Fellow Wine Lovers
Christmas Crackers
In early 1830, Tom Smith started work as a young boy in a bakers and ornamental confectioners shop in London. He sold sweets such as fondants, pralines and gum pastilles. He worked hard and took particular interest in the wedding cake ornaments and decorations. He experimented and created new, more exciting and less crude designs in his spare time. Before long he was successful enough to start his own business in Goswell Road, Clerkenwell, East London.
Tom Smith was adventurous and forward thinking, often traveling abroad to search for new ideas. It was on a trip to Paris in 1840 that he first discovered the ‘bon bon’ – a sugared almond wrapped in a twist of tissue paper. It was a simple idea which, over the next 7 years, would eventually evolve into the Cracker.
He decided to bring the ‘bon bon’ to London and during Christmas that year, they sold extremely well. In January however, the demand virtually ceased and once again he was reliant on sales of cakes, table decorations and ornaments. Anxious to develop the ‘bon bon’ idea further and to stimulate sales, Tom Smith decided to place a small love motto in the tissue paper. He encouraged his regular customers to take supplies, of which many did, and within a short while, orders were sufficiently high and sales profitable enough for him to increase his staff.
By now, Tom knew he had a unique and potentially very commercial idea. He decided to take a risk and concentrate on developing it further, while still running the wedding cake ornament and confectionery business which was by now, very well established. At this time, the majority of ‘bon bons’ were still sold at Christmas and Tom began to think up ways to capitalize on this short but very profitable season. He needed to make his ‘bon bons’ even more appealing. It was the crackle of a log as he threw it on his fire that gave him the flash of inspiration which eventually led to the crackers we know today.
(Wayne saw this in a Christmas Cracker we suspect was supplied by tomsmithcrackers.co.uk)
Tasting This Weekend
We’ll start you with something suitably festive, Champagne Moutard Brut Grand Cuvee NV (£26.99). We’ll follow swiftly with Paringa Estate Peninsula Chardonnay (£28.99) which we think is one of the finest drops you’ll find on Mornington Peninsula. Our world tour cruises into Central Otago with a taste of Surveyor Thomson Explorer Pinot Noir (£23.99). Then we’ll be passing to the left with Krohn Colheita 1995 (£26.99), a tawny port, bottle this year having been aged in barrels since 1995.
Mince pies this week are Waitrose Shortcrust. The homemade ones are still in the lead…
We are open on Sunday this week 11-3 pm if you run out of Saturday before you run out of things to do.
Local delivery is still available until we close on Monday.
Opening Hours
Monday 23rd Dec 11am-8pm
Tuesday 24th Dec 10am-5pm
25-27th Dec CLOSED
Saturday 28th Dec 11am-6pm
Sunday 29th Dec 11am-3pm
Monday 30th Dec 11am-8pm
Tuesday 31st Dec 11am-6pm
Too Late?
Of course you’re not too late. There is still time to book onto the Park Vintners Wine School. Term starts Wednesday 5th Feb at 8pm. £150 will book your place.