Hello, I hope you’re all okay and dealing with lockdown the best you can. It’s not easy is it? I mean don’t get me wrong, spending more time with my family is lovely – mostly! 
but gosh isn’t it tough. I’ve given up on trying to stop my son playing his Xbox for way longer than he should and I’ve accepted the fact that our house isn’t going to stay as tidy as I want it to be, and I’m now just rolling with it.
I feel like there’s so many people putting messages out there and using their voices and online platforms to get their points across and keeping in touch with customers, friends and your peer group is fantastic. I personally didn’t want to add to that without saying anything different or valuable, but at the same time I wanted to let people know that I’m still here. *waves*
The spare time is amazing and in the first week or so I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I then realised that actually spare time is a good thing and for me it’s where I get to really plan and think about what I want to do next. I feel more creative when I’ve got time to think about things.
All my wedding bookings for the next few months have been postponed and I’ve only had one order cancel completely so not having to provide lots of refunds has been such a relief, and I’m incredibly grateful to my customers for that.
I’m still taking enquiries and it’s nice to see people are still planning their weddings for the end of this year and beyond. I’ve issued four quotes this morning and I’m starting to feel a little more in control. I will be taking orders still but on a limited basis and only in my local area of Wokingham and Reading. I don’t want to put any more pressure on the postal system so for now I won’t be posting any brownies or cookies. If you’d like to make an enquiry for an order please contact me here. Everything will be done on a contactless basis: collection from my garden at an agreed time slot and deliveries need to left in a secure place provided by you.
I’ve added an online shop to my website too! How exciting is that? It’s still work in progress and I’ve got a little bit of tidying up to do and some products to add (vegan brownies included) and when we’re out of lockdown I’m going to do a little giveaway to celebrate the launch of it! I’ll post on my social media and send out an email, so keep an eye out. Who wouldn’t want a free box of brownies huh?
You may have already seen that I have provided some cupcakes for Valpy Street Bistro in Reading town centre. They contacted me as they had some customers celebrating birthdays and thought adding a little cupcake in their food orders would be a nice touch. I agreed with them, of course, and a small batch of cupcakes was made.
So many food businesses in Reading and Wokingham have adapted incredibly with stringent measures in place and I feel so proud that my adopted home town (I’m from York) is doing so well. I can’t imagine it’s very easy and not without its stresses but I do hope that if anything, in the long run, it’ll make these businesses come out stronger. Hopefully people will discover new places to eat, to order food, to buy their coffee and that they’ll continue buying once lockdown is over. I hope the convenience of the supermarkets doesn’t sway people back and the indies come out of this stronger!
Eeee, I was only planning on saying hello to you all and look at this…700 words later and I’m still waffling away!
But, to round up, I do hope you’re all OK and my inbox is open, my social media is active, if anyone needs to chat, (it doesn’t have to be cake related) I’m here… with my freezer full of cake samples and endless Diet Coke stash.
Oh, and one last thing. If you have favourite supplier and are wondering how you can help them during this time, buy a voucher! I’ve got mine for sale here too.
Maybe you’d prefer to go out for a slap up meal sometime in the future…then go buy a voucher now from that restaurant. Not only will it help keep them afloat, it’ll put a big smile on their faces too.
Speak soon, stay safe.
Natalie x