I love London during the holidays and have spent nearly every Christmas here for the past 15 years. The capital becomes a ghost town and businesses shut for days – something that doesn’t happen in the same way in the US, where I grew up. It’s a tradition at our Violet bakery to stay open until about 1pm on Christmas Eve, handing out eggnog to customers who come to collect hampers, mince pies, cakes and puddings at the last minute before the big day. By the time the shop is all closed up, there is just enough time to have dinner with friends and then go home to lay out cookies for Santa Claus.
On Christmas morning, I rise at dawn to make freshly squeezed orange juice, coffee and cinnamon toast to keep the wolf from the door while we open presents. The clean-up of all the pretty paper and ribbons has to be quick, before making breakfast. The breakfast is light but substantial. We like to walk in the park at Christmas, so something with a bit of protein is what I crave. Fresh food and then fresh air. I like to get rosy cheeks and feel the cold so we can come back and get cosy inside again, playing games and working up our appetite for Christmas dinner.
