Barefoot in the kitchen is morphing into something else. It is becoming more like fully togged up in slippers in the kitchen as the next phase of this little life begins...but let's start from the beginning. This is a tale of love and shared dreams and, as I write this in the temporary generator has gone off darkness of deepest somerset, of building a dream home too.
To go right back to the beginning would involve a lot of the how Big G and I got together, silly nights talking and dancing until dawn and then mapping out a life together involving children (soon to be two) and a project that came to be known as 'Dream Farm'. The really super interesting bit, and the probable main subject of this blog for the conceivable future started last summer though when on a random search of local auctions Big G 'found a farm'.
On paper it was too big, too far away from the dream realm we had imagined and frankly entirely out of our reach but we set out to have a look at 12.31 acres of disused farm buildings and their attached disused stone quarry. We could not have picked a worse day to view it...British summer at its best with dense fog and a distinctly autumnal chill in the air but look we did and within hours we were planning where to hang a disco ball in the yard and what amazing parties we could have.
Over the next few months we tried our hardest to rein in our expectations as we heard about developers and consortiums who were also raising money to taker to the auction at the end of September. We went back countless times but by the time of the auction we were being pretty realistic about our chances of being able to buy this little piece of paradise. In short we were not going to get it but we had raised all the cash we could. We had begged borrowed and borrowed some more so it was worth a shot.
On the night itself we were so convinced that we would be outbid that I did not even go to the auction. So imagine my surprise when I received a text that simply read "Ge got it. Spread the word"! I then duly called a succession of shocked and amazed friends and family who all shared the not un-founded opinion that we were entirely mad.
After much more begging and jumping through mortgage hooping this is what we bought:
When a friend opens a new business it is easy to feel obliged to say nice things. "Well done you"'s and "Oh it's lovely"'s can roll off the polite British tongue faster than an overly polite "sorry" or "golly gosh".
It is rarer however to feel not only pride in a friend's achievement but also genuine pleasure in their offering. This is the happy position I find myself in in the case of Tincan Coffee - the first permanent coffee shop from Tincan events, who have been supplying first class coffee at events throughout the South West since 2011.
I am super lucky to work with one half of Tincan and so I have been privy to the evolution of this amazing cafe on North Street in Bristol. Having previously been homed solely in a set of Citroen H-Vans, much of the decor is a nod to their past. From car headlight lighting and the corrugated iron on the counter to the made-to-measure replica Citroen seats, there are beautiful original nods to this side of the business. On top of this however are beautiful contemporary tiles, bare-filament bulbs and heavy wooden tables.
Not only does Tincan look great the coffee is great too...and so are the cakes! After a 'tough' morning ambling around the Spike Island Open Studios we needed a caffeine and sugar boost and Tincan was perfect...we had brownie, a cookie and the most amazing nutty, caramel flapjack known to man kind.
Despite a mini toddler tantrum and pouring rain outside this was the perfect pitstop. How lovely to be able to tell my friend that her dream of opening a cafe has paid off...big time.
