BBBBBrrrrrrr JUNE!

Well I thought I would take advantage of this chilly wet and windy June day.  As the weather is too dreadful for the beach hut or a country ramble, the heating is switched on, Mr P is sat watching the Grand Prix, roast chicken has been consumed so onto a blog update.  Again an apology for the 5 month delay with an update.  We are about to hit the busiest time in our year with out door events and wedding orders.  Some of you may also know that Mr P and I are also in a 10 piece band (The Bootleggers) which play at weddings, parties and festivals.  This is usually at the weekend which can involve a quick turn around from being covered in cake and coffee to a 5 minute shower makeup, glad rags and high heels on (me not Mr P) in the car ready to perform by 7.00pm.  Mr P plays a mean keyboard, I supply backing vocals and the odd solo song with Kim and Jon.  So if you here some howling coming from the kitchen when in the shop it is probably me learning a new song......currently Mama used to say Beverley Knight or for those of a certain age, Junior.

For those of you who are on our face book group

  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_8417598963  you will already be aware of my new "and custard" thing.  It started when I was given a huge pile of rhubarb from my Aunt's allotment.  I decided to oven roast it with sugar and bake a rhubarb and custard cake.(Mr P actually drove me bonkers humming the Rhubarb and custard theme tune for the whole afternoon)  After an anxious wait (always when baking a new baby) it turned out better than I hoped.  Just minor tweaking required then I was on a roll....banana and custard, blueberry and custard, raspberry and custard and so on....up to just custard cake! These have been very popular and I will baking autumnal versions when the time comes.

 Also I have started to bake loaf cakes also proving to be very popular.  The first of which was inspired by the huge Elderflower bush next to my house....Vanilla and Almond loaf with an Elderflower crunch topping.  This is a deliciously damp cake infused with elderflower cordial. Not to be out done Mr P decide that he was to up his brownie game and been busy with chocolate orange brownie, lemon and white chocolate chunk brownie,cherry and dark chocolate brownie, chili and lime brownie,mocha brownie (my fav) and lastly MARMITE brownie! UUUrrrghh personally I like my marmite on granary toast and NOT in a chocolate brownie. HOWEVER...we now have a serious marmite brownie following (obviously not in Denmark)...you know who you are!!!!!

All our weekend girls are taking their exams at the moment some at GCSE and others A levels and are all doing really well! This will mean we will lose a few to Uni in September which I am bracing myself for as have been with us for years! It doesn't take much for me to shed a tear so September will be a watery month.


We still have Tanya and Sarah with us during the week (one of which put the phone in the fridge which we discovered after a looking for it all afternoon then deciding someone must have taken it from the shop! hilarious) and Sharna pops in with baby Henry who is now giggling away at the milkshake blenders (he must have heard them in the womb so feels at home in Parklife).  I am lucky enough to get a Henry cuddle every week whilst Sharna has her latte.

Some of you know that our 20 year old son Ollie is under going Chemo at the moment (Cancer in his lymph nodes) so this is a tricky time for us all as he has just started and has another 2 months or so to go.   Thank you for all the cards, flowers and kind supporting words from all our customers and friends.  He is being amazingly strong and between us all we are able to keep him company in Brighton whilst having treatment.


  Finger crossed for some sunshine as even the cat is fed up with this weather (jumped on the white bed spread this morning and flicked water everywhere).

All for now ,Mrs P x