Week beginning January 7th - The importance of looking good

One of the fabulous reasons (excuses?) that we have for closing over the Christmas period each year, is that we always have a refresh and a paint job over this time. 'Are you closing over Christmas?'. 'Yes, but we are getting the painters in'. Oh, okay, that's a good idea, and you probably need a break too'. Thank you, yes we do.

Each Christmas since we opened we have booked in the painters to help return us, or in this case, improve upon, what we have in place and what gets pretty worn and torn over the year. We booked the painter back in August, he is very, very, very, good, and he worked with three others from Boxing Day until New Years Day 9 pm to get it all finished. Anyone who has tried painting before will know it is not just about using a roller and flicking paint at each other, it is all about the preparation beforehand which takes forever and is painstakingly annoying.

But we now have a pretty much brand new shop, all white and clean with little holes filled in and  parts refreshed and doors put back on hinges properly and bathroom cabinets made and stair banister railings fixed and small dodgy sections made good again. Lots of little details that you may not see if you did not know what to look for, but which make a while lot of difference overall.

Is it important to do this? Well absolutely, at least it is for me. Looking scruffy or tired is a reflection on how you are and how you behave and act, how your staff will behave and act and how much respect others will have for you and for your business. So each year, we will continue to refresh and paint and each week we will continue to complete the long list of cleaning duties that we have to keep it all fresh and tidy and as clean as possible.

Some of our customers have noticed, others have said 'it's no different!'. Importantly for me our staff have all been excited by it and in fact they had a little competition to try to find all the small bits that had been fixed up. Now that alone is worth having the work done.

Happy new year and we are sure you will enjoy this weeks menu.

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70
(add 30 p for granola or yogurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Porridge - Served with rhubarb and raspberry compote, chopped nuts, muscovado sugar, golden syrup or honey 3.00

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Raspberry and Coconut 2.20
Savoury Muffins: Eat Your Greens Muffins (Spinach, Courgette, Herbs) 2.20
Red Current friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Afgan cookies 1.80

Lunch
Soup: Curried Sweet Potato 4.50

French retro baguettes 4.90
Aubergine, Sweet Chili, Goats Cheese, Thai Basil, Rocket
Pancetta, Glazed Apricots, Brie, Spinach

Foccacias with sea salt and rosemary crust 5.00
Ham, Mature Cheddar, Onion Jam, Spinach
Smoked Salmon, Capers, Red Onion, Dill, Aioli, Rocket

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Apple, Alexanders, Blue Cheese and a Spicy Walnut Dressing
Hot Smoked Salmon, Sea Radish Pickled in Tarragon, Baby Spinach, Baby Potatoes and Tartare Dressing
Roasted Parsnips with Red Chilli and a fresh herb sauce

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad

Potato Soda Bread with Creamed Smoked Eel, Beetroot, Soft Boiled Quail Egg, Capers and Lady Smock.