A big big thank you from all at Massaro’s for those of you who have come in to see us and the shop since we opened on Tuesday as planned.
As you will recall from my blog on Monday Andrea and Elaine did debate not opening due to not being fully ready and all the last minute problems which were still being sorted out at 11.30pm on Wednesday night with another visit from the electrician.
Due to this Massaro’s is still not offering everything we want to but we hope you have enjoyed what you have had so far. There is still so much more to come on the lunch side as Andrea hasn’t got to really cook yet and next week sees the arrival of lovely Italian cakes and pastries which should have been here by now but we were let down by a supplier at the last minute but we have sourced another couple and all should be available next week – you will be able to choose from sfogliatelle filled with a sweetened ricotta cream, canolli filled with a cream using an old family recipe which Andrea will be making and also some lovely Italian cakes which you can buy by the slice.
Next week will also see the launch of a very special and unique to Cambridge lunch time meal so look out for this.
We are very sorry that all has not been ready but with trying to run the place and finding their feet Andrea and Elaine have very little time to work on everything but are slowly getting there.
Andrea managed to get out today and get to the market for a few supplies as he has been let down by a few fresh food suppliers so has had to try and find things anywhere he can and he popped into a competitor ( no names mentioned ). Albeit being slightly annoyed that this unnamed competitor was now displaying their filled rolls in exactly the same way as Massaro’s which seems very coincidental that this should be the case days after Massaro’s opening he did manage a wry smile that a national chain has been snooping and copied one of their ideas – you know who you are!!!
Anyway thank you again for everyone who came and hope you enjoyed and we hope to see you and many more of you again soon – after all we are a completely independent family business despite many people thinking we were a chain or franchise – so we appreciate your support – we know we are not the cheapest but we offer a very genuine and quality range at the best price we can.
Finally we are very pleased at how well our gelato has gone – we were worried that the weather would put you off but it goes to show what we always thought and that is that you lovely Cambridge folk know a special thing when you see it.
Bye for now
Friday 21 November 2008
Tuesday 18 November 2008
Opening as planned despite more problems
Hello
The good news is that Massaro’s will open tomorrow.
The bad news is that as with this whole journey unexpected things keep cropping up which slow things down and as such not all will be as it should tomorrow when Massaro’s opens but it will open as we have promised it will.
Firstly as our coffee is so fresh and effectively still alive it keeps changing day by day – this is actually a good thing but very hard for Andrea to get it consistent. Also the coffee machine is very unforgiving – again being a completely manual machine it has very little room for error and coupled with a very lively coffee it makes for interesting results – Andrea has spent 2 days as some of you may have seen through the now clear window – with his little scales measuring measure after measure – changing the grind on umpteen occasions and pouring 100’s of shots and making his way through many many kilos of coffee to find the perfect espresso – he now has less hair as much of it has been pulled out and he is to be perfectly honest still not 100% happy but then he is a perfectionist. However it is now more stable and is a very nice espresso.
Along with this extra time taken on the coffee at the expense of the food menu they have had problems with electrics, the till, plumbing and cake suppliers so they are very sorry but there will not be a full menu available on the opening.
However the cheese, salumi and antipasti counter is ready as are the shelves so there are lots for you to buy and Andrea and Elaine will be working hard tomorrow to get some food ready also and then continuing with it until it is all ready which will be a few days yet.
At 10.30 pm tonight they sat in the shop ( I was beginning to get worried ) and deliberated whether to delay the opening again until it is all ready but in the end decided to open as planned with as much as possible and they hope that you lovely public will be forgiving and keep coming back to see the new things as they are added.
Andrea and Elaine also wish to thank you the many of you that have popped their heads through the door to see if they are open and to be honest this is the reason why they want to open as planned because they are fed up saying it will be a few days yet.
So we hope to see many of you tomorrow and hope you enjoy what you find and keep coming back for more as if I have learnt anything from my lovely owners in the 4 months I have been their chauffeur is that they are so passionate about what they are trying to achieve and want everyone to be able to buy really good food and coffee in a welcoming environment and they will not stop perfecting this dream they have now had for many years if not in some ways all their lives.
Bye for now and I hoe you all enjoy.
PS For GRM who left a comment its espresso not expresso – George would be so disappointed!!!
PSS Thank you Daisy for the comment you made to Elaine today about your mozzarella and rocket lunch and how you would not believe until working at Massaro’s how 2 very simple ingredients but of very high quality could make such a tasty meal – in a simple sentence you have encapsulated all that Massaro’s is about – thank you.
The good news is that Massaro’s will open tomorrow.
The bad news is that as with this whole journey unexpected things keep cropping up which slow things down and as such not all will be as it should tomorrow when Massaro’s opens but it will open as we have promised it will.
Firstly as our coffee is so fresh and effectively still alive it keeps changing day by day – this is actually a good thing but very hard for Andrea to get it consistent. Also the coffee machine is very unforgiving – again being a completely manual machine it has very little room for error and coupled with a very lively coffee it makes for interesting results – Andrea has spent 2 days as some of you may have seen through the now clear window – with his little scales measuring measure after measure – changing the grind on umpteen occasions and pouring 100’s of shots and making his way through many many kilos of coffee to find the perfect espresso – he now has less hair as much of it has been pulled out and he is to be perfectly honest still not 100% happy but then he is a perfectionist. However it is now more stable and is a very nice espresso.
Along with this extra time taken on the coffee at the expense of the food menu they have had problems with electrics, the till, plumbing and cake suppliers so they are very sorry but there will not be a full menu available on the opening.
However the cheese, salumi and antipasti counter is ready as are the shelves so there are lots for you to buy and Andrea and Elaine will be working hard tomorrow to get some food ready also and then continuing with it until it is all ready which will be a few days yet.
At 10.30 pm tonight they sat in the shop ( I was beginning to get worried ) and deliberated whether to delay the opening again until it is all ready but in the end decided to open as planned with as much as possible and they hope that you lovely public will be forgiving and keep coming back to see the new things as they are added.
Andrea and Elaine also wish to thank you the many of you that have popped their heads through the door to see if they are open and to be honest this is the reason why they want to open as planned because they are fed up saying it will be a few days yet.
So we hope to see many of you tomorrow and hope you enjoy what you find and keep coming back for more as if I have learnt anything from my lovely owners in the 4 months I have been their chauffeur is that they are so passionate about what they are trying to achieve and want everyone to be able to buy really good food and coffee in a welcoming environment and they will not stop perfecting this dream they have now had for many years if not in some ways all their lives.
Bye for now and I hoe you all enjoy.
PS For GRM who left a comment its espresso not expresso – George would be so disappointed!!!
PSS Thank you Daisy for the comment you made to Elaine today about your mozzarella and rocket lunch and how you would not believe until working at Massaro’s how 2 very simple ingredients but of very high quality could make such a tasty meal – in a simple sentence you have encapsulated all that Massaro’s is about – thank you.
Sunday 16 November 2008
Tuesday 18th November
Hello
Just a quickie to say that Massaro’s will be opening on Tuesday 18th November at 10.30am and we are all very excited.
The loyal amongst you will note that it was supposed to be either today or Monday – well did you really think that would be the case with our history!!
There have been a few more hiccups but they are being sorted and I will tell you more later.
Thank you to Random (our stalker) and if you can’t wait until Tuesday pop in for a coffee tomorrow – it’s not as if you have far to come.
Finally look out for a future barista champion if you are passing today as George Massaro will be making an appearance later this afternoon.
Just a quickie to say that Massaro’s will be opening on Tuesday 18th November at 10.30am and we are all very excited.
The loyal amongst you will note that it was supposed to be either today or Monday – well did you really think that would be the case with our history!!
There have been a few more hiccups but they are being sorted and I will tell you more later.
Thank you to Random (our stalker) and if you can’t wait until Tuesday pop in for a coffee tomorrow – it’s not as if you have far to come.
Finally look out for a future barista champion if you are passing today as George Massaro will be making an appearance later this afternoon.
Friday 14 November 2008
Cheeky On Ice!! (Thanks Daisy)
Hello
OK I have not quite be on the Cambridge on Ice rink but there are 2 big banners with Massaro’s on and my blog address is on there so it nearly counts.
Today has been another feel good day as Andrea and Elaine went off to a local small holding to collect some initial goods ready for the opening and rather than have it ready for them the farm owner decided to take them on his buggy to the various patches to collect their own food. They brought back a little rocket, various Italian winter salad leaves to make their own winter salad mix, a fantastic looking lettuce and various other wonderful foods. They would love to get everything from here but it is only a small place and they actually use all their own produce in their kitchens as they are a wedding venue so can only sell surplus items but it is all very good and you will see various buts from here throughout the year.
Later tonight Andrea and Elaine went off to the launch of Cambridge on Ice as they are an official sponsor of the event. Daisy who works for them was the official photographer for the evening as she has recently graduated with a degree in photography and she is going to have some of her work up in Massaro’s coffee shop which you will be able to buy.
Back at the shop work is still going on to get open as soon as possible and could now be Sunday. Tomorrow the windows are being cleaned so you will all be able to see in. Andrea and Elaine hope to open on Sunday but not everything will be ready such as the lovely food menu but the shelves are almost full and whilst the coffee is not up to the perfect standards they are looking for you will be able to have a coffee as it is still very good.
Unfortunately they have had trouble sourcing the fresh Italian cakes they were hoping to have for the opening but they are still working on it.
Finally thank you to GRM for your comment and at if only we knew who you were we could tell George who is coming up again on Sunday that you think he is fantastic – we thought maybe for one second that you actually were George as the first and third letters could be George Massaro but what’s the R for – who knows – maybe Reece!!
Well whoever you are we look forward to seeing you in the shop
Bye all for now and if I don’t write before then Andrea and Elaine hope to see you on Sunday or maybe Monday!!
OK I have not quite be on the Cambridge on Ice rink but there are 2 big banners with Massaro’s on and my blog address is on there so it nearly counts.
Today has been another feel good day as Andrea and Elaine went off to a local small holding to collect some initial goods ready for the opening and rather than have it ready for them the farm owner decided to take them on his buggy to the various patches to collect their own food. They brought back a little rocket, various Italian winter salad leaves to make their own winter salad mix, a fantastic looking lettuce and various other wonderful foods. They would love to get everything from here but it is only a small place and they actually use all their own produce in their kitchens as they are a wedding venue so can only sell surplus items but it is all very good and you will see various buts from here throughout the year.
Later tonight Andrea and Elaine went off to the launch of Cambridge on Ice as they are an official sponsor of the event. Daisy who works for them was the official photographer for the evening as she has recently graduated with a degree in photography and she is going to have some of her work up in Massaro’s coffee shop which you will be able to buy.
Back at the shop work is still going on to get open as soon as possible and could now be Sunday. Tomorrow the windows are being cleaned so you will all be able to see in. Andrea and Elaine hope to open on Sunday but not everything will be ready such as the lovely food menu but the shelves are almost full and whilst the coffee is not up to the perfect standards they are looking for you will be able to have a coffee as it is still very good.
Unfortunately they have had trouble sourcing the fresh Italian cakes they were hoping to have for the opening but they are still working on it.
Finally thank you to GRM for your comment and at if only we knew who you were we could tell George who is coming up again on Sunday that you think he is fantastic – we thought maybe for one second that you actually were George as the first and third letters could be George Massaro but what’s the R for – who knows – maybe Reece!!
Well whoever you are we look forward to seeing you in the shop
Bye all for now and if I don’t write before then Andrea and Elaine hope to see you on Sunday or maybe Monday!!
Wednesday 12 November 2008
Gelato Finally Arrives and George Massaro, One for the Future
Hello all
Well, well another exciting day for Andrea and Elaine. Today was the day that the ice cream sorry gelato arrived at Massaro’s. Two lovely ladies rolled up at midday today with their van and out came a truly amazing product and if ever the word artisan was invented this is what it was for – this is gelato in its truest form –basically no cream and just pure quality ingredients hand mixed culminating in a taste sensation – pistachios from Bronte – hazelnuts from Piemonte – British fruit when it is equal to Italian – no expense spared in producing this truly exquisite gelato – and where is it made – Italy you may think – but no it hails from London produced by some wonderful people with a rich and long history in gelato production – as with the coffee Andrea and Elaine have tried many gelatos and many from Italy but this is simply the best they have found and soon you will get to taste for yourself.
Your initial choice whether it be a single scoop or 1 litre to take home for a dinner party will be from Cioccalato, Caffe, Cookies, Nocciola or Vaniglia and if you prefer sorbetti then choose from Limone and Fragole ( Lemon or Strawberry ). I’ll let you into a little secret – hiding in the freezer counter is a pistachio gelato so to see it sooner one of the ones above will have to be sold for it to come out so get buying because the pistachio one is, if possible, even better than the rest but a heated discussion between Elaine and Andrea resulted in the coffee flavour making the first cut!!!
Sunday was an interesting day too as George Massaro, Andrea and Elaine’s 13 year old nephew visited with his dad who was up again doing a few odd jobs, had his first go as a barista – donning a Massaro polo shirt and apron he poured his first espresso, cappuccino and latte macchiato – and what an effort – as you will soon see the Massaro’s coffee machine takes no prisoners as it is a traditional hand lever machine and George managed admirably so expect to see him perfectly extracting your espresso – OK so he is 13 so it may be a while before he does but he is a natural.
Abbie Massaro, George’s sister also came up to visit but the lure of streaming X Factor on Andrea’s lap top was far too much a drawer for her to have her first go at being a barista but there is still time!!
Well Massaro’s is days away from opening and unfortunately there will not be as much available from the start as they would have liked but there really is plenty to start with and we hope you will all enjoy.
Before I forget, thank you to Pete for his comment – unfortunately we will not be open before your long weekend to Rome however if you read this and are passing Massaro’s tomorrow then please pop in for an espresso on the house – you will be nearly the first to try the 4th attempt at Massaro’s selecting the right espresso glass!!!
Finally Massaro’s now has a new member of staff – her name is Cecilia and she is starting on Thursday and then will work weekends – she, like Daisy is lovely and I am sure will be an asset to Massaro’s and do her best to make your experience at Massaro’s a memorable one.
Bye for now and more very soon.
Cheeky
Well, well another exciting day for Andrea and Elaine. Today was the day that the ice cream sorry gelato arrived at Massaro’s. Two lovely ladies rolled up at midday today with their van and out came a truly amazing product and if ever the word artisan was invented this is what it was for – this is gelato in its truest form –basically no cream and just pure quality ingredients hand mixed culminating in a taste sensation – pistachios from Bronte – hazelnuts from Piemonte – British fruit when it is equal to Italian – no expense spared in producing this truly exquisite gelato – and where is it made – Italy you may think – but no it hails from London produced by some wonderful people with a rich and long history in gelato production – as with the coffee Andrea and Elaine have tried many gelatos and many from Italy but this is simply the best they have found and soon you will get to taste for yourself.
Your initial choice whether it be a single scoop or 1 litre to take home for a dinner party will be from Cioccalato, Caffe, Cookies, Nocciola or Vaniglia and if you prefer sorbetti then choose from Limone and Fragole ( Lemon or Strawberry ). I’ll let you into a little secret – hiding in the freezer counter is a pistachio gelato so to see it sooner one of the ones above will have to be sold for it to come out so get buying because the pistachio one is, if possible, even better than the rest but a heated discussion between Elaine and Andrea resulted in the coffee flavour making the first cut!!!
Sunday was an interesting day too as George Massaro, Andrea and Elaine’s 13 year old nephew visited with his dad who was up again doing a few odd jobs, had his first go as a barista – donning a Massaro polo shirt and apron he poured his first espresso, cappuccino and latte macchiato – and what an effort – as you will soon see the Massaro’s coffee machine takes no prisoners as it is a traditional hand lever machine and George managed admirably so expect to see him perfectly extracting your espresso – OK so he is 13 so it may be a while before he does but he is a natural.
Abbie Massaro, George’s sister also came up to visit but the lure of streaming X Factor on Andrea’s lap top was far too much a drawer for her to have her first go at being a barista but there is still time!!
Well Massaro’s is days away from opening and unfortunately there will not be as much available from the start as they would have liked but there really is plenty to start with and we hope you will all enjoy.
Before I forget, thank you to Pete for his comment – unfortunately we will not be open before your long weekend to Rome however if you read this and are passing Massaro’s tomorrow then please pop in for an espresso on the house – you will be nearly the first to try the 4th attempt at Massaro’s selecting the right espresso glass!!!
Finally Massaro’s now has a new member of staff – her name is Cecilia and she is starting on Thursday and then will work weekends – she, like Daisy is lovely and I am sure will be an asset to Massaro’s and do her best to make your experience at Massaro’s a memorable one.
Bye for now and more very soon.
Cheeky
Sunday 9 November 2008
A Cupping Success !!
Hello All
Well the title of this entry says it all ( By the way cupping is the coffee term for tasting coffee and selecting blends) – Massaro’s have a coffee it is happy with and boy did it take some effort. Last Thursday we went on a long drive and I was parked outside a normal looking industrial estate way up north. Inside Andrea and Elaine were having an experience they will never forget and the end result was a unique Massaro’s blend of espresso. If you are reading this thank you very much Steve for all your efforts and it is an experience that will never been forgotten.
A very detailed brief was written by Andrea several days before and on Thursday they tasted many single origin coffees in order to make a blend of espresso that they were happy with. This was achieved at about 8pm on Thursday and then to the roasting. In front of their eyes they watched the extremely talented coffee roaster aka Steve roast each individual coffee to go in the blend and were amazed by his constant checking of the beans as they roasted and his ability to know how close it was to perfection by appearance and smell alone - no fancy computer programmes or huge multi tonne roasters – just small batches of the highest hand selected, quality green coffee beans along with pure knowledge and feel for the end product – you don’t get much more artisan than that!! Once finished it was blended and 6 kilos were safely taken back to Massaro’s and this is the coffee you will be enjoying very soon.
As an espresso Andrea says it hits all the notes and is also very good in cappuccino and latte macchiato. This was part of the challenge as ideally you would have one for espresso and one for milk based drinks but this is not practical due to space but with a little care and some precise measuring and of course a fully manual and traditional coffee machine you will get great espresso, cappuccino and latte macchiato. You have to bare with them though as now that they finally after 6 weeks of looking have a great espresso blend they need to perfect it with their machine and staff. I’ll also let you into a little secret – it will be a few weeks until you get it at its best as the expert roaster has said with the coffee chosen it is not at its best until 14-21 days of roasting. The aim is that eventually at Massaro’s you will only ever have the coffee in this stage but it will take some time to perfect the ordering levels to ensure this but as with everything at Massaro’s it will be achieved.
So finally after much searching and a day of caffeine overload Andrea and Elaine have a coffee they are happy with and now hope that by the end of the week you will all be enjoying it. We also hope that you will bare with us as we try and perfect everything as we are trying very hard to do so and will get there but as we need to open now not all will be in place immediately but we think there is more than enough for you to enjoy from day one and it will just get better.
Bye for now and more news very soon.
PS Thank you for your comment from the person at Downing – we look forward to seeing you very soon and hope you enjoy all our products.
Well the title of this entry says it all ( By the way cupping is the coffee term for tasting coffee and selecting blends) – Massaro’s have a coffee it is happy with and boy did it take some effort. Last Thursday we went on a long drive and I was parked outside a normal looking industrial estate way up north. Inside Andrea and Elaine were having an experience they will never forget and the end result was a unique Massaro’s blend of espresso. If you are reading this thank you very much Steve for all your efforts and it is an experience that will never been forgotten.
A very detailed brief was written by Andrea several days before and on Thursday they tasted many single origin coffees in order to make a blend of espresso that they were happy with. This was achieved at about 8pm on Thursday and then to the roasting. In front of their eyes they watched the extremely talented coffee roaster aka Steve roast each individual coffee to go in the blend and were amazed by his constant checking of the beans as they roasted and his ability to know how close it was to perfection by appearance and smell alone - no fancy computer programmes or huge multi tonne roasters – just small batches of the highest hand selected, quality green coffee beans along with pure knowledge and feel for the end product – you don’t get much more artisan than that!! Once finished it was blended and 6 kilos were safely taken back to Massaro’s and this is the coffee you will be enjoying very soon.
As an espresso Andrea says it hits all the notes and is also very good in cappuccino and latte macchiato. This was part of the challenge as ideally you would have one for espresso and one for milk based drinks but this is not practical due to space but with a little care and some precise measuring and of course a fully manual and traditional coffee machine you will get great espresso, cappuccino and latte macchiato. You have to bare with them though as now that they finally after 6 weeks of looking have a great espresso blend they need to perfect it with their machine and staff. I’ll also let you into a little secret – it will be a few weeks until you get it at its best as the expert roaster has said with the coffee chosen it is not at its best until 14-21 days of roasting. The aim is that eventually at Massaro’s you will only ever have the coffee in this stage but it will take some time to perfect the ordering levels to ensure this but as with everything at Massaro’s it will be achieved.
So finally after much searching and a day of caffeine overload Andrea and Elaine have a coffee they are happy with and now hope that by the end of the week you will all be enjoying it. We also hope that you will bare with us as we try and perfect everything as we are trying very hard to do so and will get there but as we need to open now not all will be in place immediately but we think there is more than enough for you to enjoy from day one and it will just get better.
Bye for now and more news very soon.
PS Thank you for your comment from the person at Downing – we look forward to seeing you very soon and hope you enjoy all our products.
Monday 3 November 2008
Hello again. Well first of all thank you to the person who asked about the coffee. Yes the idea is to have artisan coffee as well as all our other products. This is much more difficult than we first thought even after spending years preparing and is one of the reasons why it is taking longer than we would have liked to open the doors. We are still working hard on the coffee front and hope to have some further developments this week but rest assured we have tried many are still doing so and we hope to get it right before we open. However if we do not we will not stop looking and that goes for all products.
For example we have not found a complete range of olive oils and especially balsamic vinegars that we are happy are good enough so we will only stock what we do and will keep looking. Of course all these things are a matter of taste and all we can do is select what we think is right and if we are happy with it then we can let you sample and hopefully you will agree.
There have been a few more delays and we are now hoping to open either late this week or early next week but we are working as hard as we can. We also now have to select Christmas stock in order to make sure we have lots of nice goodies for you to treat yourselves to or buy as a gift – there are some great products coming in from hand made panettone to some extremely fantastic chocolate which is one of the best in the world. Fruits in syrups and various alcohols including kirsch are also on their way. Panforte is already in and the very traditional and authentic panpepato will also be available.
Well just a short one this time and finally as I have only had 1 comment!! Andrea has decided to offer a free buffalo mozzarella to the first 10 people to come in and say “I have read Cheekys blog and I want my free mozzarella”
There is usually someone there all day so if the door is open pop in and get your free mozzarella. This is only for the first 10 people as we only have 10!!
I’ll update again soon an I hope 10 of you enjoy your mozzarella!!
For example we have not found a complete range of olive oils and especially balsamic vinegars that we are happy are good enough so we will only stock what we do and will keep looking. Of course all these things are a matter of taste and all we can do is select what we think is right and if we are happy with it then we can let you sample and hopefully you will agree.
There have been a few more delays and we are now hoping to open either late this week or early next week but we are working as hard as we can. We also now have to select Christmas stock in order to make sure we have lots of nice goodies for you to treat yourselves to or buy as a gift – there are some great products coming in from hand made panettone to some extremely fantastic chocolate which is one of the best in the world. Fruits in syrups and various alcohols including kirsch are also on their way. Panforte is already in and the very traditional and authentic panpepato will also be available.
Well just a short one this time and finally as I have only had 1 comment!! Andrea has decided to offer a free buffalo mozzarella to the first 10 people to come in and say “I have read Cheekys blog and I want my free mozzarella”
There is usually someone there all day so if the door is open pop in and get your free mozzarella. This is only for the first 10 people as we only have 10!!
I’ll update again soon an I hope 10 of you enjoy your mozzarella!!
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