I’ve now been back on English soil for a week so I thought I’d give you a quick update on where I am, business wise. Despite being home feeling slightly weird at first, with me wanting to say ciao to everyone and feeling a little shocked about not being followed by Italian men, I’ve now rapidly settled back into a calmer, less creepy lifestyle!
Although I thought the restaurant dining would rapidly decrease, I seem to have eaten out a colossal amount this week. I was taken for a yummy pub lunch by my grandparents where I had a delicious wild mushroom, tarragon and truffle soup and then my parents at West Beach in Bournemouth. I also made a trip to London where I ate tapas at both Blanchette and Brindisa in Soho. To continue the eating extravaganza, I’ve been trialling a lot of my own products in the hope to find the perfect recipes for MYO. I’ve made a lot of focaccia, arancini and gelato, all of which have been pretty tasty but I’ve realised as the man in Jaws would say, ‘I think I need a bigger kitchen’ (not boat, obviously) so am currently buying some basic kitchen necessities to make life slightly easier.
Margherita Focaccia before it hit the oven…
Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Arancini
Most excitedly, I’m on the brink of buying a van! A little like deciding MYO’s business name, the choice of van has been the hardest decision for me as I believe people tend to eat with their eyes, so something eye-grabbing and aesthetically pleasing has been a vital requirement of mine. And, I’m happy to declare I’ve settled on an old classic Citroen HY Van. However, given that there was only around 470,000 ever made and they stopped being manufactured after 1981, tracking one down has proved pretty tough and understanding what’s ‘hot’ or ‘not’ has been even more challenging. But… after a lot of researching, I’ve finally settled on a 1971 number, complete with French MOT and ready for commercial use. All I need to worry about now is getting it here as I don’t particularly want to make a day trip to France.
MYO’s new wheels!
BUT the hard work doesn’t stop there. In order to convert it for mobile street trading, it’s looking to be another two months before I’ll be able to get it on the road. Oh, why can’t things just be instantaneous?! But, rather than mope about it, I’ve decided to get myself a part time job at an independent Italian restaurant in town to a) keep me busy b) give me a little pocket money and c) to learn as much as I humanely can about the restaurant world. Also, I have more exciting news in that I’ve now secured a location for my supper club! It’ll be held in a beautiful venue, in one of the cafes in Salisbury so watch out for the invites as my aim is to hold one this month! For anyone that doesn’t know, here’s a little more information… Remember to keep your eyes peeled for the invite!
Phew. Review of my week over, and now onto a new one where I’ll be cooking yet more tasty delights, securing the van and date for MYOs first supper club and trying not to eat too much of my left-over stash of Easter Eggs!
