Hey there, it's that time of week again when I share all the inside news from the building site, the marketing meetings and generally what's going on in our life. Please form an orderly queue to tell me you don't care
Last week we really got excited about new ideas for the menu and this week has been focused on the new logo. I really really like it; well I should as it was my idea...............although I may not admit to it if no-one else likes it. Black, silver and Lemon and these will be the new colours on the web site which is under construction as we speak..........well we hope so as Mick can be slightly unpredictable! He would call it creative. It's going to be such an improvement on the old one, with loads of new features and maybe a cooking tutorial from Carmine. That should be fun, take one egg, add some something bleep, mix with bleep bleep. Maybe we should just revise this strategy??
Anyway, onto the serious things, Work is progressing well, last week there were wires dangling from the ceiling to be replaced by sleek silver recessed lights which will dazzle when they're on. Think we all may need to invest in some sunnies for work and be like Carmine with his ray bans on inside or out whatever the weather!! The wall lamps gleam with little diamante circles that glint daintily................no girls we can’t all have matching earrings too!!! Let’s hope we haven't forgotten the dimmer switches.
There is just so much information and so many things to do that everyone is feeling the strain and a few senior moments have crept in with everyone looking blank and bewildered at certain times during the meeting.................Yes I know that's my permanent facial expression but today for the first time I wasn't to blame. So who did forget to buy the bed for the new room..................oops! I'm sure the new carpets will be comfy
We're meeting up for a coffee and gossip tomorrow with the staff, if they can pull themselves away from facebook and bejewelled blitz to talk about the finer points.............uniforms. Everyone wants something different in colours that may or may not match the sludge green wall in the bar...........it is actually nicer than that, honest. Would I ever tell you lies? I'm sure we will need the diplomacy skills of the united nations to decide on long or short sleeves, never mind the ensuing battle on ties, aprons waistcoats....................the list goes on
See you next week with a report from the front line of fashion fixes...............do you think Gok will help us when he comes to visit
Take care
Love
Colette
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Wine, hearts and spare parts
Euripides said "Where there is no wine, there is no love" so he would have adored my Valentine's weekend. It started on Thursday, so a bit earlier than most and took us to Manchester to the annual wine tasting where there are around 400 wines on show. So just to make sure that our wine list has something for everyone I spent a lot of time tasting and tasting and hic..........tasting. It's a hard job but someone has to do it!!
Needless to say Friday was a bit blurry but had some bubbles to make myself feel better.
Valentines Day came without hearts and flowers from Carmine, whoever said Italians were romantic had obviously never met my other half. I hoped that even though there was a complete lack of commercial romance in my house he might choose to cook something special that he was thinking of putting on the menu and I wasn't disappointed. We had Grilled asparagus, topped with poached egg and Parmesan shavings, Fillet Steak with a creamy sauce that had apples and Truffles through it, and then I had to laugh at dessert...........for me it was Crème Caramel but the Italian version with rum called "Tremarello" which literally translated means wobbly. And at that point I most definatley was: with the starter we had a bottle of Pink Champagne from Lallier and with the main we had a robust Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from Terre del Aligi, which is made by personal friend Adriano Spinelli. It’s fantastic and was the last bottle we had brought back from Italy. I think we'll have to make an SOS call and get him to ship some over pronto.
Monday arrived all too soon with a whole new challenge, we set of to our marketing and Web development meeting in Dudley and although it was very constructive and informational I sat like a spare part when asked some basic questions................hands up who has heard of "Kerning"..............no me neither but seemingly its the space used between letters. Let's hope after that you will all like the new site and colours that we're hard at work developing.
The building works are coming along really well, the reception/work station desk is now in and they have started to construct the bench seating in the new bar area, I'm sure this will be the prefect place to have some after work drinks and will soon become the place to meet up in Wrexham especially as we are developing our Cocktail list..................Sex in the Sea anyone?? Luscious Lemon Fizz Bombs, a Goodnight Kiss or Morning Glory.................thank heaven's we have bedrooms for those incapable of returning home!!
Can't wait for it all to be completed and will have more design news for my next blog
Love 'n' stuff
Colette
xoxo
Needless to say Friday was a bit blurry but had some bubbles to make myself feel better.
Valentines Day came without hearts and flowers from Carmine, whoever said Italians were romantic had obviously never met my other half. I hoped that even though there was a complete lack of commercial romance in my house he might choose to cook something special that he was thinking of putting on the menu and I wasn't disappointed. We had Grilled asparagus, topped with poached egg and Parmesan shavings, Fillet Steak with a creamy sauce that had apples and Truffles through it, and then I had to laugh at dessert...........for me it was Crème Caramel but the Italian version with rum called "Tremarello" which literally translated means wobbly. And at that point I most definatley was: with the starter we had a bottle of Pink Champagne from Lallier and with the main we had a robust Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from Terre del Aligi, which is made by personal friend Adriano Spinelli. It’s fantastic and was the last bottle we had brought back from Italy. I think we'll have to make an SOS call and get him to ship some over pronto.
Monday arrived all too soon with a whole new challenge, we set of to our marketing and Web development meeting in Dudley and although it was very constructive and informational I sat like a spare part when asked some basic questions................hands up who has heard of "Kerning"..............no me neither but seemingly its the space used between letters. Let's hope after that you will all like the new site and colours that we're hard at work developing.
The building works are coming along really well, the reception/work station desk is now in and they have started to construct the bench seating in the new bar area, I'm sure this will be the prefect place to have some after work drinks and will soon become the place to meet up in Wrexham especially as we are developing our Cocktail list..................Sex in the Sea anyone?? Luscious Lemon Fizz Bombs, a Goodnight Kiss or Morning Glory.................thank heaven's we have bedrooms for those incapable of returning home!!
Can't wait for it all to be completed and will have more design news for my next blog
Love 'n' stuff
Colette
xoxo
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Fairy Lights and reality bites
Wednesday has come round again very quickly..............where does the time go? Well I think I lost a whole day on Sunday as I started a novel and literally didn't put it down until I finished it. Yep all 659 pages of romance, business, perfume, trips to Paris and hotel decor.................so I really was doing research again!!!! Pity I didn't have any of that Italian wine to hand.
Armed with all my new found insights I went off to my site meeting today not knowing what they may have been able to accomplish in such a short space of time.........
Firstly we were ushered into our luxuious meeting place aka the portacabin for a brew and a chit chat. Who's done what, timescales and I can't do my job till you've done yours etc, when my attention was sparked by a rather heated discussion on fairy lights. Now bearing in mind, there's me and 6 blokes you would think I would have more to say on the matter, oh no, everyone had an opinion on how many, how twinkly (kidding) and where they should go!!
Soon enough we were allowed into the main building where they had already built my bar, I was just like a kid in a sweet shop and made a fool of myself like usual and pretended to serve beer. You would never imagine I've been doing it for real for over 24 years. Yikes.............Am I really THAT old?????
Anyway, they have been doing a great job and whilst it's still a shell you can see where it's going.
As Mario Testino was unavailable, Carmine took the photo's to let you have a sneaky look at what's been going on and they have been posted on Facebook, so check us out there, become a fan and you never know what surprises we may have in the future
See you all again soon and remember that The Lemon Tree fairies are smiling down on us always
Colette xxx
Armed with all my new found insights I went off to my site meeting today not knowing what they may have been able to accomplish in such a short space of time.........
Firstly we were ushered into our luxuious meeting place aka the portacabin for a brew and a chit chat. Who's done what, timescales and I can't do my job till you've done yours etc, when my attention was sparked by a rather heated discussion on fairy lights. Now bearing in mind, there's me and 6 blokes you would think I would have more to say on the matter, oh no, everyone had an opinion on how many, how twinkly (kidding) and where they should go!!
Soon enough we were allowed into the main building where they had already built my bar, I was just like a kid in a sweet shop and made a fool of myself like usual and pretended to serve beer. You would never imagine I've been doing it for real for over 24 years. Yikes.............Am I really THAT old?????
Anyway, they have been doing a great job and whilst it's still a shell you can see where it's going.
As Mario Testino was unavailable, Carmine took the photo's to let you have a sneaky look at what's been going on and they have been posted on Facebook, so check us out there, become a fan and you never know what surprises we may have in the future
See you all again soon and remember that The Lemon Tree fairies are smiling down on us always
Colette xxx
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Sparklie shoes and builders boots
Surprise everyone, I have left the dinosaur age and have set up The Lemon Tree blog page. This is just to keep you all up to date with all the news and give you sneaky previews as they happen.
Well as most of you may know, Carmine and I went to Italy for a well deserved rest after closing down the restaurant in January. He went ski-ing and I sampled lots of differents wines...............all in the name of research you understand. The first few days I had flurries of phone calls and texts and then I eventually managed to relax and left the builders to do their thing!!! Knocking down walls and ripping out carpets.
Today I went on site for the first time and the builders had got me present...............how sweet!! Yep a great big hulking pair of Builder boots and even in the right size. I'm sure they knew my passion for sparklie shoes and killer heels but got me them instead. Plodded around the site but my eyes were like saucers.....It looks AM_AZ_ING and they've not got very far. I forgot the camera(boo), but I'm going back next week so I promise to take loads of photos for you all to see. My favourite room is most definatley going to be the family dining area in where the pot wash used to live. It looks so big with all the walls knocked down and its got 4 beautiful gothic windows letting in loads of light. I hope you will love it as much as me.
On the other fronts, you will now see that The Lemon Tree has a facebook page so I urge you all to become fans and later we will have special offers only for you and also I Tweet or Twit or something?? Yep you can also follow us on Twitter. Cary who is leading our marketing campaign spent 6 hours with me today setting all these fun things up so yes I can now say that I am paid to go on Facebook
Will blog again soon
Colette xoxo
Well as most of you may know, Carmine and I went to Italy for a well deserved rest after closing down the restaurant in January. He went ski-ing and I sampled lots of differents wines...............all in the name of research you understand. The first few days I had flurries of phone calls and texts and then I eventually managed to relax and left the builders to do their thing!!! Knocking down walls and ripping out carpets.
Today I went on site for the first time and the builders had got me present...............how sweet!! Yep a great big hulking pair of Builder boots and even in the right size. I'm sure they knew my passion for sparklie shoes and killer heels but got me them instead. Plodded around the site but my eyes were like saucers.....It looks AM_AZ_ING and they've not got very far. I forgot the camera(boo), but I'm going back next week so I promise to take loads of photos for you all to see. My favourite room is most definatley going to be the family dining area in where the pot wash used to live. It looks so big with all the walls knocked down and its got 4 beautiful gothic windows letting in loads of light. I hope you will love it as much as me.
On the other fronts, you will now see that The Lemon Tree has a facebook page so I urge you all to become fans and later we will have special offers only for you and also I Tweet or Twit or something?? Yep you can also follow us on Twitter. Cary who is leading our marketing campaign spent 6 hours with me today setting all these fun things up so yes I can now say that I am paid to go on Facebook
Will blog again soon
Colette xoxo
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