It seems so long ago since I was a sole home baker ( a dim and distant memory) and then everything has been turned on its head as I found a job. A job which sees me working full time as a café supervisor in a quaint café – The Old School Café – which can be found in St. Margaret’s Centre in Durham. My work hours fit around the school run which suits my husband just fine as he has the whole house to himself with no interruptions.
The new routine for my family is starting to come together which is great. However, I haven’t managed to fit in any baking at home for family or neighbours as I am either too tired or too busy playing catch up. The weekly housework and various other jobs still need to be done and the list just keep growing.
Our main job is to redecorate two bedrooms so that the two children we have at home can move rooms as our two eldest children are now away to university and we have more space to use. There will always be room for the students to come home but we are really wanting to get the two younger children settled into their new rooms before Christmas at least, if not sooner. Nothing like pushing yourself is there? This is the reason why I am not baking anything for anyone – even my own children – right now. 🙁 Hopefully things will change and get easier as time goes on!
In the meantime, I am busy adjusting to my new role as café supervisor as I have a team of lovely volunteers whom I work with in the running of the café and the kitchen. To manage both areas is going to take time as there has been training in all areas of the kitchen and café and there is still a lot to do but as a volunteer led community café we are getting better all the time.
Some of the bakes which I have offered on my webshop such as Mini Cheesecakes and Empire Biscuits I have tried in the kitchen and offered for sale in the café and it is really quite interesting when you see what sells and what doesn’t. Which bakes are a hit with customers spurs me on to try other ideas but at the same time I am of the opinion that if something is popular then why change it. I also think that I should be offering different bakes to keep the café on its toes, so to speak, and keep the customers interested.
My plans for the week ahead are to start with daily meetings with the volunteers to discuss what has to be done as a team within both the kitchen and the café . This idea was suggested by my manager so I am definitely going to give it a try as I have designed a timetable of what daily tasks need doing in the café and in the kitchen to ensure both areas are run effectively. As of yet I am not sure when to fit the morning meeting in on a daily basis but I will see how Monday goes and give it a try.
At present, I feel that as long as I have a kitchen volunteer I should be able to pull back from the baking needed in the kitchen and spend more time in the café overseeing the running of the café and maintaining the standards needed by the environmental health for a food business. Nothing like a bit of pressure to keep you on your toes is there 🙂
Well it is Sunday afternoon, I have been for a lovely brisk morning walk with my sister followed by a café stop and a good catch up I am ready for the week ahead. I am going to read through my spreadsheets one more time before curling up on the sofa to watch a film before enjoying a Sunday dinner with my little family (miss my two big girls every day but they are just down the road and always at the end of a phone) 🙂 Here’s to another exciting week ahead with plenty to do and goals to reach for 🙂