why the handmade restaurant??

recently I have been thinking about the restaurant, things we like to do, how our lives evolve and stuff like that...






my earliest memory is of the girl next door wearing red sandals which had been customised from her red leather shoes, only with the toes cut off, the sides cut out & the heel made into just a strap




I remember hand me downs, clothkits clothes, my mum cutting my hair & a general handmade approach to life, which I guess is the way we have grown into being a restaurant.





there is a movement on the internet about 'Taking The Handmade Pledge', and although I haven't signed up to this yet ( I don't think we have time in our life to make everything http://www.buyhandmade.org/ ) the ethos appeals to me greatly


thus the restaurant has been hand painted, hand lain, hand built & hand made wherever possible, partly because this is how things are when starting a new business with a family & financial constraints, but also because we like the UNIQUE, the QUIRKY & the PERSONALITY of something individual ...... & hope our customers do too!!

so over time through this blog we will give you more glimpses into our handmade world & handmade life ..should you be interested !

tonight i have been making walnut bread ( along with vat-type paperwork - urgh!)



anyway... i digress


walnut bread is my new favourite, i added in a bit of spelt & a bit of rye which adds extra flavour & earthiness। we were given some apple curd as a christmas present made by a friend in Aldeburgh & this spread on toasted walnut bread is wonderful!


the last few days have definately been porridge mornings, our son has very definate ideas, at 5, that the best way to eat porridge - very decadently is with maple syrup and a knob of butter - i'm sure that isn't how i had it as a kid!

a new or rediscovery at the restaurant over the past few days has been salt beef
i had never eatn it before, but Jason remembers having it as a child from Jewish deli's in London

so last night i sampled my first salt beef, mustard & gherkin sandwich ( not how it is served at the tables i hasten to add) and it was yummy, pickley but yummy!

warming the cockles!

woke up to a siberian morning

back to school day today - walking through the freezing wind

the chickens are surviving it all pretty well, looking glorious against the bleak whiteness

seems like it's a night for scrummy shoulder of pork with prune sauce & jerusalem artichokes some nice red wine & a little bit of bread & butter pudding... warming, comforting winter food to warm the soul!

after a successful festive season, we are coming up for air from the smells of a busy kitchen!

new year's eve was a fantastic night... the fantastic music provided by Anna, Gary, Julie, Tony & Kate made the evening a truly celebratory affair...infinate thanks to them all!

so now we come to think about the year ahead...

about fast growing noisy cockerels and when is the right time for them to head to the cooking pot ...

planning our planting to grow as much produce as we can for the restaurant ...

a new term of pottery classes...

& various other plans which will be revealed as time progresses.