Apple Pie

Here is another thing I love to bake. I really, really, love apple pie. This is a good old fashioned apple pie. English style. Freshly baked apple pie reminds me of childhood and it's still one of my Dad's favourite desserts that he looks for when he goes out for a meal.


Unfortunately, many establishments in the UK don't do 'homemade' anymore and serve up something commercially made, which I find rather shocking. I am beginning to sound like Gordon Ramsay or Hector Botrini (without the profanity of course). It's not that difficult to make an apple pie from scratch. It's obviously all about the money, that and serving frozen chips. Don't get me started on why otherwise very good restaurants serve frozen chips...



Anyway, this is how I like my apple pie. It shouldn't be too sweet. There should be a bit of tanginess to it. Double crust. No cinnamon, no raisins. Best served hot with cream, custard or ice-cream.

I'm not sure if apple pie will be on the daily menu at the 'shop'. It will definitely be on somewhere and it will definitely be available for special orders.

The same day I made the apple pie, I made these chocolate truffles. These didn't turn out as beautiful as I would have liked. Partly because I was free-styling a bit with the recipe and partly because I had 'help' from my littlest helper.



They were tasty though. Very tasty.

Don't miss the next post. There'll be a new blog feature.

Newsletter and market research

As of last Monday you can sign up for a newsletter which we will be using to keep customers up to date with our progress in preparing the shop.

The other day, Alex and I decided to go for a stroll around Nafplio.

Well, it wasn't just a stroll. We had a purpose. For some time now we thought it would be a good idea to walk around the main areas of both the old and new towns. We've been trying to observe pedestrian traffic that there is on an average day to keep it in mind when we start looking for our location. We are aiming to open the café/tea shop by the spring (see below about about the difficulty we are having deciding what to call it). Of course we are well aware that not everything goes the way you expect!

We know that going just once is not going to give us a good idea so we plan to go again a few more times. It is not much of a trial to wander around in this beautiful town in the warmth of the sun!


It was a very enlightening trip. We got talking to a very nice elderly lady who owns a shop in the old town and is about to retire. She has been in town for years and was able to give us lots of useful information about the shops which are there already and shops which might become available. She was even able to give us an idea of the best times of year for trade and the quiet times. She was a veritable well of useful information.

We managed to draw a few conclusions. Well, sort of. We are finding that opinions on things are changing as and when we get more information, almost on a daily basis.

Then there is the matter of good reputation. If your product becomes known and loved, people will come to get it wherever you are. Well not anywhere... but you know what I mean. If you have a good reputation, a really good product, you are going to get more customers who come especially for that than accidental passers-by. It doesn't hurt to be easily accessible though!

Location vs. Reputation. Reputation vs. Location. Which wins? Some sort of compromise, I suppose.

So let's say we came to some temporary conclusions. Is it possible to come to a temporary conclusion?

On another note, we are making our final decisions on what to name the business, the shop and on choosing a logo. We have been procrastinating on that issue, too. Too many good ideas! Our friends and graphic designers at Atelier have astonished us with a large array of ideas and given us lots and lots of possibilities.

There is a lot to digest when planning to start a business! I think I need something sweet to help me decide!