Big move afoot

Today after months of negoitations we took over possession of 24 Sheep Street. We have our work cut out with a 10 week build to re-floor, reroof, do all electrics, damp proof, plumbing heating as well as put in a kitchen re-landscape and decorate throughout. I hope to keep you up to date as things progress and the plan is to stay at 2 Union Street until mid May and then shut for just 2 days whilst we move! FIngers crossed it all goes to plan. I have attached some photos so you can see what the building looks like as we send in the builders tomorrow.

Town Centre Outlet of the Year

Last Friday Ian and I went to a very swanky awards event organised by  Touch FM. It was the inaugural Pride of Stratford Awards and we were one of the finalists for Town Outlet of the Year. We dressed up in all our 1940's finery, including a wig from Matthew Curtis the hairdressers next door. On arrival we were given a drink and had to walk up the red carpet to have our photos taken, then on into the ballroom for a sit down 5 course meal which was delicious. We were sitting on a finalists table and it was fun getting to know people from all walks of life who were up for many different business and community awards. The stage at the front was backed by an enormous screen and there were ones further back in the room too and the whole event was fed by live camera operated by the college media students. The event was very slick and it felt extraordinary to amongst the business world of Stratford when we are so young in the life of The Fourteas. Our catogory was the third one up so we had little time to prepare ourselves but they read our the nominees and showed a short clip about the tearooms and then the gold envelope was opened and to the obvious excitement of the prize giver we had won!!! Ian and I could hardly believe it and I have no idea how I got to the stage or what I managed to say in my acceptance speech I was so gobsmacked. The cheers from the whole room when we won was extaordinary and showed how people have taken The Fourteas to their hearts. After recieving the lovely swan statue we were whisked away to do a radio interview for Touch FM and then back to the room for the rest of the awards. It was a lovely evening and Ian and I were on cloud nine all night. I could not have achieved this without the support of my loyal and lovely staff and the best suppliers in Stratford.
The awards is now sitting pride of place in the tearoom and already people are coming in because they have heard about it, which cant be bad for business.
I am so proud of what we have achieved so far and now I am looking to the future with anticipation.

Christmas is coming

We have been very busy on the lead up to Christmas. We have decorated the whole shop in a 40s Christmas style- so lots of real holly and gingerbread men on ribbon etc. I think it looks lovely. We have some 1940s stocking filler presents on offer- replica newspapers, wartime packs as well as our own recipe book, Keep Calm mugs and Tim's home made chocolates and of course the popular vouchers for the Ivor Novello afternoon teas.
Our regulars continue to be loyal to us and we are adding to their number each week. And we have had some lovely comments on Trip advisor so we are obviously doing it right.
I am still loving it and feel more fulfilled than I have for years.
Happy Christmas to you all and hope to see you all soon.
Love Rachael and Ian

Our first two months

I can't believe it but we have been open for two months now and I have loved every minute of it! It has been a steep learning curve and we have had to change some of our procedures but all in all we have had a fairly smooth ride.
We are getting lots of repeat custom from locals and many are coming on the recommendation of others which is very encouraging. We have had lots of tourists too and seem to be surprisingly popular with Germans who don't seem to worry at all about our wartime theme! And I am constantly regaled with wartime stories which is fantastic. One man today told me that his father was a builder in the war and the girls used to pass by their garden and take a handful of his red builders sand to rub on their legs to look like nylons! I don't think we will be following suit with a trip to Niall Bailey any time soon though!!
If you haven't been yet do come and visit soon.
We are offering a free beverage for anyone who comes in 1940s dress and hairdo.

We are open and humming our 40s tunes!

We are well and truly open. It has been tremendoulsy hard work but great fun to get The Fourteas up and running. We have had such lovely comments from friends and strangers that I know that we are on the right path. A few tweeks here and there to the portions sizes and with the ordering still being hard to get right. On Saturday we nearly doubled our best day so far and ran out of nearly everything on the menu so Sunday morning saw me baking like mad to get more goodies on offer. The staff are working well and the bakers are fantastic so we are a great team and all want this to be a sucess. I have every hope that it will be.
Here are some photos inside the shop with Hattie and Tim. and myself.

Thanks to everyone who has visisted so far and for the lovely facebook comments and for those of you who have not made it yet I hope to see you soon! Toodle pip.

The end of the first fit up week!



Day One, Friday getting ready to loose the counter




Friday- starting to move the bench seating- where are the screws?



The outside of The Lemon Tree (as was)



Sat- Bench seating gone and window exposed and flooring taken up



Saturday -Flooring all pulled up, (never again!) and some of the counter gone

Thus walls painted and outside being finished off



Sunday- Ian takes away the counter over the stairs



2nd Friday- painting finished on upper walls



2ndSat- outside painted and logos up on the windows

 WOW what a week. I had intended to write this everyday but time was not on my side. It has been a full, exhausting but fantastic week. I stripped out seats and then with the help of Tim,Andrea and Jonathan got the flooring up and to the tip. ThenTim and I set to stripping everything back, and painting everything in sight. Ian took apart the stair well counter and we have to get the carpenter to replace it, but it will be a better option than our first thoughts for that area. The painters, Swift Decor, have removed the awning and completed the exterior which is creating many comments especially the lovely blue shade. Duncan from Paperbox has put up the window logos and delivered the signage, flyers and the gorgeous menus. The plumbers have sorted out the water supplies and just need to replace a tap in the kitchen. David delivered all my kitchen supplies and the ovens on Friday so just have to sort all that out. . With help from Bea all the upper parts of the walls are painted and the toilet area is finished. I have a spic and span cellar for storage, office and staff room thanks to Ian's mum and a lot of bleach and sugar soap!  The electrician, carpenter and flooring are all due Monday so as long as they don't all trip over each other we should have a floor by the end of the day and by Thus have the walls clad too.
I could not have done all this without the help of family and friends and especially Tim Oliver who has been an absolute godsend and we have really enjoyed working together again.
So it is all on track for getting all the building finished Thursday,trying out the kitchen Thus and Friday, training staff Friday and then the weekend to do the props decor before opening on Monday 4th July!!!
Looking forward to another busy but satisfying week.

Run up the Union Jacks

I am in!!!! I got everything signed today and collected the keys this afternoon. All the contracts are out to staff, all workmen on standby for next week and I spent a happy (well almost happy) two hours trying to get the old logos off the front windows. A  weekend ahead of painting and stripping and then next week it is workmenfantastic. I am so excited that at last my dream is coming true.