Latest news with #scones


The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Homemade scones in peril at National Trust cafes as job cuts loom
Visitors to some National Trust cafes could be forced to go without homemade scones as proposed job cuts are poised to hit kitchen staff. The beloved British bakes could be shipped in from a central source rather than being freshly baked in cafe kitchens in less profitable venues, leaving customers fearing for the traditional treat's quality, according to reports in The Times. It comes as the Trust is set to axe around six per cent of its staff – approximately 550 jobs – in a bid to reduce costs and find £26m in savings. In a statement, the charity blamed the recent employer's National Insurance increase and National Living Wage rise, which they said had added more than £10m to their annual wage bill. A spokesperson for the charity said the changes, if adopted, would affect just ten per cent of its cafes. 'The proposed changes would affect less than 10 per cent of our cafés, all of which are smaller outlets where rising costs are making it increasingly difficult to be financially sustainable,' they told The Independent. 'We would still have food and drink available at these cafés, however, and in more than 90 per cent of our cafés there would be no change to what we offer.' The charity, which cares for over 500 historic houses, gardens, castles, and natural spaces in the UK, previously said that it was struggling with rising costs, despite growing visitor numbers. 'To meet our aims and create a sustainable future for the organisation in a tough financial environment, our first step must be to ensure we are financially strong and properly resourced for the future,' they said. 'Although demand and support for our work are growing with yearly increases in visitors and donations; increasing costs are outstripping this growth.' The charity said that the proposed changes will enable it to 'keep on caring for and championing our shared historic and natural environment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, long into the future'.


Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Homemade scones off the menu at some National Trust houses
They are the real reason many of us love visiting National Trust houses. Fresh scones topped with cream and jam are often the highlight of any visit to a historic house, once their fine architecture, old rooms and beautifully tended gardens have been taken in. But the traditional, homemade favourites are now set to be replaced with bought-in alternatives at some properties amid job cuts. The National Trust is cutting 550 jobs as a higher minimum wage and the impact of Rachel Reeves's national insurance raid on employers has caused costs to balloon. It said costs had grown more quickly than visitor numbers to its historic houses, castles, parks and gardens and that it had no choice but to cut back. Chefs and catering staff at the least profitable cafes are set to lose their jobs, and food will instead be bought in. The National Trust said less than 10 per cent of cafes will be affected, but that has not stopped some volunteers from reacting with horror. One volunteer, who alerted The Times to the plans, said they would cause 'severe disappointment' among visitors. Steve Thomas, of the Prospect union, which is representing those facing redundancy, told the newspaper: 'Whether they are chefs or curators, National Trust staff are as integral to the experience of visiting our iconic historic sites as the properties themselves. 'Losing vital skills and experience would be a disaster for the Trust. It will be noticed by the public and could even reduce visitor numbers, which would only worsen the financial position. 'This process needs to be approached with the utmost caution so costly mistakes are avoided, and Prospect is engaging with the Trust on behalf of our members.' It comes after the National Trust was criticised for making its scones vegan, with some complaining they tasted like 'dry biscuits'. Maude Newby, a 64-year-old long-time member of the National Trust, said at the time: 'I can't stand the taste of the new scones. They are not like traditional ones at all – they are flatter, drier and have an unappealing texture.' The National Trust told The Times: 'The proposed changes would affect less than 10 per cent of our cafés, all of which are smaller outlets where rising costs are making it increasingly difficult to be financially sustainable. 'We would still have food and drink available at these cafés, however, and in more than 90 per cent of our cafés there would be no change to what we offer.'


Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Homemade scones sold at the National Trust's sites could soon become history due to job cuts
They've long been a highlight of any trip to a National Trust site, their mouth-watering flavour crowning a historical day out. But the delicious scones served at the charity's cafes are set to become a thing of the past amid sweeping job losses. Some National Trust venues are planning to stop baking their own sweet treats, replacing them with products brought in from a central source, The Times reports. This has led to fears the new scones will lack their signature homemade freshness. One sceptical volunteer suggested the cost-cutting measure would lead to 'severe disappointment' among visitors across the country. The move is a concerning consequence of the National Trust's decision earlier this month to remove 550 jobs in a bid to slash its wage bill amid soaring costs. The conservation charity, which looks after 500 historic houses, castles, gardens and parks, cited Labour's move to hike employer national insurance contributions, as well as a recent increase in the minimum wage, claiming these policies had cost it £10 million. The National Trust insisted that less than 10 per cent of cafés would be affected by job cuts. But Steve Thomas, of the Prospect union which is representing staff facing redundancy, said: 'Whether they are chefs or curators, National Trust staff are as integral to the experience of visiting our iconic historic sites as the properties themselves.' He predicted that the move could put some people off visiting affected sites. Tasty scones have long been a key draw of National Trust properties and have even inspired a popular book and a dedicated website. In 2023, Sarah Merker completed a vast audit of the snacks, usually accompanied by a dollop of jam and clotted cream, visiting all 244 of the charity's cafes over the course of 10 years. She discovered that the National Trust's least popular locations served the worst scones. The charity said: 'The proposed changes would affect less than 10 per cent of our cafés, all of which are smaller outlets where rising costs are making it increasingly difficult to be financially sustainable. 'We would still have food and drink available at these cafés, however, and in more than 90 per cent of our cafés there would be no change to what we offer.' It comes after the National Trust told staff it needed to reduce the pay bill as well as finding savings worth £26m. The plans are expected to create a reduction in jobs of around 6 per cent across the charity's workforce of around 9,500 people. At least 550 full-time workers could face job loses and the charity has begun a 45-day consultation with its staff. In its most recent annual report, published in September last year, it revealed that total visitor numbers rose to around 25 million for the 2023/24 financial year, up 5 per cent compared with the previous year. It also revealed that there was a 12 per cent increase in non-members visiting the sites, paying on the day for individual trips.


CBS News
6 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Napa bakery owner with multiple sclerosis gets new kitchen thanks to community donations
Rory Kandel has been whipping up delicious pastries in her kitchen in Napa since the pandemic. "They are layered with butter, these are aged cheddar and green onion," Kandel, the founder and owner of Rory's Bakehouse, told CBS News Bay Area. "Lots of butter, lots of buttermilk. And perfect seasoning," she added, sharing her recipe for her delicious scones. "Every Wednesday, we have scone production day. So, we've been doing this all morning." She opened up her bakery during the pandemic, with a dream in one hand and a rolling pin in the other. "I'm a baker, I woke up, I had nothing to do. And I thought I'm going to make cookies for people. So, there was no business plan in place," Kandel said. As a baker, she stands for hours in the kitchen, and that is something that is becoming more and more challenging each day. "After three months of doctor's appointments and tests, it turned out that I had multiple sclerosis. So at the time, I was diagnosed, it was shocking, but I was mobile and totally fine. Eighteen months later, even though I'm on all the medications and doing all the things, I am losing my ability to walk. Although I can stand here and work, I cannot so easily get from place to place," Kandel said. And that is why next to all of her baking trays and utensils, you'll find her cane right by her. She can't easily lift her feet off the ground anymore, so she shuffles carefully around her kitchen. "As much as it's hard for me to admit, that a wheelchair is likely in my future. I need to make this kitchen ADA compliant because I am handicapped," Kandel said. Soon enough, the community jumped in to help, donating more than $20,000 to her GoFundMe to help renovate her kitchen for her physical needs. "I just can't get from point A to point B," she said. Madeline Karam is one of her many supporters. "She is not letting her physical ailment hold her back. She is continuing and she says, 'I'd rather transform this entire space, put a lot of money into making it work for her,' so she can continue to do what she's passionate about," Karam said. "Showing my kids that anything is possible. Really, I just want them to know that if you have a dream, that you can't, there are so many things that can get in a person's way and so many things that can stop you. If you wake up every day and you just tell yourself you're going to overcome those things little by little, coupled with the fact that I have the most incredible support system, you can really overcome so much," Kandel said.


The Guardian
23-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Rukmini Iyer's quick and easy recipe for mini parmesan, apple and rosemary scones
The secret to these ultra-fluffy scones? Cream cheese. In a fit of inspiration (I was thinking about rugelach at the time), I replaced almost all the butter with it to great success. These scones are a hit with children, too: my three-year-old quite competently helped make them, from fetching rosemary from the garden to stamping out the dough and brushing on the egg wash. A nice kitchen activity for any resident children, even if your dog turns up for the cheese tax at the last stage. Prep 15 min Cook 15 min Makes 30 mini scones 25g cold butter, cubed100g cold full-fat cream cheese100g parmesan, roughly broken300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting2 scant tsp baking powder1 tsp sea salt2 rosemary sprigs, needles stripped and finely chopped 1 medium-sized apple, grated 1 egg50ml milk For the topping1 egg, beaten50g parmesan, finely gratedA few small rosemary sprigs (optional) To serveCold salted butter or Boursin Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Tip the cubed butter, cream cheese, parmesan, flour, baking powder, salt and rosemary into a food processor, and blitz until sandy. In a bowl, combine the apple, egg and milk, then pour into the butter mix and blitz briefly, just until everything comes together into a dough. Tip out on to a floured surface, and then pat down until even and 2cm-thick (you can use a rolling pin, but this is such a malleable dough that just your hands will work fine). Use a mini round cutter to stamp out circles, and transfer these to a lined baking sheet. Bring together the offcuts, pat back down and cut out more circles until you've used up all the dough (I got 30 mini scones in total). Brush each scone with beaten egg, top with a scattering of parmesan and a tiny sprig of rosemary, if you wish, then bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. (If you used a larger cutter, check on the scones after 18 minutes.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool a little, then serve warm with cold salted butter, or at room temperature with butter or more cream cheese.