I had the most incredible fig in Berlin.

And that was all it took for me to buy a notebook and have thoughts of only food and cooking for rest of my trip.

I booked a tiny cabin in the German countryside, my best friend gifted me sunflowers to keep me company.

It’s been a big year for me, for Joy. It was the first year that it finally started to feel like we were on the other side of the pandemic. Don’t get me wrong, every sniffle or fever we had we still do a RAT, from the top drawer in the restaurant.

Creativity has been hard this year. It’s felt like survival mode, push through mode, do what it takes mode. A holiday wasn’t an option until now as we were still trying to fit Covid reschedules in, and well, a break for ourselves seemed selfish, stressful?

However, we all know how creativity and passion suffers from burn out. Brains need sleep, rest, down time. I’m lucky I have an Oliver. Doesn’t matter how flat I felt going into a Joy week- the minute he greeted me on a Tuesday morning I was reminded of what we aim to get done at Joy. He is resilient, funny, skilled, creative, gentle and proud.

I guess the point of this note is that I finally have the buzz of ideas brimming in my brain. I am so excited to get back into my 36sqm happy place with the coloured walls and Whitney Houston and start touching and creating food again.

I think I write about missing Joy every time I’m away- this time feels different though.

Lots of love

Sarah