Hello everyone.
We QB 3 have all just returned from a holiday. With our sister, her hubs and kids, our mum and dad and our girlfriends. It was to celebrate the senior Quilliams' anniversary of 30 years. It has been long anticipated (3 years). It was lovely, thank you for asking. One of us got engaged, even. Please raise your tea cup to him when you are next in (he's the one looking all happy, and has glasses). We went to San Gimignano, Lucca, Volterra and many others. God they know how to make an aesthetically pleasing hill top town in those parts. We swam a lot, and ate a lot. We took photos, and brought just enough tea bags to see us through. The pace of life was perfect. The scenery, magical. And as for the company, everyone became again their true selves. As opposed to an exhausted, irritable, preoccupied version of themselves. It was interesting seeing the transition. Eyes surfaced after months submerged deep in ones skull, pasty eczema ridden skin became healthy and golden, waist lines increased, cheeks rosied, moods lifted and conversation about something other than the tea house commenced.
Though, of course, it was on our minds often.
We have only been open for a month and 3 weeks. But before that, we were making the tea house. It was over 5 months of 7 days a week of many hours a day. But that was just the latter part of a 3 year process. It was enjoyable! Installing cinema seats, knowing the joy people will get from sitting in them. White washing walls in the knowledge that original art will soon be hanging there. Scrubbing the living hell out of 100 year old quarry tiles, so they could once again sing. Constructing a beast of a counter from fine oak knowing that that counter will soon house QB staff serving great people a marvellous brew! Finding furniture, designing menus, staining bannisters, staining wood panelling, staining dado, staining every flumming thing and then staining them again, arguing with sparkies, even dealing with the buggering council was enjoyable. Because we knew what would exist after we had finished.
Or, we thought we did.
We opened in a not-particularly-fresh state of body and mind, thinking that the slow pace of the tea house would allow for simultaneous recovery. We were excited and nervous, but adrenaline can only power you so far. Since the day we opened we have been understaffed, and on a steep learning curve. So steep, we think it did a loop da loop at one point (translation: loop the loop). Our feet had taken on a different form. Somehow moulding to a weird shape built for being on the go for 19 hours a day, i suppose. This is not a complaint, nor a pity fishing brag. We made this bed, and we are lying in it with glee and occasional unglee. The tea house is new. It's a new idea, and although its various components can be seen to be extracted from other places (ones we openly admit), the place as a whole is unique, we think. So there is/was no formula. We expected it would take time to find solutions. And i think the majority of you chaps knew it would be chaotic to begin with, understood and forgave accordingly. But we did not bank on there being so many people. We planned a big sinister campaign of persuasion and bribery. Forcing people in the door, giving great quality, friendly, focused service to each and every one, hoping that the experience would be enjoyable enough so they would then return and perhaps tell a few people. We had, in our minds, given the whole summer over to this. As our customer base gradually increased, we would learn when was busy, when we needed staff, how many we would need, what teas sold well, when food was essential, when just a bonus, what cakes people loved, what treats people came back for, which suppliers were good, which were just all talk; basically, we would figure out what worked at the tea house, what didn't, and act accordingly.
BUT
The doors opened on June 1st. We staffed only ourselves for front of house that day, as we didn't want our new staff to see us bugger things up. We coped for a few hours. The chef had been flung into his position and was handling things wonderfully, despite the lack of shelving and utensils. We were opening boxes of plates as we went, as we weren't expecting for them to be used. Cutlery was being unwrapped and washed for its virgin use as orders came in. But we were on top of it. the tea quality was (and always is…) good, and the food looked (and tasted…) nice. We handled the new coffee machine just fine, and were enjoying the encounters with customers as they came in and saw the building alive for the first time in 40 years. But people kept coming. Washing piled up, counter space decreased as the design flaws became evident, food ran out, and control was about to be completely lost. At 3 PM as the horror peaked our aunties (2 of them) and nana (1 of them) arrived. Like that bit in LOTR when a horsebacked Gandalf appears atop the hill, calvary behind him, just as Helms Deep is about to fall completely. Except instead of a formidable wizard, our 3'3" nana and her daughters appeared at the door, and instead of battling orcs, they did the washing up for 4 hours, til their hands wrinkled (we have reason to believe nana already had wrinkles though). Without them, things would have spiralled out of control until we could no longer cope, and something would have exploded probably.
That was all a wonderful and horrifying surprise. But, fatigued and shellshocked, we had made it past 5 o'clock without major major mishap, and were now into the evening. This was completely unchartered territory. 6 pm, still people lingered. Chatting, bringing personality and filling the space that we oh so feared would feel empty, even when full. 7pm, 8pm, the shoppers slowly dispersed, and there came a shift in clientele. Light fell, and here they were. The introverts, the creative, the experimentalists, the eccentric, the curious, the insomniacs. Natter took on a new form, the lights dimmed, chess boards appeared from no where (we didn't supply them) and at 11pm we were in the tea house we imagined. Busy, but intimate. Professional yet relaxed. Friendly. So very friendly. And everyone GOT it. They understood. This is not a bar, you are safe to be whoever you are. You spend so much time in your head fretting that you are imagining something that no one wants, that when you witness people nonchalantly jumping onboard it shocks you.
And there we stood, us three, battered and bruised, behind the very stained fine oak counter, watching everyone. The tea house will always BE the people in it. The things they contribute. Be it their work, their presence, their conversation. The tea and other sellables are mere ancillaries. And that evening the tea house existed for the first time, and we will not forget it.
We have fucked up on many occasions. Orders dropped, reservations overlooked, people accidentally ignored, emails unanswered etc etc. You can see from the few reviews that exist currently that there have been bad days. The day the chef unceremoniously buggered off 2 hours before lunch service and 2 staff called in sick was one of them. And a day from which we are still reeling. It was the day that we received 2 not so excellent critiques on that website that advises on trips. We muddled through though. But muddling always feels like you are letting everyone down. You cannot leave work with your head held high after a day of muddling. You leave knackered, frustrated, embarrassed and upset. We hope that it doesn't happen again. Though it no doubt will. We always, always try to keep our service friendly though. And most importantly, we keep it human. We are humans talking to humans. Something that gets forgotten by both sides, often - customer and waiter. The opportunity of submitting vent ridden internet comment seems to unleash the inhuman in some. But that is a gargantuan monstrosity of a topic, and a one that should be left alone.
We would like to thank everyone who has come during this first fling. We'd like to thank your patience, and understanding as we continue to iron things out. Thank you for your help and advice. Thank you for your kind words of support when you could tell we were running on fumes. Thank you for coming back, and becoming regulars. We love having you all there, and hope you are seeing improvements day by day. Our tea selection will always be improving, we will get on top of suppliers so we don't bloody run out of things. Our staff will get better, and more plentiful, so the tea house will be a more pleasant place to be, even if the sun is making it horrifically hot, and it is busy busy busy. We now have a night manager called Ian (he's lovely - pop in to see him), and are looking for the right people to take the reins when we 3 can't be there, which means we can sleep a little. Which in turn will mean when we ARE there, we have energy and can improve things further. If any of you think you could be a right person, introduce yourself.
The website is being updated with menu and tea listings, cinema hire information and gallery bumf. Our food menu is gunna be more informative as well, promise. Cos it's nice to know where your sausages grew up.
Also, we heard a rumour that some QB official merchandise is on its way…
And that our basement is getting bettered by a cosy factor of 4...
Thanks all so very much once again, sincerely, sincerely.
QB x
