2012 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 12,000 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 20 years to get that many views.
Where on earth … ?
… did we disappear to?
Some of you may have wondered why the lack of blog posts. And you may have wondered about the disappearance of some old familiar faces from Con Passionata.
Then again, you may not have wondered or even noticed. It is after all a pretty small occurence in the overall scheme of life.
But just to explain anyway (for the one person who might have wondered … 
), here’s a very quick summary.
After a period of ill-health in August – no, it’s ok, you can put the violin down, it wasn’t that serious – I decided to withdraw from day-to-day involvement in the restaurant as dragging myself stoically to work and wandering around in a slow and unsteady manner was no good for the business or anyone else in it, especially you, the customers.
Around this time I also decided that with my limited knowledge of the catering industry, I had taken my role as front-of-house manager in the business as far as I possibly could. My original brief was to design and create the front of house area: a delightful and challenging mission and I enjoyed every minute of it. Then I got involved with day-to-day running in the early days to get the business through the startup phase. In my view, the business now needed someone with more experience (and energy). So exit me.
Shortly afterwards, chef Marc and wife Jacquie declared their desire to take on full responsibility and management. So, with David keen to get back to property matters and Ano Nymous returning to full-time work after a long break, exit another two.
The end result is that Con Passionata is now fully run and managed by Marc and Jacquie, while David, Ano Nymous and myself remain as shareholders.
And what next for us?
Well, I’ll let you know. Keep an eye open for the next blog 
Bye bye for now and see you soon.
Live Music Event – 18 July
The Con Passionata Clarinet Trio
Join us for dinner accompanied by the Con Passionata Clarinet Trio, featuring local musicians Alun Williams, Steve Shaw and crew member David Owen, with John James (our neighbour at James Music in Nott Square) on the keyboards.
Time: 6.30 for 7.00pm
£18.00 for 2 courses, or
£24.00 for 3 courses
To book: call 01267 243240 or contact us via email, facebook or twitter.
On mice, men and plans …
Why do days that I plan never go quite as they should?
Take today for example. After a long and productive day yesterday, I had anticipated another such enjoyable bout of activity today. Working on the web site, doing a few essentials front of house, nagging and bossing everyone in sight, you know, the normal everyday sort of work things.
But no.
Number 1. I was on my own yesterday, a suspiciously recurring theme when I have a productive day.
Number 2. Workmen. Quite a lot of them, apparently. Yesterday. When I was at kitchen table HQ being productive. So many in fact, that one or two even had to go home and come back today.
Net results:
– a cleared cellar (that’s good)
– all the bar stock being moved from identifiable places to one central pile (not so good but not insurmountable)
– lights now work (that’s brilliant)
– a circuit blew out (definitely not good at all)
– delay on Electrician’s team due to aforementioned blown circuit (not good either)
– vast numbers of dusty footprints throughout the building (bad)
– weekly deep clean delayed due to cellar clearance and electrical work ( …)
– the lights that I really wanted to be fixed … still aren’t working property (aaaarrrgghhh!)
Just in case you’re wondering, the reference to mice is a red herring, referring to that old chestnut “the best laid plans of mice and men”, not the real in-the-flesh variety. That at least is something that hasn’t upset me today.
Change of opening hours
New opening hours
Just letting you know that as from tomorrow – Thursday 28 June – Con Passionata will be opening evenings only from Tuesday to Saturday, from 5.30pm.
Why the change?
Well, over the three months since we’ve been open, we’ve discovered that the vast majority of our business comes from evening dining. So, ever ones to listen to what you our customers want, we’re responding by opening for an extra evening, and closing during the daytimes.
And what else?
Opening in the evenings means that we will at last have more time to get the music and special events programme off the ground. At long last, we hear you cry! Having trialled a couple of music evenings which have been received extremely well, you can now look out for singing waiters, performing staff, special performances, gourmet evenings and plenty more. 
Keep in touch or pop in to find out more about plans and events. And about Christmas news, coming soon …
Home from home
I have come to the conclusion that running a restaurant is not an awful lot different from running a home once you start getting the hang of it. (As a long-term restauranteur of two months, I am of course now well qualified for discourse on the subject. Ahem!)
How so?
Well, consider a few of these …
- Keeping the place spick and span. An eternal battle in the restaurant as well as at home, having the same potential for maternal and/or chef-fy hissy fits when things are found in a mess.
- Getting the right people in the right place at the right time. Ok, anyone who has raised a family will understand the logistics of this one – making sure that you get the right child to the right class … on the right day will generally do.
- Co-ordinating the diary bookings. Got a family diary? ‘Nuff said. Especially when combined with the previous point.
- Washing up. Unbelieeeeevable quantities of pots and pans from the kitchen combined with all the restaurant dishes. So there is a semi-technical term – potwash – but it means the same thing despite having a mega-dishwasher that takes 2 mins max. Roll the sleeves up and pitch in, then slather on the hand cream five hours later.
- Laying the table for lunch/dinner. Except that you do it for several tables, several times a day.
- Clearing the table after lunch/dinner. Need I say it??
- Laundry. It’s eternal. Fast as it’s done, there’s more. Tea towels x lots. And then some more. What on earth do they do with them all in the kitchen I want to know?
- Taking the bins out. Someone’s got to do it.
- And last but definitely not least … the cooking! As soon as one meal’s on the table, it’s on to prep’ing or cooking the next. Multiply by …
And of course, it is absolutely essential to keep the wine stock topped up!
A visit from Raymond Blanc
Marc and Tom Scaife with Raymond Blanc
We were honoured – and rather terrified – when Raymond Blanc and his filming production team came in for a quick lunch last Saturday as we had been recommended as a high quality restaurant in Carmarthen. Just imagine! Here we are, not yet open two months and still barely finding our feet when one of Marc’s greatest inspirations in the culinary world comes in through the door.
Gulp!
M Blanc naturally wanted to speak with the chef to discuss some of the dishes on the menu before ordering. Marc, rarely phased by any situation, took all this in his stride and welcomed the opportunity to speak with a culinary master. Needless to say we were of course delighted (er … understatement! over the moon or ecstatic would be more appropriate words) when the group enjoyed the meal.
Afterwards M Blanc asked Marc to pull up a chair for a chat and an impromptu masterclass on technique. A visit to the kitchen followed, where Tom was busy prep’ing for the evening. Much to Marc and Tom’s delight, there were a few further rapid masterclass tips. Oh, and an offer for Tom to spend a week with the team at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.
The whole team at Con Passionata are very grateful to Raymond Blanc and his team for coming in to such a new venue in Carmarthen, and so generously and courteously taking the time from a busy schedule to talk and offer hints and tips.
And of course I should mention the reason they were in town in the first place: as part of a programme on local produce and food producers within the UK, to be scheduled in September. I’ll post more details just as soon as I find out.
And a huge thank you to the folks at Fish Matters, who will be featured on the programme, for the recommendation.
We are still reeling!
Let there be music
The first night of live music had them dancing in the aisles!
Image courtesy of http://www.read-and-play-piano.com.
With a minor degree of trepidation, we rearranged the layout of the restaurant to accommodate an electric piano and soloists. We were delighted that John James of James Music (our neighbour opposite at 4, Nott Square) joined the team as pianist for the evening. With everything and everyone in place, the run-throughs could begin.
Chef Marc Scaife takes time out from the kitchen to practice his turn on the trombone
David Owen discusses his clarinet solo with John James
“Bring him home” – Gareth ‘Gaz’ Morgan runs through his number from Les Miserables
John James accompanying Tom Scaife on the trombone
Just in case you didn’t know, all the performers – with the exception of John – are crew members, so we are incredibly proud of our multi-talented team.
And comments from the customers?
“A bender of an evening!”
“I can’t believe that everyone is so talented.”
It’s events like this that Con Passionata was created for!
Hello again!
Well, it’s about time I got back into the blogging groove! So much to tell you I barely know where to start.
It’s been bordering on a month or so – or maybe a bit more – since I last posted an update and a lot has happened since then. All in all, it’s probably a good time to change the nature of the blog a little.
To date, this has been the story of refurbishing an old office and creating a new town centre restaurant. The restaurant has been up and running for four weeks (big learning curves, a few challenges and hiccups, lots of laughter and some big high-fives all round), so now what?
Development of the “proper” web site is underway, so this remains an interim presence until it goes live and I’ll post a few essential details – opening times, menus and so on.
And it’ll be a place where you can continue to share the laughter (lots), tears (not so much), frustrations (way too many) and (if we’re honest) some of the inevitable slip-ups (ouch!) while we establish a new restaurant business in Carmarthen.
As ever, if you have any questions, you know where I am.
Opening Date!
Con Passionata will be opening the door at 11.30am on Wednesday 14th March.
Opening times this week are …
Wednesday 14th
Lunch: 11.30am – 3.00pm
Thursday 15th
Lunch: 11.30am – 3.00pm
Dinner: 7.00pm – 9.30pm
Friday 16th
Lunch: 11.30am – 3.00pm
Dinner: 6.30pm – 9.30pm
Saturday 17th
Lunch: 11.30am – 3.00pm
Dinner: 6.30pm – 10.00pm
Contact Jayne or Marc to book until the landline messaging service has been sorted (after battling this for two weeks, watch my eyes roll at technology).
Soft launch
The first few weeks will be our “running in” period with limited opening hours. Do you remember the days when you had to drive new cars gently and carefully for the first 1,000 miles until the engine was run in? (You may need to be 30+ to remember those days.) We are working with a newly refurbished building, new kitchen, new central heating, wiring and plumbing systems, new electronic till and payment systems, and new teams in the kitchen and front of house. It will take a little time to settle until we’re running smoothly and effortlessly. The training nights were invaluable in highlighting several issues and new suggestions, many of which we are able to resolve or put in place immediately. Other things – such as structural changes – can be implemented over the coming months.
We will continually be adjusting and refining all aspects including the menus, service, teamwork and layout over the next few weeks. Feedback of all sorts will be welcome.
And official launch dates will be published with plenty of notice!
Con Passionata 
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