9th December 2019
Hello
And all of sudden it is Monday again. December is rushing by and before we know it the big day will be here. I keep trying to remind our girls to enjoy the run up to Christmas as much as the day itself. We put up our Christmas tree yesterday and the excitement levels were pretty epic (and that was just me). The advent calendars are being demolished (you spend all year encouraging them not to eat chocolate and yet, come December, you're practically enforcing it) and this week it's all about finding a wreath for the front door to replace the one we had last year, which is starting to look a little Blair Witch Project-esque. Not the feel I want to evoke as guests arrive.
So as Christmas approaches, deadlines draw near. And I must remind you of our MMB deadline for Christmas orders. If you came in last week to try some of the Baron Bigod or Truffle Baron cheese, and haven't stopped thinking of it since, then you have until end of play THIS FRIDAY to place an order. This also applies to orders of wrapped Rugbrøds, Bungay Butter, Saffron Grange sparkling wine and the MMB Luxury Hamper. If you didn't get a chance to try the cheese last week we will have tasters on offer again this Thursday and Friday. Gabby from Shop at Seed Ceramics will be back on Friday with some more of her ceramics and free gift-wrapping and....
...for those of you that were one of the original MMB tribe, you'll remember our Christmas special from last year, Rosinbrød. This is a Scandinavian inspired loaf stuffed with a sultana and spiced butter paste, and it will be our special this week on Friday and Saturday. It's the most festive tasting loaf we do and I'm already looking forward to the aromas that will be wafting down Church Street when this loaf is baking.
On all three days we will have our popular Wholewheat & Rye Sourdough alongside our Walden Whites and Super Sours and on Saturday we will also have some Tinned Sourdoughs (including some Wild Tins which a number of you have been requesting) and Rugbrøds. Plus we will have buns and cookies on all three days. Because why wouldn't we? They're delicious.
And before I go I want to briefly mention that next Saturday (21st December) we will have our final shopping day. We will be open until 4pm and we are very lucky to have Saffron Grange joining us in the afternoon for a wine tasting. More info next week.
Have a good week people. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Megan
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Friday 13th December
Shopping day at MMB with gift wrapping
Deadline for pre-orders for collection on Christmas Eve
Saturday 21st December
10-4pm Shopping day at MMB with gift wrapping and Saffron Grange wine tasting
Tuesday 24th December
10am - 1pm Collections for pre-orders and hampers
Welcome Back
Ok so I know you're all probably well past the gestures of 'Happy New Year, how was your Christmas? Did you have a good break?' etc etc and yes we did treat ourselves to a longer break than is the norm. But it does mean that we are back, raring to go with so much energy, enthusiasm and excitement (there she goes with her alliteration again...she's only been back for two sentences) for all the ideas and plans we hope to bring to 2a in 2020.
An Evening with Mini Miss Bread - Thursday 6th February
First up, as you may have seen from social media, Bicicletta in Saffron Walden is hosting the first of their new calendar of events at the start of February to celebrate their newly renovated space. The evening, which will start off with a complimentary drink, will feature yours truly being interviewed about all things MMB, starting a business, the art of sourdough and everything in between. I've been told that there are very few tickets left so if you fancy joining us head to the booking page here for further information and to secure a ticket. Oh and you also get a loaf of Walden White included in your ticket price so worse case scenario at least breakfast is sorted for the following morning. If by the time you get there it has sold out and you'd be interested in attending a similar event in the future you can register your interest at info@biciclettavelo.com.
The S Word
Sustainability. We've been spending a lot of time over the break thinking about how we can make MMB more sustainable. It is an essential responsibility for any business in 2020 and although we do many things right, including composting (which heads to Anna's Flower Farm to help the growth of her flowers which then appear in our shop months later), recycling, using compostable coffee cups, selling reusable coffee cups (free coffee on purchase), trying to use suppliers that share our sustainability values not to mention the fact that the majority of our shop has been up-cycled, there are always things we could do better. Most obviously reducing the single use of our paper bags. We offer recycled paper bags for customers whom haven't brought their own bags but we want to encourage more re-use of these bags, using our tote bags or any other re-usable bag. We're about to launch a scheme to encourage this but if you have any thoughts or suggestions on other ways MMB can do things better in 2020 then comment below or chat to us next time you're in. This is a team effort and we want to know what works for you as well as us.
This Week's Sourdough
When deciding what special to offer this week, we went round in circles. Do we go with the comfort element of Double Cheese to cheer us all up during this toughest of months or do we stick to a more wholesome, January-esque loaf such as the Speltish to avoid further angst. We've settled on a compromise of the Bloody Mary Sourdough. It's satisfying yet not guilt-ridden. Comforting yet fat-free. If you decide to then top it with Bungay Butter and cheese, that is your choice. But at least we can't be blamed for encouraging gluttony! This will be available on Friday and Saturday. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday we will have Walden Whites and Wholewheat & Ryes. Tinned loaves will be available on Friday and Saturday together with Rugbrøds. And ok I confess, there will be cinnamon buns, cardamon buns and cookies. So maybe we can be blamed for the downfall of any January health kicks after all. Go on, blame us entirely. Say we forced you. It wasn't your fault whatsoever. We'd threatened an MMB ban if you didn't buy at least one sweet treat. You had no choice.
We will have a few Walden Whites on the shelves on Wednesday for those of you that need your MMB fix asap. Otherwise we are really looking forward to seeing you all from Thursday onwards.
The Blog
Finally, you may have noticed that the format of these updates has changed to a blog to bring them online. It's a whole new area for me so bear with me as I navigate the inner workings and foibles of blogging. Equally though if you have any feedback please do comment below (one of the reasons for switching to a blog...if it works) or again let me know next time you're visiting 2a.
See you soon! It's great to be back.
Megan