Well I have not updated for a while – sorry – but there is so much going on that I don’t know where to start so I will give you brief highlights.
Andrea and Elaine want to say thank you to everyone who came to the stall at the food show in Parkers piece last weekend – they were so pleased with the response and hopefully you will all come to the shop for lots more of the same. Did you see me parked by the marquee on the Saturday?
We have been to London again this week tasting more top foods and we are going again next week to see some more suppliers – nothing but the best for you lucky Cambridge folk. I drove over Tower Bridge – how exciting!!
Even more exciting is Andrea negotiating with 2 suppliers at the moment for some really amazing and exclusive products not only to Cambridge but the UK – well nearly. Nothing has been finalised yet but I can tell you that for now it will be olive oil, olives and honey but if all goes well could be much more and all from small and very hard working passionate small holders in Italy who believe like Andrea and Elaine in real and properly produced food.
On the shop front, frustratingly still not ready to open. This week the final piece of the counters was finally delivered and installed but we are still waiting for the gelato freezer to be fixed and for the shelving to be finished but will hopefully all be done for the end of next week.
It will still probably be a few weeks after that as it takes so much time to source so many products from so many people – be much easier just to pop to the cash and carry!! However Andrea and Elaine are determined that the shop will not be open until it is how they dreamt it no matter how many sleepless nights Andrea is having over the delays.
Bye for now and more soon – I promise
Cheeky
Sunday 28 September 2008
Thursday 18 September 2008
Finally My New Clothes
Hello me again and I am very happy to say that I got my new clothes today – finally!! and a wash too!!
It has been such a busy week and I have so much to tell you but I am very tired so I will try and tell you in a few days but you should know that you will now be able to recognise me in Cambridge and that Andrea and Elaine will be showing off some of their lovely food at the Food and Garden Show in Parkers piece on Saturday and Sunday. Daisy will be there to on Sunday.
They will have some lovely hand made pasta for you to buy to take home to or to eat straight away with a very simple tomato sauce. There will also be some Prosciutto di Parma, Parmiggiano for you to buy and some other salamis cheeses and olives and also some tasters for you to try and which you can buy once the shop opens which should be in a few weeks.
By the way I will be at the show too – I will be parked behind the food marquee so please come and have a look at my new clothes and of course go and see Andrea and Elaine at the stall.
See you soon
Cheeky
It has been such a busy week and I have so much to tell you but I am very tired so I will try and tell you in a few days but you should know that you will now be able to recognise me in Cambridge and that Andrea and Elaine will be showing off some of their lovely food at the Food and Garden Show in Parkers piece on Saturday and Sunday. Daisy will be there to on Sunday.
They will have some lovely hand made pasta for you to buy to take home to or to eat straight away with a very simple tomato sauce. There will also be some Prosciutto di Parma, Parmiggiano for you to buy and some other salamis cheeses and olives and also some tasters for you to try and which you can buy once the shop opens which should be in a few weeks.
By the way I will be at the show too – I will be parked behind the food marquee so please come and have a look at my new clothes and of course go and see Andrea and Elaine at the stall.
See you soon
Cheeky
Thursday 11 September 2008
Another Few Days
Hello
Well has been a slightly better few days. The replacement deli equipment from Italy which Andrea and Elaine have been patiently waiting for for the last 3 weeks may arrive here next week. The hot water is still not working but should now be sorted out next week. The ice cream sorry gelato counter is not working but someone is coming out to look at it soon.
I am not sure I had told you all this before but basically these have been part of the delays to the opening.
Today Andrea was a bit less stressed as he met up with an old friend of his , Carl , who he used to work with years ago and they had lost touch but he came up to see the shop today. I got to drive him for a bit as Andrea had to move me as I can only park for 2 hours at a time. I think he liked me because he was taking photos of me to show his 2 daughters.
Andrea was all excited explaining to his old friend all about the shop and how he got into it. Carl was amazed at the transformation of the shop as Andrea showed him photos before all the work was done. He was also really interested in the pancetta which Andrea is curing and the whole process. Unfortunately it was not quite ready to eat but he is coming back in a month or so but knowing how much Andrea likes his cured meats I do not think there will be any left!!
Andrea and Elaine have also been trying to fit in ordering some products for the Garden and Food Festival at Parkers Piece next weekend where they will have a stall. So far you will be able to buy and try some great parmiggiano , prosciutto di Parma , fresh potato gnocchi and some great garlic olives.
Finally for today I am very happy because if you remember last time I was telling you about a great new range of Sicilian products which they found at the show on Sunday and how they are very excited about stocking it. Well it turns out that the owners have one of my sisters and her name is Agnes and I hope one day to meet her.
Bye for now and more updates soon
Cheeky
Well has been a slightly better few days. The replacement deli equipment from Italy which Andrea and Elaine have been patiently waiting for for the last 3 weeks may arrive here next week. The hot water is still not working but should now be sorted out next week. The ice cream sorry gelato counter is not working but someone is coming out to look at it soon.
I am not sure I had told you all this before but basically these have been part of the delays to the opening.
Today Andrea was a bit less stressed as he met up with an old friend of his , Carl , who he used to work with years ago and they had lost touch but he came up to see the shop today. I got to drive him for a bit as Andrea had to move me as I can only park for 2 hours at a time. I think he liked me because he was taking photos of me to show his 2 daughters.
Andrea was all excited explaining to his old friend all about the shop and how he got into it. Carl was amazed at the transformation of the shop as Andrea showed him photos before all the work was done. He was also really interested in the pancetta which Andrea is curing and the whole process. Unfortunately it was not quite ready to eat but he is coming back in a month or so but knowing how much Andrea likes his cured meats I do not think there will be any left!!
Andrea and Elaine have also been trying to fit in ordering some products for the Garden and Food Festival at Parkers Piece next weekend where they will have a stall. So far you will be able to buy and try some great parmiggiano , prosciutto di Parma , fresh potato gnocchi and some great garlic olives.
Finally for today I am very happy because if you remember last time I was telling you about a great new range of Sicilian products which they found at the show on Sunday and how they are very excited about stocking it. Well it turns out that the owners have one of my sisters and her name is Agnes and I hope one day to meet her.
Bye for now and more updates soon
Cheeky
Monday 8 September 2008
I've been to London
Hello
OK I promise I am going to try and write very day but shorter amounts as after all I suppose that is what blogs should be but we are just so busy – even me.
I have been to London twice in the last week. On Sunday I actually drove into London – I have never done that before. It was very exciting though. I took Andrea, Elaine and Daisy, the girl who is going to work in the shop and that I told you about last time. They were going to a food show to see if they could unearth any new suppliers and also to say hello to ones they already have and taste all the new products they were launching – we do like to be up to date!! That way you can have all the best goodies possible.
Andrea and Elaine are very excited about a new supplier they found that were just launching a very exclusive and tasty artisan range of products from Sicily. Look out for what they say is an amazing lemon preserve made using sicilian lemons which are supposed to be the best.
Also they found a new product from a supplier they already knew which is a lovely type of ham made from a pig native to Sardegna and that is a hybrid of wild boar and domestic pig and produces an exquisite ham. Look out for this.
The most exciting day for them though was Friday. This is when they went to Borough Market in London. They love it. This trip was just to see a few of their suppliers again as they have had these lined up for over a year but had not seen them for a while.
Andrea gets so excited in Borough Market and Elaine finds it very funny as she says he turns into Rick Stein as soon as he steps into the market as he constantly goes on about how there should be a Borough Market in every town and why can’t we get that kind of produce everywhere. It is very funny but I suppose he has a point.
Not too worry though because you lucky Cambridge people will get some of it soon and if Andrea and Elaine have their way then you will get plenty more because they are trying to get more suppliers to supply them even if as Andrea says he has to go and get it himself.
Apart from these couple of exciting days things at the shop are going very slowly and there are a few problems but they are working very hard to sort them out and get open as soon as possible but probably will not be until the end of the month at the earliest now.
OK I am off now but will get back to you more regularly but shorter so you can get all the up dates as they happen.
For the record I have still not been washed and still do not have my writing but it’s OK because I know they are doing their best.
Bye for now
Cheeky
OK I promise I am going to try and write very day but shorter amounts as after all I suppose that is what blogs should be but we are just so busy – even me.
I have been to London twice in the last week. On Sunday I actually drove into London – I have never done that before. It was very exciting though. I took Andrea, Elaine and Daisy, the girl who is going to work in the shop and that I told you about last time. They were going to a food show to see if they could unearth any new suppliers and also to say hello to ones they already have and taste all the new products they were launching – we do like to be up to date!! That way you can have all the best goodies possible.
Andrea and Elaine are very excited about a new supplier they found that were just launching a very exclusive and tasty artisan range of products from Sicily. Look out for what they say is an amazing lemon preserve made using sicilian lemons which are supposed to be the best.
Also they found a new product from a supplier they already knew which is a lovely type of ham made from a pig native to Sardegna and that is a hybrid of wild boar and domestic pig and produces an exquisite ham. Look out for this.
The most exciting day for them though was Friday. This is when they went to Borough Market in London. They love it. This trip was just to see a few of their suppliers again as they have had these lined up for over a year but had not seen them for a while.
Andrea gets so excited in Borough Market and Elaine finds it very funny as she says he turns into Rick Stein as soon as he steps into the market as he constantly goes on about how there should be a Borough Market in every town and why can’t we get that kind of produce everywhere. It is very funny but I suppose he has a point.
Not too worry though because you lucky Cambridge people will get some of it soon and if Andrea and Elaine have their way then you will get plenty more because they are trying to get more suppliers to supply them even if as Andrea says he has to go and get it himself.
Apart from these couple of exciting days things at the shop are going very slowly and there are a few problems but they are working very hard to sort them out and get open as soon as possible but probably will not be until the end of the month at the earliest now.
OK I am off now but will get back to you more regularly but shorter so you can get all the up dates as they happen.
For the record I have still not been washed and still do not have my writing but it’s OK because I know they are doing their best.
Bye for now
Cheeky
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.JPG)