Umpleby's Bakery & Café

The Passing of a Legend – Donald “Duck” Dunn

umpleby — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:33:40 +0000

With the danger of turning this website into an obituary column I have to post the passing of a legendary bass player – Donald “Duck” Dunn. He is best known for playing with Booker T and the MGs as well as The Blues Brothers Band and touring with Eric Clapton. He was a session bass player on the Stax Records label out of Memphis. The people he played with is a regular who’s who in the Blues, Rock and R&B Community.

I had the pleasure to see him many years ago in NYC when he was playing with Booker T. They were playing at a venue that the front looked like a greyhound bus. I don’t think it is there anymore. Does anyone out there remember that place and what it was called?

The NYT article is here – DUCK DUNN

I should mention the big reason why I am so saddened by his death is that I am a bass player too. Much to the chagrin of my parents I spent maybe too much time playing in different rock and jazz bands to the possible detriment of my studies. Duck Dunn was definitely an influence on my playing. In my defense though I still did well enough to get into Skidmore. It must have been all the musical activities on my CV!

It is very sad though to hear of his passing. The music community has lost its bass clef.

The Norwich Farmers Market Starts Next Saturday!

umpleby — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 22:59:00 +0000

Just a reminder, one week from day is opening day of the 35th season of the Norwich Farmers Market. Wait till you see all the newly constructed booths that a lot of the vendors (as well as Steve, the manager!) have been working on!

We’ll be selling at the market for the first time lamb pasties! Plus all of our usual hits such as blueberry danish, meat pies, sourdough breads, breakfast pastries and savory muffins.

Plus it will be a full moon that night so that means anything can happen at the market that day. Anything.

This has nothing to do about baking but I still want to mourn…

umpleby — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:39:34 +0000

the passing of two very interesting people. One was the former drummer of the Band, Levon Helm. I remember seeing the movie The Last Waltz for the first time when it was featured by the cinema club at Skidmore. Wow! For a lover of old time rock and roll that was the movie to see! From Clapton to Muddy Waters. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down is probably one of my favorite songs of all time, or at least in the top 50. Who am I kidding, its gotta be at least the top 25.

The second was Greg Ham. You would know him as the flute player in Men at Work. He played the famous little riff on the song Down Under, which might as well be the national anthem of Australia. I remember seeing the video on MTV when MTV was relevant. When they actually played music videos announced by VJ’s – Video Jockeys. Does anyone remember Martha Quinn? I’m getting off track. The sad reason for his untimely death I urge you to read here in The Age.

Godspeed and RIP to both fellows.

The Norwich Farmers Market is Coming…..

umpleby — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:35:14 +0000

Just a few weeks away is the NFM!!!

All the info is here: The NFM Opening day is May 5th this year – rain or shine.

This will be our 11th season!

We will be Closed Easter Sunday

umpleby — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:13:26 +0000

But don’t fret! We will have our cooked breakfast tomorrow morning as well as a wall of amazingly beautiful and delicious food to choose from for your Easter or Weekend Meal. We currently have flourless chocolate souffle cakes and macaroons … Continue reading →

The Health Department and Job Shadow Day

umpleby — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 18:24:43 +0000

Yesterday was a busy day! In the morning we sponsored 2 eighth graders from Hartland Elementary School for Job Shadow Day. I had a fun time showing them what it is like to work in a bakery.

An hour after they left for the day I received a visit from the Health Department for their annual routine inspection. I’ll cut to the chase and reveal that we passed with flying colors! That, in itself shouldn’t be big news because first, I am very fortunate to have a fantastic staff that works hard every day to make sure the place is kept clean and that they follow proper food handling procedures. Also, it should be a given (at least in my opinion) that a food establishment holds itself to a high standard in sanitary practices.

Instead the cool thing that I want to mention is that the first thing she wanted to talk about after the usual greetings was complement me on how much she loves our food and how beautiful she thinks it all looks. As you can probably imagine it would be difficult for a health inspector to sometimes see the trees from the forest and appreciate what a place was doing without looking for violations but she felt compelled to take a moment and do just that. And so when I have an inevitable bad day at work someday in the future and wonder why in the world do I own a bakery I will think of that complement made by the woman from the Health Department and think, to quote Robert Frost,

“I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

Hot Cross Buns are Coming!

umpleby — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:02:21 +0000

I’m shooting for thursday so they will be available for the final days before Easter. My wife Carolyn says they are the best she’s ever eaten so I will try to live up to that praise with this year’s batch. I should note that she has no problems telling me if she doesn’t like something I’ve made so I will take her complement as genuine! (Also since she’s my wife!)

Lamb Pasties Today!

umpleby — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:32:37 +0000

As promised we will be making and selling pasties today.

As it is the Lenten Season and also since today is Palm Sunday I thought it fitting to put lamb in the pasties instead of beef. They will be coming out of the oven around noonish. The other twist I put on my pasties is that I use puff pastry instead of short crust pastry. They are flakier and more flavorful as a result I believe.

Pastygate / The 99% and the 1%

umpleby — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:34:57 +0000

In light of the interesting news coming out of the newspapers from the UK we will be making traditional Cornish Pasties this Sunday! I cordially welcome the PM and the Conservative MP’s to come on over and reacquaint themselves with them as well as observe how a small family owned business works in the great town of Hanover! With a name like Umpleby I can assure them that I have the heritage of making a decent pasty going for me!

Here is the NYT article If my bakery was in England I would be very anxious on how this all turns out. A 20% VAT (tax) on take away baked goods such as pasties and meat pies? Is the government out of their collective minds? That would be a ” game over” law to the bakeries relying on take away sales!

For the rest of you 99%’s I certainly welcome you to come by as well!

This is classic workingman’s food and dammit it they taste good!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

umpleby — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:18:09 +0000

Hopping Down the Bunny Trail!

Easter is about a week and a half away believe it or not!

We will be closed Easter Sunday but that doesn’t mean you can’t stop by Saturday and get some pies, desserts or breads for your Easter celebration!

Place your orders now for what you are interested in. Our dessert menus are on our website.

For Passover we will make sure there are plenty of gluten free coconut macaroons as well as gluten free chocolate souffle cakes in the case!

Happy Easter and Passover!