And in a flash August was over. Dissipated into a sticky haze with only the crisper, colder days of autumn to come. Before I get all "seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness" on you, I want to recap how the summer was spent. The blog may make it seem like we have not exactly been up to much but, turn to instagram and it is a tale of watermelon, salads and more craft beer than one man should legitimately consume. We have been...

1) PESTLE AND MORTAR-ING - or suribachi and surikogi-ing things that most definitely aren't Japanese. Turns out the larger version is absolutely perfect for making and serving guacamole and ceviche.

2) BEING SORRY NOT SORRY - because I am basically the most basic of bitches and have bought one of these for my holiday. I will be instagramming selfies from the pool from it. Bite me.

3) DRINKING - quelle surprise. Summer? Time for al fresco beers? Really? Saunders has really been doing the rounds of the craft beer now that a branch of Mother Kelly's has opened just around the corner. The sourer and most esoteric, the better. All gets posted on instagram if you need any inspiration for mouth-puckeringly challenging beer and where to get them. 

4) POLISHING - up some beauties for the new vintage collection. We have been squirreling away some choice kitchen knives and other finger-choppers. These have all been lovingly cleaned and re-sharpened and, if you are looking for great bits of kit at very reasonable prices, these could be just the ticket. 

5) LOVING - the new knives we have on the site. A small edit from Yauchi with some amazing rosewood-handled beauties. More to be added soon.

6) LEARNING the dark art of making custard. Love the stuff but to my shame am overly reliant on tins or the chiller section. Turns out making it is as easy as pie, particularly if you follow instructions to the letter (not my strong point), and tastes amazing over sauteed plums. There is no bad day that can't be improved by a large bowl of golden warmth.