Training 20 Adults in the Poorest Area of Bulgaria

Yes, after a four year gap I begin, once more, to deliver cookery classes to five youngsters in the Children's Home here in Novo Selo.   At the request of staff at the Children's Home I will deliver a progresssional programme of cooking to two groups (Tuesday and Wednesday) from the beginning of November.  Each cookery class will last for 3 hours.  The cookery class will take place in the kitchen at the Home.  I will seek permission to take a picture of the group and post it to you.

i just wanted to share with you this wonderful news and hope that it brightens your day.

Best wishes from Novo Selo, Bulgaria

Dear friends, supporters and motivators

Wow, how much has happened since I penned the last update?!  First there was the significant and memorable EU referendum vote on June 23^rd regarding the UK’s place in Europe (which now means that we get less Leva to the pound), Andy Murray winning Wimbledon, Portugal winning Euro 2016, Hamilton winning the British and Hungarian Grand Prix, a new UK Prime Minister in Mrs May, a Labour leader who is under pressure on a number of fronts and a number of tragic incidents in the USA and here in Europe.

In my last update I failed to pay tribute to a hero who sadly lost his battle with illness. Jim Ramm was an inspiration bakery lecturer at Grimsby College.  His support for students with limited abilities enabled them to achieve and produce great products for sale in his bakery shop.  It is a pity that he never had the chance to come over and work and guide me here at Phoenix Cafe.  Those who knew Jim will echo my thoughts.

• As in previous summers life is difficult at the cafe.  The weather has been very hot which means that people stay indoors during the day only to come out after we have closed for the day.  Added to this a lot of youngsters and family members have relocated to the villages during the summer months.  We are keeping our heads above the water and as long as this happens we will be ok.  Niki, Orlina, Rosa and Lilly have been doing a great job keeping PC&B afloat whilst I have been unable to work.  I hope that I will be able to get back to work towards the end of August.
• For the first time in our history we are going to close the cafe to enable members of staff to take their annual holidays.  This year it will we close after service on Saturday 6^th and re-open on Monday 22^nd August.  The two week break will give me a chance to regain my energies and identify new products ready for when we re-open. This will also enable Orlina to recover as she is having a minor foot operation too.
• Svetlina – was our trainee who we took off the dole queue and gave her support would you believe it after writing so positively about her in the last update gave us notice and has gone to work somewhere on the Black Sea Coast.  This once again shows us how short sighted people are when it comes to the decision to earn good money during a relatively short period of time.  However, the issue will come at the end of the summer when the restaurant or hotel releases staff.  On the plus side Svetlina leaving has been a financial saving for us.
• The extractor system that we originally installed in PC&B was insufficient and had started to cause us problems.  The only solution was to install a new extractor system at a cost of 1550 BG Leva, about £700. Whilst the new cooker hood dominates the kitchen it is over the stove and extracts cooking smells very effectively.  The other piece of maintenance was the repair to our freezer.  Whilst not as expensive as the extractor system it was an inconvenience that we could have done without.
• The injuries sustained by the motorcycle crash continue to cause me grief.  I now know that as a result of the accident I have a broken metatarsal (a bone in the foot), a broken metatarsal phalangeal joint (a joint where the toe joins the foot), a broken phalangeal (a toe), part of a toe had to be removed and a deep gash.  After seven weeks of treatment for the deep gash the doctors in Vidin had not treated the broken bones.  Luckily friends in Sofia put me in touch with a doctor in the city.  I met Dr Hristov on Friday and on the following Monday I was in theatre having an operation on my foot to mend the bones with pins and repair the work previously carried out.  That was three weeks ago and now the stitches have been removed and on Monday 1^st August the pins are taken out.  The accident happened on Saturday May 21^st.

Our web page www.phoenix-inspirebg.org is being revamped by Mariya and will include an on-line shop.  The reason for the shop is to enable us to reach a wider audience.  As the cookery manual is taking shape I hope to include photos, teaser recipes and in time some video clips.

• A recent birthday party at the cafe has given us the idea to offer a new range of hot rolls filled with our own sausages, bacon, fish, vegetarian and pork burgers after we open on August 22^nd.  These new products may not be normal to our current portfolio but will attract a new group of customers and thereby increase our revenue.
• After receiving positive feedback after making a batch of our own bacon, sausages, gammons and hams we are now offering an English style breakfast on Saturdays.  Products for the future include ham salads and sandwiches.  This reminds me of working at the Garden House Hotel in Cambridge when I used cook gammons with spices, brown sugar and herbs in what was called then an ‘Apollo bag’ to create moist succulent ham.
• We will rekindle the cookery classes once my foot is better and I have regained a little more stamina.  One cookery weekend (including Saturday afternoon) that I plan to offer is one where a UK trained butcher called Terry Gilligan will prepare a side of pork into joints as you would purchase from a butchers shop in the UK.  The second part of the weekend will be where participants prepare a range of products that can be cooked at home or in a restaurant.  The final part will involve participants cooking and presenting a range of dishes for tasting and to take home.  At the end of the event I hope to have an edited video which captures the key moments.

 Macmillan Coffee Morning September 30^th 2016

We all know of someone who suffered with or is currently suffering with cancer.  Apparently cancer affects 1 in 3 of us. Our family is no exception.  I think that this will be the first Macmillan event to occur here in Bulgaria.  Funds raised on the day will be transferred to Macmillan so that they can support cancer sufferers.  https://www.macmillan.org.uk/

I know that it is impractical for some of you to support us here at Phoenix Cafe and Bakery but maybe you can support an event close to where you live.

I was not able to participate in our 3^rd birthday on July 15^th as I was in Sofia seeing the doctor but some of our regulars where there on the day to show their support for our work.  I wonder what will happen during the next twelve months.  It seems that we continue to be on that roller coaster of uncertainty.

Thank you to those of you who continue to support our efforts.  Your motivation and encouragement is important to us.