My dearest Natural Temptation,
It’s been a wonderful journey you and I have had together. 33 years of learning, evolving, and challenging each other. You have pushed me to be more than I thought I could be, allowed me to apply my creativity through food and showed me that marketing is easy if you love and believe in your product, staying true to your core values. All these things you believed would stand the test of time.
When we started out at Centrepoint in 1989, Katrina and I workshopping your name and what your ideals would be, we had no idea that you would grow into such a beautiful strong soul with a quiet confidence and unwavering integrity.
From the very start, the idea of you demanded an Honest & Nourishing menu, beneficial for body and soul. Your customers now have come to expect nothing less. You have been able to inspire those customers and be the icon of planet loving conscientious ideals for those who step across your threshold. You have embodied pureness of heart that has been a pleasure and a dream to work with.
When I enter your door in those quiet early morning hours and have you all to myself, we can create magic for the day ahead. Everything at my fingertips to mix our muffins and cakes, the cool room full of fruity luscious choice for fillings, our recipe files at hand to inspire, ovens heating and ready to bake the mornings mixings.
When the shifts start at 7.00, coffee machine being seasoned, the salad prep bench tingling with anticipation for the day’s choice of fresh salady temptations, I know that another day of customer fulfilment is to be had.
Those staff that you have helped turn into magical temptresses, sorceresses of the culinary world with your gift to let them imagine spice and herb combinations from every culture on the planet and weave a story for each dish. I know you have left an indelible imprint on them also.
When I deemed my time was up with you, I offered you to the universe, wanting you to carry on your good healthy work with another, with younger and fresh ideas for you to evolve further. However, it seems the universe has other ideas and an “another” hasn’t yet shown themselves.
So I will dismantle you, gently take you apart, but the Heart of you I will take with me. The heart of you will come with me and be part of my new studio where we can once again grow, create and inspire in a new direction but at a slower pace than those heady early years.
Your recipes still available to share and our new activities we will chronicle as we explore fresh fields to grow our healthy sustaining ideals.
Always remember my beautiful, that pieces of you will always be in the heart of all your customers who have loved and cherished you. Thank you for being you.