Room Forty Autumn Newsletter
It’s certainly been a challenging time for Room Forty, but we’re safe and well, and we hope that you and your families are too.
I don’t think we’re out of the woods with new issues arising this week around gas supply and food deliveries but our relationship with our local suppliers and butcher (Rowles) are good and we’ll always find a solution to a problem!
During the first lockdown we had to quickly diversify to keep our little boat afloat and in doing so we found a lot of new customers with our boxed afternoon teas. In fact the good news is that the boxed teas are here to STAY, alongside our full service afternoon teas, our crockery hire and our baking school, which is back up and running – more of that to come later! (Next boxes are on 8 October and I just need to add more dates to the website this weekend!)
Of course, we couldn’t have done that without your support which has been phenomenal and has kept me from taking up a nice normal job!
New team-mates
Our little team has expanded, we’re delighted to have the lovely Paula on board (literally when we did a wedding on a boat!) There’s also been amazing support from our delivery drivers, Steve, Darren and Natalie who made the lockdown tea in a box get to you still fresh on the day.
DIARY DATES - LADIES DAY 12 December 2021
Join us for a Christmas themed afternoon tea with shopping from lots of lovely stalls!
We’ll be there with the full tea room from 12-4 at Padgate Community Day. Afternoon teas can be booked in advance to enjoy the full experience or you can order an afternoon tea in a box to pick up and take home that day! Book on our website, Eventbrite or our facebook page for a sitting at 12.30 or 2.30. We’d love to see you x
BAKING CLASSES
New classes for autumn/Christmas 2021. All priced at £65pp and are fully inclusive and accessible regardless of age, experience and skill!
Baking class vouchers can be purchased as a gift and private parties can be booked at your home or we’ll find a venue – eg for a corporate baking class.
Italian Bread
We make Focaccia and a Cheese and Walnut Bread as well as enjoying a demo (and eating) my delicious scones.
Room Forty HQ Wednesday 29 September 2021
Pain au chocolat / Croissants
Lymm Village Hall 9am -12 Sat 23 October 2021
Stollen and other festive treats
Lymm Village Hall 9am-12 Sun 21 November
Liverpool at Mossley Hill 6-9pm Wed 15 December
Crafternoon tea
More details to follow, but I have had preliminary discussions with a jeweller who would like to do some crafternoon teas with us. Could it be a Christmas gift voucher idea for someone you love?
How many for a tea party?
Because it takes around 8 hours to make every single afternoon tea (more if there are special diets in the party) we do ask for a minimum number of 10 for a full-service afternoon tea. We’re happy to deliver just the food, or the food and crockery too, but we do like to help you enjoy the occasion more by serving it to you.
Cake Craft Kits are back
Great for kids and perfect for fun loving adults (or party events) cake craft kits are available on request and will be a big feature once again in the 12 day lead up to Christmas.
They contain everything you need to have some extraordinary cake decorating fun.
The Sherston Overnight Loaf
Being the sort of chap that Mitch is, ‘interesting’ you could say, or ‘a bit special’, he likes to check out local bakeries when he is out and about (and often volunteer to work there for a morning?). He was recently down in the Cotswolds and here is his report
‘Chipping Sodbury is the HQ of the Hobbs House Bakery and top bakers they are. You may remember them being featured as The Fabulous Baker Brothers on TV some years ago.
There are branches of Hobbs House dotted around the Cotswolds and their bread is worth seeking out if you haven’t time to rustle up a White Delight. They also post out their croissant and pain au chocolate frozen to bake at home – check them out, they are an excellent treat.
Their Sherston overnight loaf is really something special. It is an old family recipe developed by their great grandfather Thomas Herbert at a time when it was difficult to get hold of yeast in the 1920’s.
What sets it apart is the length of prove which is said to improve flavour. It does make a lovely loaf of bread and we think it makes the best toast. Ever.
Through the reach and power of Room Forty’s persuasion here is the recipe. It takes a bit longer than normal to make, in fact it takes much the same time as it does to make a sourdough, but the results are worth it. Give it a go
RECIPE
Ingredients:
Mix all the ingredients together and knead into a smooth, stiff dough.
Cover and leave in a cool place for two hours
Shape the dough and place in a large (2lb) bread tin, cover and leave overnight to rise in the fridge (or for about 8 hours)
Remove from the fridge (the loaf will have risen slightly) and place somewhere warm to carry on rising (which could take any time from 1 to 3 hours)
Heat the oven up to 240 degrees (or as hot as you can get it)
Dust with flour and slash the bread then bake.
After it has been in for ten minutes turn the oven down a notch to 210 degrees and continue baking. Total baking time will be 30 – 35 minutes
Remove when baked, allow to cool and voila!
It’s certainly been a challenging time for Room Forty, but we’re safe and well, and we hope that you and your families are too.
I don’t think we’re out of the woods with new issues arising this week around gas supply and food deliveries but our relationship with our local suppliers and butcher (Rowles) are good and we’ll always find a solution to a problem!
During the first lockdown we had to quickly diversify to keep our little boat afloat and in doing so we found a lot of new customers with our boxed afternoon teas. In fact the good news is that the boxed teas are here to STAY, alongside our full service afternoon teas, our crockery hire and our baking school, which is back up and running – more of that to come later! (Next boxes are on 8 October and I just need to add more dates to the website this weekend!)
Of course, we couldn’t have done that without your support which has been phenomenal and has kept me from taking up a nice normal job!
New team-mates
Our little team has expanded, we’re delighted to have the lovely Paula on board (literally when we did a wedding on a boat!) There’s also been amazing support from our delivery drivers, Steve, Darren and Natalie who made the lockdown tea in a box get to you still fresh on the day.
DIARY DATES - LADIES DAY 12 December 2021
Join us for a Christmas themed afternoon tea with shopping from lots of lovely stalls!
We’ll be there with the full tea room from 12-4 at Padgate Community Day. Afternoon teas can be booked in advance to enjoy the full experience or you can order an afternoon tea in a box to pick up and take home that day! Book on our website, Eventbrite or our facebook page for a sitting at 12.30 or 2.30. We’d love to see you x
BAKING CLASSES
New classes for autumn/Christmas 2021. All priced at £65pp and are fully inclusive and accessible regardless of age, experience and skill!
Baking class vouchers can be purchased as a gift and private parties can be booked at your home or we’ll find a venue – eg for a corporate baking class.
Italian Bread
We make Focaccia and a Cheese and Walnut Bread as well as enjoying a demo (and eating) my delicious scones.
Room Forty HQ Wednesday 29 September 2021
Pain au chocolat / Croissants
Lymm Village Hall 9am -12 Sat 23 October 2021
Stollen and other festive treats
Lymm Village Hall 9am-12 Sun 21 November
Liverpool at Mossley Hill 6-9pm Wed 15 December
Crafternoon tea
More details to follow, but I have had preliminary discussions with a jeweller who would like to do some crafternoon teas with us. Could it be a Christmas gift voucher idea for someone you love?
How many for a tea party?
Because it takes around 8 hours to make every single afternoon tea (more if there are special diets in the party) we do ask for a minimum number of 10 for a full-service afternoon tea. We’re happy to deliver just the food, or the food and crockery too, but we do like to help you enjoy the occasion more by serving it to you.
Cake Craft Kits are back
Great for kids and perfect for fun loving adults (or party events) cake craft kits are available on request and will be a big feature once again in the 12 day lead up to Christmas.
They contain everything you need to have some extraordinary cake decorating fun.
The Sherston Overnight Loaf
Being the sort of chap that Mitch is, ‘interesting’ you could say, or ‘a bit special’, he likes to check out local bakeries when he is out and about (and often volunteer to work there for a morning?). He was recently down in the Cotswolds and here is his report
‘Chipping Sodbury is the HQ of the Hobbs House Bakery and top bakers they are. You may remember them being featured as The Fabulous Baker Brothers on TV some years ago.
There are branches of Hobbs House dotted around the Cotswolds and their bread is worth seeking out if you haven’t time to rustle up a White Delight. They also post out their croissant and pain au chocolate frozen to bake at home – check them out, they are an excellent treat.
Their Sherston overnight loaf is really something special. It is an old family recipe developed by their great grandfather Thomas Herbert at a time when it was difficult to get hold of yeast in the 1920’s.
What sets it apart is the length of prove which is said to improve flavour. It does make a lovely loaf of bread and we think it makes the best toast. Ever.
Through the reach and power of Room Forty’s persuasion here is the recipe. It takes a bit longer than normal to make, in fact it takes much the same time as it does to make a sourdough, but the results are worth it. Give it a go
RECIPE
Ingredients:
- 560g Strong White Flour
- 10g salt
- 10g sugar
- 2g yeast
- 20g fat (butter/lard/shortening or a combination)
- 100ml milk (they recommend full fat)
- 200g cool water
Mix all the ingredients together and knead into a smooth, stiff dough.
Cover and leave in a cool place for two hours
Shape the dough and place in a large (2lb) bread tin, cover and leave overnight to rise in the fridge (or for about 8 hours)
Remove from the fridge (the loaf will have risen slightly) and place somewhere warm to carry on rising (which could take any time from 1 to 3 hours)
Heat the oven up to 240 degrees (or as hot as you can get it)
Dust with flour and slash the bread then bake.
After it has been in for ten minutes turn the oven down a notch to 210 degrees and continue baking. Total baking time will be 30 – 35 minutes
Remove when baked, allow to cool and voila!
RSS Feed