Bouncing Back and Lighting Up

What a 4 months it has been!!

There has been so much lost to so many that there is talk of a collective post trauma effect!

In these days of such uncertainty the only thing we can be certain of is the uncertainty . . . Go figure!!!

However, there is also a great spirit amongst us all, a sense of, ‘we are in this together’ and no, we shall not be broken either!!!

Personally, Lino & I, and our team have been encouraged and inspired by the amazing support and loyalty of our wonderful customers and locals . . . Thank you!

So, when Boboli ‘Bounced Back’ in May with a Takeaway Service, we started making preparations for us to be able to fling open the doors and resume full service this week.

Yes, there will be restrictions.  We have some rather smart screens to dot around the place . . . they are fabulous actually; they almost enhance the place as well as creating a little more separation/protection between tables. We have sourced some ‘ok looking’ face visors too, which the team are embracing . . . so all in all Boboli is ready for its final push to really ‘Bounce Back’!  The new menu is ready to go, have a look here

Meanwhile on the other side of the A6, The Lighthouse is also ‘Lighting Up’ . . . Lino has kitted out the kitchen with some fabulous new equipment, including a new pizza oven . . . just like the one we bought for Boboli . . . so our takeaway service will seamlessly be transferred to The Lighthouse.

To start with the menu will be much the same as we have been offering at Boboli but of course with added extras from The Lighthouse.  We are hoping that this menu will bring some culinary delight to those of you who are still not quite ready to eat out . . . and be an extra string to our bow as we endeavour to please all.  Have a look at the Lighthouse Takeaway Menu here.

There has been much said of keeping it local, and the hope that the outpouring of support for our  local businesses and suppliers will be sustained as we all begin to find our way back to some kind of ‘normal’ life.  I guess all of us small independents are hanging our hats on this sentiment, doing our very best to get it right, refine our offerings, and to evolve with the times, hoping that it is enough to keep the show on the road.

It is with joy, conviction and yes, some trepidation that we move into this next stage of post Covid life and we invite you, our faithful friends and supporters, to embark on the journey with us . . . Here’s to life on the other side!

Ciao for now!

Sarah & Lino x

Boboli is Getting Ready to Open!

Dear Wonderful Friends and Supporters of The Lighthouse and Boboli,
 
To say we are thrilled, relieved and over the moon at the Government’s recent announcement is an understatement . . . we cannot wait to get back to operating our wonderful restaurants.
 
Those of you who follow our progress and antics on social media will know that we have been keeping ourselves very busy.  

We are proud that we have managed to look after our team over this difficult time. Now, we are working hard to do our best as we proceed with this tricky period of starting back to work.  We will be training our staff so that we are all completely on the ball with regards to the regimes and requirements of us as service providers, ensuring that we are creating a safe and comfortable environment for both you, our lovely customers, and our staff alike.
 
Since May, we have been running a takeaway service out of Boboli.  This has been so well received and successful that we believe there will continue to be a need for this even after we reopen fully as a restaurant.  

There are still some essential works to be completed at Boboli before we can fling open the doors again.  So, our plan is to reopen Boboli on Thursday, 30th July and move the takeaway service to The Lighthouse. 
 
We feel that it will be too much to operate two outlets simultaneously under the new guidelines. The Lighthouse is a smaller space and will be more difficult to run whilst trying to observe social distancing etc.
 
There will be some of you who are, perhaps, not yet ready to eat out in a public environment, we'll therefore still able to provide for those people with takeaway from The Lighthouse, as well as serving those who are more comfortable with the dining out experience at Boboli . . .  so, we can look after all your needs . . . simples! 
 
In brief, we are here and cannot wait to see you all in whatever form it takes . . . at the table or via takeaway.
 
We’re not yet sure how the timings of bookings will work and exactly how many tables we will have, so if you would like to make a booking at Boboli, please email us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Ciao for now!

Sarah & Lino x

CRÈME DE CASSIS… A RIGHT ROYALLY BRITISH VERSION!

Kir Royale? Don’t mind if I do!!!!

But, hold up, why does it need be French?

In a time when we are so concerned about keeping it local and reducing our carbon footprints, we have endeavoured, even whilst embracing our equally important Italian heritage, to source more local produce where we can.

White Heron Cassis is the fine produce of a farm nestled in the rolling hills of Herefordshire and there you will find a tiny blackcurrant, rarely seen and little known. Carefully harvested under the summer sun, fermented with champagne yeast and blended with a tiny touch of vodka and a little sugar, they are making a rich, fruity and divine cassis . . . a British Cassis if you please!

The Whittern Estate is an historic farm with a passion for the contemporary as well as their time‑honoured traditions, in fact, 140 years of passion.  The farm has grown from traditional arable farming into the more careful cultivation of the blackcurrants that are transformed into the uniquely sultry flavour profile of British Cassis.

Whittern derives its name from the White Ern, or White Heron . . . hence the name of the cassis.  These iconic birds, otherwise known as white egrets, used to breed at The Whittern.  Unfortunately, they are now a scarcity and rarely seen in the area, but they are something of a symbol of the natural environment that the blackcurrants are grown in, so it seemed fitting for them to name their company and their cassis after these elegant and sophisticated creatures.

For us?  It makes a mighty fine Kir or Kir Royale . . . and it’s terribly good in a summer berry compote too . . . also, delicious with Panna Cotta!  And we get to support a like-minded and family run farm, not so local to Kibworth, but of our green and pleasant land

 Ciao for now!

Sarah x

20TH ANNIVERSARY QUIZ

Q4  What’s the difference between Kir and Kir Royale?

Just answer in the comments below and we’ll enter you into our prize draw celebrating our 20th anniversary!  (Please be sure to put your email address on your comment so that we can contact you if you’re one of our lucky winners)

Look out for other 20th anniversary quiz questions on our future blog posts.  Prize draw winners to be announced on 1st January 2020.

20 years In Kibworth!!

In October we shall be celebrating the 20th anniversary of our life in Kibworth!

We moved in August 1999 and within 2 short months had turned around the old David Snelling Violins shop into our first restaurant, Firenze!

Our girls were only 1 and 4 years old and we Polis lived upstairs in the flat. . . we thought it would be small affair this new business of ours, just the two of us and a few part-timers to help out at weekends!  We thought we would open mid-week so we would not be too busy, revving up for the weekend, which we hoped would be a little busier!!

Hmmmm . . . the restaurant was rammed, from the day we opened, 26th October, to the day we closed for Christmas, 23rd December . . . we were welcomed with open arms, encouraged by those who knew us from the Welford Place days in Leicester, and quickly supported by our new community here in Kibworth!

We also quickly recognised the need for more staff, babysitters, cleaners and bookkeepers . . . . to start with we tried to do it all ourselves but that was not going to work!!!

From those first humble beginnings, we have enjoyed the praise and attention of the guides and the foodie journalists, but most importantly, the enthusiasm of our regulars, which is a list that is forever and still growing.

2007 saw the arrival of Boboli and 2013 the exciting rebrand of Firenze to The Lighthouse, and currently we have about 50 local people on our payroll!!!!

So, 20 years on, we can reflect on what has been a hell of a ride!  With gratitude and affection for the awards, accolades, staff, customers and altogether wonderful people and memories that we have been blessed with . . .

Grazie Mille

Sarah & Lino x

20th Anniversary Quiz

Question 2: What year did we open Firenze?

Just answer in the comments below and we’ll enter you into our prize draw celebrating our 20th anniversary! (Please be sure to put your email address on your comment so that we can contact you if you’re one of our lucky winners)

Look out for other 20th anniversary quiz questions on our future blog posts.  Prize draw winners to be announced on 1st January 2020.