As The Seasons Change (So Does the Coffee Queue)

There's always a moment - usually when I'm standing in the prep kitchen surrounded by empty baking trays, used coffee cups, and a rapidly disappearing stack of scones - when I realise the seasons have shifted. Not because the daffodils are out, or hot cross buns are on special, but because everything is busier. Brighter. Louder.

And the cakes.... fly.

This past month felt like spring had other plans and decided to skip straight to early summer. Sunshine! Warmth! A kind of golden-hour glow over the cake counter! Glorious, yes - but also slightly terrifying when you realise just how much people want iced coffee and cakes the second the sun shines.

Mother’s Day weekend was next level.

We made and sold over 250 cakes and scones, and poured more than 850 hot drinks - and that’s before we get to the hot food. Normally my lovely trainee Kacper ( total legend) helps weigh out all the cake mixes, and works the hot food service with me between 10 am and 2 pm. But that weekend he was away. So on top of the mountain of baking, I was also flying solo on the hot food section.

It's fine - I am used to it - but Saturday alone I served 93 food covers. Ninety-three. While baking, and smiling. And remembering what goes into each cake. It's demanding, yes, but weirdly satisfying when you're in the thick of it. Like a flour-dusted dance routine you somehow sail through muscle memory and sheer determination.

The best bit?: Always the people.

All the lovely grateful customers chatting, laughing, treating their mums. The warm comments on their cakes that I'll never get tired of hearing. And of course, the one bake that always gets a full round of applause: the legendary bread and butter pudding. It's got a fan club at this point, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone tried to put it on a t-shirt.

Yes, I was shattered by the end. My feet ached, my back muttered rude things under its breath, and I think I fell asleep still wearing an apron. But, there's this deep, quiet joy that sits underneath it all. The kind that comes from doing something you love even when it's hard. Especially when it's hard.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better- we've made it to the final of the Muddy Stilettos Awards for Best Café in Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. It's a huge honour, and it means the world to be recognised for what we do. If you've ever visited, loved a slice of cake, a coffee, or a slightly chaotic hot food service - we'd love your vote! Every single one makes a difference.

So here we are, on the cusp of a new season with sunshine creeping in through the windows, the scent of lemon zest in the air, and a cake counter that refuses to stay full for long.

Tired? Definitely. But also deeply grateful.

And ready for the next round.

If you'd like to vote for us, here is the link Muddy Stilettos-Best Café, you have till the 13th April!