A whole week.....

It's been one whole week since I last blogged, blimey!! Reminds me of a joke actually.

What's the difference between oral sex and anal sex? Oral sex makes your day but anal sex makes your hole week?

Sorry about that but it had to be done.

So I guess your all wondering just what the hell I've been up to this past 7 days? No well sod you because I'm going to tell you anyway and I'm guessing that if you've read this far down without clicking that small cross at the top right hand corner of the screen then you probably have some form of interest.

Highlight for me was cooking food for 6 of my very good buddies (7 including my wonderful missus). Was a bit worried when the butcher rang me at 11am to inform me that my whole loin of Venison (all 1.8kg of it) had been delivered and that it was frozen! Oh no worries I'm only serving it up in 2 hours time....thank heaven yet again for the water bath.

Really quite happy with the way it turned out. The Venison was cooked to perfection, the hot smoked salmon starter that I pinched from Raymond Blanc was plentiful but still light enough not to ruin the main course and my chocolate pudding sent two of the boys to sleep so I reckon that was a success too. Bit angry with myself for not emulsifying the sauce for the main course but I think I'll get over it.

DJ'd at Sakura in Reading on the same evening and really enjoyed it. There was a good crowd in there which surprised me because it was ever so quiet when I got there and they were very responsive too. Took the music on many different angles though House, Disco, Funky House, Soulful House and even a small smattering of Tech house and only once did I get asked to cheese it up a bit :-) Normally it's about 4 times.

Yesterday I spent mostly with a few good buddies down the local boozer talking rubbish and watching football. Incidentally I called the Chelsea vs Sunderland score the moment I saw the line up, not just the Sunderland win but also the 3-0 result. Absolutely no way in the world we were going to even compete with Drogba as captain and Paulo Ferreira at centre back. Drogba played like a schoolboy and kept dropping back into Malouda's position meaning that he was cancelled out of the game. Couple that with Ferreira and Ivanovic at the back and we were effectively playing with 8 men. Ivanovic should definitely been sent off too. oooooopppps sorry about the mid blog footy rant off!!!

This weeks highights are as follows -

Tuesday - Cooking Curry for 50 people
Friday - DJ'ing at Sakura
Saturday (Day) - 4 hour cooking demonstration in Reading town centre
Saturday (Evening) - DJ'ing at Sakura again

In between - Spending time with my amazing girls and loving it :-)

Actually two other things!

Firstly I've been asked if I'd be interested in a new catering venture for private and corporate functions which has my interest buttons tingling but perhaps more of a revelation is the fact that I did not once turn my laptop on over the weekend !!! Crazy.......

Byezingtons.

Changes....

I've awoken this morning with a strange feeling!!

I'm concerned buy the lack of movement on the pub front and also by my ever expanding waistline.

For the second concern I'm going to make an effort to eat a bit more healthier to start with and then I might start considering some form of exercise but of course nothing too vigorous because as my right knee showed me just a few weeks ago I'm not really of an age to start considering half marathons.

For the Pub I'll send a message over today asking if any progress has been made and if I don't hear anything back by the beginning of next week then I will consider that the end of the road for this project and I'll start looking at new ones. Infact I may even shelve it altogether unless there are opportunities abroad.

Definitely packing in the DJ'ing in early 2011. Until then I'm just going to do the regular work I get from it to fund my trip to Australia in March then I'll be focussing fully on all things Foody. Glad I made that decision.

Also glad that I bought some rather delicious looking Cod loins yesterday that I have salted and set aside in the fridge ready for cooking tonight. Was going to do it with Chorizo and Butter Beans as seen on TV by Glynn Purnell but given my new found zest for healthiness I might have to adjust that to make it a little leaner.

Bit disappointed that I couldn't find any cheaper, more sustainable but equally as tasty fish in Waitrose such as Pouting or Pollock but the label at the counter did say it was line caught which does suggest that some level of sustainability is enforced.

Everybody should look for this when buying Fish because low Fish stocks not only drive up the price of the produce but it also means that species are not allowed to thrive which has devastating effects on all sea life.

Next time you buy Fish look at the label of ask the Fishmonger about the catching methods and sustainability of their produce and be prepared to pay a little extra for the good stuff. Those extra pennies will reward you with better flavour which is what it's all about.

Have a great day folks :-)

Still there.....

Damn this bally coughiness I have. Damn and blast and damn again.

It's not going to beat me, too many things on my mind to be bullied into submission by some nasty chest gremlins.

So this morning I realised that I'll not be able to make another trip to Ibiza this year due to other expenditure requirements. Still I've already been once this summer and I had such a wonderful time that I really don't feel too perturbed by not going again.

Terrible that the people in the news have to once again focus on the stories of drug misuse and supply on the island and not the fact that 1000's upon 1000's of people go there throughout the year and manage to have a wonderfully magical time completely away from this one road in one resort that these stories emanate from.

One report says that 97% of the visitors to the island are taking drugs !!! What a complete load of rubbish. Whoever grabbed this number out of the sky quite obviously has never been there and if they have it was to the "West End" of San Antonio which for anybody non familiar is just one street and a few bars off it. 300 Yards long at most!!!

The name "West End" conjures up an image of a sprawling metropolis of flashing lights, Theatre and Cabaret however this "West End" is merely a haven for juvenile delinquent binge drinkers and to be honest I am quite pleased it is there because it keeps the horrid oiks that populate this area well out of the way of the other quite fantastic parts of not only that resort but the whole island.

Take these propaganda reporters to Sands or Ushaia over in Playa Den Bossa or perhaps take them up for a stroll around D'Alt Villa followed by a shopping trip in Ibiza Town then let them decide if it's a drug fuelled haven of sex and shame. Maybe take them around the wonderful beaches at Benirras, Calle Comte, Salinas or take a boat trip over to Formentera.

Take them up to the round family resorts of Santa Eularia and Portinax and let them watch smiling children swim in the crystal clear waters and build sandcastles on the beautiful award winning beaches.

Have these people ever sat down to a lovely meal at Villa Mercedes by the port only a minutea walk away from the "West End"? Have they sat amongst friends with a nice ice cold jug of Sangria and watched the sunset by Café del Mar? Have they had traditional Paella over at Calle D'Hort while looking out over the sea to the magical rock of Es Vedra?................Maybe they have but it's just not news is it?

Yes people there do take drugs, not 97% of people though !!! It shouldn't be encouraged in anyway, shape or form but irresponsible reporting isn't going to do anything other than antagonise the problem.

It really winds me up how these stories are manufactured by people just desperate to get their names in print and forgetting what a detrimental effect it has on the lives of the people living and working there.

Apart from the exporting of Salt Ibiza relies solely on Tourism and with the season approaching it's end some dimwit journalists decide that there is not enough easy news to comment on so they jump on the first bandwagon they see, grabbing numbers out of the air.

Makes me laugh that these people spend years and years at university to gain journalism degrees thinking that they are going to be the next big reporter but ultimately what they end up doing is searching the gutter hoping to pick up on one scrap of news that might earn them enough to fund there next purchase of baked beans.

These are probably the same people that 5 years ago, on their summer year out, we're the exact same people the are reporting on. Harbouring a grudge because just like so many people who go out there each year in search of a dream they too came back with nothing but a big student loan and very angry parents.


Oh my I've gone off on one again................

Where was I................?

Right............ERM...........OK.........Pub stuff.

I think too that this whole pub malarky is going to cost quite a bit to get going even before we've got to a stage where we can approach potential investors. Lots of legal things to set up and lots of paperwork to pay these guys to mull over prior to making a full commitment so it still could be good money going nowhere.

Still there is absolutely no point going in feet first and making a mistake that could ultimately cost a hell of a lot more.

There is also the added value it gives to our business plan showing that we've deliberated fully and have taken very diligent steps towards ensuring that it is concise and achievable. All these things should stand us in good stead when looking for backers.

I'm going to make a start on designing a full menu during my spare time this week including complete costings, price breakdowns and profit margins etc etc. I need to make it pretty simple but also take into consideration the stock that'll be being used and how I can get maximum usage out for absolutely everything I buy.

Need to also make considerations for shelf like and storage conditions as stock rotation and ensuring that there is absolutely no chance of the food becoming contaminated by any nasties. I'm pretty good with things like that anyway but I think I'll enrol myself in food safety course all the same. These certificates are necessary for anybody wanting to serve food to the public so just as the NCPLH award it'd just be sensible to get it done right away.

Will be speaking to a lawyer later who has been recommended to me as a specialist in the licensing trade. I'm hoping that he'll be able to assist us right through this opening stage and then for all things necessary going forward.

Never spoken to a lawyer before, quite daunting really. Mind you most people I know who have been in contact are for negative things and not for such a positive things as this.

Blocko.......

Happy Monday to you all.

I'm feeling rather energised this morning however the damaged knee is causing me some confusion. Sure it's feeling a lot better, still uncomfortable but the bruising is somewhat strange !! All the pain and swelling is on the front of my knee yet apart from a tinge of yellow the bruising has come out on the back of my leg.

Emily thinks that my kneecap actually came out the back of my leg bless her.

So anyway yesterday evening I got a DJ booking confirmed for the 10th September at The Venue in Reading appearing alongside my all time DJ hero and biggest influence Brandon Block.

This photo was taken last October when I last got to share the booth with a true legend of the clubbing world.



Hmmm just check out that silly grin I have going on .....

It's going to be one of the last club nights at the Venue as I'm told that it's going to be made into a Gentleman's club very soon so perhaps it's fitting that one of the guys responsible for kicking off the whole UK/Ibiza house scene gives the place a proper send off.

I'm pretty sure that he won't be rocking up with his Macbook and controllers and then trying to take the audience on some kind of musical journey that they really are not interested in at all because they are just out to have a laugh, dance and get bang on it.

The guys promoting the event (Garden of Eden/Dark Matter) are keen to make it as cheap as possible for everybody and I'll expect tickets to only be about £5 but as they are not on sale nor is the flyer even made yet I cannot be 100% certain but I will confirm just as soon as I can.

Pub news is all good at the moment. I now have some stock take figures and a copy of the lease that we'll be taking over (fingers crossed). All this information I'll pass on to my guy who will now have all the elements needed to draw up a professional business plan and let us know how much investment we need to find.

All offers listened too .................. :-)

Maybe Blocko would invest? I can see a nice country pub being just the kind of thing that he'd be interested in.

Today could be very important....

Yes it could be. It could potentially be the first big step into the future.

No secret that we've been on the look out for a pub to take on and get ourselves immersed in and today we meet up with a business advisor who will be offering us advice and guidance on two premises that are both local and affordable.

Been swatting up on my licensing regulations in preparation for sitting the personal license test in order to gain the award that every person must have to be able to have their name above the door. Lots of stuff there that I knew already but plenty of newly introduced regulations and amendments that I wasn't aware of at all. The test should be at the end of the month.

In hindsight we should have both taken it as soon as we decided that our future lay in the industry because once gained the license lasts for 10 years and it would have been nice to be able to say to a landlord or brewery that we had the necessary qualifications and licenses already but the latest developments have come pretty quickly.

Well that is really all I can say about the situation at the moment. Don't want to get too excited about anything quite yet as it's still speculation and we've not even considered how we are going to be raising the initial funding because we're not sure what that figure will be. Hopefully we'll find out tonight and fingers crossed that it will be achievable.

Rat a tat tat

......Went the door at 7:15 this morning.

Well not so much "Rat a tat tat" as " Bang a Dang a Lang"...Jeez that man had some knock on him.

It was one of those knowing door knocks only confirmed when I poked my head out the bedroom window and saw the clipboard.

Nope not double glazing and certainly not any kind of religious visitor this was Baliff pure and simple.

So loud was the knock that little'un jumped and fell out of bed, good job they are bouncy at that age (Mind you she's being a right little whatnot this morning, I'd have been sent to my Nannas by now for some serious telling off)

Anyway all to do with a previous tenant which of course I knew it would be because we get loads of brown envelopes through the door with other peoples names on. Apparently this one was for unpaid parking tickets in Hammersmith, not that I needed to know this but I'm sure the guy who came round really doesn't get the chance to talk to too many people inside, or even outside of work for that matter so I humoured him and I'm counting it as my good deed for the day.

Anyway back to the pub daydreaming and so far I've come up with a couple of menu ideas that I think might work but I need to study it more. I know what I want to do but I cannot see a mixture of traditional pub grub and sophisticated classic French/Italian/Spanish cuisine going down well.

Whatever happens it'll all be homemade making use of fresh, seasonal produce from as many local producers as I can find. I'm even gonna put up signs near the local allotments to tell those who have them that our doors are always open to them and their produce.

Imagine that. Sitting in the restaurant and being able to see the person who grew the Leeks and Potatoes that made the very soup your are having. Thinking of having a farmers market in the car park too providing it's big enough.

Right well my ramblings are over for now, best get to work. If I think of anymore drivel today I shall post it right away.

Offers

So I have offers on the table from both the previous tenants and the Pubco involved in the pub that we want to show an interest in.

Both options are inviting but there is so much to consider. Thankfully there are some free resources out there to get you on the right track.

This one is particulally helpful as it's been created by people who have been there and either failed, telling you why or succeeded again telling you how.

Of course each business should be taken on it's own merits and what might work for one may not work for another but far better it is to heed the advice than it is to go in feet first only to end up bankrupt, jobless and homeless.

It also depends on how we really want to view this opportunity. Are we intending to stay here for quite a while, building up a good trade and basing our future on it? Or should we use it as a learning curve to see if we can adapt to life in the licensed trade, a stepping stone to bigger things.

I think I'm leaning towards the latter but then we have a 7 year old so would the thought of potential upheaval for her be too much for her to cope with? Seeing that big school beckons next term and from what I remember this is when her lasting lifetime friendships will probably be formed.

Lots of people quite rightly warning of the pitfalls of signing up with a Pubco which of course shows caring for our future but also getting tremendous encouragement from not only friends but from many of the pub regulars who think it'd be the best thing to happen for it, even given our intention (should we get it) to completely change the emphasis from a currently completely wet trade to a predominantly food trade.

Even changing that trading ethos has it's challenges. Firstly the overheads will be much higher which will have to be taken into account when going over the figures. Extra staff will be required. Kitchen equipment will need to be blast cleaned and serviced not forgetting all the extra table and table furniture that will be required.

How do you respectfully and politely tell people that a suitable standard of dress must be adhered to at all times? i.e. no dirty or dusty work clothes shaking debris into lovingly prepared homecooked meals. This would instantly outcast the majority of the previous regulars whom lets be honest ain't gonna be too happy about it.

Previous regulars can actually have a very damaging effect on the new business plans, especially as it was previously a drinkers pub. Yes it's very nice to have regulars but at a Pubco run establishment the profit margin is very low on beers so relying on these customers is not going to be a great business move considering the changes we want to make.

They can also feel like their local actually belongs to them rather than anybody else and that they have some devine right to choose the path that the business takes which is of course wrong.

I think this sums up how a relationship between tenant/landlord and customer should be - You should should be friendly with all your best customers but none of your customers should be your best friends.

Now the only other thing I can thing of at the moment is what I'm going to have on the menu......

Answer below please :-)

Monday Monday....So good to me

Well apart from waking up and having to cancel my bank card it's been good.

The schools have broken up for end of term which of course means no maniacal women on the road in their ridiculously big 4x4's, (which was an absolutely necessary purchase after the birth of baby Horatio) doing their make-up and texting their therapists.

I mean how can a 43 year old first time mother possibly cope with with the lack of room provided by a BMW convertible, plus the fact that all the other ladies at the tennis club have them.

I'm joking of course, I really do love it when I almost get run off the road by a perma-tanned, pink terry towling clad psycho in a Range Rover sport trying to avoid a puddle, it's a hoot.

I just don't get this "Chelsea Tractor" thing. I mean my mum did perfectly OK with the 3 of us and a metallic blue MK II Ford Cortina with the black vinyl roof !! Oh actually the blue one was a MK III, the bright yellow one was the MK II.

Also I didn't see one "Baby on Board" dangly sign or the even wackier "Princess on Board" or perhaps even the stupendously amusing "Little Angel on Board" variety. What are they all about anyway?

Are we to assume that the average driver wakes up one morning and thinks "Ooooh it's a lovely day, had a great weekend too. What shall I do today?........I know I'll go out for a drive in my car and purposely crash into the back of someone.......Oh best not crash into that car as they have a baby on board, I'll have to choose one without one of those very informative dangly things."

I'd like to see other ones done in the same design. Things like "Chav in Training on board" or "Potential Thug on Board"....I think you get my drift :-)

So I'm grateful for school holidays that I didn't come across any of this and that makes me happy.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTT.....I've just found out that schools don't infact break up until Thursday.............I'm a plum. I apologise for my previous rant although I'm not going to delete it because I think it's mildly amusing.

Well still it was a nice traffic free journey......... (DOH)

In other news my upcoming weekend plans have been scuppered by the closure of my local pub (RIP - Sad times) however I have already tendered my interest in taking it over and becoming a Restaurateur and Publican but to be honest the brewery that actually owns the pub (Enterprise Inns) are notoriously difficult to work with and because of the tied lease there is no real incentive to make a healthy business out of it.

I'd need them to allow me to at least earn what I do now to make it worthwhile and I cannot see that happening especially after reading that one of their pubs had a turnover of £500,000 and the tenants got a return on that of £15,000 !!! Absolutely outrageous profiteering. Not sure a village pub in a suburb of Reading is going to be able to make a turnover of £1m+ in a year.

Making people buy stock at over 60% more than other wholesalers and then increasing rents when profits are made is just completely unreasonable and cannot be an effective business model.

Seems to me and probably many others that the people running these business models have absolutely no interest in preserving the tradition that is the great British pub.

They are probably more interested in getting the places bulldozed and ready to be replaced by very expensive and incredibly mediocre blocks of flats that can then be sold to people without enough money to repay their mortgages.

Have a great day readers :-)