Welcome to the view from the cafe kitchen. I was the proprietor of a small cafe (the Old Bakery) for more than four years. A tough time, starting with an empty shop, building up the business from nothing at all to an (at times) busy little cafe, with a loyal customer base, many recommendations, and accolades. Even so, running a cafe is a job that consumes almost every waking hour, and returns an income that would be barely cover a part-time school catering assistant.
We were not the busiest, placed on the edge of a housing estate on the outskirts of the city, a couple of hundred yards back from the main road. Never full all of the time, not the most profitable, not the best, but hey, we were definitely one of the best!
So why give it all up? Well, for the simple reason that I got an offer I couldn't refuse. A local couple were looking to set up a cafe nearby, but with not enough custom in the area to support two cafes, I decided to take my cooking style elsewhere and start a new project. However, the new project is yet to be birthed, so in the meantime, The Old Bakery Cafe lives on in a virtual world where I can share recipes and ideas for the reader to try at home. Who knows, we may even 'pop-up' from time to time...
So why give it all up? Well, for the simple reason that I got an offer I couldn't refuse. A local couple were looking to set up a cafe nearby, but with not enough custom in the area to support two cafes, I decided to take my cooking style elsewhere and start a new project. However, the new project is yet to be birthed, so in the meantime, The Old Bakery Cafe lives on in a virtual world where I can share recipes and ideas for the reader to try at home. Who knows, we may even 'pop-up' from time to time...
So, just to start, here's a little about me, the author:
I'm a middle aged family man, a little too thin to pass for a cook, but loving food nonetheless. I came late to professional cookery, but served many years cooking for various functions and groups as an amateur. I eventually made the switch from a very hands-on, crafts-based career. I combined on-the-job training as an employee, with an evening course at catering college, to catch-up with my peers who had a twenty year head start.
The move to open my own business was partly a desire to return to working for myself, a situation I had been in for most of my working life previous to becoming a cook. I also wanted to be cooking in a small place in the local community that would be part of the fabric of that community. It was about the food too... I would provide food that would not just meet people's immediate needs, but prompt them to try new things and expand their horizons. I hope that this blog will continue some of those aims.
