Annette's Kitchen

26/07/2024

24/09/2023

Hello from Wales! Thought I'd give you all an update on my travels so far.
We arrived safely in London just over a week ago, saw plenty of sights, the Changing of the Guards, a boat ride down the Thames, had a chat with Mr Bean in Leicester Square, found a Great Uncle's house & learnt to navigate the underground & rail system!
Then off to Torquay we drove - it's nothing like our Torquay! A lot bigger, very hilly & brown sand but it was lovely. Had a walk along the beach when we arrived 🙂.
Next stop was Bath, a beautiful city with lots of history & architecture, saw the Roman Baths, spent a couple of hours in Bath Abbey (& could have spent longer!), found a gorgeous bookshop & canal boats on the Regent Canal near our Hotel.
Then into Machynlleth, Wales, where we are staying in the Hotel my Great Grandfather owned in 1920-25.
Thought I'd better sample the local treats & had a Welsh cake today - might look up the recipe & try baking when I get home!

Hope you are all well & not missing my treats too much, Annette

03/09/2023

Wow, what a wonderful retirement farewell yesterday was! So many kind words & wishes, chats & hugs, gifts & flowers from customers & stall holders - I was very spoilt.
And to top it off, having doubled the quantity of most of the biscuits & cakes it ALL sold by 12.30pm!!
(Much to my husband's golf buddies dismay, there weren't any leftovers for this mornings game!)

Many thanks to Sarah Olliff (Freshwater Creek Garlic) for being my assistant for the past 2 weeks (& many others over the years), such a lifesaver!

A huge thank you to all who came, bought & wished me a happy retirement yesterday & to everyone who has bought my baked treats & supported me over the past 10 years, I'm very grateful to you all.

16/08/2023

Oh and I forgot to thank my family most of all for being dragged along this journey with me, my husband in particular for putting up with me banging around in the kitchen till 1 & 2am on Friday nights, being 'forced' to eat the leftover cake & biscuits. Also to the friends, neighbours & my children's work places who seemed 'willing' to take leftovers after those slow wet/windy days & there was too much for us to eat!

It's been quite awhile since I posted anything & now it's BIG NEWS - I'm retiring!
After 10 years at Torquay Farmers market & 11 years at Cowrie market it's time to hang up the apron & enjoy a rest (& some sleep!) & explore /have the time to do other interests.
My Annette's Kitchen journey began whilst still working at Target Head Office & was given a lovely large glass biscuit jar by a work colleague. I started baking a batch of biscuits to fill the jar, to have in our department for the '3 o'clock slump'/afternoon tea, instead of the vending machine chocolates. Everyone devoured them & I was making a fresh batch every night in next to no time!! From suggestions I should have a shop or Cafe, I tested my baking skills at the Cowrie Market & I continued through the season with a girlfriend.
In June 2013 I was part of the redundancies at Target HO & after a couple of months break, I spoke to David Bell one Saturday morning about having a stall at the Torquay Farmers market & started Sept 21st 2013.......and here it is almost 10 years on!
I've loved getting to know my customers, other stall holders & trying different recipes (you've been great guinea pigs!) & making special occasion & birthday cakes for children & adults. Maybe standing out in the pouring rain, freezing cold, hail (we made into a snow man 😄), gale force winds, just packed up before a mini tornado took off Bunnings roof & being blown over on the way to the toilet & breaking my nose on the footpath hasn't been the most pleasant but if I'd just spent 2 days baking, well I might as well try to sell some of it & hope someone turns up to the market to buy it!
Through both the Cowrie market & Torquay Farmers market, I have met so many wonderful people & made friends with many customers & stall holders & now I look forward to being a customer at both markets myself.
My last day is Saturday September 2nd as I'm giving myself (after all I am my boss!) a couple of weeks Annual Leave before I fly out to the UK for a long awaited holiday, which I am very excited about!

Thank you very much to Kyla Vinton & Surf Coast Arts Inc. (Cowrie Market) for the opportunity to begin this adventure, David Bell (Torquay Farmers Market) for trusting in me & my baking products & giving me another opportunity, Caz Waters & Suellyn Moore for their encouragement & assistance in the beginning, my Target HO colleagues for eating & suggesting my baking was good enough to be in a shop and of course huge thanks to the many customers who have bought, given feedback, compliments & enjoyed the cakes, biscuits & slices I've made over a decade - I'm still amazed that you are still eating the same things after all these years!
Thank you everyone, I'll miss you so please come & say hi & farewell over the next 3 weeks.

07/07/2023

Well it might be a bit windy & wet (!!!!!!), but there's a few die hard stall holders at today's Torquay Farmers market - maybe make that car boot market 😅.
Be brave, come & join us for your usual Saturday produce!