Good afternoon everybody,
We start this week with some exciting news. From the beginning of March onwards we will be open on Wednesdays at Iffley Rd and the Covered Market, marking a return to the trading days that we started with back in October 2018. We will also be extending our Iffley Road hours with a 2pm closing time.
Full schedule as follows, from week commencing 2 March:
Iffley Road - Wednesday to Sunday 8am - 2pm
Covered Market - Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 3pm
As if that wasn't enough, we're also planning to start offering a limited home delivery service, more of which anon. These changes feel like a natural evolution, intended to help us create a more sustainable operation for us and our growing team, and have been in contemplation for some time. Plus the reality is that in this current climate, small businesses like ours do have to evolve and adapt. It feels like a new chapter; not sure which version of Hamblin we're on to now, but we've come a long way from Kate making and baking everything and Hugo serving every customer and running wholesale deliveries at the crack of dawn in our beloved Citroen Berlingo. Not forgetting, of course, Aneta, with us from day one, filling in all the gaps and making pizzas on Sundays. Hamblin now employs sixteen people across two shops, and we make more bread and buns than we could ever have imagined.
With shrove, or fat Tuesday just around the corner, it's the last week of Semla for 2026. If you haven't yet treated yourself then really, what are you waiting for. The pastry team have excelled themselves this year, with the fluffiest cardamom dough we’ve ever had, and the lightest clouds of whipped vanilla cream, plus we’ve added an additional crunch in the form of candied almond pieces. There’s also what Kate has been referring to as 'elite tiffin' in the works, an indulgent combo of buttery biscuit, meringue, glacé cherries, coconut and Pump Street chocolate. So bad it’s good or so good it’s bad, whichever way you care to look at it.
On the retail shelves this week we're happy to be making space for some special olive oil. Back in June, a very dear and local customer, Caroline, dropped off a bottle of olive oil produced in Campania in southern Italy. It has taken until now for us to get our hands on some bottles, but it has been well worth the wait. On Wednesday, Francesca from Capalia Olive Oil, visited the bakery to drop off our first delivery. The oil is produced on a small family farm located in the rugged hills of the Cilento National Park, which stretches down the Mediterranean coast from Salerno to Basilicata. Francesca's family have been producing oil from the 1000 or so olive trees for the last twenty years. They work without any chemicals and with a total dedication to soil health and bio diversity. This is a true labour of love, to produce a very small amount of extra virgin oil which positively sings with a sense of place. We feel very fortunate to have received an allocation. Some more words on the oil from the family:
Our extra virgin olive oil is sharp, earthy and full of anti-oxidants. Its quality comes from the richness of the land itself and our own careful selection of harvesting, milling and bottling processes. The proximity to the sea influences how and when we harvest, and adds a sharpness to the taste of the oil. The sediment that we choose to not filter out is rich in polyphenols. As well as having anti-inflammatory properties, polyphenols have been found to reduce the risk of chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes.
That's all for now. Thank you for reading and we wish you a happy Sunday,
Kate and Hugo