A coffee shop with a Michelin starred pastry chef…

The coffee is superb. It’s from Yemen. Also this week: some independent bakers I met on the weekend, Yauatcha’s new spring patisserie & something to go to in London this Saturday!

I was generally pretty relaxed and excited about heading into my forties. It was only last year it occurred to me: the shitty reality that, as you get older, the odds of people you love dying starts to increase exponentially.

My friend died this week. I’d already been grieving for him as we knew it was coming, but my heart has felt extra heavy since the message came through. I was glad to be at home with my daughter at nursery so I could cry freely.

He was diagnosed with bowel cancer 16 months ago and went into every treatment with the doctors who were confident it would be effective. Yet every follow up appointment was more bad news. All I keep imagining now is him laughing and teasing. He was so loved. He was invited to every wedding and party and was a welcoming and frequent host as well. Truly one of the best men you’d meet. Much more understated than I made him just sound. He was always invited because he was fun, yes, but also just because he was such a good guy. You couldn’t help…