helps me break inertia often leading to the highest feelings of joy and accomplishment. These emotions can be felt all in the space of a day.

So it is no surprise that on January 26th 2012 when I received the news my dream was to actually become a reality I had somewhat of a 'fear spike'. Following the huge success of the launch and opening of the tea rooms it wasn't until the bad weather of May and June that the receding fear took an upward swing. You see my focus up until then had been to open Pettigrew's and get it right from the word go. After all my preparation and lengthy debate using this very blog to tell people about how I was going to 'do it right', I had very little wiggle room to mess it up and tweak it better. This new fear following the opening is the fear of being passed your best.

Passing your best is the odd fear that you have accomplished the best you could without really noticing it and it isn't until the slide that you look back and can see the peak. We had less people coming through the doors at the start of May and for one week while storms gripped the UK I thought (somewhat irrationally in retrospect) that we had seen the peak of popularity.

In June we were covered with scaffolding while some rather unexpected work was carried out, this helped neither my nerves or the customer head count. With the removal of the scaffolding and the arrival of mid July my fear receded and switched to how to manage the flow of customers now we finally appeared to be on the map.

View Larger Map

From July on it was back to the job of delivering the very best experience we could every time. Now we don't always get it right, but our motto is to deliver you the little things done right and we will always strive to do this.

I now sit at a happy equilibrium, fueled by a little fear, enjoying the experience and confident that my business is healthy and loved by our customers.

What was the High the Low and the Average?

The High has been the excitement at every milestone. There is an outrageous physical surge of pleasure that I have never experienced as frequently as this year. I can not single out one occasion and the trigger can vary. Off the top of my head; when I realise that I am an employer providing 4 full time and 6 part time jobs I feel it. When we were on The Great British Bake Off on BBC2 in October I felt it. When we recieve a 5* Trip Advisor review I feel it. When a customer says that was the best coffee they have had in Cardiff I feel it. When we were awarded our 5* Food Hygiene Award I felt it (go and look who has a 0,1 or 2 shocking!). The highs bring with them an overwhelming sense of peace which lasts and acts as a great reference for when the lows arrive.

I live for the lows, it is in my nature. If you receive 100 compliments and 1 person gives the gift of complaint it is the complaint that will echo around in my skull for the remaining waking hours. Remember the highs and learn from the lows. Move on. There is a very personal low I experienced in 2012 which crept up on me slowly and only came into sharp relief at Christmas. My partner and I have given up a lot to live this reality, financially and emotionally. We miss our friends and family especially those living further away. If any low exists it is the low of missing the closeness with the ones you love due to distance and time.

The Average was my secret fear for this project all along. I never voiced it prior, but I thought what happens if I get my dream and I feel the same? No day is the same. Yes there are average days, but those days are varied and challenging in their own little way. As I am VERY fond of telling my staff, "there is always something to do, especially cleaning".

What's next?
This final question only gets a brief answer here. I want to tease you. I enjoy teasing you. I have teased around 100,000 of you since starting this blog a few years ago.

I have news, but I cannot share it right now...

It is BIG exciting Tea Room news that will make you get up and dance!

For now though if you want any clues there are only two ways to get them.

Firstly come into Pettigrew Tea Rooms and ask me

Secondly watch this space

@want2bakefree

+Pettigrew Tea Rooms - I Want to Bake Free

Christmas Afternoon Tea Party - Cardiff

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 17:45:00 +0000

BOOK NOW PEOPLE! The menu is finally here so book up quickly. Pettigrew Tea Rooms Menu - Christmas 2012

"BAKE FREE BROTHER!"

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 19:53:00 +0000

I wanted to set up a tea room and the good news is that is exactly what I have done.

You may have spotted a small gap in my blog story telling with my last post being published on Tuesday 27th March 2012. That post heralded the news that following two years of planning, 44 blog posts and around 5500 tweets my dream of running a tea room was finally realised.

My abrupt silence was a deliberate and direct reflection of how all consuming setting up a business is. I will try to write about the experience now that I have some perspective. At various points over the past weeks of radio silence I have toyed with writing to you to explain, narrate and share my thoughts, feelings and adventures. My instincts told me to leave it, to experience it, so that I remember it and then share to it and so here we are.

You may have been part of the experience in real time, visiting the tea rooms in person. For that I can only thank you all. There has been no greater pleasure than meeting someone who connected to my story online and then made the effort to come in and say hello. Would we ever have met otherwise?

Here are some facts...
Since opening the doors in late March we have served over 15kg of Pettigrew Breakfast Tea, 800 toasted tea cakes, over 40 Victoria Sandwiches, 500 sandwiches, 4500 shots of fine Welsh roasted coffee, nearly 3000 scones and made countless new friends many of which I am delighted to say have become regulars!

Today my catch up will bring you how we went about taking on the West Lodge and translating all that planning into a living operating commercial tea room; to wake from my dream so to speak.

I need you to know that it has been incredibly tough but indescribably rewarding.

The 'Tea Room' in storage in my house

Decision Making

I had confirmation that I was the preferred operator for the tea room at West Lodge in late January this year and from that time on it was a race against the clock to turn all my procrastinating into a brilliant business that I was visualising.

One of the mutually agreed terms of my tenancy was to ensure that the tea rooms were open in time for the RHS Flower Show Cardiff on the weekend of Friday the 20th April. RHS attracts around 22,000 visitors to Bute Park each year and if anything would be a test for the tea rooms, then this would be it. From all of my research and speaking to other small business start ups, giving yourself time to test out your operation is key.

The builders gave us a get in date of the 9th March with a full handover of the building on Tuesday 20th March. With the RHS weekend less than four weeks from the handover date, I knew that the fit out would have to be quick and so I picked the date of Friday 30th March as our grand opening with a soft opening from the Monday before.

Her are some pictures which speak for themselves really, enjoy!

Fit Out Schedule
Monday 9th March - Kitchen Build

Friday 13th March - Still Room Build

Tuesday 19th March - Tea Room Fit Out

Saturday 24th March - Tea Room Dressing

Tuesday 27th March - Staff Induction and Soft Opening

Friday 30th March - GRAND OPENING

On the morning of Friday 30th March 2012, I was busy setting out the outside seating on our beautiful terrace and a random runner came past and shouted "Bake Free Brother!".

This was one of the most moving things during the opening. I still don't know who that was but thank you, it was brilliant. The good news is, I feel free... I am free.

Come in soon and say hello.

More photos and story to follow soon.

David & team

OPENING THIS FRIDAY

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:45:00 +0000

I managed to get my face into the Echo on Saturday :o)

Shame no one told me my tile was the wrong way round! But you can't have everything eh?

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/cardiffonline/cardiff-news/2012/03/24/bute-park-s-historic-west-lodge-reopens-as-pettigrew-tea-rooms-91466-30611626/
So we are all go for the grand opening from 7:30am on Friday 30th March 2012, closing at around 5:30pm

You may have grasped from my lack of activity on the blog, Twitter and Facebook etc that I have been rather flat out making this dream into an operational Tea Room.

The good news is... we are on track! It should be a really busy weekend so come say hi and forgive us if we aren't the slickest business in town [yet!].

Our First Customer

I am delighted to say that we have served our very first paying member of the public Mrs Jayne Pugh of Llanishen, Cardiff.

There is still time to enter our competition which is closing this Friday to win some beautiful tea and coffee check it out via the link below.

http://iwanttobakefree.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/competition-time.html

Just to tantalise you here are some snaps of the Tea Room...

See you Friday!

David

BBC Radio Wales - Interview

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:14:00 +0000

March 2012

Today I was lucky enough to be interviewed by the lovely Jamie Owen and Louise Elliott on their week day magazine show. Listen along by clicking the play button below.

NOTE: The link above is HTML5 if it doesn't show in your browser click HERE or below is the flash version.

BBC Radio Wales 200312 by IWantToBakeFree

Tea Room Launch Date Confirmed

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 07:51:00 +0000

It brings me enormous pleasure to announce that Pettigrew Tea Rooms will officially open to the public on Friday 30th March 2012.

http://pettigrew-tearooms.co.uk

Needless to say, there is still a lot to do and I am working hard to finally bring my plans to fruition. Here is a sneak peek at the interior...

See you soon and spread the word!

Pettigrew Tea Rooms, West Lodge, Bute Park and Arboretum, Cardiff CF10 1BJ

View Larger Map

Why I Want to Bake Free [in 3 Minutes]

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:10:00 +0000

COMPETITION TIME

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 07:39:00 +0000

TEA ROOM OPENING THIS SPRING

Unbelievably the countdown has now begun to the opening of my traditional Tea Rooms in Cardiff. It's been a long journey over the past two years and if you have been following from the beginning you'll know the ups and downs. Somehow during this time baking has become more popular than ever and my passion for bringing a traditional slice of Tea Room culture to Cardiff has never been stronger.

I am blessed with a beautiful venue in the very heart of Cardiff City Centre, the West Lodge, Castle Street at the entrance to Bute Park and Arboretum. The responsibility is great and I know that expectation is high. The next few weeks until opening will be intense, but stay with me and please tell your friends and family.

To give you a taster of what's to come at Pettigrew Tea Rooms, today I am announcing an essential competition. I have teamed up with some of my key suppliers, Kitchens Cookshop [Cardiff], Peter James Gourmet Coffee [Ross-on-Wye] and the delectable Tea Palace [London] to create a Tea and Coffee lovers paradise.

The Prize - Totalling over £200!

La Cafetière® Thermique 8 cup Coffee Press

Peter James Gourmet Coffee

Tea Palace Fine Loose Leaf Tea Collection

A Stunning Vintage Tea Set
[milk jug, sugar bowl, set of teaspoons four cups and saucers as pictured]

A Gift Voucher for 'Two for High Tea' at Pettigrew Tea Rooms, Castle Street, Cardiff

To WIN simply enter your details below and follow the instructions:

GOOD LUCK!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Tea Room is Brewing

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:19:00 +0000

Introducing '_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Tea Rooms'

Bute Park is in amazing hands

You may say that I am biased as I am soon to directly benefit from the restoration of this stunning historic park land with the chance to turn my dream into a living reality. I hope that if you have gleaned anything from this blog it is that I am honest and open.

I have found all those connected with Bute Park, both working there daily and assisting in the careful and considered restoration, to be professional, passionate, intelligent, considered, leaders and doers. You will not find people more concerned with the welfare of the park itself, for the benefit of the users now and for those of the future. This is not some faceless bureaucracy, but a live and exciting family who have gone over and above their work remit donating hours upon hours of their own time to breathe life into community projects they help create and believe in.

If you have been to the Park recently hopefully you will have experienced this yourself too, if not Spring is a perfect time to visit and you should definitely go and see the new Education Centre!

I turned to this family for inspiration for a name to bestow on this new use for an historic building opening its doors for the first time to the public. My own ideas along with those from the custodians of the Park have been at the forefront of my mind for weeks.

Giving Birth

I have heard that deciding a name for your child can be difficult.
Do you wait until after the birth, look at your child, live with it, try and understand its personality?
Do you even know someone who was born without a name?

I believe that the greatest compliment for naming may be to inherit a family name or to bestow a title upon the next generation that has great personal resonance. With this in mind a wonderful name soon came to mind along with a superb opportunity to inform and educate today's park visitors about its history.

The Pettigrew Family

Many people know the Title of 'Marquess of Bute' and many people know the famous architect of Cardiff Castle, William Burges, but arguably less popularly well known for his contribution to Bute Park is Mr Andrew Pettigrew.

Andrew Pettigrew and his three sons William Wallace (‘WW'), Hugh and Andrew Alexander (‘AA') all contributed to a legacy of public owned gardens and parkland in Cardiff that is second to none in the UK.

Andrew Pettigrew (1833-1903) was Head Gardener to the Marquess of Bute at Cardiff Castle between 1873 and 1903. Originally from Ayrshire, he and his family moved to Cardiff from Dumfries House in Ayr, another Bute property, to work with the Third Marquess of Bute and William Burges on the layout of the Castle Grounds at Cardiff (re-named Bute Park in 1947 when it was gifted to the city along with the Castle and Sophia Gardens by the fifth Marquess of Bute).

The Marquess, who also came from Scotland, made all his money by sending coal and iron from the South Wales Valleys all around the world. What we now know as Cardiff was then a collection of small villages before the Marquess created a busy port, where hundreds of ships sailed every day. Cardiff became the largest coal exporting port in the world.

Many people came to live in Cardiff and it soon became a large city, but many of them lived in crowded houses with poor facilities and no gardens or space to relax and play in. The city needed parks and gardens.

So the Marquess and other Cardiff landowners gave land to the people of the city, so that they could have pleasant places to walk, to sit and listen to bands playing, to play or to watch sport such as bowls and cricket.

Introducing 'Pettigrew Tea Rooms'

In homage to his superb work in developing Bute Park into the recognisable space that thousands of visitors enjoy today, I feel it is appropriate to commemorate Mr Andrew Pettigrew's work by naming this business 'Pettigrew Tea Rooms'. I am passionate about sharing the history of this man, his family and the lasting legacy of their work with new and future generations visiting Bute Park and Arboretum.

Now for your say...

I have maintained from the start of this project that you would be involved. I value your thoughts and opinions. So now I turn over to you lovely people one of the biggest decisions I face. This is a traditional Tea Rooms and the Logo will be in pride of place on the menus, website and throughout. Please make your choice wisely.

Option a.)

Option B.)

Option C.)

Place Your Vote...

<a href="http://www.sodahead.com/fun/which-is-your-favourite-pettigrew-tea-rooms-logo/question-2474389/" title="Which is your favourite Pettigrew Tea Rooms Logo?">Which is your favourite Pettigrew Tea Rooms Logo?</a>

Public Opinion Poll Results

P.s. constructive criticism is great and always welcome, but if you don't have anything nice to say, then come and sit next to me.

Pettigrew Tea Rooms - Bi-Lingual Website Under Construction Coming Soon

Thank you. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates and maybe maybe maybe a competition some time soon...

David

Without Prejudice & Subject to Contract

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:30:00 +0000

I ONLY WENT AND GOT IT

So all the waiting is over and the hardest part of starting my Tea Rooms business so far is concluded. I am proud, delighted, elated, humbled and jubilant as I tell you that I have been successful in my tender for the operation of a Tea Rooms as part of the West Lodge redevelopment within Bute Park in Cardiff City Centre. If you are unfamiliar with the building please read my introduction HERE.

Here is a snippet from the first ever post that I made to 'I Want to Bake Free'

Dreams and Talents - taken from 'Somewhere in the Middle Part One' 25th July 2010
"Really cool dreams, the ones that make your heart feel light, chest tight and pulse race are great for weekends and holidays. My dreams are simple, making, baking, creating. I am surrounded by talent, beautiful inspiring talent that over the past two years has made our home and made my life. It takes a holiday usually to step out of the one track work mind and explore your dreams. My dream is for a Tea Room, that sells good tea and home made perfect cakes. My dream is to make drift wood art works and learn other artistic skills. My dream is to grow a garden of ingredients for use in my business. My dream is to support my family and spend time together doing the things we love."

The really really cool thing, aside from making it this far, is that the dream is not over. This has been a long introduction and I am so humbled by the interest and support that you have all shown me, but there is more to come; a lot more. Most excitingly we now have a place in reality outside of this blog to meet and you can truly become part of this project.

So today's post covers the following;

1.) Working timeline*
2.) Where I will ask for your help
3.) A COMPETITION
4.) Where this blog goes next
*this is my working timeline which almost certainly will change, but I will do my best to stick to it!

1.) Working Timeline
The building work on the West Lodge is due to finish in the first week of March 2012. I am aiming to get on-site and fit out the Tea Rooms to my exacting standards from around this time.

If all goes well I will spend the next 14 days lovingly decorating, cleaning and laying out systems for how the business will operate.

I am aiming to train up my new team mid March, with a view to opening the doors to trade around the end of March beginning of April. I will keep you updated and no doubt make a lot of noise about opening nearer the time.

So you will need to get telling every single person you know, in work, at school, in the hairdressers, everywhere that the new place to be is the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Tea Rooms at the West Lodge.

2.) Your Help
Logo - As you are all so fabulous and opinionated I have decided to put the choice of the final logo design to you. I am finalising the name of the Tea Rooms business at the moment and will be asking for your help in the next week or two.

Recruitment - The time has come to find the very best waiting staff who want to work in a challenging but rewarding quality catering outlet. A passion for tea, coffee, cake, service and the beauty and history of Bute Park will be preferred. If this is you or someone you know then drop me a line, david@victoria-rooms.co.uk various positions will be available from full to part time.

Takeaway - I have an amazing Welsh coffee supplier lined up who roasts coffee in South Wales to order. So all of you folks who wander past the West Lodge/Castle Street in the morning need to divert and pick up your morning coffee from me. I will be doing some opening promotions and will of course reward loyalty! Takeaways coffee will be served from opening in the morning until around 09:30am. More details and exact times to follow... BUY LOCAL!

3.) A Competition
I am finalising the details of a FABULOUS competition in conjunction with a brilliant local Cardiff business. The full details will be up on the blog this weekend or early next week so come back and check it out. The more times you enter the more chances you have to win and will you be supporting me and them, you have nothing to lose.

4.) The Future
I hope that this post has shown you that there is a lot further to go in this journey. I still want to bake free, having the venue is only the first piece of the puzzle. Anyone who knows small businesses knows that the first 6 to 12 months are crucial. Now I will need your support more than ever, I will try to give you the very best quality experience I can, so please come and be part of it and join in online here. This story is just starting to get interesting...

David

Now share this post if you will, using Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or just old fashioned talking to humans in real life. Thank you.

Introducing the West Lodge

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:31:00 +0000

VENUE ANNOUNCEMENT

The day has finally arrived after what seems like an age. Today I get to share with you the venue that I have been working on securing to make my tea room dreams come true. I should find out in the next few weeks if I have been successful in my tender submission and I will share that with you as soon as I can.

Bute Park is located in the heart of Cardiff's City Centre. The West Lodge is the main gateway from Castle Street into the Park, located opposite the Holiday Inn Hotel Cardiff. This is a stunning building completed in 1863 by the architect Alexander Roos.

Bute Park is currently undergoing a £5.6 million restoration project, supported by a £3.1 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). This will restore some important historic features, provide new facilities and help tell the story of Bute Park.

Construction work began on the 1st of November 2011 to transform The West Lodge into a gift shop, a tea room and an art gallery. Read more about the West Lodge and the HLF Bute Park Restoration Project HERE

The Future
I hope to hear in the coming weeks whether I have been successful in my application. If I am then I will be hoping to open the tea rooms in late March 2012 or early April.

Over the coming weeks there will be a lot to do! Join me in my adventure. If you are new to my adventure then check out this handy blog post to bring you right up to date HERE.

Did you guess this venue? Do you know Cardiff and recognise The West Lodge?

High Time for High Tea

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:17:00 +0000

On my epic adventure to open a Tea Room in Cardiff, I have spent some time looking at the origins of High Tea. By understanding what it has been and where it originated, I can decide what I want to serve. My intention is to preserve and revive, but who knows I may end up re-inventing High Tea for the future.

Points About This Post

If you disagree with any of the following account, let me know in the comments.

I realise History isn't every ones cup of tea (sorry).

If it isn't yours hit the '[SKIP]' button below to get right into my Essential Tea Etiquette Tips

What is High Tea?

High Tea is often a misnomer. Most people refer to afternoon tea as high tea because they think it sounds rather regal and lofty. High tea, or "meat tea", originally referred to the meal we call dinner. Afternoon tea was known as "low tea" because it was usually taken in a sitting room or withdrawing room where low tables were placed near sofas or chairs. So we know High Tea as what was originally Afternoon Tea. There are three basic types of Afternoon:

Cream Tea - Tea, scones, jam and cream
Light Tea - Tea, scones and sweets
Full Tea - Tea, savories, scones, sweets and dessert

The traditional time for tea was four or five o'clock and no one stayed after seven o'clock. The menu has also changed from tea, bread, butter and cakes, to include three particular courses served specifically in this order:

Savouries - Small sliced sandwiches
Scones - Served with jam and clotted cream
Pastries - Cakes, cookies and shortbreads

A Brief History of High Tea [SKIP]

Prior to the introduction of tea into Britain, we enjoyed two main meals a day, breakfast and dinner. Breakfast was ale, bread, and beef. During the middle of the eighteenth century, dinner for the upper and middle classes had shifted from noontime to an evening meal that was served at a fashionable late hour. Dinner was a long meal at the end of the day.

17th Century

1600 - Queen Elizabeth l (1533-1603) granted permission for the charter of the British East India Company (1600-1858), also known as the John Company, on December 31, 1600 to establish trade routes, ports, and trading relationships with the Far East, Southeast Asia, and India Trade in spices was its original focus, but later traded in cottons, silks, indigo, saltpeter, and tea. Due to political and other factors, the tea trade didn’t begin until the late 1670s.

1662 - King Charles II (1630-1685) while in exile, married the Portuguese Infanta Catherine de Braganza (1638–1705). Catherine's dowry was the largest ever registered in world history. Portugal gave to England two million golden crusados, Tangier and Morocco in North Africa, Bombay in India, and also permission for the British to use all the ports in the Portuguese colonies in Africa, Asia and the Americas thus giving England their first direct trading rights to tea.

As Charles had grown up in the Dutch capital, both he and his Portuguese bride were confirmed tea drinkers. When the monarchy was re-established, they brought this foreign tea tradition to England with them. Her influence made tea more popular amongst the wealthier classes of society. Soon tea mania spread swept across England, and it became the beverage of choice in English high society, replacing ale as the national drink.

18th Century

By 1700, tea was on sale by more than 500 coffee houses in London. Tea drinking became even more popular when Queen Anne (1665–1714) chose tea over ale as her regular breakfast drink.

During the Industrial Revolution in the second half of the Victorian Period, working families would return home tired and exhausted. The table would be set with any manner of meats, bread, butter, pickles, cheese and of course tea. None of the dainty finger sandwiches, scones and pastries of afternoon tea would have been on the menu.

19th Century

According to legend, one of Queen Victoria's (1819-1901) ladies-in-waiting, Anna Maria Stanhope (1783-1857), known as the Duchess of Bedford, is credited as the creator of afternoon teatime. Because the noon meal had become skimpier, the Duchess suffered from "a sinking feeling" at about four o'clock in the afternoon. Who doesn't?

At first the Duchess had her servants sneak her a pot of tea and a few breadstuffs. Adopting the European tea service format, she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o'clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "tea and a walking the fields." The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses.

Essential Tea Etiquette Tips

Holding a Tea Cup:

In order for one not to spill the hot liquid onto oneself, the proper way to hold the vessel of a cup with no handle is to place one’s thumb at the six o'clock position and one’s index and middle fingers at the twelve o'clock position, while gently raising one’s pinkie up for balance.
Tea cups with a handle are held by placing one’s fingers to the front and back of the handle with one’s pinkie up again allows balance. Never wave or hold your tea cup in the air. When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer.

If you are at a buffet tea hold the tea saucer in your lap with your left hand and hold the tea cup in your right hand. When not in use, place the tea cup back in the tea saucer and hold in your lap. The only time a saucer is raised together with the teacup is when one is at a standing reception.

Pinkies Up:

Originally, all porcelain teacups were made in China, starting around 620 A.D. These small cups had no handles. Pinkie up does not mean straight up in the air, but slightly tilted. It is not an affectation, but a graceful way to avoid spills. Never loop your fingers through the handle, nor grasp the vessel bowl with the palm of your hand. Ghastly.

Teaspoons:

Do not stir your tea, with your teaspoon, in sweeping circular motions. Place your tea spoon at the six o'clock position and softly fold the liquid towards the twelve o'clock position two or three times. Either place the used teaspoon on the side of another plate or ask the server or hostess to remove the spoon from the table. Never leave the spoon in the tea cup, especially when actually drinking your tea.

Serving Tea:

Tea is served with milk, not cream. Cream is too heavy and masks the taste of the tea. Although some pour their milk in the cup first, it is probably better to pour the milk in the tea after it is in the cup in order to get the correct amount. Remove the tea bag from the cup and place it on a side saucer or in a slop bowl. Never squeeze the tea bag.

When serving lemon with tea, lemon slices are preferable, not wedges. Either provide a small fork or lemon fork for your guests, or have the tea server neatly place a slice in the tea cup after the tea has been poured. Be sure never to add lemon with milk as the lemon's citric acid will cause the proteins in the milk to curdle. Ghastly.

Drinking Tea:

Finally, do not use your tea to wash down food. Sip, don’t slurp your tea and please swallow before eating.

A Tea Room without a room is just tea. I must continue to tease you a little longer, venue news will be coming very soon...

Stay tuned and keep the faith.

Much love

David

P.s. you can now follow me on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/iwanttobakefree/

A Tearoom Without Cake...

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:55:00 +0000

...is like a year without Summer

December 2011

This is my farewell to 2011. I am sure you will be relieved to hear that this is not a sentimental round up of the year that's been. Instead I am striking at the very heart of any good Tea Room and talking today about Cake.

Cake Dreams

I am opening a tea room next year in Cardiff, South Wales. This is now a statement of fact. Whether it be in one venue or another remains to be seen [venue news FINALLY coming around January 14th 2012].

My earliest memories of a traditional British Tea Room begin and end with the cakes, bakes and delicious home makes. In our World where we now try to move away from excess and live within our means, this may upset you. If you feel so inclined please now imagine that I am a Bootmaker and my trade means a fantastic shop window filled with every kind of ~~mouthwatering~~ shoe you can imagine.

The Dark Arts - Cake-Craft

There is a magic to creating something that not everyone can do. I meet two kinds of people in this World; those who say they can bake and those who are adamant that they cannot. It is us in the baking fraternity with our private language of genoise, folding and multiple spelling of Macaron that are perceived as magicians to the Muggles.

Baking is an art, a science an evolved and evolving tradition. From simple to ornate, visually pleasing or a bit rough round the edges the output is the same. That is a consumable experience to excite the Human senses made by hand with passion, knowledge and importantly with love. Well gosh, there it is, that last sentence sums up my feelings on cake and hopefully expresses to you what I mean when I say that the art of quality home baking will be at the very heart of my Cardiff Tea Room.

A Little Announcement

If you live in South Wales, have nodded your headed while reading the above and are interested in a baking adventure like the one I have described, drop me a line HERE. I will be looking to take on a baker to help us create our wonderful home bakes and will be auditioning in January/February 2012. If you know of someone who may be interested then send them this blog post and ask them to get in touch with me.

So, I leave with you for 2011 with some Cake Quotes

Please give your favourite a little Tweet if you are so inclined...

A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece.

Ludwig Erhard - via @want2bakefree

A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.

Benjamin Franklin - via @want2bakefree

A lot of movies are about life, mine are like a slice of cake.

Alfred Hitchcock - via @want2bakefree

A page of my journal is like a cake of portable soup. A little may be diffused into a considerable portion.

James Boswell - via @want2bakefree

All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.

George Harrison - via @want2bakefree

Always give them the old fire, even when you feel like a squashed cake.

Ethel Merman - via @want2bakefree

Merry Christmas and a very very Happy 2012

to you and your loved ones

David x

Tea Room Adventures - Picture Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:44:00 +0000

December 2011

This is a live web gallery of tea room related pictures. Enjoy!

Introducing the Clandestine Cake Club - Cardiff

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:56:00 +0000

December 2011

Cardiff – Cake without the sin

Date and time: 19th January 2012 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Location: Canton area of Cardiff
Theme: Cake without the Sin

Theme

New Years Resolutions – Cake

Without the Sin (or at least less!)

Date

Thursday 19th January 2012

7:30pm – 9:30pm

only 28 Spaces Available

Lift your spirits this January with the official launch of the Cardiff Chapter of the Clandestine Cake Club. For our first theme we’re picking cakes without (or at least less) of the sin. So get researching or bring along your tried and tested recipes that help you shift the Christmas pounds but still indulge your love of baking.

Venue

We will be meeting in the Canton area of Cardiff at a brilliant location with free parking! and a great social atmosphere. More details of our clandestine location will come nearer the time… Tea & Coffee will be provided for you to enjoy while tasting all the cakes and sharing tips with other home bakers. The total cost for the evening is just £5 per person, to be paid on the day, don’t forget you get to take cake home, so bring Tupperware!

Book a place

If you as a baker/and a non baking guest want to attend this event, please complete the contact form below with an indication of the cake you will bake.
Allow 24 hrs for confirmation of your booking. Your place/places are not guaranteed until you receive this email.
Points to remember. Each cake must be large enough to slice into around 8 – 12 good slices. Sorry, but No cupcakes, Muffins, Brownies, Cookies, Pies or Tarts.
Home-bakers and professional bakers can join in. It’s not a competition, no judging, just a lot of fun. And you get to take cake home!
Read what Clandestine Cake Club is all about and have a mosey on over at the disclaimer page before you book. Then register as a member and it will be even more fun.

Remember
It’s all about Cake

if you know someone who's interested then share this with them

places are limited

To book your place click HERE
ONLY 2 SPACES LEFT BOOK NOW
I WILL BE OPERATING A WAITLIST IF YOU MISS OUT

COMPETITION TIME - Now Closed

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:30:00 +0000

Win BOTH Great British Bake Off cookbooks

Series 1 [2010]

and

Series 2 [2011]

Plus EVERY entrant gets a prize

READ MORE...

I can exclusively reveal that I have a stand at the Fabulous
Cardiff Chapter Arts Centre 'Festive Food Fair 2011' on
Saturday 10th December 2011 @chaptertweets

with all profits from sales on our stand going to the charity LATCH.

I Want to Bake Free will be selling cakes, bakes and gifts, putting a festive twist on some old tea room favourites!

Not to mention meeting all of you in the flesh, come say hi!

Read on for the event details...

What you can expect... to munch on the day

Mini Festive Victoria Sandwiches - mouth sized tasty treats

Mini Christmas Fruit Scones - stuffed with jam and Welsh clotted cream

What you can expect... to take away and munch

Celtic Yellow Man - A bag of traditional honeycomb from a secret Celtic recipe

Christmas Peppermint Creams - A little bag of Christmas

Mini-Mug Gingerbread Houses - Let this little festive house warm over your coffee or cocoa

(the perfect treat on a wintry night)

What you can expect... to buy your loved ones for Christmas

Aprons - extremely limited edition 'I Want to Bake Free' aprons.

Teatowels - not quite so rare but still the envy of all your friends...

Cotton Bags - save yourself all those 5p's and invest in an 'I Want to Bake Free' shopping bag

Badges and Stickers - show your support for my dream to open a traditional tearoom in Cardiff

COMPETITION

YOU CAN WIN... all you have to do is enter anytime on

Saturday 10th December 2011

TOP PRIZE A Copy of the Great British Bake Off Series 1 and Series 2 Cook books

along with an exclusive 'I Want to Bake Free' apron, teatowel, cotton bag and pin badge!

3 Ways to Enter: (TIP: Increase your chances by trying each one)

IN PERSON

Visit my stand

Leave your email address

AND

ON TWITTER

Follow @want2bakefree and @urlastmouthful

Tweet "I Want to Bake Free! so do you? Follow @want2bakefree & RT"

AND

ON FACEBOOK

Like me on Facebook http://facebook.com/iwanttobakefree

Share my COMMENT, which will appear at 8am on

Saturday 10th December, to your page

The Winner:
I will be writing down everyone's names and putting them into a hat to be drawn on Sunday 11th December by an independent adjudicator. The winner will be notified on Twitter/Facebook/Email on Sunday 11th Dec. the prizes will be posted out on Monday 12th Dec by Parcelforce 48 hours so should arrive by Wednesday 14th Dec (Well in time for Christmas).

Runners Up:
The top 5 runners up will get an EXCLUSIVE & SIGNED 'I Want to Bake Free' Teatowel posted to them

Everyone Else:
If you enter you will get one 'I Want to Bake Free' sticker! As I am raising money for charity (and trying to save money to set up a tea room) all I ask is that you send me a SAE [Stamped Addressed Envelope] I will DM you my address on or around Saturday 10th Dec.

Event Details
Date: Saturday 10th December 2011
Time: 11am until 6pm (get there early to avoid disappointment)
Location: Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff
Website: CLICK HERE

View Larger Map

Your One Stop Catch Up Shop

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:35:00 +0000

November 2011

I have been writing 'I Want to Bake Free' since June 2010. Some of you are new to the story and many of you have been following since the early days; either way thanks for taking part.

This post is a quick guide to everything that has happened so far for to bring you up to speed. I have taken the introduction to each post so that you can decide for yourself if you are interested in that part of the tale.

Ideally you should be able to read this one post and have an idea on the story so far...

Contents:
1. An Introduction
2. An Apology
3. How I Source Things
4. Business in Focus Business Support
5. Writing my Business Plan
6. Projects
7. Leasing a Commercial Property
8. Loving & Losing a Property
9. Learning About Coffee
10. What Makes a Great Tearoom
11. Finding a Fabulous Secret Venue
12. Videos of our Baking
13. My Personal Re-cap of the Story so Far
14. Why I Loved the Great British Bake Off
15. My Ethics My Passion
16. The Results of My Poll
17. My first Radio Interview
18. Finding a Coffee Supplier
19. Finding a Tea Supplier
20. A Great Radio Interview with Jamie Owen

1. An Introduction
Sunday, 25 July 2010 Somewhere in the Middle - Part One
Like all stories you have an introduction, conflict and resolution. This is a simple story being written in real time. Today is the introduction, to come is the conflict and fingers crossed for the rest...

For my sanity and yours, here are some intro facts; last time I wrote any kind of story was over 12 years ago, I have done no research into writing methods. This will be spell checked, read once then published so if you spot any SPAG errors turn your rage inwards and keep it. For my part I will keep to short sharp points (where possible) to keep it brief and punchy, with at least weekly updates. This is an open forum so comment away I won't edit you if you don't edit me!
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2. An Apology
Thursday, 14 April 2011 To a Mouse ... about that weekly update ...
For the more observant of you, my last post was 263 days ago.

I certainly remember feeling, as I was composing my introduction to this story, that it was something best communicated live as a weekly Blog and despite the effort involved that this was indeed an interesting enough life gamble which merited documentation in my own bungling, bumbling, this, that and the other way.

I did not however write my story weekly. Looking back I can not think of an excuse although I do have an explanation for why I missed the first week. Upon finishing the introduction and hitting PUBLISH POST, I realised that in telling you what I was going to do I also risked telling my employer my plans before time. After flamboyantly venting my intentions in a blog I had a vision of my story going a bit too public a bit too quickly. It was then very easy to not write, with the thought in the back of my thinking space *blog? yes very important, must prioritise this, no wait, time not right, besides time better spent writing business plan/eating/sleeping/distracted ooh a pretty flower*. Missing week 2 meant missing week 3 and I could go on, but promised not to, you get the picture?
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3. How I Source Things
Thursday, 14 April 2011 Procurement Fun - 1. The Welsh Dresser
This little beauty came courtesy of Anthemion Auctions of Cardiff who provide a rather fantastic general auction on every 1st Wednesday of the month. This is a traditional Welsh Dresser. There are two things I was determined to have in my tea room which I was prepared to splash out on. A beautiful Oak Welsh Dresser was one and now I own it.
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4. Business in Focus Business Support
Saturday, 16 April 2011 Captain Janeway Lives in Wales
I realise that a blessay about Star Trek is likely enough to make one half of you beam with joy while the other half leap to force close your browser. This is about my story and nothing to do with increasing power to the pattern buffer, inverting your tachyon beam through the deflector array or ejecting the warp core.

This is not a picture of Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Intrepid-class USS Voyager. The devout amongst you will know that this is a photo from the filming of the pilot episode of Voyager featuring the actress who got the gig before Kate Mulgrew made the role her own and that this character played by the French Canadian actress Genevieve Bujold was named Captain Nicole Janeway. Luckily for the series she walked out after day one of filming.

16 years later I took it as a sign of divine providence that my newly assigned Welsh Assembly Government business adviser is named Jane and that this Jane married a gentleman named Way.
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5. Writing my Business Plan
Monday, 18 April 2011 How to Right a Business Plan Wrong - 10 Top Tips
For the regulars visiting this blog you will know that I am in the process of setting up a traditional tea room business in Cardiff, South Wales, that celebrates home made, fair trade, fabulous cake, coffee and loose leaf teas. I started this mission in June last year (2010) and am focussing the next few weeks on bringing you up to date on the story so far as I build up to open at the end of 2011.

August - October 2010

Anyone can start a business, you see that happening every day. I notice usually when I think that someone is doing a bad job of running a business particularly bad tea rooms, café's and coffee shops. When you sit down to a sticky table, or get told to clear your own tray, or people there to provide a service to you are plain rude, I just think how do you people make any money? I could do that better! Have you ever had the same thought?
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6. Projects
Tuesday, 19 April 2011 Procurement Fun 2. Pretty Tables
I have two main methods of acquiring furniture for my tea room at the moment. As I have the luxury of time and a spare room to cram full of goodies, I am trawling two main sites;

1. Free Cycle - Cardiff
2. Gumtree

Each of these sites have their pro's and cons but used together they can be a powerful tool for finding the greatest bargains on Earth! I will be giving my top tips to navigating such free ad sites at a later date. This occasional table came to me from Free Cycle - Cardiff. Yes someone was chucking this out...
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7. Leasing a Commercial Property
Sunday, 1 May 2011 How to Find and Lease the Perfect Commercial Property - 10 Top Tips
Yes this is one of the most exciting titles for any Blog post. I toyed with punning my way into this subject, but it is just too important to make the subject line any more exciting. I shall endeavour to make the content a little more interesting than the title!

Just Looking I am Not Buying

I have been looking for a commercial property to lease in South Wales of the UK for the past ten months, to become the perfect home for my Tea Room Business. The writing of my business plan was one of the first steps in creating my venue requirement brief. You probably have a pre-conception in your head for what a traditional tea room looks like. I am coming at this from a different angle, I can picture several types of buildings that may suit, but actually it is the content and subsequent functionality that helps me stay open minded to a venue. Jane Way advised me that it may easily take over a year to find a venue, when we met in July 2010 and here I am ten months on with no signed lease agreement. It may be very easy to find the venue you want, but the majority of small business' rely to a crucial extent on finding a venue that is actually quite unique. To me it feels like finding a needle in a haystack.
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8. Loving and Losing a Property
Sunday, 8 May 2011 Diary Excerpt – The Birth and Death of the Old Coach House Tea Rooms
27th August 2010 – Business in Focus Advice
“Today I met with Jane Way at her offices in Cardiff Bay. Amongst several of the things that we discussed were how to go about finding the perfect venue for my new business. I have quite a specific idea in my head for what sort of shop I want for my tea room, this is based on good places I have been to in the past and also what shops I think are in Cardiff in areas that I think will work. For my first tea room and indeed my first business, I have decided to rent a property to minimise the risk involved and also keep my start up costs down. I figure that a good street facing unit on a busy shopping street area is the way to go. With this in mind I am targeting Wellfield Road, Albany Road, Roath, Pontcanna, Penarth, Whitchurch Village, Llandaff Village, Cyn Coed and Cardiff City Centre to start with. I will need A3 planning consent to operate my tea room, however getting this kind of planning consent where it does not already exist is really tough. It turns out that in the recent past Cardiff has been very free with handing out A3 consent, so takeaway outlets and restaurants have popped up all over the city. As a result Cardiff has now developed the opposite attitude and won’t hand out A3 easily. Scarily Jane also pointed out that it could take over a year to find a venue, she has had some clients where it has taken several years to find the right place…”
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9. Learning About Coffee
Wednesday, 17 August 2011 How Starbucks make the Bigbucks
This post is about working for Starbucks, judging them, learning to love coffee and working out to what extent I need coffee to have a successful tea room business in 2011/12. Here is the next instalment in my journey.

The chances are that you are reading this segment of my tea room journey, while drinking a lovely hot beverage. I can confidently make this statement because 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed every day and with the Worlds population currently estimated at 6.94 billion, that's a lot of coffee!*. As I haven't drunk my quota for the past decade and quite a few people on the globe don't own kettles I feel quite confident that you people out there must be guzzling coffee all day.
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10. What Makes a Great Tearoom
Tuesday, 6 September 2011 AAA Business Rating -‘A’ View, ‘A’ Brew & ‘A’ Loo
This blog post is rather exciting for me as it finally brings you up to date with where my tea room plans are at right now! From writing my first entry well over a year ago it has taken me this long to fill you in on the trials and tribulations of the past 18 months. I am now inching closer to achieving my dream and this blog paves the way for the radical news that I may have found the venue of my dreams.
This is bittersweet news for you as I need to remain rather cryptic about the details, but read on and in the coming weeks I promise it will become clear.
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11. Finding a Fabulous Secret Venue
Tuesday, 13 September 2011 Bring Back Don't Ask Don't Tell
Project X - Venue 2012
Welcome to all my new readers as well as you regulars. After last weeks lightning bolt revelation that I may have found a venue for my tea room, which is available in Spring 2012, I feel it is only fair to give you some background. I will intentionally remain cryptic because this venue is SO very good I cannot risk someone else swooping in and gazumping me. When I reveal all on the 1st December take a look back through these words and reminisce but for now as long as you don't ask I won't be tempted to tell all. On with the story...
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12. Videos of our Baking
Sunday, 18 September 2011 Bake the Menu - Video Blog
Early in a start up business you need to decide what to deliver to your customers and the most cost effective way to do that. This decision making process is crucial and must take into account, consistency of delivery, quality and pricing to name but a few. I will deliver a high quality product in a comfortable and classically vintage tea room.

There are three excellent reasons to 'Bake the Menu'. Firstly for quality control; to ensure that menu items are of the best quality and recipes can be tweaked where necessary. Sadly this also means that i'll have to eat the menu too. Secondly I need to work out the exact costings of each menu item, to set a fair price and identify the cost of sale for each menu item. The third reason to 'Bake the Menu' is so that I can keep a video log to update the website with all the mouth watering and delicious home baking that my tea room will serve.
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13. My Personal Re-cap of the Story so Far
Thursday, 22 September 2011 Somewhere in the Middle – Part Two
I wrote my first blog entry on Sunday 25th July 2010 in order to chart the progress of change in my life through leaving my career to starting my own business. Now 15 months later it's time to recap, review and update you.

I wanted to feel free. This feeling lurked in the pit of my stomach nagging at me particularly when I took a break from work. The nagging would get even stronger as the creeping dread of going back to work became real. This was often brought into sharp focus when spending time with successful friends and family who from my perspective managed to incorporate their genuine interests into their careers.

The nagging voice would ask a simple question; you are successful and hard working, so why can’t you apply the same work ethic to something you enjoy and make a living from it? We all face self doubt and fear, but the simple answer to this question is that there is no reason not to try. For me the tipping point came from asking another question, if I don’t do this now will I regret it for ever?
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14. Why I Loved the Great British Bake Off
Wednesday, 5 October 2011 BBC Great British Bake Off - Who Cares?
There is an important clichéd rule to writing which I have decided to invoke today. I am using this loop hole to veer away from my scheduled plans to write about Business Ethics in Baking (new Blog to follow soon).

They say ‘write about what you know’ and I know about #GBBO @BritishBakeOff (The Great British Bake Off for those not on Twitter).
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15. My Ethics My Passion
Thursday, 13 October 2011 How to be Ethical in Business
I need you. One of the big challenges in starting this venture is decision making. It is like taking a journey and knowing the destination that you want, but not knowing if the path you pick will take you anywhere near. One of the big decisions from the outset is reconciling what you care about, what I care about and what is commercially viable; in other words business ethics.

So this post is a musing on all things ethical in business, DON'T tune out! I need your input. I promise you a little discussion, a space disaster and some questions to get your thoughts flowing.
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16. The Results - What You Said
Tuesday, 25 October 2011 Ethics - The Results!
Not all of this starting your own business lark is a barrel of laughs. But the majority is!

I make the choices, I have written about how hard it can be to make an informed choice and the fear of committing to a course of action. At some point though, decisions have to be made to get the business going.

My last post touched on the importance of ingredients, quality and delivery as I was mulling over the ethical considerations. I am delighted to share with you the results of my 7 question survey [if you haven't taken it yet click HERE].
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17. My first Radio Interview
Thursday, 3 November 2011 BBC Radio Interview
I randomly ended up on BBC Radio Gloucestershire this week. I am still not entirely sure how this happened, it was great fun though. I am now available for weddings, funerals and Bah Mitzvah's
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18. Finding a Coffee Supplier
Tuesday, 8 November 2011 Coffee Controversy - A Matter of Taste and Trust
The Man from Del Monte, was from Bolton

Today I want to share with you how I am sourcing suppliers. I have given a lot of thought as to how I want to do business and who I should partner with. I don't believe that you have to travel around the World to personally inspect suppliers unless you actually are the man from Del Monte. As I do not have a panama hat or white suit I have decided to find suppliers who can do the job for me. The people that I am dealing with work very hard to source their ingredients from the best suppliers, for me they must also be...
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19. Finding a Tea Supplier
Wednesday, 16 November 2011 Tea to WI For
The Great Tea Taste Test - First and Foremost a Tea Room

At the point of conception, the idea for this business was the the combination of tea and cake. This is a very simple and very crucial point. As you read this and follow my journey around all the nitty gritty in setting up a business, it will all be for naught if you and I cannot sit around a table in March next year and enjoy a hot cup of your favourite tea with a stunning slice of fabulous cake. [Yes I am that deluded that I still believe I will have time to sit around and take tea at leisure, where as in reality I will be doing my headless chicken impression]
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20. A Great Radio Interview with Jamie Owen
Sunday, 20 November 2011 BBC Radio Wales Interview - Friday 18th November 2011
On Friday I was lucky enough to be interviewed by the lovely Jamie Owen on his and Louise Elliotts' week day magazine show. Listen along by clicking the play button below.
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To say that the pace of this project has taken me by surprise would an understatement! I love the Blog to share my ideas and explore thoughts, I love Twitter to chat with people daily, however I wanted to document more daily facts as they happen which is where my new micro blog 'Dear Diary' comes in. If you want a daily fix then go read my diary HERE.

As ever thank YOU for your interest, topical comment and support.

See you for tea... ...soon

David x

BBC Radio Wales Interview - Friday 18th November 2011

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:18:00 +0000

November 2011

On Friday I was lucky enough to be interviewed by the lovely Jamie Owen on his and Louise Elliotts' week day magazine show. Listen along by clicking the play button below.

NOTE: The link above is HTML5 if it doesn't show in your browser click HERE

Jamie and the team are going to stay in touch on a regular basis as the tea room opens in the coming months which is awesome!

Tea to WI For

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:23:00 +0000

November 2011

The Great Tea Taste Test - First and Foremost a Tea Room

At the point of conception, the idea for this business was the the combination of tea and cake. This is a very simple and very crucial point. As you read this and follow my journey around all the nitty gritty in setting up a business, it will all be for naught if you and I cannot sit around a table in March next year and enjoy a hot cup of your favourite tea with a stunning slice of fabulous cake. [Yes I am that deluded that I still believe I will have time to sit around and take tea at leisure, where as in reality I will be doing my headless chicken impression]

Tea is a ritual that for many of us forms part of our daily routine. From a traditional 'Breakfast Blend' to a fine 'Oolong' and taking in those great herbal infusions; we know what we like and how we like it served. As with the search to find a coffee supplier that I wrote about HERE, I need to trust a supplier who has done the leg work in sourcing the finest selections of teas and can bring the World to my door to share the best with you.

The best advice I have had to find a great supplier is to speak to someone else selling what you want and flatter them into sharing their source. In the case of tea, from all of my research there is no finer tea importer than the one that I am now in touch with. Having tracked down such a brilliant blender it's now time to take the tea to the people and confirm that what I consider is the best passes the taste test.

Finding coffee taste testers was no problem. I rounded up some very special people that I knew would give me their honest and balanced opinions. As my raison d'être I felt that this tea needed to face the ultimate scrutiny. A bunch of tasters who would make Craig Revel Horwood and Gordon Ramsay look like pussy cats, but also understand the importance of the tea ritual, its refinery and quintessential Britishness.

Who You Gonna Call? The Women's Institute of Course!

On the 12th November 2011, myself and 22 ladies with over 1000 years of tea tasting experience between them road tested my favoured tea supplier. We tasted our way through, Assam's, Ceylon's, Lapsang Souchong's, China Green Tea's, Earl Grey and Breakfast Blend's. Each tea was judged on it's look, the feel of the leaves, the smell of the brew and of course the taste.

Fortunately these ladies brought with them, a Victoria Sandwich, Fruit Cakes, Cupcakes, Scones, Lemon Tart and a rather delicious Austrian Apple Tray Bake. With three giant platters of mixed sandwiches and some glorious Autumn sunshine the stage was set.

The Results - Best In Show

I am delighted to say that the WI [unofficially] have given their seal of approval to my tea supplier. Every tea was well received. There was a momentary scare over the China Green Tea which we were finding quite bitter. With a change to the brewing conditions, slightly less leaf and a lighter brew, the Green Tea fans [myself included] were back to raving.

3rd Place - Assam
2nd Place - Earl Grey
1st Place - Lapsang Souchong

Best in Show Rosette

Best in Show - Lapsang Souchong for its smokey depth, gorgeous colour and balance.

Conclusions

I have found my tea supplier. I am so very excited about this, being such an important piece in the puzzle. Today really is a milestone. You have seen the cakes in the Gallery section and now you can see the tea. It is becoming real. Roll on March 2012. Keep an eye out over the coming weeks, more venue news coming very very soon...

NEWS
Get your hand on my buns! @ Chapter Festive Food Fair 10th December 2011

I can exclusively reveal that I Want to Bake Free has a stand at the Fabulous Chapter Arts Centre Festive Food Fair 2011 @chaptertweets. Even better, just for you lovely people interested in tea, I will be selling some of the fabulous Earl Grey and Christmas Blend tea at this event so you can taste at home and let me know your thoughts!

Event Details
Date: Saturday 10th December 2011
Time: 11am until 6pm (get there early to avoid disappointment)
Website: http://www.chapter.org/24783.html
Location: Chapter Arts Centre Cardiff

More details to follow SOON! Including what you can expect to see on sale.

Coffee Controversy - A Matter of Taste and Trust

noreply@blogger.com (e5rger) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:30:00 +0000

November 2011

The Man from Del Monte, was from Bolton

Today I want to share with you how I am sourcing suppliers. I have given a lot of thought as to how I want to do business and who I should partner with. I don't believe that you have to travel around the World to personally inspect suppliers unless you actually are the man from Del Monte. As I do not have a panama hat or white suit I have decided to find suppliers who can do the job for me. The people that I am dealing with work very hard to source their ingredients from the best suppliers, for me they must also be...

Passionate about their product
Trustworthy and ethical
Strive for the very best quality
Reliable and sustainable

If the man from Del Monte can say yes, to the above then that's the decision made.

I do not make hasty decisions and for my coffee and tea suppliers this has meant a rather lengthy process in sorting the wheat from the chaff.

Tasting - November 2010 - November 2011
Research - Reading List, Blog Sites, Experts - On-Going
Consultation - Mr John Richardson and Mr Hugh Gilmartin
Supplier Research - Twitter appeal, research, contacts - June 2011
Supplier Contact - Approach for initial screening - August 2011
Shortlist - Screen to Potential 10 suppliers - September 2011
Samples - Collect samples for taste testing - October 2011
The Great Taste Off - 4th November 2011
Face to face meetings - November and December 2011
Supplier Nominated - January 2012

Coffee is King

It is coming up to one year that I began my coffee adventure. I ignored coffee for years and then threw myself in at the deep-end working for Starbucks for three months training as one of their Barista's. I was the oldest person there, including the manager who was 28 years old! I felt much like the car sales man character Ol' Gil' from the Simpsons. Aside from that it served to quickly get me over my coffee ignorance meaning that I could actually taste the difference between good and great coffee.

I know from my background in sales that some very good sales people can sell some real crap. It is as much a talent to purchase as it is to sell. To help me learn how to buy coffee I turned to a couple of experts; John Richardson and Hugh Gilmartin, co-authors of several very good books about how to run coffee shops.

Hugh's advice in a nutshell was to speak to people who serve coffee that you like and ask them who their suppliers are. This made for a very good starting point.

The Great Coffee Taste Off
I've decided to shortlist some of my favourite suppliers before I go out to visit them by taste testing their Espresso Beans and some of the filter coffee that they produce.

On Friday 4th November 2011 with the help of some of the best coffee critics in the business I taste tested samples from some of the best roasters in the UK.

The Contestants

North Wales, Mid Wales, South Wales, London and South West England

5 espresso shots, 5 Lattes, 5 Americanos & 5 Lattes later...

Conclusions

The coffee samples were all varied in the way that they were produced, where they were sourced from, when they had been roasted and what they tasted like. The brewing factors were kept under strict control to ensure that every sample had a fair go. The results however were very clear. Of the five beans on trial, the two that shone out were the two freshest [with one roasted the Tuesday prior to the tasting]. The worst two were at oposite ends of the spectrum, one being so weak you could barely taste it over the milk and the other so oily, bitter and strong somewhat reminiscent of when I used to smoke!

The next step is to decide between my two favourites, now it comes down to quality, price and above all trust.

My SIX Tasty Trading Tips

DO NOT RUSH INTO A DEAL
DO NOT BELIEVE ALL SALES MEN
QUESTION, QUESTION, QUESTION!
LOOK THEM IN THE EYE
LISTEN AND LEARN, THEY ARE THE EXPERTS
KNOW WHAT YOU WANT BUT BE FLEXIBLE

Next Week .... I have some RATHER special guests helping me to taste test some very special teas. Mmmm

If you have any questions or comments make yourself heard!