Monday 26 September 2011

BEST NIGHT EVER!
Well, the much-looked-forward-to Jessie’s night out was a BIG success then! A huge thanks to Robertson’s restaurant for accommodating us all, creating a special set menu and offering free, generous sharing platters to kick the meal off; the food was delicious, the service perfect and the staff completely lovely (and amazingly tolerant of the slightly squiffy, high-spirited crowd who descended on them...). We shall be back (hopefully, that’s GOOD news...?!).
One of the best bits of the night actually happened before we headed into the Ferry for our meal; when we all met up in the ‘Big Room’ at Jessie’s. For once we were ALL guests, not staff! Sitting there with the view of Tayport and Fife from the bay window all late summer evening-y, cracking bottles of pink fizz (ice buckets full of lager and scrumpy for the lads!) and swapping stories of starting up our very own cafe... life felt pretty good at that moment (okay, so the pink fizz helped too!). And for the ‘wee ones’, with all the excitement of Uni and new towns, new friendships, new jobs in cafes and bars ahead... there was definitely a bit of a buzz in the big room that evening; here’s hoping all the future Jessie’s nights will be as special.
It also shows how fantastic a setting our rooms are in the evenings. Very special, atmospheric and with a different ambience from the hustle and bustle of daytime service. It’s definitely a thought for the future...
Going back to the night out, thanks to Mary-Jane for organising and booking the meal, counting names etc etc; the job everyone always ducks if they can! Where we going at Christmas then, MJ???!

Friday 2 September 2011

HELLO AGAIN... AT LAST!
Hello, hello?? Oh, dear Lord, are we back on air?? At last! Sorry for the huuuuuuuge break in transmission - ironically, there's been soooooo much to say, but simply no time (or energy left over at the end of each whirlwind day) to say it. Life at Jessie's is leaving us dizzy! (In a good way!).
In case you don't believe us, as well as serving an awful lot of customers (thanks everyone, it's our total priviledge!) we've been...
... FEELING that first tang of Autumn in the air. I know, I know, in August - un-be-lievable! But, leaving the unseasonably chilly grey days aside, on the upside, it means Nick and Mary Jane are dreaming of exciting Autumn flavours. Hooray!! There are rumours of garlic mushrooms on toasted brioches... spicy pumpkin soup... fluffy pear and almond scones... and a whole lot more, coming to a plate near YOU...!
... BONDING! Blethers in the kitchen, capers at the counter - guess what? The Jessie's Kitchen team genuinely like working together, which we like to think translates into a happy atmosphere and good customer service. After all, it's a lot easier to be pleasant to people if you're in a happy place yourself...
... which brings us to PLANNING a big Jessie's night out (For big Jessies only, obviously!!). Which is bittersweet, because it'll be fun to get together outside work and relax; but a bit sad too because the reason (excuse??) for it is to say goodbye to our 'wee ones' and wave them off to their various universities (or a full time job in Laura's case!). Madi, Matthew and Louise will be sadly missed; they were there at the very start of Jessie's and together we've learned about tabs, tray-carrying and tricky customers. We know how lucky we've been to launch Jessie's with such a great team - they've worked hard, learned loads, never, ever, ever, moaned and earned us the best customer feedback ever. We're so glad we're keeping our Claire for a bit longer while she's at college. We're having a big team photo on the day of the night out and will always, always remember the part they've played in starting up Jessie's. Now, where are we going on our night out??! (Seriously, if anyone has space on the evening of Thursday 8th September for up to 25 slightly emotional revellers who appreciate nice food and coffee, please let us know!)
... BRANCHING OUT into birthday parties! What we see as one of the fun bits of owning a cafe and the sort of thing we've always wanted to get into. With Cake Crusader Mary Jane on board to create amazing birthday cakes at the drop of a (party) hat, we knew we could come up with something special, and, judging by the happy response we got last Sunday, it seems to have worked for one special little girl who was turning three, anyway... any other birthday boys and girls looking for a venue that's different, with good food, lovely staff and toys for the littler party-people - please get in touch!!