Chapter 6 : London (2018 - till date)
It always starts with coffee.
Back during our Hong Kong days, I tried my hands at entrepreneurship by supplying brownies to a small cafe. It was hard work on the side of a full time banking job, but also gave me immense satisfaction to see my baked goods on display. I even visited the shop sporadically to see how popular they had been - and it was sort of a high to see a sold out sign at times.
When we moved to London in late 2018, I often looked back on those brownie selling days, and wished I could collaborate with someone in a similar way. One day, while house hunting, we came across a small speciality coffee shop (called Alex coffee) in what was going to be our future neighbourhood. Both the husband and I love coffee hunting, so we had to stop for a cuppa. The coffee was delish, and a great conversation with the owner/barista ensued. I knew I had to discuss my brownie ventures with him if we moved nearby.
A few months later, as we unpacked our bags a few streets down from this coffee shop, I dropped the owner an email. 2 weeks later I was supplying him overnight oats as the first food item he ever kept for his customers. We had been in London all of 4 months. It was a good start to London (compared to New York!), but little did we know the curveball 2020 would throw the world.
I enjoyed not only making the oats, but also learning about pricing and measurements from him and hunting for the right ingredients. Plus there was always extra for the family breakfast! It felt like a little side business, and it was exciting. I had also started setting up my supperclub business and hosting dinners, as it felt things were falling into place to re-launch myself in the UK.
I supplied the cafe oats for 3 months, but then, almost as though by mistake, I landed a job with Airbnb. I had reached out to someone from the food world I knew from NYC, and requested him to connect me with food moguls in London. He reached back saying he had a role in his team he thinks I’d be perfect for. I wasn’t planning a job at this stage, and never knew I wanted to work with Airbnb. It was all too fast. But I was amazed at finding people who braced adventure, and believed in me. Once again, two times in a row, someone had given me a chance without really knowing if I could handle it.
A month later, I started my job in community and events at Airbnb. It was a revelation that there are careers other than food that can bring me satisfaction. Don’t get me wrong, I still love food, cooking and supperclubs. But a ‘desk’ job at this stage felt more manageable with a little child. And I loved every minute of the role. The travel was insane! I was sad the overnight oats had to pause, but I had made a coffee shop friend in the bargain + had the chance to travel the world just 6 months after moving continents! Life!
In 2020, Covid hit, mayhem. Was London not welcoming us as well? Everything came to a standstill. But that meant I had some spare minutes to finish a hot cup of coffee, and make those beloved overnight oats again - albeit just for the family.
Today I share that oats recipe that I have made a gazillion times, shared with friends, taken to potlucks, and now, sold at a cafe in central London. I can safely say it’s a good one! Hope you take a kind minute to savour it during these unprecedented times.
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut flakes (fresh or dried)
4 cups whole milk (can be replaced with dairy free alternatives like coconut or almond milk)
1/2 cup full fat yogurt
4-6 pitted dates, chopped
2 tbsp almonds, roughly chopped
2 tbsp raisins
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp palm sugar
1 small apple, 1/2 grated and 1/2 diced
Method
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Yes, that’s pretty much it. Adjust the liquid a little if needed- it will soak and swell overnight, so you want it to be a little wet before it goes into the fridge.
Refrigerate for 24 hrs. Mix well in the morning. Add a dash of water/ milk to loosen it up if it looks dry. Top with soft fruits like chopped bananas, berries and more nuts. Serve chilled!