Christmas is coming to the lagoon and after a long break from our newsletter it seems the right moment to let you know that we are closing it. We have loved sharing our stories, thoughts and recipes with everyone who has so kindly and generously supported us, but after reviewing our upcoming commitments we don’t feel that we can continue writing the newsletter at the level of quality we would like.We had hoped to do a Sugar Street book one day and we will certainly not be giving up our supper clubs- there are still so many ideas and dishes we would love to explore! We will post information about our next supper club evening and we are planning a fresh version of the newsletter for the future. Look out too for our forthcoming recipe book! Thank you all so much for sharing Sugar Street with us.
Lisa writes… Doing the newsletter has been a fantastic continuation of the supper clubs. I have learned a huge (and sometimes fairly esoteric) amount of Venetian history, and practising the recipes was a great excuse to spend time doing one of my favourite things in the world, which is being in the kitchen with Anna.
Anna writes… For me the newsletter has been an increasingly treasured means of exploring this wonderful city. Seeing and appreciating both the comical and classic, and trying to paint a slightly different picture for those reading so that they may also see it as a place to live. Apart from connecting with so many interesting people from all over the world, the highlight for me has always been doing this with Lisa.
Several people have contributed interviews to the newsletter since we began, and so since this is our last post we thought we would share our own responses to the two questions we always asked them…
Someone arrives in Venice on a magic carpet and has only an hour to see the city. What should they do?
Lisa writes- My traveller would arrive on a bright, icy winter’s night with a full moon over the lagoon. They would sweep down the length of the Grand Canal, hovering at the lighted windows of the palazzi and tracing their reflections on the mirror of the water. Always breathtakingly beautiful, I think the Grand Canal at night can still show you Venice as it was hundreds of years ago.
Anna writes- It doesn’t surprise me, but my first thought was that my traveller must arrive first thing in the morning before anyone else is awake. This way they can just see the unobscured city, light slowly creeping up the walls, first stirrings before the pace quickens. Then with the remaining time I would take them to the North lagoon.
You have an exquisite flask of Murano glass in which to bottle a Venetian memory. What would you choose?
Lisa writes- The feeling I get every time I cross the last bridge before turning into Sugar Street, looking at the facade of the Redentore church opposite, across the Giudecca canal. Every single time I feel so lucky to live here, in a place that guarantees at least one flash of pure happiness every day.
Anna writes- The feeling of pride I get each time I look back on Venice from the end of Via Garibaldi as the sun sets . A strange protective pride, like looking at a really beloved friend mixed with brimming happiness.
Thank you to all of you. This is by no means the end of our explorations into food but that will never stop.
Arriverderci! Ci vediamo presto…
I’m sorry to see you go from here, but I will look for you looking towards the end of the via Garibaldi 👋✨
Farewell for now then, but speedy return Sugar Street! You have brought much deliciousness and much pleasure.