Happy New Year (can we still say that?) and welcome to our first blog of 2023! It is great to start the year off with some positive news! I Camisa & Son on Old Compton Street has had a reprieve and will not be closing for the moment; they have negotiated a two-year lease extension. For those that are not familiar with Soho, I Camisa & Son is an Italian delicatessen just a few doors away from us. Originally opened in 1929 by brothers Ennio and Isidoro Camisa at 66 Old Compton Street, however, during the war they were detained...
As always, the inspiration for this month’s blog came from a conversation that started “What on earth shall I write about this month?!” Then, me and Daniela went off course and started discussing some of the conversations we’ve had with customers over the last week, and we just marvelled, as we often do, at the stories we have been told and we thought - That is what we will write about! Our customers! Nowadays, probably even more so in the last couple of years, we live in more and more of a faceless society. We order online, or we go...
The temperature is dropping, and colder months are incoming. We naturally turn towards a hotter drink to keep us warm. But what if you want a little tipple too? Perhaps the answer is to opt for a classic Irish Coffee. This iconic drink is much loved and often enjoyed after dinner. And while I am sure that many of you have enjoyed one or two of them over the years, do you know when and why it was created? Well, you are about to find out! The Irish Coffee was created in Ireland in 1943. In the early 1940’s the...
I do find it amusing where my inspiration for our monthly blog comes from. Usually I think, “What on earth am I going to talk about this month?!” and then I see something, hear something, do something and often there are witterings going on in my head that I can’t get out and….bingo! Discussion topic. Well, this month’s topic: Cascara. Have you heard of it? The discarded coffee cherry that is used as a tea and more. Coffee cherries are the whole fruits which grow on the coffee plant. As most berries ripen, they turn a lovely juicy red, this...
In Italy a Moka pot can be found in practically every kitchen. And the Moka Express, by Bialetti, is the iconic, and classic, machine. This month we look at the history of Bialetti and their Moka Express. A machine that we have stocked for over 50 years.In 1919 in the village of Omegna, Piedmonte, Alfonso Bialetti opened a workshop for the manufacture of aluminum semi-finished products. The company grew to become Alfonso Bialetti & Co. Alfonso Bialetti came up with the brilliant idea of the Moka Express, a machine that would revolutionize the way of making coffee at home, and...
We have officially entered British Summertime! This month’s topic is Hot vs Cold: When the weather heats up do you switch from your hot cuppa to a cold one? Or must you have your usual hot coffee? I am firmly in the “I need my hot cup of coffee to start the day” brigade, regardless of the weather. I may have fewer cups of coffee during hot weather, but I will have at least a few – well, they start off hot, by the time I finish them they are usually cold. I am frowned upon at home and work...