2012, part one.

Looking back on 2012, months just raced by, jam-packed and as another January comes around, we're very grateful to be enjoying our not so new kitchen one year on and to be cherishing time together before our trio becomes a quartet. Thank you all for reading, for your greatly appreciated support and for dining with us. Wishing you all a very happy 2013 filled mainly with delicious food, happy memories and new adventures. Here's 2012 at a glance.

January

We hibernated and braced ourselves for the upheaval which would see our kitchen look like this for weeks. As the transformation (part one and part two) took place, we moved out.

February 

Amid the renovations and away from home, the only thing on our menus were simple suppers and new adventures in weaning and crawling. We made our first appearance in Sainsbury's magazine and at the inaugural Burgher Burger.

March

As work in the kitchen continued, we headed south to create a bright and beautiful Spring wedding and watched the kitchen we'd long dreamed about take shape.

April

We were grateful for pretty and delicate blossom to distract us from the seemingly endless dust at home. We celebrated moving home for our precious girl's first birthday and with news of wonderful engagement. There were weddings of dear friends (and we weren't in the kitchen), a private supper to ease us back to hosting and more birthday celebrations for a lovely lady's special birthday and then a room full of four year old princesses.

May

Time to enjoy the new kitchen, welcome sunshine, fresh flavours and for supper featuring the baby, the dog and other guests. We also ventured away from home to prepare a feast. It was also a month to picnic and we even carried our Table to a secret garden for a fine-dining affair which later appeared in Red Magazine.

 June

Flags waving for The Queen's Jubilee, daisies between little toes, a little lady took her first unaided steps in the sunshine, great cakes and time at last to officially return to hosting with a series of sell out Summer supper clubs, rainbows, reunions and Olympic fever.

For a sweet and sour Friday, in pictures.

I just love the colours yellow and orange and sunshine of course. So last night's menu was a visual treat and it seemed our jolly guests enjoyed the flavours too. Here are the rather bright photos, I hope they make you smile.

 Summer bouquet to set the sunny mood.

 Special sunflowers at the table.

 To welcome Pea and Pecorino toasts.

 Quails' eggs with Parma ham especially for Tom (who dined with us) and his wife Hannah (who sadly couldn't make it). They will forever remind us of your wonderful wedding.

To amuse Courgette and rocket soup.

 To start Seared tuna, mango salsa and honey glazed bean sprouts.

 Or avocado,  mango salsa and honey glazed bean sprouts (v).

 Bright and crunchy salad.

To follow Asian braised beef with hot and sour salad

or Asian braised vegetables with hot and sour salad (v).

Very ripe peaches ready for baking.

To finish Peach melba with Chantilly cream and raspberry granita.

All things bright and beautiful.

Unlike our last wonderful wedding experience where we were gently persuaded to step into the unknown,  we willingly and excitedly agreed to this special Spring occasion. We naively assumed that our kitchen would be completed in a month and that from that new space, we'd arrive organised, maybe even relaxed. The kitchen took nine weeks and this wedding took place in week eight. Hum. Nevertheless, we arrived at the venue and began to watch a vision realised.

We contributed every ounce of our love for food and hospitality, pushing our skills to new limits and pouring in creativity, organisation, stamina and every last bit of our energy to successfully serve a bright and beautiful Spring wedding feast (with extra special lamb sourced from the fields next door to the bride's parents' home) in a rather secret Northumberland location.

Pretty bows ready for the ceremony and celebrations.

First tastes Blue cheese gougeres.

A room transformed.

Getting there.

Each place carefully set.

The smiling and wonderful team.

Final check.

Just before the guests were seated.

The menu (part of it).

                                           To start Spicy parsnip soup with apple crisps.

Earlier that morning, cocktails being layered.

To follow Prawn and avocado cocktail, bird's eye view.

For main Amazing lamb noisettes with peas, shallots, roasted carrots and minted new potatoes.

The cheese course.

Balancing act.

Something sweet. The cake, topper and me.

Pretty china.

Tables set for afternoon tea.


A selection of finger sandwiches.

And finally, all this feasting was rounded off  at night with chilli con carne and chicken curry to refuel the dancers.

The sun wasn't still shining when we left but these blooms were still smelling sweet. Phew.